It is understandable that Oklahoma State wrestlers did not do much talking publicly this week. They nearly lost one of their brothers. 

Early Monday evening, following a social media post by A.J. Ferrari’s father, word traveled fast that Oklahoma State’s 2021 NCAA champion had been involved in a serious car wreck on the two-lane Highway 33 near Stillwater. 

A.J. was airlifted to OU Medical in Oklahoma City. A university community rocked by previous heartbreaking circumstances held its collective breath and searched for any news. Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith, part of the same university family that lost 10 members of the men’s basketball team in 2001. This week marked the 20th anniversary of the plane crash in Colorado on January 27 that continues to bring painful memories to many in the community. A decade later, in November of 2011, women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna died in a plane crash.  

On a regular Monday night, a day after a tough 26-9 win over Lehigh, Smith got word and scrambled to the scene as any coach would do hoping for the best but fearing the worst. It was a chaotic 24 hours, wins and losses far from anyone’s agenda. All involved finally exhaled on Wednesday when Ferrari was released from the hospital. 

“He’s home. He’s sore, tender — what you would expect from seeing that car,” said Smith on Wednesday. “He’s sore. Really sore. Hopefully, it’s all from just being banged around and nothing else. We’ll look at him in a couple of days and see if we need to do anything additional.” 

Ferrari attended a youth wrestling practice in Cushing (30 minutes from Stillwater) and was returning to Stillwater when the accident occurred. His passenger, Oklahoma State cross country runner Isai Rodriguez, was also released on Wednesday. His coach, Dave Smith, said what many coaches, regardless of sport, fear more than anything else: “I think for any coach, or parent, or someone who works with people this age – this is the thing that, for me as a coach, keeps me awake every night. That call at night.” 

Thoughts of upcoming duals with Iowa State and Northern Iowa were secondary this week. 

“When he shared the news (of Ferrari leaving the hospital), it kind of put everybody to rest that A.J.’s going to be fine in time,” John Smith said. “I think you just shift to thinking about your regular day: ‘OK, I’m going back to work. I’ve got practice at 3.’ The good news from what we first originally thought as I was going to the scene – a lot different. Really low to really high. That’s what the experience was.” 

There’s no question that Ferrari became a polarizing force last season with his flexing and deadlift stats. But the wrestling community put rivalries aside, John Smith expressing his gratitude in saying, “as competitive as we are, at times not liking each other, especially during competition … it’s good to see people reach out to you with whatever we need. It’s a wonderful community to be in and I’m glad I’ve been a part of it for a long time.” 

Who steps in? 

Questions of who steps in at 197 pounds were secondary to most conversations. John Smith does not forfeit in dual meets. When the fourth-ranked Cowboys (10-0) host Northern Iowa (3-5) Saturday night and #8 Iowa State (9-1) Sunday afternoon, junior Gavin Stika, Dakota Geer’s backup at 184 pounds, will most likely make his dual debut. Geer, a graduate student, suited up at 197 for 30 of his 37 matches in 2019 and for 32 of his 35 a season later, but is a two-time All-American at 184 pounds and is 9-1 and ranked inside the top 10. 

Stika (11-3) finished seventh at the Southern Scuffle and third at the Reno Tournament of Champions, but has not seen the mat in a dual meet. The Big 12 Conference is loaded at 197 even without Ferrari. The league boasts four of the top 14 – Rocky Elam (Missouri), Stephen Buchanon (Wyoming), Jake Woodley (Oklahoma), and rookie Yonger Bastida (Iowa State), who is 12-2 and visits both Oklahoma schools this weekend.  

Old foes 

Oklahoma State stayed unbeaten with a 26-9 victory over Lehigh last Sunday. The competition continues to strengthen after few challenges since November. Old Big Eight foe Iowa State visits Stillwater Sunday afternoon. Images of the late 1960s and Dr. Harold Nichols and Myron Roderick patrolling mat-side immediately come to mind along with classic early-1980s battles between Nate Carr and Kenny Monday. A generation of Carr and Mike Sheets fans get a reminder of the old days when David Carr (12-0), a 2021 NCAA champion and son of Nate, likely squares off with Wyatt Sheets, son of national champion Mike. The younger Carr earned an 8-4 decision a year ago and beat the younger Sheets, 6-4, in the 2020 Big 12 final a month after a 14-6 major decision. 

The series dates to 1921 with Oklahoma State holding a 62-20-3 advantage. The two have met every year since 1995. Iowa State won 4 of 5 dual meetings between January 2007 and January 2010. The Cowboys have won 14 straight dating to 2010, including a 16-15 victory in Ames last January with Boo Lewallen’s major decision at 149 pounds the difference. Ferrari’s late rally against fellow freshman Bastida gave the Cowboys a 16-12 lead heading into the final bout.  

Noteworthy 

● Oklahoma State 125-pounder Trevor Mastrogiovanni is off to a 10-0 start. Not a bonus-point machine, the Blair Academy product has been steady with an early win over All-American Pat McKee of Minnesota. Mastrogiovanni has a big weekend ahead. He’s expected to face Northern Iowa’s Brody Teske (7-2) and Iowa State’s Kysen Terukina (11-0). 

● Two veterans, Oklahoma State’s Kaden Gfeller (8-1) and Iowa State’s Jarrett Degen (12-1), square off Sunday. Might be a fun match to watch.  

● UNI ended a 27-match dual losing streak to Oklahoma State with a 19-15 victory in Cedar Falls in January of 2020. Oklahoma State is 28-3 all-time against the Panthers.