Jackson

I thought this sounded deja vu all over again. The only difference our match was against Clarksville in the championship round of the Clarksville Slamfest, Dec 9, 1995. The score was 11-10 our favor. We were on bottom with very little time left. The Clarksville wreslter threw a crossface across my wrestlers mouth and the referee DQed us for biting. In this case the Clarksville wrestler's Mom said the call was bad, but the call stood. As a matter of fact the situation seems to be exactly the same, video tape, Clarksville wrestler said it did not happen, etc, the mom was the only difference. If I have read this thread correctly the referee who made this call was the same one who made the call against the Greeneville kid. That was the last match my wrestler, a junior, ever wrestled because he felt he had been treated unfairly. He was humiliated by being DQed and removed from the gym for something he did not do. Nothing I could do or say could get him back. We ended up losing the Championship to Clarksville 41-23. That call probably did not cost us the meet, but it certainly took the wind out of our sails. I thought it was interesting that it appears the same referee was invoved in both cases. Three weeks later we came out ahead of Clarksville in the Franklin Dual meet Tournament 41-29.

KCHS Coach thank you for your compliment. I know Coach Vandergriff and I together worked hard to make wrestling grow in this area. The matches I coached against Coach Vandergriff were always exciting. Over the years he and I have probably broken even, but I can assure you that our matches were never boring, from weighin to the handshake at the end. Chris is a competitor, start to finish, one of his favorite sayings is, "The cream will always come to the top." As a competitor and a class act he is at the top. Chris your easy going and "let em wrestle" atitude will greatly missed by Region 2. Dan

During my coaching tenure we did not roll out the mats for less than two matches. My wrestlers would average between 40 - 45 matches each. The best season we had, several of my wrestlers went over 50 matches. That season we had no injuries that caused anyone to not be able to compete and no one missed a match because of sickness. Mat time is one of the most important factors in having a successful team.

Once again thank you for your kind words. Wrestling was a family afair for us. Susie and the girls were actively invoved because during the wrestling season we were on the road so much that, that is about the only way they were able to be together. Those were great days which my family and I truly enjoyed. I am not going to be able to make it to Clarksville, but I wil see you in Cahttanooga. Good luck to Coach Brimmer and the Greeneville team.

Thank you Noonesfool for the compliment. In 1991 there were four teams in the dual meet tournament, McCallie, Brentwood High, Karns and I have forgoten who the Memphsis team was. We wrestled Brentwood in the first round and even though we had beaten them during the regular season 41-28, we lost 38-21. I guess you could say we finished in the top four. In the individual tourament that year we finished in 6th. In 1994 we qualified for the state dual meet tournament, and finished dead last. In 1995 we finished in 5th place in the dual meet, 15th in the individual, and 7th in the Coaches' Poll. In 1996 Karns finished 7th in the individual, 7th in the Coaches' Poll and won the regional large school dual meet tournament, but the blizzard kept us from competing in the state dual meet tournament, so we will never know what Karns would have done that year. This was pre split. My philosophy was always to win everything you could, we never held back or saved anything because I believe unless you go all out then you are cheating yourself and your wrestlers. We spent more time in Nashville and Chattanooga than we did in Knoxville. We traveled to tournaments in Rockmart, GA, Carbondale ,IL, Dayton, OH, Nashville and Chattanooga and any place in between that made us have to work. Sometimes we came back winners and other time we we came back beat up, but we learned every time. We did not do bad for a team whose coach learned how to wrestle from a book, did not have a feeder program, and rarely had anyone who had ever seen a wrestling mat before arriving in high school. Good Luck to Science Hill, Greeneville, and Maryville this weekend. These three outstanding coaches and teams will do East Tennessee proud.

Region 2 has always been a two day tournament, with at least one round of consolations wrestled on Friday night. This keeps from having to worry about the five match rule. The only problem that could come up is that they are now, I think, using a 32 man bracket and may mean that they need to wrestle two rounds of consolations on Friday.

As an outsider, as a matter of fact I live in Knoxville, I would like to say that this meet was one of the most exciting meets I have ever seen. I did not see anyone, coach or wrestler, who was not totally motivated on either team. I think the two key matches were the first match and 103, the first match started the momentum for Baylor and 103 kept it going. In the next week both teams, I am sure, have things to work on. But, for me, Saturday afternoon was a great afternoon of wrestling, no matter who won.

