the Greatest?????

[hounddog]

Adrian Norfleet, Whites Creek.

[Artist]

All of the boys you mention were and still are in some cases exceptional wrestlers. As for who's the best in TN history here's my case for McTorry. He was a three time State finalist, twice champion (once second to another outstanding wrestler Nelson), a four time Sate place winner. Twice voted the outstanding wrestler in the State Tournament, he had a 209 - 16 record in High School (at the time he graduated that was 7th best in the nation all time). He is An All-American and the ONLY TN HS National Champion and one of the few to recieve a full ride to a major University( he was the number one ranked 171 lb wrestler in the USA in the college recruiting class of his senior year). All this before the split. Once in College he was ranked as high as 5th in his wt. class.

as a side note Charles was a seasonal wrestler as he was also a State champion in track and played football. No telling what he would have done had he only wrestled like some of the others mentioned earlier. Obviously, picking the best ever is mind candy but because I think Charles was such a positive role model for our sport (as is Phillip Simpson), a great symbol of TN wrestling when nobody around the USA cared about TN wrestling, and that his success helped open the door for the rest of our TN wrestlers I believe he is the wrestler who has had the greatest impact on TN wrestling so far.

 

Coach Gabriel - Overton HS

[Edited by Artist on 11-9-02 3:12A]

 

[DoctorEvil]

The key words in your posting was "lost to Nelson". He not only lost to him in the state finals, he lost to him 4 times over three years. How can the greatest ever continually lose to someone else in the state?

[Artist]

Well in fact Charles won their last meeting in the TN State Freestyle tournament. but as for your other question, many "greatest" have not been perfect such as the greatest QB to play for UT (Manning) never won the National Championship. Dan Marino never was in the superbowl, Dale Ernhardt lost races to lesser drivers. Many "greatest' have off nights. I like Marquis and he was tough but take a look at the big picture and McTorry still comes to the top as the wrestler who had the greatest impact on the sport in TN. Just my opinion, as valid and as prejudiced as all of the others on here.

 

good day

[Guest somethingCLEVER]

i think that gabe touched on an important fact when he acknowledged the fact that mctorry was a seasonal wrestler,not a year-rounder like nearly everyone else mentioned.....i think this is definitely something to take into consideration as to determining the amount of potential he had.....