Cowboys With a Senior Day Stunner Against No. 16 Oklahoma

LARAMIE -- "A solid, dominating victory."

When it comes to beating the Sooners, in literally any sport, that's music to the ears for a former Oklahoma State Cowboy.

Mark Branch is just that.

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Wyoming's head coach Sunday led his team to an upset win over 16th-ranked Oklahoma, capping the Pokes' dual season with a convincing 24-10 showing inside the UniWyo Sports Complex in Laramie.

“I was pleased with how the guys came out and wrestled," Branch said. "We can officially start to point our eyes toward the Big 12 Tournament.”

Wyoming, which now has a pair of victories over Top-16 opponents for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign -- No. 10 South Dakota State went down in January -- put a bow on the conference season with a 7-1 mark and finished 8-5 overall.

The competition started with Jared Hill (157) and concluded with No. 30 Gabe Willochell (149), both of whom logged wins.

The dual was competed in close quarters for the first few bouts. Following Hill’s 5-2 sudden victory over Layton Schnieder, No. 32 Sloan Swan (165) dropped a 9-8 decision to Bryce Burkett, which knotted the team competition at 3-3.

No. 33 Riley Davis (174) recaptured the lead for his squad with a bounce-back victory. He toppled Clay Giddens by decision, 4-2, which gave Wyoming a 6-3 lead it would never surrender.

That was in large part due to the Pokes’ heavy hitters. No. 9 Eddie Neitenbach (184), No. 5 Joey Novak (197) and No. 7 Christian Carroll (HWT) each recorded wins that essentially put the dual to bed.

Neitenbach boasted a 20-4 technical fall of Anders Thomspon. Novak impressed in an 11-0 major decision of No. 11 DJ Parker, and Carroll returned to dispose of No. 19 Juan Mora by decision, 5-3.

The Willochell brothers put the finishing touches on the victory. No. 23 Luke Willochell (133) defeated Carter Schmidt via decision, 8-1, and Gabe Willochell took down Hunter Hollingsworth by decision, 4-2.

Wyoming’s starters now turn their attention to the postseason. The Big 12 Tournament is March 6-7 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, inside the BOK Center.

The majority of the Pokes’ reserves will be in action next weekend. The Cowboy Shootout is set for Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. inside the Arena-Auditorium.

No. 24 Wyoming 24 | No. 16 Oklahoma 10
157: Jared Hill (Wyoming) sudden victory Layton Schneider (Oklahoma), 5-2
165: Byrce Burkett (Oklahoma) decision No. 32 Sloan Swan (Wyoming), 9-8
174: No.33 Riley Davis (Wyoming) decision Clay Giddens (Oklahoma), 4-2
184: No. 9 Eddie Neitenbach (Wyoming) technical fall Anders Thompson (Oklahoma), 20-4 (5:57)
197: No. 5 Joey Novak (Wyoming) major decision No. 11 DJ Parker (Oklahoma), 11-0
HWT: No. 7 Christian Carroll (Wyoming) decision No. 19 Juan Mora (Oklahoma), 5-3
125: Sebastian Degennaro (Oklahoma) major decision Sefton Douglass (Wyoming), 11-0
133: No. 23 Luke Willochell (Wyoming) decision Carter Schmidt (Oklahoma), 8-1
141: No. 25 Tyler Wells (Oklahoma) decision David Saenz (Wyoming), 7-4
149: No. 30 Gabe Willochell (Wyoming) decision Hunter Hollingsworth (Oklahoma), 4-2

* A UW press release contributed to this report

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

During the summer of 2021, 7220Sports.com counted down the Top 50 football players in University of Wyoming history, presented by Premier Bone & Joint Centers, Worthy of Wyoming.

The rules are simple: What was the player's impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn't a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220's Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS -- only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don't agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports - #Top50UWFB

Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players