Riding a five-match losing streak, ASU wrestling heads to Oklahoma this weekend for the two of the team’s toughest tests of the dual season. The Sun Devils (5-7, 1-1 Pac-12) face off against the No. 1 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Friday night before taking on the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday afternoon.
Though ASU heads into every dual meet wanting to prevail, captain Levi Cooper said more than just victory is at stake in the upcoming matches.
“What is more important for us at this point is being able to compete with these teams,” the redshirt junior said. “We’re very close to being right where we want to be when the end of the season rolls around.”
No. 9 Cooper is set to face OSU’s Alan Gelogaev, the No. 2 heavyweight in the nation. However, Cooper isn’t feeling any heat — and neither should the team’s freshmen.
“For those young guys, this will be their first opportunity to wrestle a (talented) guy,” Cooper said. “Hopefully they go out there and they don’t feel too much pressure because we have nothing to lose.”
A win by Cooper — and several of the up-and-coming redshirt freshmen, including Shane McGough (133 pounds), Nathan Hoffer (141), Joel Smith (149) and Tommy Burriel (197) — would send a message to the wrestling world that ASU isn’t going away quietly this season.
“If I can beat him, then I will have beaten the guy ranked first (Zach Rey, Nov. 26) and the guy ranked second in the country,” Cooper said. “I already have confidence that I can wrestle with anybody, but if I can get a win against somebody like him this weekend, that will really validate (my season) and let the rest of the country know that I’m not joking around.”
Confidence is in no shortage with the youngsters either, as Hoffer expressed his unwavering belief in the coaching staff, his teammates and all the hard work they’ve put in this year.
“I think the freshmen are really starting to pick it up,” Hoffer said. “We’re starting to win and compete against higher levels. If I keep progressing like I am, I believe I’ll be a Pac-12 champ. I think the other freshmen feel the same way.”
In practice, ASU continued to focus on controlling the tempo of their matches, as it’s important for the Sun Devils to be the aggressors on the mat.
“This week, we’ve been working on pushing the pace,” Hoffer explained. “Just non-stop, go-go-go.”
For an ASU team that’s lost a few matches this year to bonus points, pins are sure to be a concern against top-ranked teams such as OSU and OU. The best way to prevent pins, as head coach Shawn Charles pointed out last week, is to wrestle hard for the entire match.
The Sun Devils vow to do just that this weekend.
“The mindset of the team is we’re going to wrestle tough, — we’re going to wrestle Sun Devil tough,” Hoffer said. “We’re going to wrestle with pride. We really have nothing to lose.”
Friday’s action against the Cowboys begins at 7 p.m. CT at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Sunday’s meet versus the Sooners is at 2 p.m. inside the McCasland Field House.
Reach the reporter at kjnewma2@asu.edu
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