ASHLAND – The 14th-ranked Southern Oregon University men's wrestling team will take its act to Phoenix High School for Thursday's 7 p.m. dual against 11th-ranked Simpson.

In their first home dual away from Riehm Arena – tickets for which are $5 with proceeds going to the PHS wrestling program – the Raiders will work on their 3-1 record against a team that is dangerous when boasting a full lineup.

Traditionally, SOU has owned the series against the Redhawks with a 7-0 head-to-head record that includes last season's 50-0 shutout and a 30-15 victory less than three weeks ago at the California Challenge Duals.

Simpson has only been in action three times this season but maintains a high ranking because of some highly-touted individuals: top-ranked Brady Beamon (184 pounds), No. 5 Richard Ortiz (157), No. 7 Austin Lobsinger (285), No. 10 Vicente Hernandez (133) and No. 13 Erik Medina (197). If both teams wrestle at full strength, the Raiders would be underdogs against all five of those individuals.

SOU Probable Lineup/Rankings:
125 – Casey Coulter (5W)
133 – Matt Peterson
141 – Trevor Hancock (3W/14N)
149 – Tyler Cowger (1W/2N)
157 – Kyle Sether (5W)
165 – C.J. McKinnis (3W)
174 – Reed Tennyson (4W)
184 – Oscar Flores (3W/16N at 174)
197 – Ryan McWatters (2W/3N at 184)
285 – Alejandro Sandoval (4W)
W – West Group ranking; N – NAIA ranking

Quick Notes:
– Matt Peterson (133) earned the first upset win of his collegiate career with a first-round pin against third-ranked Clinton Garvin of eighth-ranked Great Falls on Nov. 20, leading SOU to a 22-14 team upset.
– Tyler Cowger (149) may not get a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking until the NAIA Championships, but he's doing all he can in the meantime. In three dual wins, he's outscored opponents 29-4 with two major decisions.
– Kyle Sether (157) has also been perfect in dual action with two decisions and a major.
– After scoring bonus points in two of his three dual wins, Ryan McWatters padded his record by going 5-0 and winning a tournament title at the Spokane Open on Nov. 22. Freshman Chandler Michael – currently Cowger's backup at 149 pounds –also won a title in Spokane, while Hunter Hodges and Reed Tennyson had three bonus-point wins apiece.

Up Next: Displaced for the remainder of this season and next while McNeal Hall undergoes a complete renovation, the Raiders will next host the Doc Whelton Classic on Dec. 17 at the Medford Armory, with duals against NCAA foes Simon Fraser (B.C.) and Pacific (Ore.). SOU's women will host the same schools at the classic.