BlackknightGATA

Probably the one of the top 5 individual tournaments in the state (talent-wise)

 

Unfortunately one of the poorest officiated tournaments this year.

 

The manner in which these officials called is detrimental to the sport, discourages student athletes, and infuriates fans.

 

However; it is not really their fault, the task was obviously above their experience level and exceeded their abilities.

 

I hope there are plans to improve.

There were a lot of coaches discussing other tournaments for next year.

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Agree 1000 percent. Great talent great tournament extremely poor officiating. It appeared they had no idea what stalling from the top is and inconsistency after inconsistentcy with the same ref during the same match(es). It's bad when your more worried about which ref your gonna get verses who your wrestling...

 

But I heard allot of positive feedback from parents and wrestlers alike about the pool system used and the mat time it produced for the wrestlers... Most got 3-4 matches each verses the usual two in double elimination tournaments... Very good...

 

And I don't know of another tournament that honors wrestlers that left this world way to soon... A great way to honor their memories I hope it continues...

Since I coached him in middle school, I came to watch Broyles at the MTSU inter-squad dual last night. First off, he is huge! They still haven't decided whether he will be at 57 or 65 this year but he made 62 for a catch weight match with former TN high school stud, Nick Patton. It was a solid match and both guys look good. Final score was 6-3 in Patton's favor, I believe. Broyles snuck a super duck in there late. The stalling rules in college make it really hard to determine what is or isn't stalling. Anyway, just an update on that. How is Begley doing at WVU? I can not wait to see him on the next level. I've been watching him since his middle school days at Ross Robinson. I remember watching Dean wrestle in middle school too! Does anyone know if English went on to wrestle anywhere? I remember watching he and Grif go at it in the MS GIT finals back in the day. This was a great senior class and it really is fun for me to get to see these guys go on to the next level.

English pressed pause on starting his college career. He's lifting, training and competing as an unregistered/unaffiliated individual keeping his NCAA/NAIA eligibility 100% intact. He is wrestling at the Patriot Open 31 OCT 15.

Is Begley the only region 1 graduate wrestling at the college level? Just curious.

For the moment; Broyles is at MTSU and Palmer is wherever he is... More to follow...

Not to rain on anyone's parade but why would kids that have been training for the kids, cadet & junior duals along with the USA Cadet/Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND break their training routine to attend a folkstyle tournament? Would it not make more sense for Tennessee to focus on Freestyle & Greco Roman after March 31 when most all of the national folkstyle tournaments have been completed?

It would make sense to align with the rest of the wrestling community however, FS/GR/FOLK-STYLE competition and interest is limited in this area POST-SEASON

 

Last year three POST-SEASON FS/GR tournaments cancelled due to lack of intrest... Oh and the ones they did have - the referees were literally KIDS. There is ONE certified FS/GR Referee for the entire state! Last year at the FS/GR State competition the referees were apprentices/kids! So if you want TRUE contests you have to travel... What about the OTHER GUYS- who can't travel- FS/GR enhances skill sets across the board and has value but this tournament has great value as well and is a step in the right direction. The guys training for Fargo don't NEED this tournament... The kids that can't go to Fargo Do.

 

I applaud anyone who takes the initiative and creates opportunities for competition (not saying you don't).

 

This should be a great tournament and I hope it becomes a long standing tradition.

 

LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.

 

Thank you Tim Marshall.

I think the tournament has gotten better and better at the Ag Center. I haven't heard one kid complain about the venue Except for the fact that there is not a good warm up area. In Iowa and PA, people bring their families to watch the tournament because they have been involved in wrestling all their lives. Average Tennessean could care less about going to see wrestling. Until that changes, we can't compare ourselves to big wrestling states.

I agree... That attitude about wrestling is part of the issue. Another part of the issue is TSSAA doesn't give a tinkers dam what any advocate, parent or coach thinks. The only person in this state that gets thier attention in a meaningful way is the GOVERNOR. This issue has been brought to TSSAA over and over. They had thier chance to address it and have not done so. Petition and lobby the Governor it's the logical next step.

 

I don't have an alternative location in mind but I agree with wrestlers wrestling over horse dung there is no way infectious bacteria can't be comming into contact with skin.

