Nothing materialized during the 2007-08 season. The talk came up again after the 2008 Walsh Ironman when Blair Academy emerged as champion after a two year lapse of not winning the tournament (St. Edward, OH won the December 2006 tournament to spark their 2007 mythical national championship).
Yet again, nothing came about in the way of a dual meet. However, during the offseason an agreement was reached that Blair Academy would travel to Graham for a dual meet. This matchup features the last two national championship teams, and could easily play a significant role in determining this year's mythical national champion.
The Blair Academy squad -- winners of this year's Ironman, Beast of the East, and NHSCA Final Four of Wrestling -- will come to Graham High School seeking another notch on a season that for them hopefully ends in a repeat national championship, which would be an eighth in 10years. However, this weekend's opponent is a very formidable one.
Graham -- second in the Walsh Ironman this year -- is after an upset, which could put them in a position to win their second national title in three seasons. The Falcons have established themselves as a perennial power, seeking a tenth consecutive state tournament championship. They have also beaten the legendary St. Edward program in dual meets the last three seasons.
On Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EST the collision will occur. The teams last met in dual meet competition during the 2003-04 season at the NHSCA Final Four of Wrestling. Blair Academy won that meeting -- the only one in their respective histories -- by a 38-21 score taking nine of 14 matches.
The following is an analysis of the expected matchups should both teams send out their "normal" starting lineups. Rankings represent those published by InterMat as of January 22, 2010.
103: No. 10 Max Hvolbeck (Blair Academy) vs. No. 18 Ryan Taylor (Graham)
Hvolbeck won a 6-4 decision in the consolation semifinals of the Walsh Ironman. Expect a similar result this time around. However, as a point of caution, Taylor comes in off a pin over No. 8 Dean Heil (St. Edward), a match in which he led 6-5 prior to the late sequence leading to the fall; while Hvolbeck was upset at the NHSCA Final Four of Wrestling, as Drew Ferguson (Collins Hill, GA) won by fall with a cradle in the second period.
Prediction: Hvolbeck (Blair Academy) dec. Taylor (Graham) (3-0 Blair Academy)
Note: This is the type of match that Graham needs to pull off in order to increase the likelihood of an upset victory in the dual meet.
112: No. 1 Evan Silver (Blair Academy) vs. Connor Casady (Graham)
Silver has been dominant this season in winning titles at the Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, and Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic. Casady came back from injury last week to make his season debut, losing by a major decision to a fellow freshman from St. Edward.
Prediction: Silver (Blair Academy) pins Casady (Graham) (9-0 Blair Academy)
119: No. 9 Mark Grey (Blair Academy) vs. No. 5 Nick Brascetta (Graham)
If you looked at the respective wrestlers' raw talent ability and complete resumes, you would presume that Grey would be superior by a somewhat significant margin. However, that is not at all the case when you match these two wrestlers on the mat. In the last two seasons at the Walsh Ironman, Brascetta has won both meetings -- at 103 pounds in the final of the 2008 Walsh Ironman, and a 3-1 decision in the consolation semifinals this year at 119 pounds.
Prediction: Brascetta (Graham) dec. Grey (Blair Academy) (9-3 Blair Academy)
125: Russell Parsons (Blair Academy) vs. Sheldon Kegley (Graham)
This is a battle of freshman against senior. Both wrestlers failed to place at the Walsh Ironman, exiting in the same round on Friday evening. One of the lower profile matches of the evening, this is the type of match that Graham must win to have any chance of pulling off an upset victory in their home gym.
Prediction: Kegley (Graham) dec. Parsons (Blair Academy) (9-6 Blair Academy).
130: Todd Preston (Blair Academy) vs. No. 17 Bo Jordan (Graham)
The freshman sensation Jordan was one of two key Graham wrestlers that did not compete at the Walsh Ironman in early December. Preston placed fourth at the Ironman while failing to place at the Beast of the East, and also did not wrestle last weekend at the NHSCA Final Four. On the other hand, the freshman sensation Jordan came up with one of the season's signature upsets last weekend beating top-ranked Jamie Clark (St. Edward) by a 6-3 score.
Prediction: Jordan (Graham) dec. Preston (Blair Academy) (9-9 Tie)
Note: If Jordan could somehow squeeze a bonus point victory here, not super likely though, it could have an impact in the course of the dual meet.
135: No. 3 Austin Ormsbee (Blair Academy) vs. Isaac Jordan (Graham)
The junior Ormsbee is a two-time National Prep champion and has returned to the mats with a vengeance after missing all three major tournaments for Blair in the month of December. At last weekend's NHSCA Final Four, Ormsbee went 4-0 with wins by pin, two major decisions, and a convincing 10-3 decision. The sophomore Jordan placed fourth in the 140 pound weight class at the Walsh Ironman.
