WVU/VT

[Slingblade33]

This isn’t high school related, but both athletes are former WV state champions. Do Jared Haught VT and Jake Smith WVU square up this Friday? Both Top 5 nationally ranked and sons of WV. Always a battle/chess match between these two.

[IndyHart]

I had heard that Jake Smith had to wrestle a certain number of matches (17 was the number I was told) to qualify for the NCAA tournament. I assume that means qualify for an at-large berth as opposed to qualifying by winning a Big XII title. For that reason, I think he probably should be in the lineup for most of the rest of the WVU matches, including at Tech on Friday.

That WVU/VT match will have a little relationship to West Virginia high school wrestling, beyond Jared Haught and Jake Smith. Independence will wrestle Christiansburg (now coached by Cliff Warden) prior to the WVU-Virginia Tech dual. The two teams matched up once already at Lake Norman during the season's first weak. Christiansburg won that one 34-30 in a dual that came down to the last match. Both teams had guys that either weren't to weight yet or didn't wrestle because of injury. There were several close matches that could have gone either way. We may get Hunter Taylor and Trey Gunnoe back for the dual on Friday so it should be a good one. WVU is really young, but I think they should provide a better test for Virginia Tech than they did in the match at Parkersburg High last season.

[dunbar76]

Jake did not have a stellar outing his match against Pitt(his first I think). It was overtime and he was gassed, but as all good ones do, he found a way to win. I'm pulling for him big time.

[figure4match]

VT/ WVU starts at 7pm what time does the High School match start?

[IndyHart]

Start time for Indy-Christiansburg is 5 p.m.