 

And on the subject of kids being denied access to the tournament; I am personally aware of multiple kids denied by an EMT/NURSE who claimed any skin infection is infectious - Both had notes/skin forms from medical doctors certifying treatment and both were not allowed to wrestle.

 

On one hand TSSAA puts on a show of being hyper senstive and concerned about infections and on the other they have the kids wrestle over a bacteria laden cow/horse/livestock barn- really?

 

You can't have it both ways - everybody has a boss

Alabama also got a new program last year- Shorter college Montgomery, AL...

 

http://goshorterhawks.com/roster.aspx?path=wrestling

 

And One of Georgia's programs was also Shorter BAPTIST College- within the last three years... NCAA Div II

 

Williams Baptist College- Arkansas stood up a new program within the last three years... NAIA.

 

Couple of themes- Baptist schools starting 3 new programs after close to 20 years of no new programs AND Small/smaller schools. When you have next to nothing anything is good. NCAA DIV I, II or III and/or NAIA would be welcome.

 

I think title 9 applies to any school.

 

NAIA can give athletic scholarships were NCAA Div III can't and NCAA Div II is limited.

 

The University Of Tennessee also has a club team that is poorly supported.

 

IF the decision to start a team resides with the administration of college "x" I would think that would be the place to start. How much more public intrest would there be in a UT Wrestling Team Verses the UT Tennis or Golf team? I am biased here but I would think more for Wrestling.

Congrats to Pendley for placing

Congrats!

Congrats to Hurley for being a state finalist. Get some rest and win tomorrow!

Congrats to him, his family and coaches and good luck.

Give em heck.

 

My list may not include all but to my knowledge; English, Townsend and Palmer Begley and dean all still in the consolation finals.

 

Each will medal unless my calculations are wrong.

We have 12 in the quarters. That is a good step up

Agreed. Movement in the right direction. Good luck to all...

Not a comment about JeffCo's practice, I have zero knowledge of their practice. I was simply stating that after his 4th place finish on Saturday AND drawing the #1 seed, a good practice today still probably not going to help.

 

A perfect example of why region does matter.

Understood reference practice- written words are easy to misinterpret... Nuff said.

 

Agreed one practice isn't going to change much. If you have followed the thread it is generally agreed that he's injuried- although no one knows for sure- 100% speculation... His ability to "go" at practice and wrestle hard impacts my impression his readiness...

 

I want this kid to finish strong. Nothing more...

 

Regions matter in the sense of who's tail you have to beat first- so he's got #1 first- good! Take the best guy in the bracket out while your fresh and on day 1. Day two and three when your less fresh and more haggard from battle- easier opponents- makes sense to me.

 

I don't didnt won't totally dismiss region placement I'm just saying it don't mean everything And there is more than one angle to see it from. I see your point(s) we can agree to disagree.

Not a comment about JeffCo's practice, I have zero knowledge of their practice. I was simply stating that after his 4th place finish on Saturday AND drawing the #1 seed, a good practice today still probably not going to help.

 

A perfect example of why region does matter.

Understood reference practice- written words are easy to misinterpret... Nuff said.

 

Agreed one practice isn't going to change much. If you have followed the thread it is generally agreed that he's injuried- although no one knows for sure- 100% speculation... His ability to "go" at practice and wrestle hard impacts my impression his readiness...

 

I want this kid to finish strong. Nothing more...

 

Regions matter in the sense of who's tail you have to beat first- so he's got #1 first- good! Take the best guy in the bracket out while your fresh and on day 1. Day two and three when your less fresh and more haggard from battle- easier opponents- makes sense to me.

 

I don't didnt won't totally dismiss region placement I'm just saying it don't mean everything And there is more than one angle to see it from. I see your point(s) we can agree to disagree.

I'm not sure "looking good at JeffCo's practice tonight" will help all that much in Franklin.

 

And to say region doesnt really matter is a cop out for those who didn't win. Of course it matters, if you go in as a 4, you wrestle a 1 from another region. As is the case with Broyles, whatever the reason for his bad performance at region, it will definitely affect him at State.

"Cop out" - AKA excuse... Not. I was making the point that if your injuried why risk further injury in a regional bout after your already qualified to go to state.

 

If your in good health another matter all together... In that case cop out would be a good characterization.

