Wrestling Set for Busy Weekend in the DMV; Face George Mason and American

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Wrestling Set for Busy Weekend in the DMV; Face George Mason and American

12/1/2023 4:00:00 PM | Wrestling

DavidsonPhotos.com George Mason Stream (ESPN+)American Stream (ESPN+)Patriot Open Bracket

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Two weeks after their last event, the Davidson wrestling team will be back on the mat for two duals and tournament on Saturday and Sunday. The 'Cats will start with duals against George Mason and American then partake in George Mason's Patriot Open on Sunday.

The Wildcats will begin the action-packed weekend with a non-conference dual against George Mason in Fairfax, Virginia at noon before making the 40-minute trip over to American for their dual against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. On Sunday, Davidson will be back at George Mason for the Patriot Open.

In their last time out, Nate Carr Jr.'s squad competed at the King Open and Navy Classic on November 18. At King, four freshmen placed including Enis Ljikovic, Dylan Smith, and DJ Spring II. The latter leads the team in wins and matches with seven and 12 respectively and the Newton, N.C. native has placed twice this season (3rd, King Open; 6th, Southeast Open).

Another freshman Wildcat making his presence felt in the early going is Tyler-Xavier McKnight. The Cass High School product has six wins at 149 this season including a win over a ranked opponent at the Southeast Open.

The Wildcats may also be getting an added boost to the lineup this weekend as senior Bryce Sanderlin has a chance to suit up at 165. The Chesapeake, Virginia native has yet to compete this season after winning 20 matches for the 'Cats last season.

About the Patriots
The Patriots enter Saturday with a 4-3 record in dual action and fell to American, 21-15, in their most recent match back on November 21. Mason's lineup is bolstered by Nate Higley at 141, DJ McGee at 157, and Chad Nix at heavyweight. All three Patriots come into the weekend ranked inside both FloWrestling and InterMat's top-30 rankings.

About the Eagles
American comes into Saturday night holding a 3-3 record after defeating George Mason last week. The Eagles are led by Jack Maida who is ranked 12th in the country at 125 with a perfect 9-0 record. Heavyweight Will Jarrell is next on the team in wins with eight in 14 matches. Jarrell and Maximilian Leete lead the Eagles in pins with three each.

Davidson Probables
125 – John Hager (3-1) or Enis Ljikovic (5-4)
133 – Jackson Sichelstiel (4-3) or Hale Robinson (2-4)
141 – Josh Viarengo (1-3) or Bryce Clement (0-6)
149 – Tyler-Xavier McKnight (6-4)
157 – Tanner Peake (3-5) or Ian McGehee (3-2) or Dan Yetsick (5-2)
165 – Bryce Sanderlin (0-0) or Marc Koch (3-3)
174 – Brett Sanderlin (0-3)
184 – Wyatt Ferguson (3-4)
197 – Cameo Blankenship (3-5)
285 – Jake Fernicola (2-5) or DJ Spring II (7-5)

George Mason Probables
125 – Ben Monn (6-3) or JB Dragovich (3-2)
133 - Shawn Nonaka (3-3) or Patrick Schellpfeffer (2-5)
141 - Dom Hargrove (3-4) or #21/#23 Nate Higley (1-0)
149 - Kaden Cassidy (5-3)
157 - #22/#25 DJ McGee (8-0)
165 - Evan Maag (8-3)
174 - Sean Coughlin (4-5) or Paul Pierce (2-1)
184 - Malachi DuVall (3-5)
197 - Ruben Karapetyan (2-2)
285 - #32/#31 Chad Nix (6-1)
**Flo/Inter Rankings

American Probables
125 - #12 Jack Maida (9-0) or Shamil Kalmatov (4-4)
133 - Maximilian Leete (6-3)
141 - Cael McIntyre (3-4) or Raymond Lopez (0-0)
149 - Ethan Szerencsits (0-1)
157 - Jack Nies (1-1)
165 - Breon Phifer (0-7)
174 - Lucas White (5-5)
184 - Connor Bourne (4-2)
197 - Carsten Rawls (5-5) or Liam Volk-Klos (3-6)
HWT - Will Jarrell (8-6)