Region Results

[PurplePanther]

I never saw this article.  Good stuff...thanks for sharing!

[cbg]

2 hours ago, oceansize42 said:

That is correct and this recent article  lays out the backstory pretty well.  So to be clear it isn't wrestling parents telling "little johnny" he can't compete and it isn't wrestling parents raising soft kids, it was coaches and ADs who made every bit of this happen and in particular it was the sport of football that drove the decision making process.  Is there some small percentage of soft kids and parents within wrestling?  Sure. That exists everywhere in every walk of life and has for all of time.

If anyone wants to pin a medal on someone for being soft go lay it primarily on the chest of football as football seemingly drove every high school sport into the current situation, right or wrong.  I happen to agree with the public/private team split but disagree with respect to the split in individual State Tournaments in sports like wrestling, track, tennis, golf, etc.  But again it wasn't parents that orchestrated the current system. 

Quotes from the article:

 

 

 

 

Yes, Gary Rankin and football were the primary reasons behind the split but you also had several of the dominant public schools in wrestling also asking for the split.  I have yet to see any of the public school coaches, parents or administrators take a stance and demand that for the individual state wrestling championship the TSSAA place everyone back together.  On another note I have never heard any of the basketball teams out of the Memphis area concerned about playing the private schools for a state championship.  

Edited February 16, 2022 by cbg

[FormerMoc]

I was told by several coaches the actual reason for the split was McCallie having 7 state champs who were state champs in 7 different states the year before. Or at least one of the big reasons.

Also, Anyone whining 'bout da "purity" should just send their kids to Fargo or Super32 and swim with the actual fish in the ocean. Even if Tennessee had one division. Or at least one public school division... college coaches still would find those state titles irrelevant compared to national tournament results.

School size does matter. When I still lived in Tennessee. I remember that either Rhea county or Ooltewah beat Red Bank the year Red bank won 1A. Then got curb stomped by Bradley, Cleveland and Walker Valley. Red Bank wrestling was still able to have relative success and grow the sport. Small divisions has done wonders for wrestling in several states including TN.