 

Yes any injury is gonna affect him at state.... Agreed...

 

As far as the order in which you face your opponents- it MAY make some difference but at the end of the day- you have to beat the kids in your bracket- the order in which you beat them doesn't matter... You still have to beat them...

 

And it's hard to miss your snide comment about JEFFCO's practice. What's the basis of your derogatory comment- please educate the rest of us.

Injury and weight cut got the best of him if you ask me. Was told he looked very very tough at Jeff CO's practice tonight.

Agreed on the basis of his issues...

They all want to be regional champ- but really it's just a qualifier for the big show this week... The big show is where it counts. Not discounting or marginalizing regional accomplishments- just saying 1-4 your in. So with that in mind- if your banged up makes sense to save it for the contests that matter most... Explains Broyles forfeiting consos-

Broyles defeat was a "big" one but for me I kinda expected it after seeing Johnson wrestle from Tenn High. He is sneaky good in my opinion. I hope Broyles bounces back. I would hate to see his name as a guy who finished fourth in a region.

It was a blindside for me. Never had the privilege of seeing Johnson wrestle a solid competitor so it was a "what just happened... That didn't go as I expected it to go..." Moment for me.

 

I share your hope that Broyles (and all region one warriors) finish strong... As unfair as it seems, the greatest tests occur during our weakest moments... When we are sick, tired, downtrodden verses when we are at our best... That's wrestling and that's life.

 

Sneaky good- I like that. There are a few that are like that in this region. Bagley comes to mind... Just when you think you have him- he pulls a double underhook twist spin kick thing out of his bag of tricks and now he's got you.

 

I'm gonna miss seeing this crop of seniors on the mat.

There was three in my mind. The Jeff county at 170, Jeff county at 220 in conso semis, and DB 132 vs volunteer

Agree with all the upsets noted above... To me it was Broyles defeat...

 

This year it seems upsets were the norm... Expectations going into the tournament were upended by the action that unfolded on the mat... Very good competition, drama (good kind) and I for one felt like it was worth the price of admission!

OW-Upper weights: Bagley(SH) or English (JC)

OW Upper weights: English (JC) pinned the defending Champion- a well coached, and equally experienced wrestler...

 

With this Caveat; Bagely- Booker- Townsend- Begley all squared away tough wrestlers who bested tough opponents... Wouldn't disagree with any of thier nominations. There are good arguments for all...

wrestling observed - Dewey Pendley and Hunter Bagley (yeah I know but its true...) were the two kids who stood out, Hurley looked crisp and will do great again at state and Begley didnt have much competition. English is a better fit at 182 for a run at state where he should place. Trent Nelson was also outstanding on par with Pendley in the wow factor. Latham was game at 195 and has outstanding character in his finals defeat, and yes its worth noting in today's age...

Agree on all points regarding wrestling observed. Should be several state medals coming back to this region...

 

On the point of character in the face of a defeat... I agree 1000% it does deserve pointing out when young men loose and do so with dignity. How one reacts to a crushing defeat after working towards and failing to reach a goal- tells you allot about who they are. It is hard, so hard, to do so.

 

Respect to Lathem and every other wrestler that feel short of their goals and did so with dignity and composure.

 

With many examples of kids throwing headgear, throwing tantrums and loosing their "bearing" following a loss it's good to point out those who keep it together.

Lots of upsets today... Rankings are just for fun as another member here recently said...

See link for details and contact information.

 

http://us9.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4cfc6452d03e161053858402f&id=ac7ba78c2f&e

Below would be my favorites to reach the finals:

 

106 - Nelson (TN) / Williams (SH)

113 - Burns (JC) / Bynum (DC)

120 - Story (SH) / Davis (DB) / Blanco (JC)

126 - Hux (JC) / Yother (SH)

132 - Hurley (TN) / Armstrong (Vol)

138 - Pendley (TN) / Charpenter (Vol)

145 - Henley (TN) / James (SH)

152 - Jeffers (DB) / Broyles (MW)

160 - Begley (DB) / Jessee (SH) / Spangler (TN)

170 - Dean (DB) / Rolston (SH)

182 - Nguyen (SH) / shoot out between TN/DB/Vol wrestler

195 - Bagley (SH) / English (JC)

220 - Hagerman (TN) / Latham (JC) / Foster (DB)

285 - Ruth (DB) / Townsend (JC)

 

I'm sure I missed one or two but what I see as region front runners.

