ArtusCimber

The debate did not begin in earnest until the wrestlers had left the wrestling area. My 152 pounder, Ty Cody, was in the finals that year. I remember Ty saying, as the match wound down, that it would be just his luck if it went into overtime and he had to wait longer to wrestle. The match did go into overtime and when it was finished we walked to the mat. Ty's match was delayed a couple of minutes longer while the officials and the coaches debated at the scorer's table. The 145 finalists had left the wrestling area. I recall someone walking up to the group and pointing out that the young men had left the area, and I remember that the debate pretty much ended at that point (in the mat area anyway).

Happy Halloween!! Went to the Blue and Gold Match at UTC last night, and a Coaching Clinic put on by the staff this morning. A few thoughts. First, if Jake Young wins his wrestleoff Monday, seven of the ten UTC starters will be Tennessee guys. That is cool. Second, the other three starters are all from south of the Mason-Dixon Line. So the “Southern Pride” T-shirts are definitely the real deal these days. Third, I look forward to the day when I travel down there to watch some Science Hill guys wrestling for spots on that team. Fourth, it is a good time for wrestling in the state. Coach Eslinger is a Tennessee guy who isn’t using this job as a resume builder. This is exciting.

Just my thoughts; take them as you will. 1) If you can't find a 103, you won't find a 106 or a 107 either. 2) Why does B make us have to find another upper weight? I'm agin that. Okay, I feel better now.

Is anyone from Tennessee going to the NWCA convention next weekend? We start school on Thursday so I'm out. The head office would like a rep from our state there, so if you are going and would be willing to do that please let me know. Contact me here and I'll pass on the information. Thanks. Price

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I felt like we left the meeting in pretty good shape. I feel much better about it than I ever have before. We seemed to be able to get past the "too many more matches" thing (Joe had done his homework on that one) as well as the "we'd do it if there were fewer qualifiers" barrier. Mind that we didn't surmount said obstacles; we just didn't crash and burn when we hit them this time. I felt like we'd made some progress. One thing is for sure and this year's tournament proved it probably more than any in my experience-if it's going to stay a carry tournament then somebody has to do a better job of drawing up the brackets. I think we'll get it eventually, but I've been wrong plenty of times before so don't take a swing at me if I am this time.

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Check this out-copied from www.asuwrestling.com Save ASU Wrestling - It seems like there has been some confusion of the current financial state of the ASU Wrestling program. As of right now our focus is to raise money to secure the program's operational budget and endowment fund. A donor has come forward to ensure the reinstatement of the program but, make no mistake, the program needs to be endowed in order to guarantee the program forever. Our initial goal is to raise eight million dollars within the next three years for the endowment of the wrestling program. Reaching this goal will ensure an annual budget of $400,000 each year for the life of the program. This budget is still much smaller than the budgets of other nationally ranked programs such as Iowa and Iowa State. However, it is a great starting point for ASU Wrestling, which ultimately strives to have a $12 to $13 million dollar endowment fund. This is a historic event not only for wrestling, but for Arizona State Athletics. The wrestling program will be the first to be endowed at ASU. You can be part of the history, and help to ensure that the ASU Wresting program remains strong. By giving to the Arizona State Wrestling Endowment Fund, you will be helping athletes fulfill their dreams. To donate download the wrestling gift form or to donate online go click here. If you have any questions please contact us at endow@asuwrestling.com

I think some of us need to sit down with the people who make decisions at C-N and see what we can do. If we knew exactly what ASU did, maybe we can engineer a similar scenario. I admit that I am relatively clueless about the financial particulars, but I am willing to organize people. Suggestions?

I have just sent this to David Barger-probably won't hear back. Carson-Newman is not the same school I attended in the early eighties. When I returned to work on my teaching requirements in '89, I found the place to have become somewhat pretentious and self-important. This decision, in my mind, confirms that opinion. Anyway, here it is for what it's worth. Mr. Barger. My name is Jeff Price. I am an English Teacher and Head Wrestling Coach at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, a 1983 graduate of Carson-Newman College, and a member of the first varsity wrestling program at Carson-Newman (1979-1981). I am heartbroken to hear of the recent decision to drop wrestling at Carson-Newman. I understand that these decisions are not made lightly; on the other hand, it is important to me that you understand how Carson-Newman wrestling has enriched the lives of countless people in this area while at the same time strengthening wrestling in East Tennessee. I was Coach Elia??™s sponsor when he was inducted into the Tennessee Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007. Allow me to share with you a press release I wrote for him at that time. Don Elia, head wrestling coach at Carson-Newman College, will be inducted into the Tennessee Wrestling Hall of Fame on October 13, 2007. Don has been instrumental in preserving college wrestling in the Southeast. When many programs were falling victim to Title IX or just going away, Coach Elia kept the program at Carson-Newman alive. There have been periods over the past 28 years when Carson-Newman was one of, if not the only, non-Division I program in the Southeast. For many of those years it was the only small college program in Tennessee. In addition, Coach Elia has been responsible for improving the quality of high school wrestling in East Tennessee. Until fairly recently, most of the wrestling programs were mentored by conscripted football coaches or just anyone who was willing to take the job. Most coaches had no wrestling experience whatsoever. Today, at least a dozen area programs are led by former Carson-Newman wrestlers. Three of Coach Elia??™s former assistants now coach at the high school level in East Tennessee. Coach Elia has also helped promote the rebirth of college wrestling in our area. Campbellsville (KY) head coach Franky James and King College (TN) head coach Nate Moorman both wrestled and coached under Don. High school and college wrestling in our area would simply not be where it is right now without the presence and efforts of Don Elia. Submitted by Jeff Price Head Wrestling Coach, Science Hill High School Here is a list of Carson-Newman Wrestling Alumni who now coach in Regions One and Two (the area spanning Bristol and Knoxville) Buzzy Mann-C-N Graduate Assistant 1988-89; now Head Wrestling Coach, Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett-also coached at Greeneville High School Jeff Price-C-N Graduate Assistant 1989-91; now Head Wrestling Coach, Johnson City Science Hill-also coached at Jefferson County High School Jon Renner-C-N Graduate Assistant 1988-89; now Head Women??™s Wrestling Coach, Johnson City Science Hill-also coached at Jefferson County High School Randy Shelton- Head Wrestling Coach, Greeneville High School-also coached at Science Hill High School Greg Foreman- Head Wrestling Coach, Pigeon Forge High School-also coached at Dobyns-Bennett High School and South Doyle High School Tim Pittman- Head Wrestling Coach, Gibbs High School-also coached at Halls High Shannon Sayne- Head Wrestling Coach, Halls High School This is just a list of the people who coach in this immediate area. If the list is expanded to Tennessee and the Southeast, the number increases immensely. Many of us put down roots in this area because of our love of the sport of wrestling and the connection to East Tennessee we established at Carson-Newman. From a more practical standpoint, how much money would a group of supporters have to raise to keep the program afloat? It is disheartening that you have made this decision. High School wrestling in the Southeast will suffer for it. Please understand that the ripple effect of this choice will adversely affect not only the young men who are members of the team at Carson-Newman now, but the lives of countless high school wrestlers in this area. Not presently proud to be a C-N graduate , Jeff Price

