best wrestlers in tennessee history?

[Rabbitt]

who do you think are the best wrestlers to come through tennesee?

i think: david vance

george lewis

heath eslinger

kevin ward

matt keller

kyle james(could be one of the greats...well see)

i dont know any of the older guys to wrestle in tennessee, but as far as i can remember these are in my opinion the greatest.

[130josh]

i think Tom Marable

[tnmat]

Charles McTorry

 

Derrick and Eric Jordan

[chxian]

I will second the nomination of Tom Marable, CBHS class of 1982

[heartbreakkid]

rabbit,

have you forgotten about the 4 time state champion phillip simpson. currently rank in the ncaa. lose only one match as a sophomore. without a doubt phillip is the best i've ever seen.

i would also put raymond dunning in the top 5

[Rabbitt]

i agree with simpson. he was one of the all time greats.

[karelin]

Actually there is no question about who The Best is, but you have to go way back to early 60's-Bill Harlow of Sewanee St Andrews(of old mid-south) This guy was an NCAA National champion for Okla. St. at around 190. Even more impressive was his 2nd place finish in the World Championships. Deaddux help me on this, did he win the mid-south 5X?

[hollowman]

Here we go again, But I guess it's all relative.

My vote, Matt Sweeton.

[BuckLateral]

Karelin may be right on this one. Bill Harlow, who wrestled at St. Andrews in the old Mid South Prep School Association, which included Baylor and McCallie among other members, was an NCAA champion in 1966 for Oklahoma State at 191. Had a brother named Butch who also wrestled at St. Andrews who was pretty good himself. I can't confirm that Bill was a 5 time champ in the Mid South, but as I recall he was a 4 timer. He wrestled back in the days when the Mid South allowed "post graduates" so it is possible that he competed 5 years. I don't think St. Andrews had a middle school at that time so I don't think he would have wrestled up as an 8th grader. Bill also finished 2nd in the NCAA in 1964 and again in 1965 at 177. He was a three time NCAA Division I All-American and a two-time USA Senior Freestyle Champion (1970 and 1974, at 198 ) . Harlow has been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-----he might be the only former Tennessee high school wrestler in it. Chalk up one for the old guys------but Phillip Simpson certainly looks like he has a chance to put his name right up there with Harlow's and this is one old guy who hopes he does.

[deaddux]

you have to mention harlow(st.Andrews/Sewanee) as the most decorated tennessee wrestler winning the ncaa - his last defeat in tennessee was to local neurosurgeon Dr. Peter Boehm(great wrestling family) i know Peter was a senior and harlow was either a 8th or 9th grader - but the younger crowd, particularly Phillip simpson ,J.T. Hagan, Matt Keller ,Rusty Blackmon, Kevin Ward and many others have brought tennessee's reputation up a notch of late

[Edited by deaddux on 12-11-02 2:51P]

[stovepipe]

How can anyone put Matt "I spit on the refs and blew my state championship" Sweeton on this list??

 

That kid from centenial HS was SOOOOOOOOOOO overrated.

[CoachBruce]

while I don't think he should be mentioned with the All-time greats, you're a little off on Sweeton's history.

he only lost one state title--and that was in 99 when he ran into a problem in the Quarters by the name of Matt Keller.

 

the spitting incident happened in the match where he won his 1st title, in 98.