The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1059287
20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK Wolfpack Wrestling Signs Strong Recruiting Class The NC State wrestling team inked four top-100 recruits out of its nine signees during the November signing period. InterMat.com ranked Sammy Alvarez, (projected to wrestle in the 125- or 133-pound weight classes) of Montvale, N.J., at No. 54 nationally; Kai Orine (125 or 133 pounds) of Imperial, Mo. at No. 75; Owen Trephan (285 pounds) of Summerville, S.C, two spots lower at No. 77; and Christian Knop (197 pounds) of Anniston, Ala., rounded out the group at No. 97. Alvarez (No. 50), Trephan (No. 69) and Orine (No. 81) were also listed in FloWrestling's top 100. NC State landing highly ranked wrestling recruiting classes has become commonplace in recent years. The team signed consensus top-20 classes in 2013 and 2014, and its 2016 and 2018 groups were all ranked among the top six by every outlet nationally, including Flo and InterMat's No. 1 group of freshmen in 2016. "After our fourth-place finish last season, our staff worked extremely hard in identifying high-level talent in both folkstyle and freestyle that wanted to be part of the Wolfpack," NC State head coach Pat Popolizio said. "This class has had success both at the prep level and internationally. "We look forward to continuing to build upon our collegiate success, and to also continuing to bring home world medals to our practice room. This class mirrors our mentality, and they all showcase strong character, which will make them successful student-athletes once they are on our campus." The class features wrestlers from eight different states, including two from North Carolina: Silas Shaw (149 pounds) of Mooresville High, who is a two-time North Carolina 4A state champion, and Chris Garrison (197 pounds) of Greensboro Northwest Guilford, who won a North Carolina 4A state title last year. ■ Red And White Notebook Seventh-year head coach Pat Popolizio has signed four top-20 national classes in the last six recruiting cycles and is off to a great start in 2019 with four top-100 prospects. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP Pack Bits • NC State redshirt sophomore reserve defensive tackle Ben "Shug" Frazier parted ways with the Wolfpack prior to the North Carolina game Nov. 24. Frazier had nine tackles (one solo), one pass broken up and one quarterback hurry in nine games played this season at nose tackle. He had a season-high four tackles in 35 snaps during the season-opening win over James Madison. Frazier redshirted his freshman year and then played 323 snaps in 13 games last year. He tallied 12 tackles and half a sack in 2017. Frazier sat out the majority of the 2018 spring due to an injury, but only missed one contest the last two years before he departed the squad. Rivals.com rated the 6-3, 318-pounder from Buford (Ga.) High as a three-star prospect, the No. 45 player in Georgia and the No. 33 defensive tackle in the country. Frazier eventually picked NC State over Florida and 13 other colleges who had offered him during his prep career. NC State returns current redshirt junior Larrell Murchison, freshman Alim McNeill and redshirt sophomore Val Martin from the two-deep at defensive tackle for next year. Martin played nose tackle and was elevated to second string following Frazier's departure. Frazier was the third player to leave the team during the season. NC State previ - ously lost redshirt freshman running back Nakia Robinson and redshirt freshman tight end Damien Darden. Additionally, redshirt junior tackle Philip Walton, who also has played as an extra blocking tight end, walked with the seniors on Senior Day against Wake Forest Nov. 8. • The highly anticipated ACC Network will launch on Aug. 22, 2019, with its first football game taking place a week later. The 24-hour, seven-days-a-week network will deliver 1,300 live events annually across its TV and digital offerings on ESPN. The first football game will be Georgia Tech at Clemson on a Thursday, Aug. 29. NC State has been building its ACC Network broadcast and production studio at the Murphy Center, with an estimated cost of $6 million. The area should be completed by the spring of 2019. "We continue to look ahead to the launch of the ACC Network with great anticipation, and this is another step in the process," ACC commissioner John Swofford said. "Showcasing all of our outstanding programs remains a top priority, and our partnership with ESPN allows fans to have greater access than ever before. "I also commend our schools who have done an outstanding job in their prepara - tions for a successful launch."