Wrestling notebook | Now is winter of Penn's content

Punxsutawney Phil may have just decreed that six more weeks are left in the winter season, but Penn wrestling coach Rob Eiter sees things a little differently.

Eiter knows that both he and his Quakers (8-5, 3-1 EIWA) are capable of keeping their season rolling well into the seventh week after the famous groundhog's February 2 prediction.

That seventh week includes the all-important NCAA championships. Eiter expects a good contingent of Quakers to be there.

He basically implied as much when discussing the poor officiating in the Red and Blue's 18-16 win over No. 21 Hofstra.

"It's something that's going to happen [again] in the conference tournament and the NCAA tournament," he said.

Clearly, Eiter shares the confidence that his team has been boasting since a terrific 2-1 stretch that included two wins over ranked teams and a back-and-forth loss at No. 4 Nebraska.

All Hail Cesar! Penn's recent success on the mat has been spurred on by the stellar performances of senior 149-pounder Cesar Grajales, who continues to expand his empire and better his national ranking, which currently sits at No. 10.

Grajales went 3-0 against Nebraska, Pitt and Hofstra, notching an important pin against Jeff Rotella on Saturday.

The native of Brandon, Fla., is sporting an impressive 22-5 individual record, which includes a dominating 11-1 mark in dual matches.

A returning NCAA qualifier, Grajales looks on track to make it back to the big show and possibly attain All-American status.

The Quakers just have to hope he doesn't face anybody named "Brutus."

A stoppable force and an immovable object. If there's one thing proved by Penn 174-pounder Scott Giffin's 6-4 loss to Hofstra's No. 10 Alton Lucas, it is that a smaller, slower David can hang in with a veritable Goliath made completely of muscle.

But it's not easy.

"It is hard to move somebody like that around," Giffin said after the loss. "You gotta be wary that, if you get too close, he's very quick."

Still, Giffin stayed in the match and was only one questionable call away from tying Lucas near the end.

Giffin is going to need that desire come March, when musculature like that of Alton Lucas is the norm, not the exception.

Penn still has six more chances to tune up against unranked opponents before the postseason. The Quakers match up against four straight Ivy League rivals before finishing the season at Penn State and at Lehigh.

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