#17 Edinboro (0-0) at Michigan State (1-0)
Friday, November 30, 2012 - 7 p.m.
Jemison Field House
#11 Virginia Tech (3-1) at #17 Edinboro (0-0)
Sunday, December 2, 2012 - 1 p.m.
TOYS FOR TOTS FREE ADMISSION
Fans can receive free admission to the Sunday, December 2 wrestling match with Virginia Tech and the Tuesday, December 4 women's basketball game vs. Davis & Elkins by donating to the Toys for Tots Drive. In addition, the collection bin will be in the McComb Fieldhouse lobby every day for donations.
The Match Stories
-After competing in two open tournaments Edinboro's dual season finally gets underway with a pair of matches this weekend. The Fighting Scots wrestle at Michigan State on Friday, November 30 before hosting Virginia Tech in the home opener on Sunday, December 2. The Spartans come in with a 1-0 record, defeating Eastern Michigan, 25-11. Virginia Tech, ranked 11th in the latest InterMat Division I Tournament-Strength Rankings, is 3-1 while facing a demanding early schedule. The Hokies opened with a 23-10 loss to fifth-ranked Ohio State, then defeated Wisconsin, ranked 25th at the time, 32-6, and Manchester, 53-0, in the Hokie Duals. Last Sunday they defeated 22nd-ranked Virginia, 25-6. VTU faces 13th-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night before continuing up I-79 for the Sunday match against the Fighting Scots.
-Edinboro opened season on November 4 in the UB Invite. The Fighting Scots had eight wrestlers place, led by
Michael DePalma, who claimed the championship at 149 lbs. A week later they faced a solid field in the MSU Open, hosted by Michigan State.
A.J. Schopp led ten place winners as he took home first place honors at 133 lbs. Many of the younger Fighting Scots participated in the freshmen-sophomore division.
-If fans think Edinboro had a young lineup a year ago, wait until they see the 2012-13 Fighting Scots. A year ago the lineup featured seven either true or redshirt freshmen, but also had a pair of seniors. This year's anticipated lineup includes four either true or redshirt freshmen, four more sophomores, and no seniors. However, note that three of the four sophomores qualified for Nationals and the group as a while combined for a 120 wins.
-Edinboro's lineup underwent a change recently at 157 lbs. and 184 lbs.
Dave Habat and
Michael DePalma had battled in recent weeks for the starting role at 149 lbs. DePalma, a redshirt freshman, actuallywon by fall in the title bout of the UB Invite over Habat after Habat had beaten him in wrestleoffs. The two wrestled off prior to Thanksgiving, with Habat barely prevailing. DePalma, who had a 31-7 record last year competing at 141 and 149 lbs. while redshirting, will replace
Casey Fuller (22-20 in '11-12) at 157 lbs. Vince Pickett, one of the blue-chips in this year's recruiting class, will step in as the starter at 184 lbs. after place third at the MSU Open freshmen-sophomore division. Pickett was a three-time Ohio place winner at Central Crossing High School.
-Head coach
Tim Flynn has once again assembled a demanding schedule, with no fewer than five teams ranked in this week's InterMat top 25. Leading the way is third-ranked Iowa,along with Sunday's opponent, 11th-ranked Virginia Tech. Two weeks later 15th-ranked Northwestern comes to McComb Fieldhouse, and the Fighting Scots will host 13th-ranked Pittsburgh and 19th-ranked Kent State in February. That doesn't include potential opponents the Scots could face in the Virginia Duals. Throw in the Midlands Invitational and the Fighting Scots will once again face some of the best wrestlers in the country.
-Edinboro's lineup features five ranked wrestlers. Leading the way is
A.J. Schopp and
Mitchell Port, who are ranked fourth by Amateur Wrestling News and fith by InterMat at 133 and 141 lbs., respectively.
Dave Habat (149 lbs.),
Johnny Greisheimer (165 lbs.) and
Ernest James (hwt.) are also ranked nationally.
-There will be several much-anticipated individual showdowns in the two duals. The highlight of the Michigan State dual is the heavyweight bout between
Ernest James and MSU's undefeated Mike McClure. The two met at the MSUOpen, with McClure prevailing 4-2. Last year's dual came down to a takedown by James in the waning seconds for a 3-1 win. Virginia Tech's lineup is dotted with nationally-ranked wrestlers. No fewer than four weight classes will pit nationally-ranked wrestlers against each other.
