ObserverW

Thanks for your input Foolsballs. I think its a bit extreme though you are correct, there are some teams in Tennessee that, in fact, do suck and are a complete failure, but not all. Tennessee has work to do to catch up to many parts of the Northeast and we're making positive steps in that direction but again, you guys need to look out of the cave sometime. I think Hamm's rankings have too many at Cleveland sitting on the couch patting themselves on the back for their paper championship. It won't be long now until the results are in and some are going to be mighty disappointed. I wish Cleveland luck but I have to agree with the silent majority that Cleveland is not the best tournament team in AAA.

You all are so sensitive. You can talk crap but want to run and hide behind your mom when someone reciprocates. You all are the ones who have built the Cleveland team up to be world beaters, I've heard quotes that this might be the best team ever in Tennessee, all 14 wrestlers will place, etc. etc. etc. I'm just giving you a little perspective. You live in a bubble, pop your head out and look around for a moment.

I just found the national high school team rankings on Flo and it seems there is a glaring omission or maybe a simple typo. Cleveland is missing. What gives? Rank School State Last Notable Event This Week 1 Blair Academy NJ Won Beast vs. Delbarton 2 Bergen Catholic NJ Beast Runners-Up OFF 3 St. Paris Graham OH Ironman Runners-Up Miami Valley 4 Wyoming Seminary PA Ironman 3rd Powerade 5 Montini Catholic IL Ironman 4th The Clash 6 Lake Highland Prep FL Beast 3rd Powerade 7 Buchanan CA Won Zinkin OFF 8 St. Edward OH Ironman 6th The Clash 9 Poway CA Reno Champs Tournament of Champions 10 Detroit CC MI --- Brecksville Holiday 11 Tuttle OK KC Champs OFF 12 Park Hill MO KC Runners-Up TBD 13 Malvern Prep PA Beast 6th Mustang Holiday 14 Bethlehem Catholic PA Beast 9th Christmas City 15 Choctaw OK Reno 3rd OFF 16 Allen TX Reno 4th OFF 17 Delbarton NJ Beast 4th @ Blair 18 Selma CA Zinkin 2nd OFF 19 Clovis CA Zinkin 3rd Coast Classic 20 Oakdale CA Reno 5th 21 Gilroy CA Reno 8th @ Paso Robles 22 La Salle OH Dvorak Champs OFF 23 Brecksville OH Beast 5th Brecksville Holiday 24 Pomona CO Reno 6th OFF 25 Nazareth PA Beast 15th Bethlehem Holiday

I think Cleveland made a statement today and it is that they are the best dual team in the state. However, I think DaBears is smoking the wacky weed if he truly believes they will place everyone on their roster. That statement is no less than absurd. This Cleveland team doesn't really even compare to your own Bradley team from two seasons ago who placed 8 or 9. I don't see Cleveland placing more than six and that might be optimistic. Wilson Central also made a statement that they will be part of the process in Franklin. My last question: DaBears, since when did you become the eternal Cleveland optimist? Your bears are down this year and you want to jump on the Raider wagon so you can roll with a winner? Let me guess, you are also a New England Patriots fan?

Remember were talking about individual tournament here. Not duals. So PF tournament will be irrelevant. And you Region 4 boys better start being nicer and less sarcastic. My voters don't take kindly. We will remove Soddy quicker than you can snap you fingers. Actually they were the legacy vote champion this season so it gave them a bonus in the power rankings.

I feel like my old buddy Artis has the Team Poll covered. Being the respected authority on Tennessee wrestling that I know I am, I feel like its my duty to cover the other side of the rankings in a more appropriate manner than is currently being accomplished. Therefore, I have assembled an all star list of highly respected coaches, press members, AAU dads, hospitality moms, general pundits, unqualified wrestling officials, and Facebook voters to publish the first OW Top Ten Poll. The maximum power ranking is 100. Now in its 3rd day of existence, the Poll is primarily a measure of individual tournament strength with no consideration for dual team achievements. (Also only includes AAA teams because as we all know, no one cares about the A/AA and privates need someone more sophisticated than me to do their poll.) 1. Science Hill - 90 2. Cleveland - 89 3. Bradley - 80 4. Wilson Central - 61 5. Blackman - 58 6. Soddy Daisy - 57 7. Beech - 39 8. Halls - 37 9. Arlington - 22 10. East Hamilton - 19 Also receiving votes: Heritage, Rossview, Mt. Juliet

I'm beginning to question the validity of these rankings. 138 has had two kids ranked from Summit for a while now. Are they that good that they get two ranked kids? 1381. Cody Matthews (Cleveland)2. Daniel Bradford (Blackman)3. Nathan Porter (Summit)4. Job Dooley (Franklin)5. Luke Story (Science Hill)6. Cole Klingensmith (Summit) Brown is not at 138 for Halls. Its Ian Morgan who has beaten #6 Frye. Burns is at 138 not 132. Wysong at 132 is not eligible this season. Matthews #1 at 138? HA! Horst #1 and Borders #6 even with Borders win over Horst? Mann hasn't been at 113, hes wrestling 126 Harter hasn't been at 152 all season, hes 160/170 Whiteside #4 at 145? Based on? Wilson #1 at 160?

Looks like Teaster might have been looking ahead to this match and Jalen Brown proved that was not a wise choice. Blackman leading the team score. Heritage is way behind in 6th and also was not in top 10 at the US Army Classic in Kingsport last week. Is Heritage overrated?

