All Time Best Dual Team

[cobrakid8]

41 minutes ago, FargoStrut said:

Yeah, def would NOT consider Blackmon as a "hole" in the lineup. It had to elsewhere. Not sure where they were, but when he's added to the mix, it makes the holes even more glaring for a dual. Obviously Soddy that yr was a very good team as well and were a deeper team from top to bottom, but it's almost unbelievable that a team with 5 state champs, 3 other top 4 placers and a guy that was runner-up the following year didnt win the TN public school duals championship! 

We've had a few guys after the ones mentioned do fairly well at the next level. Also  do believe that a few kids who have graduated in the past couple years and some who will graduate this year or in the next few years will have success on the next level too. 

How many all-Americans in the bunch since the early 2000 kids? I’m trying to remember when the guys from Christian Brothers graduated and went into college and did very well also, I don’t think we have had an TN All-American in the past 10-15 years. 
 

was Marable 2008 and 2009 the last? That’s about to be 14 years ago.

Edited February 22, 2023 by cobrakid8

[FargoStrut]

26 minutes ago, cobrakid8 said:

How many all-Americans in the bunch since the early 2000 kids? I’m trying to remember when the guys from Christian Brothers graduated and went into college and did very well also, I don’t think we have had an TN All-American in the past 10-15 years. 
 

was Marable 2008 and 2009 the last? That’s about to be 14 years ago.

Cant think of any AA's of the top of my head since Marable but both Boykins, Oliver, Hooker are a few of the guys who had varying degrees of success whether it was NCAA'S or in FS/GR. I'm sure there are others I cant think of at this moment. Hopefully Brayden Palmer will be able to end our AA drought this season. Now we need to get back on topic.

[cobrakid8]

9 hours ago, FargoStrut said:

Cant think of any AA's of the top of my head since Marable but both Boykins, Oliver, Hooker are a few of the guys who had varying degrees of success whether it was NCAA'S or in FS/GR. I'm sure there are others I cant think of at this moment. Hopefully Brayden Palmer will be able to end our AA drought this season. Now we need to get back on topic.

well, it was still kind of on topic, especially when you said you don't think the late 90's and early 2000's teams could beat any of the late teams. I mean some of these guys did great in high school and led their teams and went to college and did nothing of substance. Boykin has done good in olympic type wrestling but has been average at best in college, marable did really well, Oliver was a multi time qualifier(he was the one i was trying to remember) but all of those guys are private that have done anything in college (i mean our only AA's i think have been private school guys)  but from the late 90's early 2000's none of our public school kids have done as well as Ward, Blackmon, McTorry, McCarty, McKnight, Keller. Dang we had a lot of Mc guys that were good lol. So I'm not so sure TN wrestling has taken the step everyone keeps saying it has so I do think those 90 and 2000 teams would very much hold their own against any of the teams from the past 15 years just because i think wrestling was deeper back in those days compared to where it is now. Of course i do hope that we have some AA's and future champs coming out of these wrestlers now with Cody Chittum, Hunter Mason with Va Tech next year and a few others out there. Hopefully the future is as bright as it looks with TN wrestling!

[FargoStrut]

3 minutes ago, cobrakid8 said:

well, it was still kind of on topic, especially when you said you don't think the late 90's and early 2000's teams could beat any of the late teams. I mean some of these guys did great in high school and led their teams and went to college and did nothing of substance. Boykin has done good in olympic type wrestling but has been average at best in college, marable did really well, Oliver was a multi time qualifier(he was the one i was trying to remember) but all of those guys are private that have done anything in college (i mean our only AA's i think have been private school guys)  but from the late 90's early 2000's none of our public school kids have done as well as Ward, Blackmon, McTorry, McCarty, McKnight, Keller. Dang we had a lot of Mc guys that were good lol. So I'm not so sure TN wrestling has taken the step everyone keeps saying it has so I do think those 90 and 2000 teams would very much hold their own against any of the teams from the past 15 years just because i think wrestling was deeper back in those days compared to where it is now. Of course i do hope that we have some AA's and future champs coming out of these wrestlers now with Cody Chittum, Hunter Mason with Va Tech next year and a few others out there. Hopefully the future is as bright as it looks with TN wrestling!

I think there was a misinterpretation along the way. I'm saying the public teams before the split had a tougher time at team duals and individual state due to having to contend with the private schools. Sounds like we're in agreement there. I was saying that I think the elite teams (not elite wrestlers) from the 60's and 70's would get taken behind the woodshed by teams in later years (late 90's and early 2000's). 

You mentioned a few kids who could have great careers post HS. As you previously stated, there are others as well attending VT, USMA, UTC in addition to other universities.  

[cobrakid8]

1 hour ago, FargoStrut said:

I think there was a misinterpretation along the way. I'm saying the public teams before the split had a tougher time at team duals and individual state due to having to contend with the private schools. Sounds like we're in agreement there. I was saying that I think the elite teams (not elite wrestlers) from the 60's and 70's would get taken behind the woodshed by teams in later years (late 90's and early 2000's). 

You mentioned a few kids who could have great careers post HS. As you previously stated, there are others as well attending VT, USMA, UTC in addition to other universities.  

yep, that was my misreading fargo, sorry about that!

[RMC]

I know I post most recently about Georgia teams.....well...cause that's where I am, but I've been around wrestling since my brother started wrestling in 1969 at Hixson.  I've seen many great teams, but as was discussed in another thread like this years ago, one of the best teams I have ever seen was the 1973 Hixson team coached by a young Gordon Connell.   

