Rutgers wrestling has bounced around the major tournaments overt the last decade. They Scarlet Knights were commonly found in Sin City at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas open. Then for the last several years, Coach Goodale brought his team to Chicago to compete in the Midlands. This year, Rutgers tries their hand in a new obstacle, the Southern Scuffle.
“The Scuffle”, as the tournament is commonly referred to, is one of the toughest mid-season tournaments of the year. It will take place on January 1st & 2nd on the Tennessee Chattanooga campus, presenting the opportunity for Rutgers wrestling to start the new decade with a bang. Rutgers wrestlers will see opponents from top teams such as NC State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Pitt, and many more, all who have a number of ranked wrestlers in this tournament.
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TKR has taken a deep dive into the Southern Scuffle, and will close out 2019 with a full weight-by-weight breakdown. Let’s take a look at what Scarlet Knights will be competing New Year’s Day, who the favorite at each weight class is, and what the rest of the competition looks like.
125-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Nic Aguilar (2nd seed) and Malcolm Robinson
The Top Contender: Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State)
Dark Horse: Alex Mackall (Iowa State)
ANALYSIS: This bracket is deceptively deeper than what most people would think. Wrestlers such as Sidney Flores of Air Force and Fabian Gutierrez of UTC may not be household names. However, those two and a handful of others at this weight will be difficult hurdles for most. Nick Piccininni is the favorite here, and he is a foe that Nic Aguilar will not see again this year until the national tournament. Alex Mackall is a name Rutgers fans will most likely recognize. The Iowa State Cyclone started his career at Rutgers, prior to transferring, and has put together a pretty solid career out west. Aguilar has been great for Rutgers wrestling this year, but if he runs into Mackall or Piccininni, we’re going to find out just where the California native stands amongst some of the best in the country.
133-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Sammy Alvarez (5th seed)
The Top Contender: Micky Phillippi (Pitt)
Dark Horse: Cameron Sykora (North Dakota State)
ANALYSIS: Micky Phillippi busted onto the scene in 2019 when he knocked off eventual NCAA runner-up, Daton Fix, and made even more of a mess in what was the most bizarre and competitive 133-lb weight class. Since then, Phillippi as kept his name in, or near, the top five in the weight class. Phillippi is most likely ahead of the field here, but that does not mean that this is a weak weight class. Cameron Sykora has been limited this year, but was a NCAA qualifier a season ago, and gave No. 3 Sebastian Rivera a tough go earlier this year. Mosha Schwartz of Northern Colorado has had a great freshman season, picking up twelve victories in fourteen matches. Sammy Alvarez, if the pre-seeds hold, could very well see Micky Phillippi in the quarter-finals. But no matter who Alvarez sees, whether it be Phillippi, Sykora, Schwartz, or Iowa State’s Todd Small, fans will want to see Alvarez be in every match. Sammy Alvarez has gotten his name in the mix, this weekend is where he has to prove he belongs.
141-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Jojo Aragona and Zach Firestone
The Top Contender: Ian Parker (Iowa State)
Dark Horse: Tariq Wilson (NC State)
ANALYSIS: This weight class has the potential to be VERY fun. Ian Parker is the top pre-seed, but I don’t know there is a favorite at this weight class. Stanford’s Real Woods has proven to be a huge threat to anyone in the country, and could very well walk away with the title here. Tariq Wilson has been a houseold name at 133 – lbs for a couple years now. He has unbelievable athleticism, and will make opponents work quickly to keep up with his pace. Kyle Shoop is one that is easy to look over in this bracket, but he was a NCAA All-American last season, finishing 7th in the country. Jojo Aragona has been battling a leg injury this season, though he has shown great potential when healthy. Aragona has a bright future ahead of him, but he has his hands full this weekend. This tournament is a great opportunity for Aragona to knock off a big name, and propel himself in the national rankings.
149-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Gerard Angelo (3rd seed)
The Top Contender: Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State)
Dark Horse: Jarrett Degen (Iowa State)
ANALYSIS: At 149 – lbs there are a number of guys who are just simply dangerous. Boo Lewallen is a returning All-American, and has a notable victory this season over No. 5 Brayton Lee. Jarrett Degen is another returning All-American, and has wrestled a difficult schedule thus far. Degen is easily the most battle tested this season of anyone in the bracket. Returning NCAA qualifier, Requir van der Merwe, along with Russell Rohfling , Andrew Alirez, and Tanner Smith make this a very difficult weight class. Gerard Angelo will see some stiff competition, but has already handled Rohfling once this season. Angelo, on paper, may not be favored to finish in the top four of this weight, but he is more than capable of it. Coach Scott Goodale has stated on a number of occasions just how dangerous Angelo is. No one is going to say that Gerard Angelo is better than Boo Lewallen, but Angelo is a throw or cradle away from beating anyone at this tournament.
157-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Mike Van Brill (8th seed) and Rob Kanniard
The Top Contender: Hayden Hidlay (NC State)
Dark Horse: David Carr (Iowa State)
ANALYSIS: From the moment Hayden Hidlay entered college, he became a national contender from the get-go. Minus a loss to No. 1 Ryan Deakin, Hilday has been dominating just about everyone he comes across. David Carr, who is one of the most fun wrestlers to watch in the country, will not rollover for Hidlay, or anyone else. Rider’s Jesse Dellavecchia may be one of the best kept secrets in college wrestling. He does not have a very recognizable name, but he has found his way into the top 8 of the national rankings. The aforementioned three are in a different class as compared to the rest of the field. As for Rutgers, the story here is not as much about the starter, but the back-up. Rob Kanniard is currently in redshirt and will be wrestling unattached this weekend. Mike Van Brill has been starting for Rutgers, but has not exactly taken that leap to the next level like fans were hoping for. If Kanniard has a great tournament, and looks significantly better than MVB, is it possible Coach Goodale pulls the redshirt off of Rob Kanniard? TKR says it isn’t likely, but it certainly is something to keep an eye on.
