Cowboys Win 20th Consecutive Bedlam Dual 35-3 Over Sooners
The Oklahoma State Cowboys sent a message on Friday during the Bedlam dual against the University of Oklahoma. Coach David Taylor made a statement in his first Bedlam dual as the Cowboys head coach. The Pokes dominated the Sooners, winning nine of 10 matches, with five of those ending with bonus points.
If there was one match that set the tone of the evening, it was when Cowboy Reece Witcraft took the mat against Sooner Cleveland Belton. Witcraft entered the match ranked 19th in the 133-pound class, and Belton came in as the 18th-ranked wrestler.
Absolute cinema.#GoPokes l @re_alwi pic.twitter.com/znwHDJr2vF
— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) December 14, 2024
The two battled early on in the match, but Witcraft found himself in an 8-1 deficit entering the third and final period. He managed to get a point back and with only seconds left on the clock, Witcraft looked to be finished. In the closing seconds of the match, Witcraft managed to pin Belton to come away with the victory. The Oklahoma State sidelines erupted, and all the momentum was in favor of the Cowboys.
Wyatt Hendrickson continued his dominating run through the regular season with a tech fall at 285. Troy Spratley, Cameron Amine, and Dustin Plott also added major decisions at 125, 165 and 184 pounds. Tagen Jamison, Caleb Fish, Dean Hamiti and Luke Surber notched decisions to add to the team total.
Oklahoma’s only win came at 141 pounds by way of Willie McDougald’s tie-breaker decision against Carter Young.
Rinse, repeat.@MidFirst l @OERBOK pic.twitter.com/n6IcwUX8lr
— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) December 14, 2024
The Cowboys left absolutely no doubt on the mat Friday night in Norman. They were able to prove that Cliff Keen Invitational team win was not an accident. The Cowboys have now won 20 consecutive Bedlam duals proving they are the premier program in Oklahoma.
With the 35-3 Bedlam dual victory over the Sooners, Oklahoma State now enters the conversation with the elite programs in the NCAA. Do the Pokes have the juice to take down No. 2 Iowa? Can Oklahoma State dethrone mighty No. 1 ranked Penn State? One thing is for certain, the Oklahoma State Cowboys are the real deal.
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Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.