Tracking PSU Verbals through the 2022 Postseason

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
Once again, it's time to track the PSU verbals as they compete in their respective state postseason competitions. I will update this thread over the course of the postseason. Feel free to post results if you learn of them, and I'll include them in my next update.

Cael Nasdeo (Williamsport HS, PA)

1. He's competing at 113
2. In the PIAA District 4/9 AAA Districts, on Feb. 26, he had a bye in R1 (quarters). In the semis, he pinned Dysen Gould (Punxsutawney) @ 0:18. He TFed Evan Davis (Clearfield), 16-1, @5:20.
3. In the PIAA Northwest AAA Regional on March 4 & 5, he had a bye in R1. In R2 (quarters) he pinned Clayton Foster (Central Mountain) @ 1:08. In the semis, he TFed Garrett Choates (Bellefonte) 15-0, @ 4:22. In the final, he decided Nic Allison (Mifflin County), 6-4.
4. In the PIAA Class AAA Championships on March 10, 11, 12, he had a bye in R1. He DEC Carson Wagner (Northampton) 3-1 in R2. He DEC Nico Tocci (Warwick), 3-0 in the quarters. He lost by DEC to Zachary Jacaruso (Delaware Valley) in the semis, 0-4. He MFF to Carson Wagner (Northampton) in the Consolation semis. He MFF to Tony Burke (Council Rock North) in the 5th place match, and as such finished 6th at States.


Braeden Davis (Dundee HS, MI)

(The below dates may be off. The MHSAA web site is not the easiest to navigate.)
1. He's competing at 119
2. The MHSAA 22-3 Districts were held on Feb. 12. He had a bye in R1, and a bye in R2 (quarters). He TFed his opponent (Tylan King) in the semis, 15-0, @ 1:23. He won the championship due to an injury default.
3. The MHSAA 11-3 Regionals were held on Feb. 19. He pinned Steven Shannon (Algo) in R1 (quarters) @ 2:32. In the semis, he TFed Jon Huggler (Otis) 18-3, @ 3:57. In the finals, he TFed Dominic D'Ambrosio (IMLA) 15-19, @ 5:50.
4. The MHSAA Div. 3 State Championships were held on March 3rd & 4th. In R1, he pinned Chris Aebig (Montague) @ 1:06. In R2 (quarters) he pinned Michael Brazeau (Gladstne) @ 3:08. In the semis, he pinned Noah Graham (Freeland) @ 0:58. In the final, he TFed Connor Busz (Clinton) 21-6, @ 3:32.


Josh Barr (Davison HS, MI)

(The below dates may be off. The MHSAA web site is not the easiest to navigate.)
1. He's competing at 171
2. The MHSAA 1-1 Districts were held on Feb. 12. He had a bye in R1. In R2 (quarters), he pinned Chris Hargett (LKOR) @ 0:56. In the semis, he pinned Jacob Corless (LKOR) @ 3:35. In the finals, he appears to have won by forfeit (not sure what type) over John Hine (MIDL).
3. The MHSAA 1-1 Regionals were held on Feb. 19. In R1 (quarters) he pinned Logan Arche (UTIC) @ 1:34. In the semis, he pinned Jacob Corless (LKOR) @0:24. In the finals, he TFed John Hine (MIDL) 17-2 @ 3:13
4. The MHSAA Div. 1 State Championships were held on March 3rd & 4th. In R1, he TFed Jaylen Ayres (Roseville), 18-2, @3:20. In R2 (quarters) he TFed Benny Leece (Solyon) 25-9, @ 4:05. In the semis, he TFed Joseph Mariano (Dedslfrd) 16-1, @ 3:16. In the final, he decisioned Manuel Rojas 5-2.
 

El_Jefe

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2021
660
1,358
93
Barr is on a collision course with Iowa State commit Manny Rojas in the state finals. IIRC Rojas beat Barr 3-2 earlier this year.

Rojas is really good. Placed 3rd at Illinois Matmen (aka Son of Midlands) 174 this year, beating Nijenhuis among others. 2x state champ at 189, wrestling up a weight because Facundo.

Barr is really good too. It'll be a great match, one of the most anticipated across the country this postseason.
 

El_Jefe

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2021
660
1,358
93
Nasdeo will win districts. Nic Allison (Mifflin County) is the only real challenger at regional, and Nasdeo beat him 4-2 this year.

AAA 113 is loaded this year at states. If Nasdeo wins, he will have earned it. Winning regionals will help.
 

