Edinboro Match Notes
 
Edinboro Lineup  
125 -- #17/#15 Kory Mines (R-Sr., 23-6, 78-53, Bedford, Ohio/Maple Heights)
133 -- Anthony Rivera (R-Fr., 3-9, 3-9, Mardela Springs, Md./Parkside)
141 -- #2/#2 Mitchell Port (R-Sr., 25-0, 121-15, Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area)
149 -- #3/#4 Dave Habat (R-Sr., 24-1, 122-25, Parma, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
157 -- Kasey Burnett-Davis (R-Sr., 11-9, 29-12, Meadville, Pa./Meadville) OR Chase Delande (R-So., 8-7, 29-12, Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard-Davidson) 
165 -- Casey Fuller (R-Jr., 14-11, 43-43, Hamlin, Pa./Western Wayne) OR Ty Schoffstall (R-Fr., 14-6, 14-6, Pottsville, Pa./Tri-Valley)         
174 -- Patrick Jennings (R-Jr., 22-8, 47-45, Ridge, N.Y./Longwood)               
184 -- #12/#12 Vic Avery  (R-Jr., 20-6, 69-28, Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) OR Nick Mitchell (R-So., 11-1, 24-12, Frewsburg, N.Y./Frewsburg Central)
197 -- Vince Pickett  (Jr.,12-12, 55-38, Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing)
Hwt. -- Warren Bosch (R-Jr., 11-15, 27-36, Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park)       
 
HEAD COACH:  Tim Flynn (Penn State '87, 193-72-5, 18th year)
Rankings:  InterMat/Flowrestling


Rider Broncs Probable Lineup  
125 -- J.R. Wert (R-Fr., 8-10, Christiansburg, Va./Christiansburg)
133 -- Robert Deutsch (R-Jr., 14-6, Cherry Hill, N.J./Old Dominion)
141 -- Chuck Zeisloft (R-Sr., 12-7, Woodbury Hts., N.J./Gateway)
149 -- #19/#18 B.J. Clagon (R-Fr., 15-6, Toms River, N.J./Toms River South)
157 -- #18/#20 Chad Walsh (R-Fr., 19-5, Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic)
165 -- Conor Brennan (R-Jr., 4-3, Brick, N.J./Brick Township)
174 -- Ryan Wolfe (R-So., 11-8, New Castle, Del./Caravel Academy)
184 -- Clint Morrison (R-Jr., 8-7, Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff)
197 -- Donald McNeil (R-Sr., 9-5, Plainville, Mass./UNC-Greensboro)
Hwt. -- Greg Velasco (R-Jr., 11-8, Union Beach, N.J./Keyport)
 
HEAD?COACH:  Gary Taylor (East Stroudsburg '76, 411-233-4, 36th year)
Rankings:  InterMat/Flowrestling

Bloomsburg Huskies Probable Lineup
125 -- Jon Haas (Fr., 9-9, Penfield, N.Y./Penfield)
133 -- Andy Schutz (So., 12-10, Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area)
141 -- Tanner Cahill (Fr., 11-12, Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh)
149 -- Kevin Laubach (So., 10-13, Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area)
157 -- Matt Hammerstone (R-Fr., 4-12, White Haven, Pa./Crestwood)
165 -- Kurt Meske (Fr., 3-3, Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) 
174 -- Brad Miccio (Fr., 1-10, Benton, Pa./Benton Area)
184 -- Casey Bearden (Fr., 7-13, Hernando, Fla./Citrus)
197 -- Michael Mirra (R-Jr., 10-11, Mountaintop, Pa./Crestwood)
Hwt. -- Dom Carfagno (Fr., 6-10, West Paterson, N.J./St. Joseph Regional)
 
HEAD?COACH:  Jason Mester (Central Michigan '04, 8-13, 2nd year)
Rankings:  InterMat/Flowrestling


The Match Stories
 
After surviving a brutal stretch over the last month, an injury-depleted Edinboro squad turned in a strong showing last week in defeating Kent State 27-12.  That came after a month which saw the Fighting Scots compete in the Grapple at the Garden, followed by the Midlands Championships, and finally the Virginia Duals. Along the way the Fighting Scots battled adversity while facing four nationally-ranked teams along with numerous highly-ranked wrestlers. The Kent State match was the first at McComb Fieldhouse in over a month, but now the Fighting Scots hit the highways once again for a pair of Eastern Wrestling League contests, traveling to New Jersey for a key match at Rider on Saturday, January 24, followed by a match the next day at Bloomsburg.              