I'm guessing for most on this forum weren't even born yet, but Randy Batten was on that team and he did ok at UTC.  Other names I remember: the Walden brothers Stan and Marvin, Smith brothers Gary and Dean (Dean also did well at UTC), Steve Griffith, Danny Emery, Dennis Donovan (went to West Point), Stan Eller, Wayne Bratcher, and Tracey Cooke. I probably missed a few other names. One of my older brothers was also on that team, but was in and out of the lineup as he won and lost challenge matches to Dennis Donovan.

A note about Dean Smith, mentioned above, and persistence.  He lost every single match in the 8th grade.   He talked his parents into getting a mat for the home.  He was a state champion in 1973.  It also made his little brother Gary a handful on the mat.  

I missed wrestling a lot of wrestling during the 1980's while in the military. So I probably missed some other really good teams.    

My nephew's, Andrew Woodward, 2002 Baylor team was fairly stout too.  

[cobrakid8]

1 hour ago, RMC said:

I know I post most recently about Georgia teams.....well...cause that's where I am, but I've been around wrestling since my brother started wrestling in 1969 at Hixson.  I've seen many great teams, but as was discussed in another thread like this years ago, one of the best teams I have ever seen was the 1973 Hixson team coached by a young Gordon Connell.   

I'm guessing for most on this forum weren't even born yet, but Randy Batten was on that team and he did ok at UTC.  Other names I remember: the Walden brothers Stan and Marvin, Smith brothers Gary and Dean (Dean also did well at UTC), Steve Griffith, Danny Emery, Dennis Donovan (went to West Point), Stan Eller, Wayne Bratcher, and Tracey Cooke. I probably missed a few other names. One of my older brothers was also on that team, but was in and out of the lineup as he won and lost challenge matches to Dennis Donovan.

A note about Dean Smith, mentioned above, and persistence.  He lost every single match in the 8th grade.   He talked his parents into getting a mat for the home.  He was a state champion in 1973.  It also made his little brother Gary a handful on the mat.  

I missed wrestling a lot of wrestling during the 1980's while in the military. So I probably missed some other really good teams.    

My nephew's, Andrew Woodward, 2002 Baylor team was fairly stout too.  

Hixson for sure had some really good teams in the 70's even into the early 80's, my uncle wrestled for them and did well.

 

I didn't know you were related to Drew, I've know that whole family for most of my life, went to church with them in Hixson, same age as his sister.

[westernwrestler]

The 2011-2012 CBHS team was loaded if I’m remembering correctly. They were ranked high nationally. And had Oliver, Johnson, Robinson, Baker I believe. 

[TennWrestling]

I don't know where some of the early State Dual team champions would compare to the more recent winners, but I do think it should be noted that the first qualifiers and state dual meet participants competed using a different set of rules.  The teams in the first TSSAA state dual meet tournament were;  C.B.H.S., Cleveland, Father Ryan, & McCallie, each were region champions.  

  In the toss of the coin, McCallie & Father Ryan were the winners of the toss.  Most important coin toss in state wrestling history!  Cleveland and C.B.H.S. had to put their wrestler out first every match.  Maybe it might not have mattered in that match, but that year Cleveland had traveled to Father Ryan and wrestled against the Irish in front of their student body. (Cleveland had also beaten McCallie that year in a dual.)   Plus another factor that might  have made a difference, Cleveland state champion, Mike Lennon, missed that match and several  others because of an injury.  The match was decided in the bout, won by Ryan.  I remembered the newspaper commenting that Father Ryan got to travel about 10 to 15 miles to be the visiting team, while Cleveland had to travel 150 miles to be the home team.  Just saying.

[cbg]

22 hours ago, FargoStrut said:

I think there was a misinterpretation along the way. I'm saying the public teams before the split had a tougher time at team duals and individual state due to having to contend with the private schools. Sounds like we're in agreement there. I was saying that I think the elite teams (not elite wrestlers) from the 60's and 70's would get taken behind the woodshed by teams in later years (late 90's and early 2000's). 

You mentioned a few kids who could have great careers post HS. As you previously stated, there are others as well attending VT, USMA, UTC in addition to other universities.  

You my friend are exactly correct in that the public school teams had a more difficult time competing at both the dual state tournament and the individual state tournament before the public-private split.  And guess what; both the public school wrestlers and private school wrestlers were much better for having to compete against each other.  

[takedowntech]

Okay I guess I’m a little biased and a homer but I can’t believe the Soddy 06/07 team is not getting any considerations. Most if lineup I can recall…..

 

Hammons (multiple placer)

stewart (placed every year)

brett (2x placer)

Witt (2x placer)

Fuller (3x placer and finalist)

Winesburg (state champ, multi placer)

Mccroskey (multi placer, socon champ)

Toney (multi placer and finalist)

Spletzer (placer)

Roberson (2x state champ)

Lettner (State champ)

Zimmerman (Placer)

 

if I recall they beat Baylor that year 29-28 or so in which the last three matches……

 

Stewart beat Whitaker (4x champ)

 

Brett beat Stavrum (Finalist?)

 

Witt beat Downey (Finalist)

 

that Baylor team was stacked with studs 

 

manley

bell 

hussein 

doster

waddell

etc……,

 

May not be all time best, but definitely in consideration when it comes to depth and consistency.

 

[Rasslinking]

Cleveland 2013 was pretty dominant

Cleveland over Wilson Central 78-4 in State Finals

 

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