Friday Night Duals - On Paper

Only two ranked duals on the docket for Friday night, but they are massive matchups. Detroit Catholic Central and Lowell are some of the most storied programs in MHSAA history, and this dual should not be a let down in what has become a D1 vs D2 annual rivalry. In D3, Yale and Algonac get a first look at each other a few weeks before their imminent postseason dual.

Outlook: Lowell will be heavy favorites in the lightest two weights, most likely picking up two bonus point wins. From there, we should see a stretch of really solid matches. Both teams have quite a bit of flexibility, often with multiple state placers or ranked wrestlers at the same weight. If Lowell is chasing wins, we could see them wrestle Frosh Carson Blum at 113 and bump state champ Jarrett Smith to 120, assuming Wyatt Lees does not weigh in at 120. Moscovic had a big 4-3 win over Carter Cichocki last year, but we would only see that match if Lees and Moscovic both drop down for this dual. Buskirk and Boone have had some really close matches going back to Buskirk's two years at Greenville, and that will be an important match for either side to win assuming Boone bumps up to 150. Lastly, our match of the dual, is D1 #1 Krueger vs D1 #1 Engle at 190. Krueger won that match 4-3 last year in the assembly dual. ‍

Prediction: DCC +8

Outlook: Fortunately, this is not the only time we get to see this dual this year. Unfortunately, we will see this dual again at team regionals as opposed to the state semifinals. Yale has solidified themselves as the clear #2 in D3, but Algonac is also having a fantastic season. Depending on how the two teams bump around and fill their lineups, there is the potential for a 7/7 split in matches. Even so, Yale would likely still be slightly favored based on bonus points. Nonetheless, Algonac has the ability to maket this dual interesting with a lot of firepower throughout the lineup. We expect to see anywhere from 6 to 8 ranked matches in this dual. We will go with 175 as the match of the dual, as returning state qualifier Hadden may need a win over state placer McLaughin for Algonac to pull off the slight upset.

Prediction: Yale +6