Edinboro brings a 9-4 record into the weekend matches, with a 2-0 record in the EWL. The Fighting Scots are ranked fifth in the latest InterMat Tournament Rankings and 15th according to the USA?Today/NWCA?Division I?Coaches Poll. Rider is 7-4 and 1-0 in the EWL, a 38-3 win over Clarion. The Broncs are 25th in the USA?Today/NWCA rankings. Rider joined the EWL along with George Mason a year ago and poses a serious threat to the Fighting Scots with a veteran lineup spiced with some outstanding young wrestlers. Rider last competed in the Virginia Duals, losing three of four matches as two starters were out due to illness. The Broncs have faced four nationally-ranked teams, winning 17-16 over Lehigh and defeating Wisconsin 20-19 while losing to Virginia 20-15 and to Illinois 29-9.   A normally strong Bloomsburg squad is undergoing a rebuilding year with a host of freshmen in the lineup. The Huskies are 0-5 overall and 0-1 in the EWL. The Huskies suffered a 42-0 loss to North Carolina State on January 11. They dropped a 20-19 decision to Clarion in their lone EWL match. In addition, they dropped a 35-3 match to Pittsburgh, their only other common opponent with Edinboro. 

Head coach Tim Flynn is making do with a patched-up lineup that will once again be missing two top-ten wrestlers. All told, three starters are missing. Edinboro has been without Austin Matthews for over a month now at 157 lbs. and the Clarion transfer is out indefinitely.  Zach Towers is once again out of the lineup at 174 lbs. The Fighting Scots were dealt another blow when A.J. Schopp went down at the Midlands Championships. Ranked number one at 133 lbs. entering the tournament, he was injured in his consolation semifinal match. He was able to finish the match but did not wrestle in the third place match. Schopp, who is now 15-1 and ranked as high as second by Flowrestling, is out indefinitely.

Edinboro currently has seven wrestlers showing up in the various national rankings. The rankings include the WrestlingReport.com rankings which ranks 33 wrestlers per weight class. The duo of Mitchell Port and Dave Habat are ranked second at 141 and 149 lbs., respectively.  A.J. Schopp, who had been the consensus number one at 133 lbs., is now ranked second by The Open Mat and third in almost every other poll.  Port has been second all year in every poll, while Habat moved up to second in five of the six national polls two weeks ago. Newcomer Austin Matthews, a transfer from Clarion, has been ranked as high as fifth at 157 lbs., and is still ranked as high as sixth by InterMat. However, he has been out of the lineup for over a month due to an injury and is now missing from several rankings. Vic Avery is ranked as high as ninth by WIN at 184 lbs. Kory Mines had been in and out of the 125 lb. rankings for several weeks. He used a strong showing at the Midlands Championships to vault back into the rankings and is now as high as 14th by WrestlingReport.com and 15th by Flowrestling and WIN. Patrick Jennings is 32nd at 174 lbs.

Edinboro comes off the finest season in school history. The 2013-14 Fighting Scots finished with an 11-3 record, winning the EWL and PSAC?Championships. Seven national qualifiers then combined to help Edinboro finish fifth at the NCAA?Division I?National Championships, the highest finish in school history. Three Fighting Scots earned All-American honors -- A.J. Schopp (133 lbs.) and Mitchell Port (141 lbs.) for the second time and Dave Habat (149 lbs.) for the first time. Port placed third with Schopp and Habat coming in fourth.

Edinboro's season-opening lineup featured five returning national qualifiers, along with a sixth in Clarion transfer Austin Matthews. Leading the way are All-Americans Mitchell Port, A.J. Schopp, and Dave Habat. Port earned All-American honors for the second time at 141 lbs. with a third place finish, while Schopp is also a two-time All-American after coming in fourth last year at 133 lbs. Habat earned his first All-American certificate with a fourth place finish at 149 lbs. Kory Mines made his first appearance at Nationals last year at 125 lbs. Matthews earned a trip to Nationals for the first time while wrestling at Clarion. He competed at 157 lbs.  

Head coach Tim Flynn has always liked to challenge his squad, and this year is no exception. The Pittsburgh match was the first of a very difficult dual schedule for the Fighting Scots. Using the USA?Today/NWCA?Division I?Coaches Poll, Edinboro has already faced six teams in the top 25, including two of the top seven squads, with Rider currently ranked 25th.  Edinboro already faced Pittsburgh, with the Panthers currently ranked tenth.  On November 15 the Fighting Scots competed in the EWL?Duals and upset a Michigan team that was eighth at the time and now ranked 16th. The Scots faced a grueling day at the Grapple at the Garden on December 21. They wrestled third-ranked Cornell (now sixth) in their first match, then met 11th-ranked Lehigh. In the Virginia Duals, the Scots paired off with 14th-ranked Virginia and 19th-ranked Old Dominion.  Ohio State, currently ranked fourth, will visit McComb Fieldhouse for a first round match in the NWCA?Cliff Keen National Duals on February 15. Throw in matches against Kent State, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, and West Virginia, plus the other four EWL opponents, and the Scots will be battle-tested by March.

THE RIDER SERIES
EDINBORO LEADS 5-1  
The Fighting Scots and Broncos met last year for the first time since 2009-10, with Edinboro claiming a 27-9 victory over the EWL newcomer.  The Fighting Scots have won the last three meetings with Rider. 
 