Artis-I know we are boys and all now so I feel obligated to offer some friend to friend advice. Stop the shameless begging in an attempt to fill your closet. Someone told me you plan to give the swag as Christmas gifts. Surely this can't be true.

Artus- Thanks for the shoutout and for finally showing some love to my Tigers. Memphis area is strong this year! And its time to pull the plug on Beech and get Blackman in the rankings. You need to whip your harem into shape and get this going.

Was the Clarksville match where he beat Isbell 10-5 before or after the loss to Borders and subsequent trip to the hospital?

HAHA You don't say.

Good to hear from you again Artis. I feel like you might be on this mark this season with your early poll, except for the legacy vote for Soddy. Soddy doesn't deserve that spot and they certainly are not ahead of Halls. Take a loot a Blackman and Mt. Juliet, I think they are more deserving of a top 12 vote.

In no particular order: Greenbrier Pigeon Forge Greenville Page Alcoa Gibbs Forrest Notre Dame Red Bank Harpeth

Aris, my old pal, are you serious about this? A bit shameless don't you think? If we get you some Tiger swag will you really wear it?

I just had a conversation with a coach of a top ten team. He told me he is not opposed to putting out a line up, he feels that any good coach has done their homework anyway so putting it on Coacht won't make a difference. He said he thinks the reasoning is most coaches try to avoid Coacht to avoid the drama! Hahaha. Drama?? On Coacht? I guess we will see if that holds true, who will be the first to post a lineup?

Sounds like a lot of excuses to me Mr. Durdon. BB did exactly what they were asked to do. They beat the team the McCallie put on the mat in front of them.

This is a post that would sound great in the newspaper but I'm reading between the lines and here is what I gather. You say Cleveland is the team to beat and you are the underdog. Yet five sentences later you say there is not a clear front runner. I understand coaches being modest and not creating a target on their own back BUT I don't think you can have it both ways. Either you say Cleveland is the front runner or you say its up for grabs and vote on yourself. I was taken to task last year for stating the obvious that Science Hill & Soddy were one of the few teams that always received the legacy vote because they were supposed to be considered one of the front runners. Early on last year they were picked to be at the top of the heap and unfortunately neither was top 10. This year, I think SH actually has the firepower to be considered a clear front runner and it seems that you don't want to carry that torch. Soddy on the other hand, doesn't seem to have it this year either.

I'm really surprised CobraBoy hasn't come on and said it depends on whether you are talking about the individual or dual tournament. Because duals are all that matter and maybe those old 106's would show up then. The young kids would probably throw out their medals from individuals or use it as a door stop. Right Cobra??

I think you have a few others on your roster that will be contenders. Maybe "being modest" is the better term, rather than sandbagging.

Hey folks, have you missed me? Sorry about the absence, I've been focused on my son playing football, but since that is hopefully wrapping up soon let get into some numbers! I went through the unscientific listing by Werazzlin and added up the number of wrestlers listed for each school. I think the results were a bit surprising. And I have to give it to my ole buddy ArtisClipper, his Hilltoppers have made the top of the list. SH - 10 Clev - 7 BC - 6 WC - 6 Beech - 5 Indy - 4 Arlington - 4 Black - 4 TN - 3 Summit - 3 Halls - 3 MJ - 3 Heritage - 3 SD - 2 WBlount - 2 My commentary is as follows, I believe Mr. Roberts to be sandbagging his listing a slight amount so I think Beech is higher on the list. Much to the dismay of many, BC has not fallen off the list as everyone predicted. WC and Black were my two biggest head scratchers.

When I created my first list I said that Bradley would be out of the Top 10. Partly to create a discussion and partly as wishful thinking that maybe my team didn't have to end up facing them at duals. After some further reflection and talking with others I believe the hype around the demise of Bradley is highly exaggerated. Even losing the fire power that they did, Bradley will remain a top competitor and I'm saying a top 5 individual finish and top 4 at duals. The consensus seems to be that Cleveland, Beech, and Science Hill are the front runners this year. I believe there might be a little hype there as well, especially since all three have been in the conversation for the past three years and only Cleveland has been able to go home with a trophy. Bradley, Tennessee, Wilson, Arlington, Mt. Juliet, Indy, Halls will all be there to make it interesting. DaChamps is simply trying to deflect the attention away from BC so they can hand out an under the radar butt whooping. Bottom line, don't count out Bradley Co. until the last whistle blows in Franklin.

Arlington will have a few that will be in contention for medals: Michael Cannon - 113 (returning medalist) Harrison Phillips - 145 (returning medalist) Dalton Cockman - 152 Austin Antcliffe - 170 Jack Lewis - 182

While not scientific, I've done a small study. There were 17 middle school state champs who graduated to HS last season. Of those 17, three placed. Noah Horst was probably the most heralded MS wrestlers to come out of the TN system up to that point. Garrett Bowers was pretty close. Mann didn't even win his Region last year and he was a DNP at one of the Top 100--not sure that's in the same league with Horst or Bowers. I would say that if he has a shot at a medal then its only at 106 and as I mentioned before, because the people at the Georgia S32 qualifier said so. Mann will have to go through some of the following wrestlers who might end up back at 106. Te'Nario Thomas, East Hamilton who was about 4 seconds from beating Horst Chandler Davis, Walker Valley Christian Isbell, Clarksville who only lost to the other finalist Gabe OCallahan, Barlett Cal Rogers, Tullahoma Tyler McKeefery, Farragut who was in the finals of the GA S32 qualifier yesterday.

Ok I guess it is settled then, especially since people at the GA S32 qualifier said so. I'll go with you, Mann to the 106 finals.