RMC

I was standing there too and don't remember it exactly as Ward reported it in the paper. Doesn't really matter, what's past is past. Hope it doesn't happen again. The kids work too hard for something like that to make the newspaper instead of their wrestling. Though, it should make for an interesting match next year, the kid is a junior.

The kid from Collins Hill at 135 is one of the best in Georgia, maybe even Tennessee too, but the situation really got over blown. All the kid's dad do was ask, "You've got a whole stable of good wrestlers why couldn't you put a 135 pounder out on the mat?" Apparently that question offended the Bradley coach. Collins Hill put a JV kid on the at 160 because fans want to see the good kids wrestle. The kid at 135 is good kid and a good wrestler. In Georgia, people don't forfeit they usually wrestle complete lineups. What's the worst that can happen, a JV kid gets some experience.

I'm surprised Pat Murphy doesn't get a little more respect. Didn't he go on and become UTC's only 4 time Southern Conference champion? And If I remember correctly, 3 of his 4 loses in high school were to Johnny Bradford, the defending state champion, in his sophmore season. Remember, he wrestled when you only got 3 years to wrestle in high school and he was 64 - 4. The other loss came to Ellis Gardner, from McCallie, and that was the day he had a cast taken off his leg. He later pinned Gardner in the State finals after getting up 14 to 2 on him. Gardner's 2 points came from uneccessary roughness points. In the match where Gardner beat Murphy he attacked Murphy's leg that he just been uncasted.

In the for what it's worth column, Tyler Parker (119 Collins Hill) already beat the kid from McEachern this year.

Don't count the kid out from Collins Hill at 119. Tyler Parker is very good wrestler and proved it last weekend against Cordell. Last year James beat him, but that was only his second year of wrestling. He is much, much better this year. I help out doing what I can for the Collins Hill team and they've got a good, young group of wrestlers. I grew up and wrestled in the Chattanooga area and know how tough the tournament will be. Look for our 135, Nick Lukacs to make some noise too. I also expect the 275 pounder to finish near the top. The 103 pounder is good, but only in the 9th grade...he'll get better. Collins Hill is young and getting better all the time.

For what it's worth, the last time those two met, Parker and Cordell, they went into double overtime. Both are very good. Parker is a defending Georgia 5A state champion. He is a pretty big story down here because he has only wrestled for 3 years. We'll have to wait and see how he does this weekend at the McCallie Invitational.