Fi: Dapper Dan Breakdown

Fi: Dapper Dan Breakdown

Mar 15, 2014 by Willie Saylor
Fi: Dapper Dan Breakdown
Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic Preview

Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic Preview
Corey Haddad, Flo Insider

The 40th annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic will take place Sunday, March 16 at 6:00 PM in Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Team USA has a total of 43 state championships between their thirteen wrestlers and will be coached by NCAA Champion Adam Tirapelle, now an assistant at Clovis High School in California. Team Pennsylvania will be coached by Eric Mausser of Franklin Regional and Josh Shields of Burrell. The Keystone State squad has a total of 21 state gold medals, which is led by three-time champion Jason Nolf at 145 and four-time champion Thomas Haines at 285. Watch The Rose Bowl of Wrestling live on FLOPRO!

126 - #2 Stevan Micic (USA) vs. #3 Zeke Moisey (PA)
Stevan Micic - Hanover Central, Indiana
College - Northwestern
- 3x State Champion
- ’13 FILA Cadet Freestyle Champion
- ’11 USAW Cadet Freestyle National Champion

Zeke Moisey - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
College - West Virginia
- 2A State Champion
- ’12 & ’13 2A State Runner-Up
- ’13 Beast of the East Champion
- ’12 FloNationals Champions

Breakdown: These are two of the smartest and mat savvy wrestlers in the nation pound-for-pound. Micic has the ability to transition from his shots is going to be needed against Moisey who is a funky, home run-threat. Moisey will use great head position to key his scoring from neutral.

Corey’s Pick: Moisey (PA) winner by decision



152 - #1 Bryce Brill (USA) vs. #4 TC Warner (PA)
Bryce Brill - Mt. Carmel, Illinois
College: Northwestern
- 3x State Champion
- ’12 USAW Junior Freestyle National Champion
- 4x Dvorak Invitational Champion

TC Warner - Cumberland Valley, PA
College: Old Dominion
- 3A State Champion
- ’12 & ’13 3A State Runner-Up
- 2x King of the Mountain Champion

Breakdown: Brill is patient and puts his opponents into position to score with timing. Warner has become better from neutral and is great from the top position. Brill is too offensive for Warner in this one.

Corey’s Pick: Brill (USA) winner by decision



113 - #8 Brent Fleetwood (USA) vs. #7 Ethan Lizak (PA)
Brent Fleetwood - Smyrna, DE
College: Central Michigan
- 4x State Champion
- 2x NHSCA National Champion
- ’10 USAW Cadet Freestyle National Champion

Ethan Lizak - Parkland, PA
College: Minnesota
- ’12 & ’13 3A State Champion
- ’13 FILA Junior Freestyle World Team Member

Breakdown: Lizak and Fleetwood, who were in-season 120’s, will be meeting for the third time in three years. Fleetwood beat Lizak at Escape The Rock finals in ’12 and ’13. Both will play it safe, but Lizak will grind out Fleetwood in this one. He has a chip on his shoulder after finishing fourth at the state tournament last weekend in Hershey.

Corey’s Pick: Lizak (PA) winner by decision



132 - #3 Josh Alber (USA) vs. Ian Brown (PA)
Josh Alber - Dakota, Illinois
College: Northern Iowa
- 4x State Champion
- ’12 Super 32 Challenege Runner-Up

Ian Brown - Hanover, PA
College: Lehigh
- 2A State Champion

Breakdown: This may seem like it is a mismatch and that Alber should dominate but Brown has been very aggressive on his feet during his senior year with his newfound style courtesy of his coach Kurt Brenner, who was a multiple-time state champ in Pennsylvania. Alber stays in great position and is mat savvy in working his shots to control the pace of the match.

Corey’s Pick: Alber (USA) winner by major decision.



170 - #2 Bo Nickal (USA) vs. Stephen Loiseau (PA)
Bo Nickal - Allen, Texas
College: Penn State
- 3x StateChampion
- Ironman Champion
- ’13 USAW Junior Freestyle National Champion
- ’13 FILA Cadet Freestyle National Champion

Stephen Loiseau - Lancaster Catholic, PA
- 2A State Champion
- Super 32 Challenge 3rd Place

Breakdown: Nickal is a high flyer that likes to mix it up. With a tall, lanky frame, he’s stronger than he looks and uses leverage well.  Loiseau is great from the top position and has a frame comparable to Nickal, but may not be as tall. Expect Nickal to give Pennsylvania fans a glimpse of what he will bring to State College in years to come in this match.

Corey’s Pick: Nickal (USA) winner by major decision



220 - Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. #5 Michael Boykin (PA)
Kyle Snyder - Good Counsel, Maryland (Currently training at Olympic Training Center)
- FILA Junior Freestyle World Champion
- 3x National Prep Campion
- 3x Beast of the East Champion
- Ironman Champion

Michael Boykin - Coatsville, PA
College: Undecided
- 3A State Champion
- ’13 3A State 3rd Place

Breakdown: Snyder did not compete scholastically his senior year and trained at the OTC focusing on his freestyle wrestling. Snyder likes to pile up points with relentless leg attacks and toying with even the most highest ranked high schoolers. He’s physical, quick, and changes levels on par with some of the past greats.Boykin had a late jump in the sport. The athleticism is there. His only loss last year was a real tight one where he was severely undersize to Thomas Haines. He has a great motor, but even Snyder should put on a show for the crowd in this one.

