The No. 6 NC State wrestling team looks to continue its strong season as it travels to Durham to face off against the unranked Duke Blue Devils on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The Wolfpack is 10-1 on the season, with two key victories coming against No. 19 Oklahoma and No. 12 Nebraska.
The only defeat for the Wolfpack came at the hands of No. 3 Oklahoma State. The Wolfpack, then ranked No. 5, traveled to Naples, Italy, to compete against OSU in the Tussle for Troops Invitational. It was a close contest, with the Cowboys edging out the Pack 19-16.
NC State redshirt junior Sean Fausz (125 pounds) and senior Kevin Jack (141) both defeated the third-ranked wrestlers in their weight class. Redshirt freshman Hayden Hidlay (157), redshirt senior Beau Donahue (149) and redshirt senior Pete Renda (184) all claimed victories for the Wolfpack as well. Overall, the Pack and Cowboys split 10 matchups, but the bonus points allotted at the end gave the Cowboys the three-point win.
The Blue Devils’ best finish of the year came at the Southern Scuffle Tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Jan 1-2. Duke finished fifth out of 24 in a relatively strong field, including the eventual champion Penn State Nittany Lions. Redshirt senior Jacob Kasper is Duke’s heavy-hitter, an All-American and repeat Southern Scuffle Champion as one of the best wrestlers in the country. He defeated NC State senior Michael Boykin in the final of the tournament, and scored a hard-fought takedown with three seconds left to cement a 3-1 victory and take home the trophy. It is likely the two will face off again in the individual conference matchup.
Duke boasts a quartet of strong wrestlers: four brothers named Josh, Matt, Mitch and Zach Finesilver from Greenwood Village, Colorado. Josh and Matt are freshmen, and Mitch and Zach are redshirt seniors. The two pairs of twins are some of Duke’s best wrestlers, and the bond they share has been good for the team.
Most recently, the Blue Devils went undefeated in a trip to Colorado where they faced off against Cal State Bakersfield and Northern Colorado. The Finesilvers went 7-1, and Duke had to stage a big comeback to beat Cal State 25-17. They found themselves in a similar scenario against Northern Colorado, facing a 14-6 deficit early. Two upperclassmen stepped up; redshirt junior Alec Schenk and Kasper delivered huge wins to give the Blue Devils the advantage.
While NC State is heavily favored, Duke has a talented group with young energy and veteran experience. It will be a tough test and an entertaining match at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
