Sommers

Fantastic

I got word and plan to be there tomorrow.

Although 55-0 that season and heavily favored to win, Cothren faced a relatively unknown 33-0 wrestler from Rutherford Co. and was out worked the final 4 minutes by this Angelo Giansante in the 97 finals , coach Angelo, a self made man and great driver today for Smyrna Wrestling. It would be interesting to see anyone take him down and even more amazing would be to see someone turn him & pin him today

my bad. So what you're saying is that you yourself did not get a tuition discount for your daughter?

Did you inquire?

Okay, you read my last few posts signed off and didn't reply. I don't want to cause a neighborly dispute with your 240 pound wrestling partner, but you didn't answer my questions. Perhaps you know of a student or two on a discounted tuition rate that drops each year?

Maybe not - with The Vol's, 76's, Jakesdad's and others' firsthand D2 experiences with talent such as theirs. I like it!! "Let's get ready to rumble!!!"

Thank you kind sir.

First hand infomation is always a good thing and I accept this as credible from you & also what Raider76 shared as well. Any D2 school would love to find ways to get your boy as well as 76's, of course.

Well put, Vol. I cannot offer you more information on this. Everything in life is negotiable. I'll leave it at that. I support you "in spirit" for what you have done for your children. Were there any questions I asked you that you could clarify from my previous post? Sorry for the rambling about things perhaps not pertinent today. I'm getting old I guess.

Okay Vol, I really don't want to offer a lot of information as fact or as first hand, but I did experience things personally and did hear it from a couple of sources in recent years, and I am not making anything up. Are you denying that you can get a two for one deal or at least a reduced tuition if you have a second student in middle school? How about your daughter's tuition? Setting aside sports, what about other unrelated talents associated with scholarships? Keep in mind that my own brother and I were considered for Baylor in the seventies as we were both involved with Senter School (private K-8) wrestling, Lauder's B-ball and Chuck Allen's football (Our 8th graders were as large, and maybe as old, as many HS athletes with a 13-0 record in FB and a 56 point average, never scored upon, never had to punt or kick a field goal, beat Lafayette HS 9th-10th grade team 82-0, North GA Jr. High All-star team 78-0 , Ooltewah Jr. High, and of course all the OLPH's and St. Jude's - we had a team walk off the field at half time never to return with the score 44-0; and Wilkie Green-who many should remember, refused to play us for similar reasons to Steve Logsdon's D2 position) and partial tuition was discussed then, so my first hand experience goes back to the mid 70's. Five years of French, two years of Spanish and one year of Latin was enough for me. My brothers and I went to Hixson. Also, keep in mind that many of my fellow students & recruited athletes at Senter, new found friends and gifted athletes at "then-power" Hixson Jr. High, left during or after our 100+ winning steak in Jr. High football and wrestling. Many were lured over to Baylor in that era as well. These teams were so talented that even RMC-one of the strongest and with lots of hair and I were happy to dress out for some of those big games I remember in 9th, but we knew why Hixson High didn't continue to be great. It was obvious. I coudn't blame them for leaving, and again, as I was told first hand in recent years, "we just couldn't turn it down; the offer was too good to refuse." This just brought back those old memories. I really understood their reasoning though and remained friends with many that left. I was happy that our Pat Murphy & Ronnie Voss stayed with us and a few others that kept us competitive in sports. BTW - You wonder about my loyalties to GC? It began in the mid 70's at Hixson as he left us with a rich wrestling tradition we could be proud of. It was an honor just to make varsity back then and you fought to keep your spot with weight classes getting as deep as 10-15. RMC can appreciate, but not politics involved with so many parents of course (new can of worms).

Mr. Patton is an impressive person with a million dollar personality. Great to see Josh continue to succeed!! See you guys tonight with at least one of my remaining two.

Who ever beat Phillip in HS? I would have to agree that he has made the most noise for TN Nationally over the past 30 years.

How does C. Heard of UTC compare?

As soon as I saw red headed, I was embarrassed. Good catch!!

Where's all the excitment supporting girl's wrestling? Suggestion: Make it a manditory part of the team like JV's wrestle JV's and girls wrestle girls. No oponent, it's a forfeit.

Connell wrestled for Brainard. Mullins for ND. Gilbert for East Ridge and Weathers, his asst., for Red Bank. Seems like RB's coach wrestled there as well.

One more from middle TN

Ben Smith and Bond Davis.

I've heard that two of Tennessee's best came out of middle TN and another near Sewanee years ago (1960's) Yogi would remember. I believe one was by the name of Jones that was one of Dan Gable few losses in his life (off season between his Jr. and Sr. years in Florida against Sun kiss); I don't think it was Allan though . Another was Charles McTorry who I'm not sure anyone has done more, at least at HS level Nationally. Wasn't McTorry the first TN wrestler to win first place in a Nat'l prep tournament (see below)* and may still be the only one to do so from TN? And went on to be a fine wrestler for Nebraska (He didn't stop Cael his fresman year though; but who did?). *Senior National Championships 1995 171 1. Charles McTorry (Tennessee) 2. Pat Popolizio (New York) 3. Joel Goeden (Minnesota) 4. Josh Cruzan (Oklahoma) 5. Oscar Gonzalez (California) 6. Spike Reynolds (Colorado) 7. Kenny Howard (North Dakota) 8. Chris Harrington (Florida) also won the following awards... # Order of Merit # Medal of Courage # Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award # Lifetime Service To Wrestling

If you know Brad, then you will know that he means what he says and will do everything within his power to please everyone. We all know that's next to impossible, but he tries. Great job Brad!!

Master Blaster/Rigger. Too bad we didn't go back and finish the job at Desert Storm. FYI - I was talking to Mr. Cordell and he told me that the TSSAA made him show proof of selling his home in Halmiton Co. and proof of his new residence in Bradley Co. before BC could allow his son on the team. I'm sure with this experience BC admin/coaches are all over it. Tough loss for WV though. Sly will have it going strong in a couple of years anyway.

What's the story behind Toby McKenzie and Allen Jones? Were they both highly sucessful check cashing businessmen and/or rent to own? Was Toby the one who donated a couple of mil to pay off UTC's debt on the Roundhouse? I thought it was Jones who really supports wrestling. I believe Allan wrestled for Cleveland, but did Toby wrestle too. I'm not sure Bear wrestling goes back beyond 1974. Sly or Tex23, you old guys, esp. you tex; why don't you catch us up on all this history?

It didn't come easy but he earned it!!!

If you were still at the Free Press-Times maybe they would be more negotiable. + you're not incremental business. Congrats on what is likely the first of two Golds for your boy!! Shoot me one adsom@bellsouth.net