Corey’s Pick: Snyder (USA) winner by technical fall



182 - #11 Joel Dixon (USA) vs. #3 Zack Zavatsky (PA)
Joel Dixon - Edmond North, Oklahoma
College: Oklahoma University
- 2x State Champion
- ’13 USAW Junior Freestyle Nationals Runner-Up

Zack Zavatsky - Greater Latrobe
College: Virginia Tech
- 3A State Champion
- PowerAde Champion
- King of the Mountain Champion
- Super 32 Challenge Champion

Breakdown: Joel Dixon has a great outside shot and has a good sense of timing. Zavatsky is consistent in grinding out his competition. He is also one of the best in nation from the top position. Zavatsky will win this one with his dominant at skills and his ever-improving neutral game.

Corey’s Pick: Zavatsky (PA) winner by decision



160 - #1 Ryan Blees (USA) vs. #2 Garrett Peppelman
Ryan Blees - Bismarck, North Dakota
College: Oklahoma St.
- 4x State Champion
- ’13 USAW Junior Freestyle National Champion

Garrett Peppelman - Central Dauphin, PA
College: University of Virginia
- 2x 3A State Champion
- Super 32 Challenge Champion
- Beast of the East Champion

Breakdown: Blees is athletic and scrappy with the intangibles from all three positions. Peppelman has a great skill set and is sound defensively. When he is in on a shot, he has the power to blow through them. He is tremendous on top and will ride hard with a dangerous tilt.

Corey’s Pick: Peppelman (PA) winner by decision



195 - #3 Chip Ness (USA) vs. #10 Tristan Sponseller (PA)
Chip Ness - Buford, Georgia
College: University of North Carolina
- 4x State Champion
- Super 32 Challenge Champion
- PowerAde Champion

Tristan Sponseller - Bermudian Springs, PA
College: Lock Haven
- 2A StateChampion
- ’13 2A State Runner-Up

Breakdown: Sponseller’s only national competition has been at Super 32 where he has placed the last two years. He’s fundamental and hits his shots quick. Wrestles well from all positions, including a tough ride on top. Ness is a wrestler with an almost innate sense of positioning. He’s confident in any situation and loves to mix it up. He finds a way to win close matches against elite talent.

Corey’s Pick: Ness (USA) winner by decision



120 - #1 Nathan Boston (USA) vs. #8 (126) Dalton Macri (PA)
Nathan Boston - Woodford County, Kentucky
College: Iowa State
- 3x State Champion
- ’13 FloNationals Champion

Dalton Macri - Canon-McMillan, PA
College: Cornell
- 3A State Champion
- ’13 3A State Runner-Up
- PowerAde Champion
- Ironman 3rd Place
- ’12 Reno TOC Runner-Up

Breakdown: Macri is much bigger than Boston since he was an in-season 126 and had an outstanding senior season beating top-flight competition on the national events. Macri’s game comes from his short offense where he’s one of the best in the country at turning the corner. Boston is a tactical wrestler that has outstanding conditioning.

Corey’s Pick: Macri (PA) winner by major decision



285 - #1 Nick Nevills (USA) vs. #2 Thomas Haines
Nick Nevills - Clovis, CA
College: Penn State
- 3x State Champion
- FloNationals Champion

Thomas Haines - Solanco, PA
College: Ohio State
- 4x 3A State Champion
- PowerAde Champion
- ’12 Super 32 Challenge Champion

Breakdown: Nevills has been a phenom since he hit the high school scene. He has grown and progressed to the point where he’s toying and experimenting out there then anything else. He is a true student of the sport. Haines may be the most accomplished upper-weight in Pennsylvania history. He is funky, athletic, quick, strong, and has the ability of feeling pressure and recognizing positioning. This is the marque match that all of the nation is salivating over with Nevills coming to State College from California to wrestle for Penn State. It will be the first of many matches these two will have over the next five years, with both competing at Big Ten institutions.

Corey’s Pick: Nevills (USA) winner by decision.



138 - #1 Joseph McKenna (USA) vs. #6 (145) Solomon Chishko (PA)
Joseph McKenna - Blair Academy, New Jersey
College: Stanford
- 3x National Prep Champion
- Ironman Champion
- 2x Beast of the East Champion
- ’12 & ’13 USAW Junior Freestyle Nationals Runner-Up

Solomon Chishko - Canon-McMillan, PA
College: Virginia Tech
- 2x PA State Champion
- 2x PowerAde Champion
- ’12 Super 32 Challenge Runner-Up

Breakdown: McKenna has a high wresting IQ. He knows what’s there and what’s not. He takes quality shots and finishes well. He’s also good at riding, and in mat returns. He has focus and is a gamer that gets up for big matches. Chishko has been as steady as they come. He’s always in contention. He takes textbook shots and finished them crisply. With a good ability to ride, he has a double leg shot that is almost unstoppable when he is on his ‘A’ game.

Corey’s Pick: Chishko (PA) winner by decision



145 - #3 Tyler Berger (USA) vs. #1 Jason Nolf (PA)
Tyler Berger - Crook County, Oregon
College: Nebraska
- 4x State Champion
- FloNational Champion
- Reno TOC Champion
- ’12 Ironman 3rd Place

Jason Nolf - Kittanning, PA
College: Penn State
- 3x 2A State Champion
- Super 32 Challenge Champion
- 2x PowerAde Champion
- 3x King of the Mountain Champion

Breakdown: A rematch of the 2013 FloNationals title match that Berger won 2-0. Over the last year, Nolf has turned into an offensive and aggressive dominator. He wrestles well both on his feet and on the mat. Berger is controlling on the mat and a true folkstyle hammer. Nolf’s excellent work ethic and progression into attacking from neutral will win him this match.

Corey’s Pick: Nolf (PA) winner by decision


Final Team Score Prediction:
Team Pennsylvania 22
Team United States 22