NC State wrestling notebook: Last ACC tune-up

The NC State wrestling team will be in non-conference action for the final time this season, as the No. 5 Wolfpack (9-0) host Army Friday night. The dual is at 7 p.m. inside Reynolds Coliseum, and will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

The dual will be the Pack’s Military Appreciation match, and like previous NC State wrestlers before that were participating in ROTC, redshirt freshman Joey Milano will be commissioned into the Army on Friday.

NC State vs. Army

Army comes to Raleigh off a recent second place showing at the Soldier Salute, only behind No. 2 Iowa, and sport a 2-3 dual record this season. The Black Knights feature a pair of ranked wrestlers, No. 32 Ethan Berginc at 125 pounds and No. 21 Ben Pasiuk at 174 pounds.

On the sidelines for Army will be NC State wrestling alum Jeff Breese, who serves as the Director of Wrestling Development. Breese was also the first Director of Operations for Pat Popolizio when he came to NC State. Popolizio was also a former assistant coach at Army back in 2003-04, and their current associate head coach Scott Green was an assistant coach at Binghamton under Popolizio.

Where Things Stand in the ACC

Next week’s NC State Wrestling Notebook will all be about the Pack-Virginia Tech match-up (set for Fri., Jan. 20 in Blacksburg and televised on the ACC Network). So this week, as the conference teams have one final weekend of non-conference action, we look at where things stand in the national rankings for the six ACC squads.

In this week’s InterMat Rankings, both NC State and Virginia Tech have all 10 of their starters ranked among the top-33 in the nation. Pitt has seven ranked wrestlers, North Carolina has six, Virginia has four, and Duke has one.

Here is a weight-by-weight look at the ACC one week out of conference dual action:

125 – No. 30 Jarrett Trombley (7-6 record)

Around the ACC: No. 20 Eddie Ventresca (VT), No. 29 Jack Wagner (UNC)

The most wide open weight in the conference, thus could have huge implications on the team race for NC State and others at the ACC Championship. Just as Trombley looked to turn the corner with a 3-0 mark at the Collegiate Duals, he dropped his last contest against Binghamton in OT. VT has been back and forth between Ventresca and Cooper Flynn, both redshirt freshmen. Wagner is a grad transfer from UNI.

133 – No. 25 Kai Orine (7-4)

Around the ACC: No. 6 Sam Latona (VT), No. 8 Micky Phillippi (Pitt)

Can Orine continue to improve for NC State and break into the top tier of ACC grapplers, highlighted by a pair of top-10 foes.  Orine already has a top-10 win over the season, when he used a late six-point move to defeat No. 6 Kyle Biscoglia of Northern Iowa in New Orleans.

Latona has moved up from 125 and knocked off No. 3 Vito Arujau of Cornell, while Phillippi has advanced to the NCAA Round of 12 each of the last three years.

141 – No. 6 Ryan Jack (14-1)

Around the ACC: No. 3 Cole Matthews (Pitt), No. 15 Tom Crook (VT), No. 17 Lachlan McNeil (UNC)

Jack is one of the most improved wrestlers in the country, he has already notched six ranked wins for NC State wrestling on the season. Matthews was the preseason No. 1 but fell last weekend on a late takedown. Both Crook and McNeil are in their first seasons in the lineup, and north have posted positive results thus far.

149 – No. 17 Jackson Arrington (14-5)

Around the ACC: No. 11 Caleb Henson (VT), No. 18 Zach Sherman (UNC), No. 29 Tyler Badgett (Pitt), No. 30 Jarod Verkleeren (UVA)

A pair of true freshmen competing with a pair of veteran wrestlers.

Top-30 recruits nationally, Arrington and Henson are true freshmen who could form a great rivalry over the next four years. Sherman and Verkleeren are both in their fifth seasons and have been ranked the majority of their careers.

157 – No. 7 Ed Scott (11-4)

Around the ACC: No. 4 Austin O’Connor (UNC), No. 6 Bryce Andonian (VT), No. 26 Jake Keating (UVA)

The premier weight this season in the ACC. Three of Scott’s four losses are to top-10 foes, and he has scored pins in each of his last two matches for NC State.