165-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Brett Donner and Jackson Turley
The Top Contender: Shane Griffith (Stanford)
Dark Horse: Tanner Skidgel (Navy)
ANALYSIS: The 165 – lb weight class in this tournament does not have star power, but it is deep. The No. 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 17 ranked wrestlers at the weight are entered. New Jersey native, Shane Griffith, is a national title contender, and could solidify his name even more with a gold medal. Navy’s Tanner Skidgel has faced several hammers this season such as Vincenzo Joseph and David McFadden. Okalhoma State’s Travis Wittlake is one to keep an eye on here. The redshirt freshman is undefeated this season, and went 16 – 2 in his redshirt campaign. As for Rutgers, Jackson Turley has been struggling to make weight, which has caused him to miss some opportunities. Brett Donner has not necessarily seized the opportunities he has been given, meaning this weight is still up for grabs. Expect to see the higher placing Scarlet Knight to be the guy moving forward, at least for the start of the Big Ten dual schedule.
174-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Joe Grello (2nd seed) and Willie Scott
The Top Contender: Joe Grello
Dark Horse: Dean Sherry (Rider)
ANALYSIS: Joe Grello leads the pack in what is one of the more down weights in the tournament. Grello has not seen much mat time this season due to injury, so a handful of matches at the Scuffle will be good for shaking off some rust. Many people would suspect Marcus Coleman of Iowa State or Navy’s Spencer Carey to be the top threat to Grello, but Dean Sherry is as dangerous as they come. Sherry put the 174-lb world on notice when he pinned Minnesota’s No. 7 Devin Skatzka earlier this season. Sherry has appeared to be wrestling with a chip on his shoulder ever since. If there’s one person Sherry does not want to see, it is his former high school teammate, Willie Scott. Scott blew the roof off the RAC a season ago, when he used several turns in route to a comeback victory over Sherry.
184-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Billy Janzer
The Top Contender: Trent Hidlay (NC State)
Dark Horse: Louie Deprez (Binghamton)
ANALYSIS: No. 2 Trent Hidlay, much like his brother Hayden, has been dominant all year. His lone loss comes from returning NCAA champion, Zahid Valencia. Hidlay did struggle to a victory in one particular match, and that was against the 2 seed, Louie Deprez. Hidlay narrowly defeated Deprez in overtime by a score of 2 – 1. Those are not the only two horses in the race though, as Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi can easily spoil a highly anticipated final. Bonacorssi made it to the blood-round of the 2019 NCAA tournament, so he does not lack any big tournament experience. Iowa State Cyclone, Sam Corbly, is only 6 – 4 on the season, but all four losses are at the hands of top 10 foes. Billy Janzer, the Pitbull of Rutgers wrestling, has been one of the most fun Scarlet Knights to watch this season. Janzer comes into every match or tournament with a chip on his shoulder, and the Southern Scuffle will be no different. Janzer is seeking ranked wins, and a podium finish, anything else will be unacceptable to the 184 – lber. It is a tall order, but Billy Janzer is certainly capable of making a run to the podium.
197-POUNDS
The Scarlet Knight(s): Jordy Pagano (6th seed) and Matt Correnti
The Top Contender: Nathan Traxler (Stanford)
Dark Horse: Nick Reenan (NC State)
ANALYSIS: TKR may sound like a broken record in this preview, but yet again, this is another very deep weight class. Nathan Traxler is the top seed, but not necessarily the favorite. There may not be a clear-cut favorite at this weight. Oklahoma State’ Dakota Geer is coming of an All-American finish in 2019, and is looking to reach the top of the podium in 2020. His lone loss of the season is to Princeton’s Pat Brucki. Nick Reenan has not had the career he was probably projected to have, but he was a Final X finalist in 2018, and poses a threat to anyone he wrestles. Ethan Laird is another gritty upper-weight for the Rider Broncs. Jordy Pagano has had a good season, but did has a disappointing loss in his last appearance against Maryland’s Jaron Smith. Pagano has solidified himself as the guy at 197 – lbs for Rutgers, but a great tournament by Matt Correnti can change that. Correnti would most likely have to have a significantly better tournament than Pagano to win over the starting job, but that isn’t a very far-fetched possibility.
HEAVYWEIGHT
The Scarlet Knight(s): Christian Colucci
The Top Contender: Demetrius Thomas (Pitt)
Dark Horse: Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State)
ANALYSIS: The big boys in this tournament are comprised of a group of wrestlers looking to prove themselves. Not one returning All-American is in this bracket, but there are several ranked wrestlers. Demetrius Thomas has two ranked losses on the year, and a notable win over Lehigh’s Jordan Wood. Gannon Gremmel is someone who is seeking a quality win, as he has not been able to knock off anyone ahead of him this season. There may not be a better opportunity for Christian Colucci to make a name for himself than there is this weekend. Colucci is one of the more improved Rutgers wrestlers, and has shown a commitment to scoring more points from his feet. Like everyone else in this bracket, Colucci has been yearning for that big win. A run in this tournament will get Colucci’s name into the national rankings, and a potential All-American contender for March.