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
Updated to reflect Cael Nasdeo's performance in the PIAA District 4/9 AAA Districts, on Feb. 26
 

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
Barr beat Rojas today 4-3 -- in the Michigan team states finals.

In the quarterfinals of the MHSAA Team State Tournament, Barr pinned his opponent in 0:09 sec.

Here's a nice article about Davison defeating Detroit Catholic Central for the Div. 1 MHSAA Team Title Championship. 90% of the article is about the Barr - Rojas match.


Lastly, here's video of a portion of the Barr - Rojas match

 

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
Updated to reflect the competition on March 4 & 5

Davis and Barr won State Championships at their respective weight classes in their Divisions.

Nasdeo won his PIAA Regional.

Details are in my original post.
 

El_Jefe

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2021
660
1,358
93
PA Power posted unofficial brackets for states. These will likely hold barring withdrawals, with one possible exception -- AA 189 could flip the 3 and 4 seeds (they tied in seeding points).


Nasdeo got an absolutely brutal draw at states -- IMO easily the worst draw of any regional champ this year.

He opens with nemesis Carson Wagner (Northampton) -- Wagner pinned Nasdeo earlier this year.

WIn that, and in the quarters he gets Nico Tocci (Warwick). Tocci is an Air Force commit and beat the returning state champ at districts.

Win that, and his semis match is vs returning state finalist Zach Jacaruso (Delaware Valley), who's notoriously difficult to score on. Jacaruso won Escape the Rock by beating NJ state champ Anthony Knox (who we remember for destroying Bo Bassett at Super 32).

113 is an absolutely loaded weight in any case. The returning champ (Kaedyn Williams, Manheim Twp) has a pretty tough draw too. Of the 5 regional champs, Jacaruso got the easiest draw -- him missing the semis would be a massive upset.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Tom McAndrew

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
PA Power posted unofficial brackets for states. These will likely hold barring withdrawals, with one possible exception -- AA 189 could flip the 3 and 4 seeds (they tied in seeding points).

@El_Jefe -- looks as though the unofficial bracket was correct.

Nasdeo did get an ugly draw. Carson Wagner falling down to NE-4 really hurt Nasdeo, as his R1 match should be somewhat easy (no matches at States are a gimme). Tocci falling to SC-2 also hurt him, though Tocci losing to Kaedyn Williams in the SC Regional wasn't a surprise. Jacaruso, as you mentioned, is very tough.

The five regionals always gives the possibility of some strange matchups. But Nasdeo being in the bottom half of the bracket should (theoretically) have been an advantage, as the top half of he bracket has the SC-1, the SE-1, and the SW-1. The bottom half only has two regional champs (NW-1 and NE-1).

AAA 113 is an absolute bear.
 
  • Like
Reactions: El_Jefe

El_Jefe

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2021
660
1,358
93
@El_Jefe -- looks as though the unofficial bracket was correct.

Nasdeo did get an ugly draw. Carson Wagner falling down to NE-4 really hurt Nasdeo, as his R1 match should be somewhat easy (no matches at States are a gimme). Tocci falling to SC-2 also hurt him, though Tocci losing to Kaedyn Williams in the SC Regional wasn't a surprise. Jacaruso, as you mentioned, is very tough.

The five regionals always gives the possibility of some strange matchups. But Nasdeo being in the bottom half of the bracket should (theoretically) have been an advantage, as the top half of he bracket has the SC-1, the SE-1, and the SW-1. The bottom half only has two regional champs (NW-1 and NE-1).

AAA 113 is an absolute bear.
AAA 113 is perhaps the toughest bracket in recent memory.

7 returning medalists, including a champ + 2 finalists.

Plus Tocci, who beat the champ.

Plus 2 big-time freshmen, one is the brother of a recent state finalist, other took 2nd at Beast.

Plus the 5th regional champ.

That's 11 guys for 8 medals.
 

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
That's 11 guys for 8 medals.

good summary of AAA 113.

There are brackets where getting on the lower rungs of the podium is nice, but you know that in a previous year at that weight that guy(s) would be unlikely to podium. Then there is this year's AAA 113, where there are at least 3 guys that are worthy of medaling that won't even make the podium, and there are 10 guys that are going to be pissed that they didn't get gold.

It will be interesting to see who wins the weight class.
 

Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
38,114
31,479
113
Updated to reflect the Cael Nasdeo's matches at PIAA States on March 10, 11, and 12. He finished 6th.