O’Connor returned to full-time action for UNC after suffering an ACL injury late last season. Andonian has not wrestled a match since an exhibition in November, and the Hokies last dual before NC State is Friday at App State. Keating handed Scott his lone regular season loss last year.

Sadly, the Pack’s post-pin celebration of donning a ski mask has ended after one appearance. Scott scared too many kids in attendance at the Binghamton dual after his pin.

165 – No. 33 Matty Singleton (7-4)

Around the ACC: No. 14 Justin McCoy (UVA), No. 20 Connor Brady (VT), No. 30 Holden Heller (Pitt)

Still not convinced Singleton has won the starting spot for NC State. He competed unattached last weekend to preserve one of his five dates to still be able to redshirt, but it is trending in that direction. He brought home a first place finish at the Franklin & Marshall Open with a major decision over UNC’s starter.

Redshirt freshman Derek Fields will be given the chance to compete as well.

McCoy is a returning ACC finalist, and Brady has transitioned from 157 and has had an impressive season with a lot of close matches.

174 – No. 31 Alex Faison (11-4)

Around the ACC: No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (VT), No. 9 Clay Lautt (UNC)

After competition between three Pack freshmen started the season at this weight, Faison, a redshirt freshman, has emerged recently having started the last four duals – going a perfect 4-0.

A pair of top-10 wrestlers await Faison this season, but both have missed recent action. Lewis missed all the matches last weekend, and Lautt has not competed since suffering a loss in mid-December.

184 – No. 3 Trent Hidlay (13-1)

Around the ACC: No. 7 Hunter Bolen (VT), No. 15 Gavin Kane (UNC), No. 16 Neil Antrassian (UVA), No. 18 Reece Heller (Pitt)

Five of the six are ranked in the top-18, with a pair in the top-10. Hidlay and Bolen have battled at this weight for each of the last three seasons, and both are off to hot starts this year. Kane downed Bolen twice last season and faced Hidlay in the ACC finals. Both Antrassian and Heller are transfers going through the ACC grind for the first time.

197 – No. 6 Isaac Trumble (13-1)

Around the ACC: No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt), No. 23 Andy Smith (VT)

Trumble and Bonaccorsi have had great dual battles each of the last two seasons, and both are in the top-10 this year. Trumble has been a bonus point machine for NC State, scoring pins in each of his last three wins.

Bonaccorsi is a former NCAA finalist, undefeated at 7-0 this season. Smith and UNC’s Max Shaw will also provide the two with a challenge as they are both long, lanky wrestlers.

285 – No. 13 Owen Trephan (14-3)

Around the ACC: No. 5 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt), No. 22 Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke), No. 23 Hunter Catka (VT)

After facing competition for the heavyweight spot for the second straight year, Trephan has had a breakout season thus far for NC State with back-to-back ranked wins in his last two bouts. His three losses are all to top-10 foes.

Pitzer is still technically in redshirt, but you can almost guarantee he will see action in ACC duals and enter the Panthers postseason lineup. The true freshman’s hype comes after placing second at the Midlands with a win over returning NCAA finalist Colton Shultz of Arizona State.

Niesenbaum, Duke’s lone ranked grappler, and Catka will present Trephan with challenges this year as both are among the biggest heavyweights in the country.

Returning to the Mat

Former five-time NC State All-American Hayden Hidlay announced on Twitter this week his return to the Wolfpack RTC as a competitor. He will remain in his current capacity with the NC State wrestling team as the Student-Athlete Development Coordinator, but will now also be training with the focus on returning to freestyle wrestling.

The return appears to be happening very soon, as Hidlay has indicated he will travel to the Zagreb Open in Croatia February 1-5, and the short term goal is to win the U.S. Open in late April.

Hidlay’s involvement with the current NC State wrestling team this year has been significant on and off the mat. In training, he has specifically been working with Jackson Arrington, Ed Scott, Alex Faison and Trent Hidlay.

And great news for Pack fans that love his wrestling insight, he will still host the widely-popular #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast and also be the color analyst for the Pack’s ACC Network Extra broadcasts when he is in town.

Hidlay last competed on the freestyle circuit in the Spring of 2021. He claimed top honors at the 2021 U.S. Senior Nationals at 74 kg, then moved up to 79 kg for the 2021 U.S. World Team Trials and came away with a top-six