Prediction: Ormsbee (Blair Academy) dec. Jordan (Graham) (12-9 Blair Academy)
140: No. 1 Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy) vs. No. 7 Felipe Martinez (Graham)
The top-ranked Villalonga, ranked third overall in the senior class, had not lost a scholastic match since late December of 2006 -- which was during his freshman year. Competing against Blair Academy's rigorous schedule, this means he is a three-time champion at the National Prep Championships, Walsh Ironman, and Beast of the East. The sophomore Martinez was the other impact Graham wrestler not in the lineup at Ironman; however, he was a finalist at 130 pounds as a freshman where he was upended 6-1 by Villalonga. For those seeking an upset here, the hope is that Martinez is able to get his big-move offense going against an opponent that has seemed flat at times this year in spite of being a superlative wrestler
Prediction: Villalonga (Blair Academy) dec. Martinez (Graham) (15-9 Blair Academy)
145: Jack Weldoyn (Blair Academy) vs. Matt Stephens (Graham)
While Stephens is not a nationally ranked wrestler, he did place fourth at the Walsh Ironman and upset 15th ranked Anthony Salupo (St. Edward) last weekend. In addition, Stephens -- like his older brother Brian, now at Virginia Tech -- is a very physical and proficient wrestler on his feet that can wear out an opponent.
Prediction: Stephens (Graham) pins Weldoyn (Blair Academy) (15-15 Tie)
152: No. 8 Jesse Shanaman (Blair Academy) vs. Robert Mannier (Graham)
Going against a young wrestler that has struggled to some extent this year, Shanaman is going to be hunting for the fall. Shanaman has only one loss on the season, to Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA) in the Walsh Ironman final, while winning titles at the Beast of the East and Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic.
Prediction: Shanaman (Blair Academy) pins Mannier (Graham) (21-15 Blair Academy)
160: Brad Bishop (Blair Academy) vs. Kyle Ryan (Graham)
The senior Bishop is a native of Ohio coming back to his home state, and seeks a match victory that would serve to minimize realistic hopes of Graham poaching the upset victory in the dual meet. Bishop failed to place at both the Ironman and Beast before taking only seventh at the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic. Ryan -- a junior and defending state champion -- placed fourth at the Walsh Ironman, but is only recently coming back from injury that kept him out for two weekends in early January.
Prediction: Ryan (Graham) dec. Bishop (Blair Academy) (21-18 Blair Academy)
171: Marino Orlandi (Blair Academy) vs. Huston Evans (Graham)
The sophomore Evans was a state runner-up last season, and placed fourth in the Walsh Ironman losing two one point matches along the way. Like Ryan, Evans just recently came back from an injury; however, his injury only forced him out of one competition. Facing an opponent that did not make a significant impact in any of his tournaments this year, the ability for Evans to score bonus points -- ideally a fall -- could play a crucial role if this dual meet ends up split at seven matches apiece.
Prediction: Evans (Graham) major dec. Orlandi (Blair Academy) (22-21 Graham)
189: No. 2 Michael Evans (Blair Academy) vs. No. 5 Max Thomusseit (Graham)
These two senior wrestlers are among the pre-eminent in the weight class and in the senior class as a whole; Evans ranked 7th among seniors overall, and Thomusseit 32nd. These wrestlers met in the final at the Walsh Ironman with Evans taking home a 6-2 decision, one of seven that he has against ranked wrestlers in an undefeated season to date.
Prediction: Evans (Blair Academy) dec. Thomusseit (Graham) (24-22 Blair Academy)
215: Dillon Hoffman (Blair Academy) vs. Mark Meyer (Graham)
Both wrestlers seasons started at the Walsh Ironman -- the senior Hoffman placed eight, while the junior Meyer failed to place. Since then, Hoffman has failed to contend for placement at his next two tournaments while Meyer has earned placement finishes. In addition, Hoffman lost 22-6 at the Walsh Ironman in the consolation bracket to Anthony Wise (Massillon Perry, OH); this is a wrestler that Meyer has lost to twice this year, but by much closer margins (5-1 and an overtime decision).
Prediction: Meyer (Graham) dec. Hoffman (Blair Academy) (25-24 Graham)
285: Brooks Black (Blair Academy) vs. Lucas Williams (Graham)
Should this be the last weight class, and the dual meet is in play, it is a huge advantage to Blair with the freshman sensation Black. This young man has finished third at the Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East already. The senior Williams did what he was asked to in the dual meet last week against Greg Kuhar (St. Edward) -- which was to keep the score close and stay off of his back, a hidden key in that dual meet victory.
Prediction: Black (Blair Academy) major dec. Williams (Graham) (28-25 Blair Academy)
Dual Meet Prediction: Blair Academy 28, Graham 25
However, as most big dual meets show, teams will not send out their normal lineups. Two factors that could play a crucial role in such a potentially tight meet are the starting weight class and the coin toss (deciding which team has to present their wrestler first at a given weight class).
Special InterMat contributor Dan Ransick will be present at Graham High School covering the event, and will provide some post-match perspectives.
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