When I orginally set this tournament up, there were only 12 teams in Knox County. It was designed so that non seeded wreslers would be placed in out brackets and have to wrestle into the tournament. Double elimination would not start until after the round of eight, therefore there would be no way for a wrestler to wrestle more than five matches. The five match rule has been in effect since I started coaching in 1980. One way to get around the five match problem in a 16 man bracket would be to eliminate the losers after the round of 16 and then start the double elimination after the round of 8 Dan Dugger

Who did what today?

I had two really good heavy weights during my coaching career one weighed 202 and wrestled in the unlimited class. At that time the heaviest wrestler in the state was from William Blount and weighed 305. Over their careers these two were about even with my wrestler winning their last match in the region finals (1984). Only problem was that we got upset by a kid from Clarksville in the first round of the state. When the awards were given out, my heavyweight had beaten everyone on the awards stand, just goes to show that you can't overlook anyone. The other good heavy weight weighed 196 and regularly wrestled wrestlers who weighed anywhere from 250-275. Neither of these wrestlers were ever injured as a result of weight difference, which at times was as much as 100 pounds. Weight difference at these weights does not matter as much as strength and agility. It would appear that the Greenback coach made a good strategic move.

Well said Legman! When you see them as they mature and start families, whether they won a championship or were just there, the kind of person they become is what is important.

This post should be kept at the top of the list for the next several days. Remember Josh and his family in prayer today as they prepare for tomorrow's operation and also in the days to come.

I have just had the opportunity to listen to Josh's talk. He is teh epitome of what wrestling is all about. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.

I believe Shane coaches in Soddy Daisy's feeder program.

The question is, who is the best coach in the state? This question does not set any standards by which a coach is to be judged. Some of the best coaches are the ones who keep programs going and improving against great odds, simply because they love wrestling, Mo Harrison, Benny Gray, and the Kingston coach fit this category. Those coaches who work hard to develop not only their program, but help other programs in their area, are in another group, Chris Vandergriff, Steve Henry, Jim Morgan, Bill Brimmer, Jeff Price, Tommy Bodon, and at least one who is no longer coaching, David Hollowell. The next group are those that turn out team and individual champions year after year, Jim Morgan, Steve Henry, Gordon Connell, Turner Jackson, Steve Logsden, Al Miller, Pat Simpson, Frank Simpson, Jeff Jordan, and John Mullens. I am sure that there folks from all parts of the state, that I have left out, who fit in one or more of the above categories. The best coach is in the eyes of the beholder and the standards he sets. Wrestling coaches are unique and those who are truly dedicated to the sport should be considered the best. I have never met Shane Turner, but he is a product of the Soddy Daisy program, and I am sure he would fit my standards of being among the best. Good Luck to everyone as the season begins to pick up steam. Dan Dugger

The Carter tournament was started by Coach Gary Walker in 1975 moved to Karns in 1984 and to Catholic in 2000. Greeneville High School to my knowledge has not not missed a tournament since it began. But I believe that John Farr's Tournament, Chattanooga Central, is the oldest. Clint Should know.

An award which is truly deserved!

Oldhasbeen, I have always paid whatever the ticket price at State Tournaments and never complained. I put time into developing an oustanding program which could compete with anyone in the state and along the way helped other schools in my area develop teams, whether it was lending them a mat, or hauling a mat to a school and giving them instructions in wrestling, or talking to principals in my area about starting teams. I respect what Ronnie does and am not a conspiracy theorist. I have worked with him on various ideas about making available comptetion to all size of high schools at the state level. My point was not the 12.00, but the fact that he did not honor my AD's request. I also feel that sometimes decisions are made that are not throughly thought out. Some of these problems could be avoided if coaches were consulted. I don't mean every coach, but representatives acting as an advisory committee.

During the State Dual Meet Tournament due to all of the flu, etc, no one from our school's administration was able to atend. The athletic director knew that I was going and asked me if I would represent the administration. She gave me a letter to Ronnie asking that I be admitted, as her representative. When I showed it to him, his commet was that she would have been admitted, but since I was not an administrator I could not. So I paid my 12.00 and saw a great tournament. Ronnie and the group in Nashville seem to forget that if it were not for the coaches and athletes they would not have their jobs. There are a few who get treated special, but the vast majority of us who have worked hard for a long time are dropped like yesterday's garbage.

fiscon, that is a geat idea. I am really impressed with what you do with tournaments and even though I am in East Tennessee, if I were still in the coaching business I would use your services.

The Franklin coaches and wrestling are a class act, no complaining or kicking chairs when things did not go their way. They just kept working, and I am not from Clarksville.

I remember two coaches, one from East Tennessee and one from Middle Tennessee.