Best Heavyweight

[panfan]

Was wunderlich the McCallie heavy that lost to Bubba Miller of BA, or is that off a generation?

[dblXface]

Regarding Chris Vandergriff (Head Coach at Halls), he did beat some monsters. Ronald Hale was 6'8 - 315 and was supposed to sweep the field. Chris beat him something like 9-4 and at the time I don't think he weighed over 220.

 

Speaking of very large heavies, you have to mention Dennis Harrison of Riverdale.

[tnmat]

lol... luchador

 

"Highly effective stalling tactics" is only an opinion. I could have said the same thing about the Houston heavy that year, but I will refrain.

 

Yes, Hadden became an all-american at Reno, where certain particular teams didn't show up, but far more than half. There were 19 teams at the tournament. 25 were expected. But El Reno, Broken Arrow, Blair Academy, and Walsh Jesuit (that's five top 25 teams) and some other national powers were there as well. Hadden lost a 4-1 decision to the number 1 wrestler in the nation that year, and beat 2 ranked wrestlers to get there.

 

Granted. There were some no-shows due to the flood, but it was still regarded the #2 tournament at the END of that year, behind the Beast of the East.

 

And to say that Hadden was not an attacking wrestler is purely false. He's to this day the only heavy I've ever seen shoot low singles every match. Maybe he didn't win a state title the way you would've like him to, luchador, but he still beat some of the wrestlers mentioned on this board handily. Until those wrestlers are disputed, I don't think he can be disputed.

 

PS-I didn't say he was the best. I said he deserved to be mentioned.

[bobmarley]

Does placing at the Reno Tournament make you an official All-American or a placer at a really tough tournament?

[deaddux]

john hannah credits everything he became to coach worsham and quoted luke in the sports illustrated article which deemed him on the cover ` greatest offensive lineman ever' in the nfl- i can say that regardless of where your affiliations stand if you ever saw him wrestle you would have been impressed-

[luchador]

The tournament, Reno Tournament of Champions, bestows upon it's placewinners All-American status. So does the Beat of the East. Are these tough tournaments? No doubt. Should they be granted All-American status? I personally don't think so. They just up and decided they will name their placewinners All-Americans. Heck, anyone could do that. McCallie tournament has teams from 5 or 6 states. I guess those are All-Americans too. Unless it is a true national championship tournament, which neither one of these is, let's regard it for what it is. A really tough tournament with great wrestlers and tough wrestling but no legitimate All-American status for the placewinners.

[Guest lombeh]

Chris Vandergriff, now the head coach at Halls High School, was a 2 time state champion at Halls. Also, what was the Heavy Weight name that McCallie had in the early 1990's. I think his first name was Bill. Man, he was tough. I remember his pre-match ritual of walking the circle, focused, almost as if he was wrestling the match as he walked it.

 

*sorry, to repeat. I just found pages 2 and 3 of this message.

[Edited by lombeh on 4/21/02 7:16P]

[Guest irishluck]

and the scary thing was that John was beaten his sophomore year at the national preps by Jim Kraft of Tatnall Academy in New Jersey. After Herb Hannah, John's dad, saw the the kid he called Bear Bryant to recruit him. Kraft ended up down at U of A playing linebacker for 4 years. Kraft was featured in Life magazine. He was an animal!!

[deaddux]

if youve ever been in the gym at lehigh it is a great wrestling arena because the seats go straight up -jim kraft hit john w/ a text book supplay pinned him on the spot - herb hannah came running down the bleachers - loooked like he was going to break his own neck getting down to matside- next thing you know he is sitting on the bench w/ kraft recruits him on the spot he goes to alabama and starts at linebacker for three years i think he may have been all- american at alabama -

[tnmat]

The Reno T.O.C. an Beast of the East do not decide to be All-America tournaments on there own. This is decided by the NHSCA. I don't know what the procedure is, but that is who decides. There have been wrestlers who have gone to these tournaments and did not place, but placed at national tournaments. I think this is the real reason wrestlers are granted all-american status.

 

PS - You can't become an all-american just by placing. You must make it to the finals.

[luchador]

Call it whatever you want. It still is NOT a national championship tournament. It never has been and never will. Until someone places at a legitimate national championship event, they simply shouldn't be recognized as an All-American. That tournament is an invitational event. All of America was not able to qualify for such an event.

Let's at least agree to what it is. Hadden placed at Reno, a tough tournament. He was a state champion. My hat's off to him. But that is it, nohing more. He will never, ever be classified as one of Tenneessee best by anyone but the Overton crowd. Shazon Bradley, Scott Wells, Craig Long (best to have never won state), Bubba Miller, Bill Wunderlich, Mike Javer were all much better heavyweights than he was.

[Guest cole703]

Guy's & Gals

 

Where should we place Pat Murphy of Hixon. Murphy won the state 2X in the Unlimited classification but wrestled at 190# in college. We all remember how Well's could shoot like a small guy but we may have forgotten how Murphy could and would granby on guys in the state tournament!!!!