LAST MEETING
2013-14:  EDINBORO 27, RIDER 9 -- The Fighting Scots won seven of the ten bouts, including a fall by Mitchell Port at 141 lbs. and major decisions by Dave Habat (149 lbs.), Johnny Greisheimer (157 lbs.), and Vic Avery (184 lbs.). 

THE BLOOMSBURG SERIES
EDINBORO LEADS 20-6
The Fighting Scots claimed a 29-10 victory a year ago after the Huskies had handed Edinboro a 19-18 defeat in 2012-13.  

LAST MEETING
2013-14:  EDINBORO 29, BLOOMSBURG 10 -- The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 23-0 lead with wins in the first five matches, including a pin by Mitchell Port, technical falls by A.J. Schopp and Dave Habat, and a major decision by Johnny Greisheimer.

THE COACHES
EDINBORO -- Tim Flynn (Penn State '86) is in his 18th season as the helm of the Fighting Scots.  He has elevated the Edinboro program to one of the best in the country, compiling a 193-72-5 record.  Edinboro has had 12 top-20 finishes and four in the top ten at the NCAA Division I National Championships during his tenure.  He has produced three national champions and 33 All-Americans.  All told, Flynn has been named the EWL Coach of the Year six times and the PSAC Coach of the Year 12 times. Last year Flynn captured nearly every Coach of the Year award, including being named the NWCA/NCAA Division I Coach of the Year, WIN's Dan Gable Coach of the Year, and was InterMat's Co-Coach of the Year along with Minnesota's J Robinson.
 
RIDER -- Gary Taylor (East Stroudsburg '76) is in his 37th season as the head coach at Rider.  During that period he has compiled a 411-233-4 record, the second-highest victory total in the NCAA among active coaches. The pinnacle of Taylor's career came in 1997, when the Broncs cracked the top ten in the national poll and were ranked seventh in the nation over the final five weeks of the season by the Amateur Wrestling News.  Three wrestlers earned All-American honors that year.  To date 13 of Taylor's wrestlers have earned All-America honors, including two in the last seven years.  He led Rider to 13 conference championships.  A seven-time East Coast Wrestling Association Coach of the Year, Taylor has turned out 96 conference champions. Taylor guided Rider into the EWL for the 2013-14 season, and was 4-2 in the EWL with three individual champions and five more NCAA Qualifiers. All told, he has taken 157 Broncs to the NCAA Championships.
 
BLOOMSBURG -- Jason Mester (Central Michigan '04) was named Bloomsburg's head coach last summer and led the Huskies to an 8-8 record a year ago.  He took over the Huskies after serving as an assistant coach at Missouri for two years, then taking over as the top assistant coach at Central Michigan a year ago.  He also served as the strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska for five seasons. One of the top wrestlers in CMU history, Mester is tied for 11th in school history with 104 career victories from 2001-04. He won three Mid-American Conference championships (2001, 2003, 2004) at 141 pounds and was an All-American in both 2003 and 2004. Mester was named MAC Wrestler of the Year as a senior.
 
SCOUTING?RIDER
The Broncs figure to have a lineup that can pose a serious challenge to Edinboro's reign as EWL champions. It is a battle-tested and veteran team, yet spiced with a pair of nationally-ranked redshirt freshmen, with a 2-2 record against ranked teams and 7-4 overall record. The Broncs had climbed as high as 17th in the national rankings and are currently 25th in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll.  Redshirt freshmen B.J. Clagon and Chad Walsh are nationally-ranked at 149 and 157 lbs., respectively. Clagon is ranked 19th by InterMat and has a 15-6 record. He is a four-time NHSCA?National Champion, one of only three wrestlers to do so, and is a two-time New Jersey state champion. Walsh has a 19-5 record and is ranked 18th by InterMat. A four-time New Jersey placewinner as a prepster, he was 33-7 while redshirting last year. Robert Deutsch, a redshirt junior, has moved up to 133 lbs. after winning the EWL title at 125 lbs. a year ago. He is 14-6 after going 32-6 last year. He was also an NCAA qualifier while competing for Old Dominion. Chuck Zeisloft (141 lbs.) and Clint Morrison (184 lbs.) were NCAA qualifiers after finishing third at the EWL Championships. Zeisloft has a 12-7 ledger while Morrison, who became the fifth member of the Morrison family to qualify for NCAA's, is 8-7.  
 
SCOUTING?BLOOMSBURG
The Huskies' lineup has quite a different look in 2014-15 after losing many veterans from last year's squad. In fact, not one Bloomsburg wrestler to compete in last year's dual with Edinboro is in this year's lineup. As many as six true freshmen and a redshirt freshman are expected to take the mat for the Huskies. Sophomore Andy Schutz leads Bloomsburg with a 12-10 record at 133 lbs.