Nov. 17, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Cael Sanderson
Post Match Interview 11/15/09: Penn State 23, Bloomsburg 15
Q: Cael, it always feels good to get that first win under the belt, does it not?
A: I guess so. I'm not too focused on winning as much as making sure these guys are executing and wrestling hard. We know the wins will take care of themselves. I just hate losing and we found ourselves in a dog-fight which we really didn't need to be in. Bloomsburg has a solid lineup. Their guys were fighting and in good shape so it was a good dual.
Q: Is it good for you, from a coaching stand point that both Lehigh and Bloomsburg came out and were aggressive this weekend? Does that give you a good idea of what to work on and what to be ready for heading in to the rest of the season?
A: This has been a good weekend for us as far as learning about our guys and as far as preparation. We have a lot of little things we need to improve on, attitude being the main one. Technically we need to get these guys to believe in what we're working on and to go out there and do it blindly. They will have success.
Q: Talk about Cyler getting the big win over Moley and making a splash in his Rec Hall debut. What did you think about Cyler and his performance and effort against the second ranked wrestler in the country?
A: Moley is a really tough kid and they have had a history of competing so they pretty much know what the other is trying to do the whole time. It was a big win for him. I don't know if he will see Moley again but a match like that really carries a lot in the final rankings and the seeds going into the National Tournament. It was a good opportunity to get out there and take advantage of that.
Q: Your team was trailing going into the final two bouts today and Clay Steadman got a big win both for him and the team. Cameron Wade not only got the win but finished it off in the second period. Can you talk about what both of them gave you and how big of a confidence boost was this when looking toward the rest of the season?
A: That was a huge win for Clay. As his confidence grows he's just going to get better and better. He is a solid kid. He's working really hard and gaining confidence. To get a takedown and win the match late is a big deal. He did a great job with that. Wade getting a pin, that's what we want. He wrapped the dual up the way we wanted it to be finished off. We wanted him to go out there and get the pin and he did it.
Q: How did you feel about your other winners, Brad Pataky, Dan Vallimont and Frank Molinaro? Both Pataky and Molinaro seem to be your takedown machines this weekend.
A: Pataky has racked up quite a few takedowns. We chart takedowns and near falls to get the guys to compete against each other and I think Pataky is going to be a little hard to catch right now. That's what we want. We want these guys scoring points right now. Frank is the same way. He is getting a bunch of takedowns and looking really good and solid. He is wrestling hard and confident. That's what we need.
Q: It was a good one for Dan Vallimont but he struggled a little in the third period. How do you feel about his bout?
A: His opponent was pretty tough on top. It looked like he was happy to ride him out for the one point loss but you can't let someone ride you for two minutes. That is not the way you want to end a match. Vallimont is doing a great job and he's going to be tough to beat. He is just so solid on his feet and hard to score on. We just need to sharpen a few areas with him but he is doing a nice job.
Q: Is the plan at this point to give both Pearsall and Saltsman some work at 133 and Pisani and Lynch at 141 next weekend or are you trying to settle something for the positions.
A: It is a tough call. They are both good kids with good potential but we didn't have a great weekend at that weight class. We can't be giving up a fall. That is just unacceptable. We shouldn't give up two falls in a season and we gave up two falls in a weekend. Pearsall showed some positives. He went out and found himself on his back and battled back. It was looking like he was going to get the major but he found himself on his back again. Two days ago we saw some real positives with Saltsman as well. I don't want to be switching these guys back and forth, we just need one of them to step up and be the man. Until they establish that we don't really have a choice. We need to figure out who that guy is. They both have strengths in different areas. 141 is a similar situation. That was the first time down to that weight for Pisani. He has to get his weight under control but he has a lot of potential. Lynch is a great kid too. He works really hard and does everything we want him to do. We're looking to get our guys established as soon as possible.
Q: At the Washington and Jefferson Open yesterday you had David Taylor winning the tournament and Jake Kemerer, a terrific effort finishing third. Is it important for the red shirts to show their potential in these open tournaments as well?
A: Absolutely. The most important thing for them right now is just competing. I'd like to see that they want to compete. Only a few guys went this weekend but everybody else should be competing next weekend that isn't on our team right now. The fact that they wanted to go and get some matches in is a good sign. They're both wrestling great and they're going to do a great job. We had about four guys wrestle at the open. That's good experience for those guys. You have to want to wrestle. We train all year and you have to enjoy competing, enjoy going out there and putting it all on the line.
Q: Finally, you have the Sprawl and Brawl Duals a week from today. Are you working individually with these guys from what you've seen this weekend? What is the focus in terms of practice to get ready for the next competition?
A: We've got a lot of little things that the whole team needs work on. As you saw today we were getting our wrists ridden pretty hard and that's just technique and attitude. Little things like we have a lot of guys looking at the clock throughout the matches which is the last thing they should be looking at. It doesn't really go with our motto and our game plan of wrestling for seven minutes. I can worry about the clock they just need to worry about the wrestling. So we've got some little things that we need to work on as a team but we'll continue to work individually as well.
Cael, thanks very much and congratulations on the first win here at Penn State