ALCOA POWERhouse !?

[cowboypete]

All I know is every year people think that Alcoa is going to get beat in Football and look what happens they have almost more than anyone in the state. The Football program is 110% behind the wrestling program with the head coach being the Head O-line coach on the football team. And I think before you know it (in a few years) Alcoa will be competing with the Father Ryan’s and Cleveland’s of the state. They will be getting out those football athletes to wrestle. They also have great coaching there in Alcoa that many people don’t know because they have former Baylor state champ Matthew Cate who is helping coach there. He has more wrestling credentials than over half of the coaches in the state. He was coached under legendary coach Jim Morgan at Baylor and knows what it takes to win a state title in wrestling. Along with the athletes at Alcoa produces in football (like NFL star Randal Cobb) and that kind of coaching Alcoa in a few years will be competing with the big dogs.

And lastly everyone should drop the subject of Sammy Evan’s now!! He had every right to be eligible to wrestle (for personal family reasons that shouldn’t be addressed on a message board). That is why the TSSAA didn’t hesitate to make him eligible so fast and furthermore it’s not like he wasn’t born and raised in Alcoa.

[reftn]

Is there any place I can see a video of Mr. Evans wrestling On the website the A-AA finals did not get posted. Girls AAA and D-II are there but A-AA is not.

Where are they posted at?

[WrestlingGod]

All I know is every year people think that Alcoa is going to get beat in Football and look what happens they have almost more than anyone in the state. The Football program is 110% behind the wrestling program with the head coach being the Head O-line coach on the football team. And I think before you know it (in a few years) Alcoa will be competing with the Father Ryan’s and Cleveland’s of the state. They will be getting out those football athletes to wrestle. They also have great coaching there in Alcoa that many people don’t know because they have former Baylor state champ Matthew Cate who is helping coach there. He has more wrestling credentials than over half of the coaches in the state. He was coached under legendary coach Jim Morgan at Baylor and knows what it takes to win a state title in wrestling. Along with the athletes at Alcoa produces in football (like NFL star Randal Cobb) and that kind of coaching Alcoa in a few years will be competing with the big dogs.

And lastly everyone should drop the subject of Sammy Evan’s now!! He had every right to be eligible to wrestle (for personal family reasons that shouldn’t be addressed on a message board). That is why the TSSAA didn’t hesitate to make him eligible so fast and furthermore it’s not like he wasn’t born and raised in Alcoa.

Odds are Alcoa won't be competing with Ryan or Cleveland or Soddy or Ravenwood or Wilson Central any time soon. All these elite programs have one, giant factor in common, one thing Alcoa doesn't have. They don't rely on football to get their kids, each of these teams have outstanding youth programs, high school growth starts with a solid youth program.

[yoadrian]

 And I think before you know it (in a few years) Alcoa will be competing with the Father Ryan’s and Cleveland’s of the state. 

Great.  Now we are in for years of listening to how Alcoa is the best wrestling team in the state while, like their football team, they won't wrestle the best teams in the state.

[KRider123]

This is the parent you want to give the most classless parent award to. Let me clarify the situation. The night of regionals the only Alcoa person I spoke with was a Jim Omstead. Mr. Omstead and I were just talking about who we were there to watch and he said Evans and I said my son. I told him that I didn't agree with that situation only because that night was his first match on Alcoa's team. He hadn't been there all year to earn a place at regionals. Mr. Omstead said it was for personal reasons and then tried to make a money bet with me that Evans would beat my son and everybody else in that gym for that matter. I informed him that I didn't bet on high school sports and then moved to another seat. There was no speaking to or intimidating any 13 year old kid, unless Mr. Omstead is 13. My son got teched 15-0 in the second period and finished runner-up. It was ugly. Evans is a great wrestler. He is not who to blame here. He did tell my son at the state tournament that the reason he came back here was so he could retake his fat test when he dropped to 195 to wrestle nationally. He said in California he couldn't retake it as he had already tested there. I have no idea if that is true or not but it's what he told my son. Please don't make up mistruths on this message board and hide behind you username. Thank you.

[Coffetalk]

You don't need a weight test to wrestle nationally.

[Teonna]

Yoadrian, I don't know you or any of the others posting here. I'm also not hiding behind a screen name either. Not sure who has quoted on here saying Alcoa is the best wrestling team. That's certainly not true and that comes from a parent who's son has wrestled for Alcoa from the very beginning the youth program started. However, we are growing and getting better. I heard several comments over the weekend that Alcoa shouldn't even be at state. I totally disagree. Those boys have worked hard to get where they are at and deserve to hold their head high. Who are any of you to judge? Also, most of these boys are not football players either. Strictly wrestlers only! As for the Evans situation, if you all have a problem take it up with TSSAA, they made the decision, not Alcoa. Whats bothersome is these kids read all these post. Come men, let these boys enjoy what they have worked hard for all year.

[maj]

Great.  Now we are in for years of listening to how Alcoa is the best wrestling team in the state while, like their football team, they won't wrestle the best teams in the state.

 

I can see Alcoa being competitive with your list of big boys in the future. No one has said they are there this minute but they may well be soon.

 

It wasn't too long ago the smallest by far and poorest public school to field a wrestling team in tennessee ( Greenback ) was more than competitive with the programs you are so enamored with . Alcoa's current coach was helping out back then with Greenback's program.

 

The first step to having a top program is to get the kids out for the team. Alcoa's coach has a proven record of increasing participation. He was in the process of developing a fine program at McMinn Central before the shameful and gutless morons in charge of that asylum killed the sport.

 

Alcoa has made great strides in the last few years and I look for more to come.

[Teonna]

Krider123, Mr. Olmsted is not apart of Alcoa wrestling nor does he have a wrestler on the team or a child attending Alcoa City Schools. So I apologize for his comments toward you or your son.

 

Maj, thank you for your comments, very well said...

[KRider123]

Teonna thank you but you don't have to apologize for Mr. Omstead. You are the second Alcoa parent to apologize to me actually. The other parent witnessed what happened at the regionals when Mr. Omstead yelled down at me after my son got beat by Evans, "Bet your glad you didn't bet me now". I just kept walking. I do not like the situation with Evans and did attempt to take it to TSSAA but the decision was done. My stance was that allowing Evans to wrestle took away someone's chance to be a champion that has wrestled on their team all season. It would not have been my son either, it would have been Pressley from Signal Mtn. My son said Evans was very nice and respectful when they chatted. Your son is a great wrestler and I hated to see him get beat in the finals. There are many good wrestlers on your team.

[TeamTN]

Alcoa has a youth program, one that is getting better each year.  Coach Gossett, which by the way s not the head football coach at Alcoa, does a really good job and he has added coaches at each level of his feeder programs that also do a good job.  It is very good for wrestling that Alcoa is a rising force in wrestling and especially A/AA Wrestling.  Pigeon Forge and Greeneville have dominated small school duals of late and now we have a third force which will only drive each program to continue to get better or end up by the wayside.

[TeamTN]

Now I will tell you this, as happy as the Pigeon Forge wrestlers, coaches, and fans were about their State Dual Championship, they are just as disappointed in their results of the Individual State Tournament.  Several were not happy with their individual placing nor the Team placement. This disappointment will be what will drive them to even greater heights than they achieved this year.  I love this mindset!

Edited February 20, 2014 by TeamTN