The #2 Boise State wrestling team could not have picked a better way to salute the eight seniors who performed for the final time in front of their home crowd. The Broncos won eight of 10 matches over Utah Valley to record a 32-6 win last night in front of a splendid crowd of 3,396 fans in Taco Bell Arena.
Boise State advanced their record to 10-2-1 (5-0-1 in the Pac-10) and more importantly, continue their push towards perhaps another Pac-10 Championship and a top-notch performance at the Nationals in Philadelphia. Eight seniors responsible for the most accomplished wrestling team in school history were honored prior to the competition: Alan Bartelli, Matt Casperson, Adam Hall, Andrew Hochstrasser, Eli Hutchison, Levi Jones, Kirk Smith and Kurt Swartz all bid adieu to the Bronco faithful that made up one of the largest wrestling crowds ever at Boise State.
The eight wrestlers mentioned above have a combined record of 586-219 over the last four years, a winning percentage of 72.8%. But enough for accolades. The road ahead is daunting for this group if they are to reach their goal of a Top 5 finish at Nationals.
#15 Jones opened the match and was upset by Justin Morrill. Morrill scored a take down in the third period for a 4-2 lead. Jones was able to escape and his riding time advantage allowed him to get into overtime. However, an escape by Morrill in the second OT allowed the Utah Valley wrestler to pull of the 4-3 shocker. A similar result at the upcoming Pac-10 Championships could open the door for Oregon State to once again walk away with the conference title.
Jason Chamberlain did not suffer a similar fate. He put away Josh Wilson 8-3 at 149 pounds to even the match at 3-3. UVU forfeited at 157 pounds rather than put someone in to face Hall, who unfortunately did not get to wrestle on senior night. Kurt Swartz is wrestling well right now for the Broncos and his 5-2 win at 165 pounds enabled Coach Greg Randall’s team to go ahead 12-3. Kurt’s brother (#14 Jake) followed with a 6-4 decision over Brad Darrington. It didn’t come easy however, as Jake trailed 4-3 with just seconds remaining. Swartz tied his match at 4-4 with an escape with 44 seconds left and then scored a thrilling take down in the final three seconds as the crowd erupted.
Smith, the nation’s #1-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, left no question as he scored a 22-8 major to push the Bronco lead to 19-3. Casperson, who recently entered the national rankings at #20, continued his hot streak with a 3-2 decision over Trevor Rupp at 197 pounds. Another Utah Valley forfeit at heavyweight followed to set up one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches of the night.
#14 Bartelli went against #13 Ben Kjar at 125 pounds. Bartelli held a 1-0 lead after the first two periods, but a Kjar escape and take down reversed the outcome. Bartelli did manage an escape with 1:10 left but could not get the necessary takedown to earn the win. #2 Hochstrasser put his opponent away to finish the match with a 19-5 major decision.
Now, a match that will tell us if this Boise State team is for real. They take on #5 Oklahoma State next Friday in Stillwater. This match will go a long ways in telling us if the Bronco team has what it takes to defeat the best in the nation. And, as I’ve been saying in this blog, it will take more than the Broncos’ “Big Four” that are ranked #1 or #2 in their weight classification. It will take a team effort and more than likely six Broncos that can win individually. A loss wouldn’t be the end of the world, while a win would be huge for their confidence as Boise State prepares for the postseason.
#9 Boise State 32, Utah Valley 6
141 - Justin Morrill (UVU) dec. #15 Levi Jones (BSU) 4-3
149 - #2 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) dec. Josh Wilson (UVU) 8-3
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) win by forfeit
165 - Kurt Swartz (BSU) dec. Jeb Clark (UVU) 5-2
174 - #14 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Brad Darrington (UVU) 6-4
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Casen Eldredge (UVU) 22-8
197 - #20 Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Trevor Rupp (UVU) 3-2
HWT - J.T. Felix win by forfeit
125 - #13 Ben Kjar (UVU) dec. #14 Alan Bartelli (BSU) 3-2
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) major dec. #13 Flint Ray (UVU) 19-5
Exhibition
149 - Avery Garner (UVU) dec. Eli Hutchison (BSU) 5-4
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