Murphysboro, IL wrestler in east Memphis Tournaments

[Nainten]

There is a MS wrestler who has wrestled at Houston, G-town, and Bolton tournaments. This kid is years ahead of anyone at these tournaments IMO. He wore a red singlet with white trim and he weighed about 90-100 pounds. When I first saw him at Houston I just felt he wasn't from around these parts.

A friend told me he was from Illinois and I saw his Tee shirt read Murphysboro (which is in Illinois). His mat sense and technique were very advanced. It almost wasn't fair to the other kids in his weight. I don't think it too big a stretch to say that he could place at a high school regional tournmanent. He was easily the best MS wrestler I've seen in this still very young season. Does anyone who was at these tournaments know who this young wrestler is?

[Hamm]

Shaft??

[WrestleSBA]

Yes I know who he is. He has been coming down to Memphis for a few years now (I know he was at Houston last year because I remember him beating one of my kids then as well).

 

His name is Jake Miller. He does come from Illinois and he and his father like to travel around quite a bit. Jake and Daniel Baucke have had several meetings over the years and to my knowledge the series has been fairly close. However, if you saw the exhibition match between he and Daniel at Bolton on Saturday it is rather obvious that Jake now has a serious size advantage over Daniel (they wrestled in the 99 and 91 pound weight classes that weekend). It was easily the match of the tournament just to see two wrestlers of that caliber go at it at the middle school level.

 

I talked with Jake's dad at the tournament for a little while and they are very good folks. I was informed that they decided to skip Big Horn Nationals last weekend and come down to Memphis instead. Jake attends the Purler wrestling academy pretty frequently and I believe practices with the local high school as well. Needless to say they are a bit more in-depth up there as he is wrestling five nights a week and then is going to Purler at least once a week. Great kid from what certainly appears to be a good family. If you want to know more about him I would suggest talking to Brian Baucke because as I have said they have been wrestling against Jake for a few years now.

 

Yes I would say Jake is very technically and physically sound. No clue how he would do against high school competition but I was told that he practices at that level.

Edited November 14, 2005 by WrestleSBA

[tnko]

Yes I know who he is. He has been coming down to Memphis for a few years now (I know he was at Houston last year because I remember him beating one of my kids then as well).

 

His name is Jake Miller. He does come from Illinois and he and his father like to travel around quite a bit. Jake and Daniel Baucke have had several meetings over the years and to my knowledge the series has been fairly close. However, if you saw the exhibition match between he and Daniel at Bolton on Saturday it is rather obvious that Jake now has a serious size advantage over Daniel (they wrestled in the 99 and 91 pound weight classes that weekend). It was easily the match of the tournament just to see two wrestlers of that caliber go at it at the middle school level.

 

I talked with Jake's dad at the tournament for a little while and they are very good folks. I was informed that they decided to skip Big Horn Nationals last weekend and come down to Memphis instead. Jake attends the Purler wrestling academy pretty frequently and I believe practices with the local high school as well. Needless to say they are a bit more in-depth up there as he is wrestling five nights a week and then is going to Purler at least once a week. Great kid from what certainly appears to be a good family. If you want to know more about him I would suggest talking to Brian Baucke because as I have said they have been wrestling against Jake for a few years now.

 

Yes I would say Jake is very technically and physically sound. No clue how he would do against high school competition but I was told that he practices at that level.

My son traveled this last season with the Tennessee Middle School Team that competed at the Danville Illinois National Duals with Brian Baucke and his son Daniel. I can say that the tournament was a real eye opener for us all. I don't think any of us expected the talent to be as overwhelming as it was. Our team got handed some 100-0 matches by completely superior teams from Illinois and Indiana. Many of us agreed that most all of these middle school kids from the other dominant wrestling states could take a state championship from our high school wrestlers. Thats hard to stomach but like the earlier man stated, this one kid was wrestling beyond his years. I believe him because I was up there and I saw the incredible talent!!! It humbled my son and now he knows just how much harder he has to work to compete at that kind of level. I don't think Daniel Baucke can be beat in Tennessee because of his willingness to leave the state and find the best competition... win or lose. And win or lose he will come back here and dominate in this state because of the skill level and experience he gained elsewhere.

[Nainten]

 

Yes I would say Jake is very technically and physically sound. No clue how he would do against high school competition but I was told that he practices at that level.

 

Thanks for the reply. I am still new to the area so I don't know the Bauckes or any other wrestling pedigrees in the region. I assume that Daniel's skills are in the same ballpark as Mr. Miller's. And I must have missed their match. Hard to track four mats when you are following specific kids.