Also- English (JC) is now at 182/84 dropped six pounds from his walking around weight... 190...

And

Lathem (JC) is now at 195

Congrats to TN HS; they edged Jefferson Co by one or two points either 34-33 or 35-33 (don't recall exact score).

 

Congrats to DB; Beat TN HS 37 - 25

So I notice that Latham is now at 195 and English was not wrestling. What's the current story on that situation?

Not sure myself. I would be surprised of Lathem beat English in a wrestle off. Maybe English is injured?

Shoot me an email and I will fill you in. easyrhino247365@hotmail.com

Glad to see everyone back in action on here! I was surprised at how quiet the Region 1 fans had been!

 

Tuesday night was a fun one. We were preparing intently for that Jeff matchup, just as we will have to do for DB and TN High. We just teach individual accountability and believe that if everyone does their job, we can be the best team in the region. Tuesday Jeff did FF 3 weights. 2 of those, however, were at 170 and 182. Those are two of our returning region finalists that we feel confident will be able to get us 6 points in most duals. The other was at 106. I understand that some of JC's team was out, but The Hill also had a returning region finalist out of the lineup as well as the starting HWT. Most teams look different in December than in February. That's how this sport works. Bottom line is our kids stepped up and did what they needed to do. Our freshman/JV guys stepped up even when we called for them to go up in weight, Hunter did what he needed to against English, and Cooper did what he needed to against a solid looking freshman. While Hux did look visibly ill, he defeated Yother by 1 point, and Yother is a tough kid who very rarely gives up bonus. I assume it will be close even when Hux is healthy again. Little English didn't make weight. Can only blame him for a JV kid wrestling at 120. I feel like the score was pretty accurate personally, but Jeff may have some stuff hidden away that I do not know about.

 

The region is becoming more competitive and it's a fun atmosphere. I love all the game planning that comes into these duals with so many young kids being involved with all teams, even though it really stresses out us coaches! It is obvious that none of these teams should be overlooked. It is great to compete against these teams because the coaches are great people!

 

As for this Palmer stuff, I wasn't at the Indian Classic, but we have to all be honest with ourselves sometimes. The kid uses injury time more often than most wrestlers, to say the least. I've seen it in many of his matches. While I have never seen him use it to keep himself from going into danger, I have seen him take time to catch his breath on many occasions. Unfortunately, he has a reputation for that now. But hey, I had a buddy like that in college that would tell you straight up he did on purpose. Oh well. If he does, he does. But I do know that he made an effort to get better this summer through a lot of traveling to tough competition. It seems that he has gotten away from the image of being a "one trick pony" and really stepped up his game! If he got through that many state medalists to win the IC, he had to have scored points somehow. Calling injury time at strategic times may get your breath back, but it doesn't earn you any points. Great tournament win! Congrats also to Dean for making it to the finals! He seems to be having a good season at 170. Also congrats to Dewey Pendley from TN for making the finals! Those 3 must have had a great weekend against what seemed to be very tough competition and look to be top contenders for region champions at their respective weight classes.

Agree with all except "Little English didn't make weight. Can only blame him for a JV kid wrestling at 120"

 

No way for you to know but- Griffin was not expecting to wrestle and has not wrestled since he lost the wrestle off DEC 02. The starter was a "no show" for the pre-match bus ride.

 

Griffin English was told 30 Min before he departed that he was weighing in. And even if he made wieght, he was splitting matches with a freashman (the kid that wrestled against Science Hill) and would have wrestled So Green.

 

He dumped as much ballast as he could in the short time he had to do so.

 

But with no prior expectation or notification that he was wrestling; its his fault but not entirely his fault. He loves to wrestle and has never missed weight.

 

And he wouldn't have wrestled Science Hill if he had made weight.

Unless there is some drastic unforeseen change; VIRGIL English will be wresing 195 this year...

I am all about getting the toughest matches you can to improve during the regular season... I am sure most coaches see it the same..

 

I dont think Palmer will have a regional challenge at 170 if thats where he goes... and if English is at 182.