Lighten up Francis.

It is a whopping eighteen miles closer to Johnson City. I'm beside myself with joy.

Everyone at Science Hill extends their deepest sympathy. Jeff Price

Fandetti-Richardson Brawl at Freedom Hall in Johnson City January 16th, 2010.

Texas23, Neither is questioning the technical proficiency of a kid that by your admission you did not watch wrestle. I usually respect your insights, but you are acting with a lack of information here. By the way, Janie Goldstein pinned all three of her opponents with a bar and half. She scored her takedowns with snapdowns and block and gos, just as well or better than most of the guys on our team. She wrestled the system we taught her. I take exception at your casting uninformed aspersions on her ability.

Send me an address at topperwrestling@hotmail.com and we'll send her some Lady Toppers stuff

North Carolina has what they call an independent division.

This is all I need to know about Ronnie Carter, mister bigblu. In my years of toil amongst the "unwashed masses" in our public schools, I have had the privilege of working with some kids who were not so privileged. Sometimes in the process of moving from a less suitable life situation to a better one, they have had to make moves that resulted in their ineligibility according to the established state criteria. There are three kids in particular for whom I have had to attain hardships. Each time I submitted a hardship request, Ronnie spent extended amounts of time on the phone with me to make sure that my paperwork was correct and that these kids, who were trying to have better lives, got to be a part of the best thing a young man (or woman-thank you Ronnie) could be a part of. All three of those men have grown up to be fine human beings who are giving back to the sport and the world. Ronnie Carter is responsible for helping them get a new start. I will be forever grateful to him for that. And as for your tired old, D I/D II school rant, get over it. That horse is beyond dead. It is a pile of dust that is impossible to even kick anymore. Or better yet, come and get a coaching job at a small, struggling public high school in a remote county in East Tennessee, or any place in the state for that matter. But until then, wash your ragged old crying towel and find something new to cry about and someone else to blame for a situation that had its genesis in people with your very mentality. Ronnie, thanks for all you have done to help me and my kids.

I think your wife just likes you out of the house...just like mine.

Yeah, but he's a much smoother operator than I am /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> I'm just glad that somebody got back to talking about wrestling and is over the cooties comments...

Anybody who wants to criticize our officials needs to get their certification. It isn't as easy as it looks. Many of us in Region 1 have many years together. Jeff Arnold and I have known each other for over thirty years ( he wrestled at Virginia High when I was at Abingdon). In a certain sense we are sort of like a grumpy family. There are rough spots, but I think for the most part we get through them. I will be the first to say that I am a competitor, and that I will defend my kids because they deserve it; I have had more than my share of conflicts with our officials. Still, I respect them and the job they do. I hope they understand me and my motivations. More than that, they are good men who do a difficult job. If any of them ever needed anything from me and it was in my power to give it, I would. I will echo matcat's sentiments though that I have been appalled by the audacious behavior of parents most everywhere we have been this season. Parents come to the floor at tournaments and think nothing of sitting beside your chair or standing behind you while their sons are wrestling, then engaging you during or after matches. After one meet I was harrassed by two parents from an opposing team while the coach of that team stood not five feet away. At the regional tournament, one of those same people, enraged that a match was stopped because one of my wrestlers was injured, called from the stands "do it again JJ...rip his arm off." I would never condone that behavior from my parents. I would not allow it. Still, I am glad to see the kids rise above it. One of the great things about wrestling is the camaraderie. Kids can beat each other's brains out then sit around and talk afterward. Most of our region's state qualifiers will practice together tomorrow. That doesn't happen in other sports. I like the lesson in that, one of the many kids learn in this greatest of sports. One of the best ideas is from Dan Gable. After he lost his match, he decided that in the future he would never let one be close enough that an official could be a factor. A call was made last night in one of our matches that I completely disagreed with. It changed the face of the match and resulted in a one point loss. Still, my kid would have won if he'd been able to put together just one takedown. So really it's on him. It IS on him. Anyone who wants to criticize officials needs to get a shirt. Anyone who isn't a coach or wrestler needs to stay in the stands. Our officials are hard-working and conscientious. They do not deserve to be denigrated in this manner. Jeff Price Science Hill