Division 2 Semifinal Preview

We will try to pick these as square up as possible.  Obviously, teams are going to be bumping to give their teams the best chance of winning.  We are excited to see how it all plays out.  

#1 Lowell vs. #5 New Boston Huron

Lowell	Weight	New Boston Huron	Match Predictions	Total Score
Hudson Smith 27-23	106	Caleb Frazier  32-5	NBH +6	6-0 NBH
John Carter McKay 40-9	113	Max Banas 37-14	Lowell +6	Tied 6-6
Mason Saylor 35-12	120	Trever Davis 26-24	Lowell +6	Lowell 12-6
Jarrett Smith 42-2	126	Daniel Gemmel 48-3	Lowell +4	Lowell 16-6
Carson Blum 41-8	132	Jason Downs 34-12	Lowell +3	Lowell 19-6
Cole Cichocki 36-10	138	Cayden Banko 41-10	Lowell +3	Lowell 22-6
Ciro Tapia 30-13	144	Braydon Hall 42-8	NBH +3	Lowell 22-9
Logan Dawson 44-7	150	Nathan Matsos 41-10	Lowell +4	Lowell 26-9
Cody Foss 36-12	157	Joshua Hubbard 40-8	NBH +3	Lowell 26-12
Trevor Boone 34-8	165	Garrett Marentette 42-10	Lowell +4	Lowell 30-12
Seth Harvey 32-7	175	Mason Slovik 28-17	Lowell +6	Lowell 36-12
Dylan Boone 32-13	190	Finnegan Grube 38-16	Lowell +6	Lowell 42-12
Weston McFarland 22-8	215	Jameson Layne 17-12	Lowell +6	Lowell 48-12
Braylen Meeuwsen 36-16	285	Malik Al-Ziyadi 22-13	Lowell +3	Lowell 51-12
Final		Score	Lowell	51-12

Both these teams rolled to easy victories in the quarterfinals.  My one prediction that is most likely to come true is that there will be a lot of red in the stands for this matchup.  I imagine Lowell will put Saylor at 120 and Smith at 126 to get paired with Gemmel.  Gemmel is outstanding, but Smith is on a different level.  It should be another good match at 132, but we think Blum likely has a bit too much.  At 138, Cichocki/Banko would be another fun one.  All these are weights that have scored for Huron all season, but Lowell is just a little better at.  There should be another great match at 144 between Tapia/Hall.  Down low and middle, we think there should be some great matches.  Up top, Lowell has a big advantage.  Although we think this score will end up being a blowout, it will be a highly entertaining dual with some close matches.  

#2 Three Rivers vs. #6 Eaton Rapids

Both these teams had dogfights yesterday.  Three Rivers came back to beat a tough Freeland team and Eaton Rapids held off a very good Algonac team.  We should have stuck to our guns.  We had Eaton Rapids #3 all along and then picked against them in the quarterfinals.  These two teams already wrestled this year and it was a good one.  Three Rivers scored a 39-29 victory.  Not much of a surprise considering how equal the teams in D2 were this season.   

Three Rivers	Weight	Eaton Rapids	Match Prediction	Team Score
Owen Moreland 42-14	106	Maiko Sherman 41-13	Eaton Rapids +3	Eaton Rapids 3-0
Mason Santos 12-12	113	Jameson Onstott 49-6	Eaton Rapids +6	Eaton Rapids 9-0
Brayden Niemi 24-17	120	JJ Hackworth 30-15	Eaton Rapids +3	Eaton Rapids 12-0
Kyler Snellenbarger 36-19	126	Nick Wade 35-7	Eaton Rapids +4	Eaton Rapids 16-0
Brody Morrill 44-12	132	Brayden Thorn 45-12	Three Rivers +3	Eaton Rapids 16-3
Jak Monroe 44-11	138	Jeremiah Klink 14-12	Three Rivers +6	Eaton Rapids 16-9
Ethan Moreland 46-14	144	Logan Adleman 51-9	Three Rivers +3	Eaton Rapids 16-12
Carter Hensley 46-7	150	Gavin Pickott 33-14	Three Rivers +3	Eaton Rapids 16-15
Evan Harper	157	Nolan Saltman 32-25	Three Rivers +3	Three Rivers 18-16
Braylon Faile 52-5	165	Mike Chapates 28-15	Three Rivers +6	Three Rivers 24-16
Louis Smith 55-0	175	Gavin Sebastian 45-11	Three Rivers +6	Three Rivers 30-16
Jaxon Smith 47-9	190	Donny Hoyt 44-9	Three Rivers +3	Three Rivers 33-16
Noah Howes	215	Jake Hoyt 35-18	Eaton Rapids +6	Three Rivers 33-22
Drew Webster 24-19	285	Jamison Brown 51-10	Eaton Rapids +6	Three Rivers 33-28
Final		Score	Eaton Rapids	33-28

Last time at 106 Sherman beat Moreland 4-0.  We anticipate another good match.  There are a lot of ways these teams could do it.  Last time these teams wrestled Niemi was at 113 and last night he was bumped all the way up to 132.  120 will be a big swing match if this is the matchup we get.   It will be really interesting to see what the teams do through here.  They each essentially have one hole they are trying to cover up.  Whoever can get the desired matchup gets a big advantage.  Eaton Rapids voided 132 last night also.  Do both teams bump?  Neither?  Don’t you love the intrigue of team state?  If Morrill and Thorn meet up that will be a great match also.  With four straight Eaton Rapids wins, maybe more if they start at the upper weights, this match would be crucial for Three Rivers.  There would be another crucial match at 144 with Moreland/Adleman.  Shoot, almost every match will be great.  At 150, both Hensley and Pickott picked up crucial wins last night as down the stretch.  Evan Harper making it back at 157 is huge for Three Rivers.  He has been out much of the year.  Chapates had a big win yesterday also, but Faile is on a different level.  Eaton Rapids will be looking to avoid bonus points.  Same at 175, where Sebastian has been great, but Smith is a phenom.  If it plays out this way, a huge swing match will be at 190.  The records are almost identical and Hoyt TF Smith 18-2 earlier this year.  This would appear to be a bonus point opportunity for Eaton Rapids, however, Smith has been wrestling really well lately.  This will be a crucial match.  This will be a great dual with it being able to go either way.