James Hackney
It’s Cowboy on Cowboy action this week, as Oklahoma State travels to Laramie for a dual against Wyoming. Head coach Mark Branch has a young team that’s ranked at multiple weights and coming off a very solid runner-up finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions. The match of the night could come early, as Jore Volk just took out #3 Richie Figueroa of Arizona State. A ranked match at 149 is another good test for the young Jordan Williams. There’s a chance that Daton Fix makes his return here, but OK State will likely be missing Tagen Jamison and Luke Surber for this one. Being such heavy favorites could give true freshmen a chance to step into the lineup, which could make things interesting. A running theme to look out for is individual’s gas tank, as wrestling at Laramie’s elevation is always a factor. The matches I’m watching especially closely are 125, 141, and 149.
125: #21 Troy Spratley (10-2) vs #16 Jore Volk (10-3)
Volk is coming off a title at Reno TOC, including a decision over title contender Richie Figs. Volk is nearly impossible to finish cleanly on, and is tough on top. He is not a small 125, and uses a bullying underhook to force opponents to the edge. Spratley started the year hot offensively, but has slowed down in his past couple matches. This should be a good test of Spratley’s scrambling ability, and could give an idea of where he stacks up in a wide open Big 12. While not the highest ranked this season, I think Volk is the best wrestler he will have wrestled this year. I think Spratley struggles with Volk’s underhook and strength to drop this one in an entertaining decision. Prediction: Volk Dec. Spratley (OKST 0 WYO 3)
133: #3 Daton Fix (1-0)/Reece Witcraft (6-3) vs Cooper Birdwell (7-6)
After two years at Oklahoma State, Birdwell hit the transfer portal and found himself at Wyoming at 133lbs. His record isn’t great, but almost all of his losses are close to ranked wrestlers. He’s shown very solid defense, and is another Wyoming wrestler who uses an underhook well. While not a guarantee, I’m taking Fix to make his return and get a dominant win…
