Mekhi goes up against Coy from UVa. Not much to say here as Mekhi has beaten him 2x this year 10-1 and 6-2 and once last year 7-1. No threat and Mekhi should go throughpossibly with a MD here. Predicting a 9-2 type decision. So I decided to look at second round..

At first glance you would think #9 seed Romero would advance over #24 seed McCormick based on seed and record. But you would be wrong to assume this. Wrestlestat actually predicts McCormick beating Romero in a close 9-8 match and after watching video I agree this match is really a toss up -- very different styles though. Romero's seed is way too high and should be #15-#20 IMO. I do think Romero will prevail by about 2 points -- I think McCormick might make a 1st period lead 4-2, but he will run out of gas and Romero will prevail in 2nd and 3rd periods.

If McCormick wins: Cael loves to tie up the head and lean his weight on his opponent -- heavy hand wrestling. Loves to drag the arm and pick the ankle. Very noticeable lead with right leg in neutral stance. Horrible gas tank. OK for Mekhi to lock up as he is stronger. Mekhi needs to keep his stance lower than normal to prevent any surprise shots from Cael - Cael does have some shooting speed but not a frequent shooter. This would be a great match up for Mekhi and I would predict a 4-1 first period and then Mekhi to completely take over in third period and either MD or pin.

If Romero wins: Romero is not comfortable tying up in neutral and will fight to keep head and arms free. Has lots of movement in neutral like a boxer. A little taller. Decent single leg shooter. Backs up a lot to avoid tie-ups -- VERY susceptible to stall calls on perimeter. Mekhi should pursue and watch for sudden shot -- keep stance tight and back Romero up with lots or pressure. I think Mekhi can generate 1-2 pts from stalls alone. Romero is not strong on top at all - Mekhi will escape easily. In bottom position at starts has exposed ankles. Questionable tank. I think Romero has the ability to get a TD catching Mekhi off guard maybe once, not twice. Mekhi will grind this to a 8-3 or 9-3 easy win. If Mekhi gets an early TD and pushes the action to the perimeter to generate stalls this could be a MD.

Summary, IMO Mekhi has a great draw for the first two rounds and I would not be surprised if he makes quarters with two bonus point matches. He matches up very well for his first two rounds potential opponents.
[Post edited by Hokie Flyer at 03/17/2019 7:37PM]