Who's #1 Pennsylvania Preview; Wood Wants Revenge

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

Jordan Wood isn’t used to having his opponents hand raised. Only a few wrestlers over the last several years were able to say they defeated Wood – 4x PIAA State Champion Thomas Haines (Solanco), PIAA State Champion Mike Boykin (Coatesville) and most recently Gable Stevenson (Apple Valley, MN).

In May 2015 Wood was set to improve on his Cadet World Bronze Medal from 2014. A roadblock came up by the name of Gable Stevenson. In the UWW Cadet Nationals Stevenson, at the time a freshman, defeated Jordan in the 220 lbs. semifinals by a score of (8-1) to stun the junior and returning World Finalist. Wood rebounded in July picking up a Fargo Junior Nationals Championship.

Now a senior and officially committed to Lehigh Jordan Wood will be in search of his second PIAA State Championship at Boyertown Area. There is still one more thing, however, he needs to do: regain his #1 Ranking in the Nation at 220 lbs. Competing in his future home at Lehigh University I expect Jordan to be hungry and not allow himself another defeat to the younger Stevenson at Flo’s Who’s Number One.

Pennsylvania is well represented at the annual Who’s Number One hosted by Flo Wrestling. For the second year Young Guns head coach Jody Strittmatter will be one of the coaches and the Keystone State has six participants.

Starting things off in a four wrestler round robin at 132 lbs. will be 2x PIAA State Champion Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe). The senior is coming off a difficult State Tournament where he was defeated in tiebreaker by A.C. Headlee to snap his two year streak of State Championships. It won’t get any easier for Luke at the Snake Pit as he faces Cadet World Freestyle Champion and Cornell Big Red recruit Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) in the first round. Pletcher, an Ohio State recruit, enters ranked #2 in the Nation by Flo while Diakomihalis is #3. The winner of the match will take on the winner of #1 Chad Red vs. #4 Taylor LaMont. As much as I love me some Luke Pletcher he will have his hands full with an explosive Yianni Diakomihalis.

Next up is 182 lbs. senior Dakota Geer (Franklin) who puts his #1 rank on the line against #2 Beau Breske (Wisconsin). Breske is moving up from 170 lbs. a season ago where he was a Fargo National Champion for the second year in a row and also owns two State Championships. Geer on the other hand is more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy – at least in Pennsylvania. He may not get the headlines like Spencer Lee, Jordan Wood, Gavin Teasdale, and so on but he has quietly climbed the ladder of success at Franklin. After placing third in the State as a sophomore Geer turned it up his junior season winning a PIAA State Championship with his only defeat of the season to Corey Hazel (Penns Valley Area). Dakota avenged that defeat by downing Hazel in the PIAA State Finals. Following the season Geer made his National presence known as he won the prestigious Flo Nationals against the top talent from the Nation. Geer will have no easy task with 2x Fargo National Champion Beau Breske at Who’s Number One.

Making his second straight appearance at Who’s Number One is Jefferson Morgan sophomore Gavin Teasdale. A year ago Teasdale was PA Power Wrestling’s TIF of 2015 and selected to compete in WNO at 106 lbs. There he faced freshman Cade Olivas (California) who has had Teasdale’s number over the past few seasons. Gavin fell (3-1) in the match. A year later Teasdale is an undefeated PIAA State Champion and over the summer claimed a Pan-Am Games Cadet Freestyle Championship. He is set to meet Arizona hammer Roman Bravo-Young who is a 4x Fargo National Champion. The two were in the same bracket at the UWW Cadet Nationals in May 2015 with Gavin Teasdale winning the Championship at 50 kg. Roman Bravo-Young was upset in the second round and the clash between the two studs never occurred. RBY is a very tough opponent but Teasdale is confident in his abilities against the top competition.

UWW Cadet World Champion Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area) is quickly becoming one of the best wrestlers in the Nation. His impressive post-season performance at the Cadet Nationals and World Championships solidified his position as the #1 ranked wrestler at 145 lbs. He will meet New Jersey’s Kyle Bierdumpfel, a senior and NJ State Champion, in the WNO event. Bierdumpfel is a 3x New Jersey State Finalist and placed fourth in Fargo at the Junior Nationals. Verkleeren’s resume makes him a favorite here.

Hayden Hidlay has been the talk of the summer with his impressive wins. Hayden placed third at the Fargo Junior Freestyle Nationals picking up a (7-0) win over Manville in the consolation round. Their first meeting occurred in the Fargo Junior Greco-Roman National finals at 152 lbs. and there Hayden came out on top (6-3) in a heated exchange. The match was highlighted with a push by Manville on Hidlay and later apology. After picking up wins over Manville in Greco and Freestyle Hiday made it three straight in October at the Journeymen Classic. In the finals at 152 lbs. Hayden outlasted Manville for the third time winning (3-1) over the Penn State recruit. Manville, who will compete for Wyoming Seminary this season, was a National Prep Champion for Blair Academy and won a Cadet World Championship in 2014. Hidlay is (3-0) against Manville so the odds are in his favor.

Flo’s Who’s Number One event will take place Saturday October 17th at 7 PM in Lehigh University’s Snake Pit. For more information, tickets, and coverage visit Flo here.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]