In any case it's pretty clear to me that he would more than hold his own against high school 103ers right now. Now, whether he can place in TN or IL...that argument isn't particularly interesting to me. It is a fact that freshmen have been placing in and winning state tournaments for a long time. It would make sense that, as 8th graders, these same freshmen would be good enough to place in their respective state tournaments. In fact I think that Cornell's freshman, Troy Nickerson, won the New York State Championship as an 8th grader. So the idea that elite MS wrestlers may be good enough to compete successfully at the varsity level is not open to debate IMO. I was just curious as to the young man's identity and where he was from. He was very impressive.

 

I thought there were a number of experienced, well trained wrestlers at Bolton from a number of clubs. The Wave Club, it seemed, had more than its share of them.

[smwwrest]

Daniel and Jake wrestled again this past weekend in Herrin, IL. Jake is sporting a little weight advantage, but is a great wrestler anyway you measure it. I believe he was 3rd in IL state last year and often places nationally.

 

Jake won the match this last weekend 5-3 with a late reversal. One of the points in the match was also a penalty point for Daniel pulling on Jake toes? That was a new one!

[pattonboysdad]

My son traveled this last season with the Tennessee Middle School Team that competed at the Danville Illinois National Duals with Brian Baucke and his son Daniel. I can say that the tournament was a real eye opener for us all. I don't think any of us expected the talent to be as overwhelming as it was. Our team got handed some 100-0 matches by completely superior teams from Illinois and Indiana. Many of us agreed that most all of these middle school kids from the other dominant wrestling states could take a state championship from our high school wrestlers. Thats hard to stomach but like the earlier man stated, this one kid was wrestling beyond his years. I believe him because I was up there and I saw the incredible talent!!! It humbled my son and now he knows just how much harder he has to work to compete at that kind of level. I don't think Daniel Baucke can be beat in Tennessee because of his willingness to leave the state and find the best competition... win or lose. And win or lose he will come back here and dominate in this state because of the skill level and experience he gained elsewhere.

 

 

excellent viewpoint tnko...i recently moved from ohio and saw the same thing you did...i would say that our state champions in high school and a few individuals can hang with other state champions from other states...but the depth of talent is no where close...

 

that is why a group of coaches from tennessee should petition the tssaa to allow tenn. wrestlers to go to national tournaments to compete...

 

as was said on another post...the dixie nationals are in atlanta dec. 18-19...they have a high school division...teams from all over the country will be there...including georgia...iowa...ohio...virginia...penn...minn...south carolina..etc...but not one high schooler from tenn. because we are not allowed...this needs to be changed if we are to catch up...pitiful...pitiful...

 

has any one really pushed back against ronnie carter and the tssaa...in a concerted effort???

[slp2269]

A great point is being made here. Certain kids in our state can compete nationally, but by and large the disparity between TN compared to PA, NJ, Mich, IL, OH, OK is dramatic. I wrestled and coached in NJ and PA all my life. I have had the opportunity to wrestle with high ranking state placers here in TN and in NJ & PA and there is no comparison. Mat awareness, competency with the nuances of simple and difficult moves and overall mat intensity are the biggest differences.

 

We, as coaches and teachers of the sport, need to raise the bar for our kids. We need to take them out of state, expose them to better competition, and new styles, and force new levels of intensity onto and out of them.

 

Where I am from, wrestling is on par with basketball for winter sports, which TN can't claim, but we can do several things that would be impactful in our competitiveness from a long term perspective. Most notably, feeder programs. I started wrestling in the 4th grade, and was a year behind most of my friends who started in 3rd grade.

If we could get organized clubs/feeder programs going throughout the state, what a difference it could make. Engage more and better teams from our region. There are many good teams in MO and IL that are a car ride away. Invite them for tourneys or travel for dual meets. The ball is in our court. Their ability to compete will be a direct result of our willingness to put the programs in place that allow them to learn and excel.

[alcoa11905]

I wrestled four years and had what I thought were tough opponents. Then I went to college. The few matches I have wrestled collegiatly were more intense than any opponent in four years. The intensity is a different level, and so are the skills. Feeder programs are the way to go. I now coach an AAU team that is just in its first phase. We are trying to build on basics so that the kids know the basics when they enter high school. Also, in TN the good wrestlers more than likly came from a middle school or even elementary school program. In college the wrestlers from MI, VA, and FL are more than most TN boys will ever see. I agree that it is our job to find tougher matches for our wrestlers and teams.