Now that the OTT’s are over, I would like to see if anyone sensed the same thing that I thought that I watched, and that was a sudden maturity of Mitchell Messenbrink. Even though he lost to Jordan Burroughs, he did score a couple points against JB, but there were some things that I saw from MM, beginning with his smile prior to the hand shake at the beginning of the match that I found interesting, and that was his confidence at the start of the match. The MM bounce. Beginning with the first period I saw how MM squared himself to JB on the mat, and I think it made JB uncomfortable. As the 1st period progressed, MM showed some inexperience and allowed a take down and a back exposure. On the restart MM went straight back to the middle of the mat. At this point, JB was not sure of this upstart kid, but I think he knew he was in a match that he was not ready for. Head slapping ensued on the next start, and the official stopped it, and MM wanted to make sure that he was on the up and up by attempting a high 5 to JB to let him know that is competition, nothing more. But if I recall JB did not respond. This is only 30 seconds into the first period. In my opinion, MM was more prepared for this match than JB. As the 1st period progressed, JB’s experience showed. But watching MM continue to square up against JB, I was impressed even more with MM and his preparation for a wrestler like JB. Down 7-0 after 2, MM continued to square up against JB and attempted leg attacks. Even with under 1 minute to go MM continued his attacks, and JB was not sure, at times, how to defend MM’s attacks. With time winding down, there was some head butting and head pushing initiated by MM to let JB know that MM is coming at the decorated wrestler, and whatever the outcome, JB now knows who MM is. The shove with :07 left in the match is important. Sometimes a torch is passed, but a lot people of don’t see it or understand it. I like to think that I just saw a torch passed from a decorated champion to a young Penn State wrester who I think is going to shine in the NCAA’s as well as the world stage. I like to think that, in this particular match, I watched Mithell Messenbrink progress to the next level of the great Penn State type of wresters like David Taylor, Jason Nolf and Zain Retherford. Penn State Nation get ready to cheer on the next of Penn State’s incredible person/wrestler. This is just my observation.
