GREATEST WRESTLER

[hoosierdad]

as far as eric collins not being as good as some of the other guys from red bank there are some statistics that i would challenge anyones career with.first he was like 185-4 in high school each loss to a state champion he beat alot of great wrestlers and made it look easy.here is the part that will be hard to match eric collins was undefeated from kindergarden through eighth grade.so tell me how many guys lose 4 matches in 13 years.i have been involved in coaching many great wrestlers ward,manson,leen,lane ,jamesyost,fuller,mcrosky,roberson,d.johnson to name a few and eric collins was as good as anyone that i have ever coached.i am not saying that he could have beaten them all but he was capable of beating anyone at any time.

 

 

Eric was very good, but could not stay with J.T. Hagen . J.T. was too quick. they wrestled when both were seniors .. JT beat three state champs that year .. and Eric could have wrestled a smarter match against Zac Dailey who beat him pretty soundly in '98 and both were defending champs.

 

they were 30 pounds apart as seniors but Faires was tough and mean . he would have beaten Eric.

Faires was 3x Southern at UTC and lost only once in high school and college and I found only one loss in grade school and junior high in the YMCA program but he could have lost a couple more.

 

Eric's numbers are great but kids in the 60s didn't have the same opportunities to wrestle 50 matches a year ..

 

John Farr was really, really good. I believe he lost once in high school 2x city prep and 3x state and one Southern at UC

 

b.b.b.

 

B.B. Thanks for your observation and coverage of wrestling. I consider you the authority on wrestling as you seem to have all of the stats on everbody.

 

Thanks for your coverage of wrestling!!!

[sdkid]

BBB,eric also weighed in at 142 lbs and bumped up to 152 to wrestle jt hagen and had already beaten him soundly twice while in high school when at the same weight.while the opportunities where not the same in the 60s neither was the competition.

[tnlonghorn]

BBB,eric also weighed in at 142 lbs and bumped up to 152 to wrestle jt hagen and had already beaten him soundly twice while in high school when at the same weight.while the opportunities where not the same in the 60s neither was the competition.

I would have to agree without a doubt. Collins bumped up to wrestle anyone and everyone if my memory serves me correctly. Its hard for a stud to beat a stud of equal talent 10 lbs heavier but in fact he did so quite regularly. Also, not meaning to offend anyone but Tennessee wrestling in the 60,70's and early 80's was not very good. Dont mean to discredit anyone but it was just not the same. In fact there werent even many schools with wrestling back in those days. Our records against northern competitors was atrocious at that time. Look at the college opportunities back in that time period. There were 3-4x the # of schools that had college wrestling but about half the # of high school kids competing in Tennessee. Our records in Div I college wrestling from those time should show that we were way behind the rest of the country. How many local guys did great in Div II college wrestling only to get smoked in D-I competition. Now we compete and all American in college and place at fargo, Senior nationals, super 32 ect in high school. That didnt happen back in the 60's,70's and early 80's. Wrestlers of today are 10X the wrestlers the old timers were compared to the rest of the country. The toughest format was in the late 80's up to the public/private split. The kids were significantly better and everyone wrestled everyone.

[ramblinmane]

Zac Dailey greatest from MJ. 3x finalist 2x state champ

[PUMMELKING]

Jeff. Co-Waylon was great, but Price would be the knowldege of fact based info to see if Houston or any other had better performances for the history at Jeff Co.

 

Powell-Matt Clark, cant remember if he ever got to place at state I know one season he did not b/c of blowing out his knee at the region. He was an All-American tho in Fargo as Cadet.

 

Greeneville-Duncan Cave or Daniel Crosby. I know Crosby won state twice cant remember his other placings and if he AA. Duncan was runner-up but he was AA at Sr. Nationals.

 

McMinn Central-Has to be Justin Needam spellin is wrong but he is one of only 3 state champions in school history for all sports others are track athletes. He pinned his was thru state tourny and was A.A.U. All-American.

 

Know West-Aaron Parr was a multi time state placer.

 

I know there were great wrestlers back in the day at Carter, maybe Animal can fill in sum lost info. Also Maryville and William Blount have had strong performers.

 

Morristown East-Alen Patterson maybe 103 pounder I think.

 

How bout TSB seems I remember the school for the blind having sum great wrestlers over time.

 

Tullahoma-Could have been Quick, but shot himself in mouth when he put the dip in after weigh-in regions.

 

Union Co.-Frank Morgan at King College now.

 

Farragut-Thats a tought one to decide.

 

Knox. Catholic-Jr. Hernandez

 

Just a few i can think of still waiting to get more infor from other coaches and wrestling fans all across state.

[rcpatriot]

So far for Kingston-

 

David Bell (current asst coach) qualified for state first year of wrestling (senior yr) in a very tough 189 weight class. Lost at state by 1 to eventual state champion.

 

Nathan Joslin- 1st state medalist for Kingston wrestling (4th as a jr and sr)

 

David Scandlyn- 3rd place at state sr yr. Current highest state placing wrestler in Kingston wrestling history (12 yrs)

 

Joe Driggers- 1st region champion and region OW for Kingston wrestling at 160, unseeded/unranked. Went on to become an AA wrestling at Maryville College.

[rigger101]

Farragut-Justin Knox for skill.

 

Biggest heart-Nick Reveiz which makes him the greatest wrestler in my book.

2 x State Champ.

 

Hendersonville-

Nick Bundy-

3 X State Finalist, 2 x State Champ

[mtnrasslin]

Farragut-Justin Knox for skill.

 

Biggest heart-Nick Reveiz which makes him the greatest wrestler in my book.

2 x State Champ.

 

Hendersonville-

Nick Bundy-

3 X State Finalist, 2 x State Champ

Speaking of Bundy- he just won the 141 B bracket of the NY State collegiate championships with a tech in the finals. Not only is he wrestling well but he is a fine young man.

[PUMMELKING]

Farragut-Justin Knox for skill.

 

Biggest heart-Nick Reveiz which makes him the greatest wrestler in my book.

2 x State Champ.

 

Hendersonville-

Nick Bundy-

3 X State Finalist, 2 x State Champ

What about Ferguson??

[PUMMELKING]

After reading about the TSB I believe we can add Randy Thomas state champ and OW in 63.

[xspro49]

Chattanooga Central-

Kevin Johnson 3 time state champion.

Ricky Johnson 2 state champion. Possibly OW wrestler senior year.

[RMC]

Chattanooga Central-

Kevin Johnson 3 time state champion.

Ricky Johnson 2 state champion. Possibly OW wrestler senior year.

Johnny Bradford from Chattanooga Central was a hoss too.