Freshmen step up big in top-10 victory for NC State wrestling

On paper, the top-10 wrestling match between No. 5 NC State and No. 10 Missouri was expected to be an even 5-5 split.

But results didn’t always match the on-paper rankings in the Wolfpack’s 19-12 victory over Missouri. And it was some unlikely stars stepping up in a big way for the victors.

The team’s veteran stars did what they always do. Sixth-year senior 149-pounder Tariq Wilson and the Hidlay hammers — 174-pound sixth-year senior Hayden Hidlay and 184-pound redshirt sophomore Trent Hidlay — all topped top-20 foes. Wilson posted an 11-8 decision and Hayden beat No. 14 Peyton Mocco 9-5, but Trent was most impressive and picked up what could’ve been the match’s crucial bonus-point with a 13-5 major decision over No. 11 Jeremiah Kent.

However, those wins were all expected, more or less. Two NC State freshmen stole the show with their upsets.

No. 23 Ed Scott rode out No. 15 Jarrett Jacques — who reached the blood round at the NCAA Championships last year — the entire third period for a 3-2 victory at 157 pounds. It’s Scott’s second win over an NCAA qualifier this season, after a 6-6 debut where he was not selected as an at-large participant.

He’s scored 12 bonus-points wins in 15 matches and his lone loss was to a teammate, AJ Kovacs, who he beat a week later (his only other non-bonus point match was against another teammate).

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At 197 pounds, No. 15 Isaac Trumble upset No. 4 Rocky Elam, a junior world champion, via a 6-3 decision. It isn’t Trumble’s first big win — in his dual debut last year, he topped eventual NCAA finalist Nino Bonaccorsi of Pitt, 6-1 — but an incredible response from the freshman after he lost his first match of the year, a 10-2 major decision against Binghamton All-American Louie DePrez, just hours earlier.

133-pounder Kai Orine, who is ranked No. 17 at his weight class, also notched a 7-3 victory in the win over Missouri, who was ranked No. 3 nationally until two weeks ago when it lost to Virginia Tech.

Backup heavyweight Tyrie Houghton also impressed by hanging tough in a 6-5 loss to former NCAA blood-rounder Zach Elam, who is ranked 16th in the country.

NC State will compete in the championship bout of its pool tomorrow at 6 p.m. streaming on Rokfin. It is expected they will face No. 1 Iowa, who won their 24th NCAA title in team history last year and returned all seven All-Americans.

We will provide live updates during tomorrow’s match once again on The Wolves’ Den message board.

Box score results for both matches NC State wrestled in — including its 35-7 victory over Binghamton earlier in the day — can be found below (NC State wrestler is listed first).

The top win in the Wolfpack’s win over Binghamton came from redshirt freshman heavyweight Owen Trephan, who notched his third win of the year over a 2021 NCAA qualifier and another on-paper upset, with a victory over the nation’s No. 22 big man.

No. 5 NC State 19, No. 10 Missouri 12

125: No. 5 Jakob Camacho loses to No. 15 Noah Sertin, 7-4

133: No. 17 Kai Orine beats Connor Brown, 7-3

141: No. 16 Ryan Jack loses to No. 14 Allan Hart, 9-3

149: No. 3 Tariq Wilson beats No. 18 Josh Edmond, 11-8

157: No. 23 Ed Scott beats No. 15 Jarrett Jacques, 3-2

165: No. 18 Thomas Bullard loses to No. 3 Keegan O’Toole, 9-3

174: No. 5 Hayden Hidlay beats No. 14 Peyton Mocco, 9-5

184: No. 3 Trent Hidlay major decisions No. 11 Jeremiah Kent, 13-5

197: No. 15 Isaac Trumble beats No. 4 Rocky Elam, 5-3

285: Tyrie Houghton loses to No. 16 Zach Elam, 6-5

No. 5 NC State 35, Binghamton 7

125: No. 5 Jakob Camacho pins Nick Curley (5:29)

133: Jarrett Trombley injury default win over Anthony Sobotker (5:30)

141: Hunter Lewis loses to Ryan Anderson, 8-2

149: No. 3 Tariq Wilson beats Nick Lombard, 9-4

157: No. 23 Ed Scott tech falls Tyler Martin, 18-1

165: No. 18 Thomas Bullard beats Brevin Cassella, 6-0

174: No. 5 Hayden Hidlay major decisions Jacob Nolan, 12-3

184: No. 3 Trent Hidlay tech falls Sam Deprez, 19-4

197: No. 15 Isaac Trumble major decision loss to No. 12 Lou Deprez, 10-2

285: No. 28 Owen Trephan beats No. 22 Joe Doyle, 5-2