Doucet wins as OSU rolls past Oklahoma in Bedlam matchup

NORMAN - Konner Doucet and Josh Heindselman have battled for the past few years on the mat and Sunday was no different at Bedlam. Doucet, Oklahoma State’s top heavyweight, avenged a loss last year with a 2-1 win in an overtime tiebreaker over his University of Oklahoma counterpart.

Heindselman had come in ranked No. 10 in the country and Doucet was No. 11.

Doucet, from Comanche and Heindelsman from Piedmont are familiar with each other having gone head to head in their high school years.

“It was good to get a win after getting the loss here last year, so it was good getting the first one out of the way this year,” Doucet said. “We’re good friends and we trained together in high school and he’s one of my good buddies and we still talk a lot. It’s a little weird, but it’s fun to compete with him.”

Last year, the heavyweights wrestled first followed by the lower weights. Oklahoma had built a big lead with several wins in the lower weights as well as the heavyweight. OSU stormed back in the middle and upper weights and won the match with a pin in the final match setting off a huge celebration for the Cowboys and their fans.

The 2023 version would have no such drama. This year, the OSU lower weights got the Cowboys off to a good start on their way to a dominating 28-9 win.

“It was a totally different scenario this year as a team to come in here and dominate,” Doucet said. “I think some of us older guys are stepping up and leading and then we have some young guys that are real passionate, real fiery and they get things rolling early. So, it’s always nice when you’ve got those 125 and 157 pounders that really like to go out there and get after it.”

With the win Doucet improved to 6-2 on the season.

“It’s been good, a little rocky,” Doucet said. “I got a little banged up and didn’t wrestle too well on Friday, but I’m just trying to take it one match at a time. I’m just trying to get better and really all that matters is (the post-season) in March.”

He wrestled at a tournament in Las Vegas the previous week that featured wrestlers from some of the top programs in the country.

“It was good. It was a tough tournament,” Doucet said. “There were no easy rounds out there. I wrestled a top 15, top 10 guy in the round of 16 and then unfortunately got hurt, so that kind of sucked. But, I’m healthy now, thankfully, and ready to run.”