clintabbott

The match I remember the most was a match between App. State and Maryville College in the early 80ties. It was between a guy named Valentine from Maryville and a guy i don't remember from App. State. Early in the first period, one of them made a hard shot and hit his eyebrow on the kneecap of the other one. It opened a gash on the forehead of the offensive wrestler. This was before bloodtime. The coach came out and taped his head so that he looked like a mummy. They started wrestling again and the othe other wrestler made a hard shot and almost the same thing happened to him. His coach came out and taped him so that he looked like a mummy. They wrestled a little longer and the guy that had the first cut started bleeding profusely from his nose. I stopped the match and looked at the wrestler, his nose over underneath his eye. I told him that the match was over because he had a broken nose. He started grabbing at his nose and trying to pull it over to aleign it properly. I told him that the match was over and he started to act like he wanted to fight me. The wrestlers were 190 pounders and I wasn't sure that I could whip him. I got his coach to intervene and get control of his wrestler. This may not have been the best match that I ever saw or officiated, but it was certainly the bloodiest.

I was working the match between Long and Bubba, I have a video of the State finals. It was an awesome match, and I almost got killed on the side. If you think it was a slam, I would like to take your money. Contact me at cabbott@chartertn.net. Thanks Clint

Rebelsman, get Govman to show his face and we will pig out. I think he knows by now that little Al pushed the SWS player out of bounds.

Govman, I have researched the AHS & SHS gome of 1993. I didn't know you had made a move. I am willing to accept the lunch. Call me and name a time and place.

Govman, I don't mean to be disrespectful of your memory either. Sweetwater had the ball for the last play of the game and completed a short pass, AHS was in a prevent defense. Little Al ran along the SHS player for a short time and pushed him out of bounds. Then the bad situation happened. This was Ronnie's first year as head coach, or as they called it- head football. I'm pretty sure I know who you are. Why don't you ask 10 tonight?

Govman, This is Clint Abbott and you are wrong about the interception. Darby was working in Athens as part of his co-op program at Tennessee Tech at this time. I am the retired principal from AHS. I am proud of Darby and his accomplishments. He was like most of us when we were young and didn't always make the best decisions.

The year was 1993. Our team was going to the locker room and then going to shake hands after the emotions had eased. Little Al pushed a receiver out of bounds and headed to the locker room. The Sweetwater team ran on the field and the coaches tried to stop them and brawls started all over the field. Sweetwater went on to win the State Championship. Alcoa also beat Sweetwater in Basketball that year during the season and the cats won the State Tournament in basketball.

The National Federation of High School Associations has a list of Foreign Exchange Organizations that are acceptable, if the FES are in an acceptable organization, the student is elgible to participate in TSSAA athletics.

To all of those who think they can do a better job than the present referees, I invite you to join an association and put on the stripes. I assure you it is a lot easier sitting in a seat, than tooting a whistle. I challenge you, and if you don't you don't have a dog in the fight. So quit yout bit**&%#.

Before the finals, RC meets with the officials and goes over the record of the wrestlers in the state tourney, after the wrestling is nearly over the officials give a rank of 1,2, or 3 for the best match and OW. I said nearly over because before Scott Wells, I can't remember any 275lb weight class ever winning OW. I believe he was OW in D11 at Father Ryan around 1998 or 1999. If I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me- I have missed a lot of calls in my career.

I have a phone call to Ronnie Carter. When he calls me I will post on Coacht.

The TSSAA office at 615-889-6740 has a copy of the finals, I'm pretty sure.

reftn Ken Mara, Mike Craft, or Tater Vineyard probably made that up after Jerry Shinea(sp) Virgina Tech said that he thought Kenny was a lot older than me. Clint

Artus Cimber Thanks, it is nice to be remembered for something you did in your early years. Clint

What about the Johnson or Johnston brothers that wrestled at Chattanooga Centraland George and John Farr who wrestled for their uncle- John Farr at Red Bank?

delaWarr Thanks for the info about Brentwoods web site. I read the story about all the fathers and sons. I had the priviledge of officiationg for all the fathers. Clint

If ralphw is Ralph Williams of Murfreesboro, I congratulate you on having a son who someone thinks will be the no. 1 seed. I hope to see you in Chttanooga. your friend Clint Abbott

In my humble opinion, the most enjoyable coaches to watch are the ones who coach their kids and take every opportunity to teach. The coaches who try work the officials and incite the crowd are not enjoyable for an old and fat official to watch.

reftn Thanks for the compliment. I have enjoyed being a small part of the wrestling family. My plans are to be in Chattanooga for the traditional state tournament. Stop by and we'll share some old stories about the toughest sport on campus. Clint

Reftn In the real old days, you officiated by yourself. The first state tourney I worked was in 1968 at Donaldson. You had two mat judges for overtime. The mat official had one vote and each of the judges had one vote in case of a tie. We then went to two officials sitting in chairs on opposite sides of the mat and the whistle blower. Luke Worsham told me when we first started using that system, that I had officiated for a long time, but I was allowing the two guys on the side to officiate my match. I thought about what he said and realized he was right. After that, I paid no atttention the the two guys, unless I saw both of them standing. The next system was the present one. I agree with Jose that two eyes are better than one and I agree with you that I would rather be by myself than have an assistant that does nothing or tries to referee the match. The only problem with a whistle tooter and an assistant is if the tooter is intimidated by the assistant. This happens sometimes when the mat official is younger and less experienced than the assistant. The tooter constantly looks at the assistant for help on close calls. My advice is to call the match and if the assistant sees something he should verbally communicate with the whistle blower, stop the match and talk about the situation quickly, make the call and go on with the match. Thanks for allowing a geritol user to express my thoughts after forty years of officiating wrestling for the TSSAA and twenty years of officiating for the NCAA. Clint Abbott

The TSSAA publishes a directory each year. The directory is only as current as the schools turn in their information.

KKW I'm sure you don't remember this, but several years ago in the rules of wrestling, if you pinned your guy in the first period in x amount of time. You're opponent had the same amount of time to try to pin you, if he was successful, he was declared the winner. I'm just an old proponent of wrestling and thought you're proposal was interesting. I'll bet Danny Gilbert didn't know that.

I have been checking daily for a few days and I get the same posts.

I officiated many tournaments at Carter High before they dropped wresrling. I remember one time when legman was wrestling and one of his braces on his teeth came loose and was sticking out of his mouth. He was very upset with me when I told him that he couldn't wrestle with his brace sticking out. He was as competitive then as he is now. His coach was and is a true gentleman.

Muffinman Please elaborate a little about the two terrible calls in the 119lb match. I saw some of the matches at Cleveland and I saw all five of the officials. These guys are as good as any in the country. Please don't knock the officials, if you have never tried to officiate.