Takedown Report

2023-24 SoCon Preview (Part Two)

The season kicks off tonight, November 1 at The Battle at Liberty – hosted by Campbell University, streaming on UFC Fight Pass. 

Campbell University
The Camels are coming into the ’23-’24 season with a bang – kicking off their dual season with The Battle at Liberty, where they’ll face off against Army. They’ll also likely settle the debate of “who’s America’s team?” In the SoCon preseason poll – five returning members were named to the all-conference team, Shannon Hanna (141), Austin Murphy (174), brothers Caleb (184) and Levi Hopkins (197), and heavyweight Taye Ghadiali, with the program coming out on top in the preseason poll. This schedule is absolutely stacked this season – the Camels head out West to Wyoming where they’ll actually wrestle in a barn. The Fighting Camel Duals will take place in December, where Gore Arena will be host to Purdue, Stanford, and North Dakota State’s programs for an action-packed day of duals. It’ll be a fierce Fight Pass Friday in February when App State travels to The Creek for a dual meet. This conference rivalry has been so fun to watch develop and continue – the wrestling keeps getting better and the energy between these two fan bases is unmatched. The Fighting Camels will also host conference foes Chattanooga to cap off their home dual series. This lineup (if we’re looking at returning starters) is filled with well-seasoned competitors, it’ll be exciting to see how this more mature team matches up with the younger rosters in the conference. 

Preseason rankings:
133: Domenic Zaccone (12)
141: Shannon Hanna (23)
174: Austin Murphy (30)
184: Caleb Hopkins (20)
197: Levi Hopkins (27)
HWT: Taye Ghadiali (15)

VMI 
Wrestle-offs, intrasquad matches, whichever you prefer to call them, used to be more low-key events. Programs like VMI have gotten creative, hosting their intrasquad match in the barracks. The Keydets are headed into the ’23-’24 season following a 9-8 season, with a 2-6 conference record, picking up victories against Presbyterian and Davidson. Home duals begin at Cormack Hall in November against Limestone and Marymount – DII and DIII program, and will kick off conference competition in January, hosting Chattanooga. The Keydets will see upperweight stars Tyler Mousaw and Josh Evans return to the mat this season, alongside SoCon placewinners Braxton Lewis and Ryan Vigil. Both were freshmen in 2022-23. A crowd favorite is the rivalry between VMI and The Citadel – which will be held in Charleston this year. The Keydets will also be in attendance at the Soldier Salute, hosted by the University of Iowa. 

Gardner-Webb
The Runnin’ Bulldogs kick off their season hosting Kent State and Ohio University, the conference season will begin for them in February, when the Chattanooga Mocs travel to Boiling Springs for a SoCon showdown. Gardner-Webb will also host Davidson, The Citadel, and will round off their hosting duties for the season with a dual against VMI. … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/socon/2023-24-socon-preview-part-two

November 3, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized