James Hackney
Now that both teams have a good number of matches under their belts, it’s time for Bedlam. The Cowboys are coming off a solid win over Lehigh, while Oklahoma beat West Virginia in a wild one last week. There are injury questions for both teams, as Fix and Surber missed the Lehigh dual while Mosha Schwartz had to injury default in his last match. After the Lehigh dual Coach Smith said that he is hopeful that Fix and Surber will return, but there isn’t a guarantee. In a dual that could end up being extremely tight, those injuries could have a big role in the dual. I would say that there are toss-up matches at nearly every weight outside of 165 and 184, where the Cowboys are heavily favored. Last year Bedlam came down to the last match where Surber got a huge pin to cap the dual, and I think there’s a good chance that happens again.
125: #32 Conrad Hendriksen (7-2) vs #21 Troy Spratley (9-2)
After being really high on Spratley coming into the season, I’m pumping the brakes a bit. He’s looked solid and is coming off a quality win, but he isn’t separating like I would expect. There’s a big ranking difference here, but it could be a big opportunity for Hendriksen who got a great win last week. His style and build makes him very hard to score on, and he’s got some solid offense himself. If he can keep things tight and be tough on top, this match could go either way. I’m taking Spratley to get the win, but wouldn’t be shocked to see Hendriksen get a gritty upset.
Prediction: Spratley Dec. Hendriksen (OU 0 OKST 3)
133: #27 Jace Koelzer (8-2) vs #3 Daton Fix (1-0)/Reece Witcraft (5-3)
This is a big match for the Sooners if Fix is out, but a win still won’t come easy. Witcraft would likely be ranked above Koelzer, and has the aggressive style to break a dual open. Witcraft actually beat Koelzer 10-4 at the Southern Scuffle last year. Koelzer has looked better this season, his second at 133…
