Best All-Time TSSAA Folkstyle Wrestlers

[BuckLateral]

Good call on Ernie Rose. I saw him wrestle back during that time period and he was as dominating as you say-----just scoring on him was a victory. Bill Emendorfer was a good heavyweight----won the state in 1968. But during his time, the better heavyweight may have Pezavan Whatley (a/k/a Pistol Pez on the pro wrestling circuit) of Notre Dame high school. Pez won the state title in 1967, lost it to Emendorfer in 1968, then came back and beat Emendorfer for the title in 1969.

 

I saw Harlow, Rose, Whatley and Emendorfer wrestle when I was younger. I saw Scott Wells wrestle his senior year here in the Nashville area. Wells was absolutely awesome----never seen a heavyweight do it that quick to everybody. As to who was better, Harlow, Wells or Rose, I'm not sure one can say because of the weight differences between eras. Harlow and Rose wrestled in an era without the 215/275 split you have now. Both of them probably would wrestle 215 today----neither would have had to lose much weight, if any, to do it. They were not anywhere close to being as big as Wells. So if they wrestled Wells at 275, Wells might prevail just because of the size/strength differential . On the other hand, if Wells had to cut weight and wrestle down to 215, I think you would have to go with Harlow---maybe Rose, but that match would be closer-----Wells was a better technical wrestler than Rose, who was more quickness, strength and sheer aggression-----Harlow combined it all----technical knowledge, quickness, strength, and a killer instinct.

 

I'll say this, if you told me that somehow you could produce Harlow, Rose, Wells, Emendorfer, and Whatley all in their high school prime and were going to let them wrestle to see who was the best, I'd pay good money to see it. And you couldn't go wrong if you had anyone of them on your team.

[slicknquick]

Thanks for the input. I really wonder how the old guys (pre-leg wrestling era) would match up with the leggers of today. Seems like Chattanooga City were the first high schoolers I saw using legs in the early '70s. Fill us in you old geezers.

[delaWarr]

The sixties were a long time ago, even for "old geezers", but very fuzzy memory seems to recall that Ronnie Breeding of TSB in the mid-sixties was a legman. Ralph Brewer could clear that one up for us. Joe Roberts of Donaldson was tough with legs. He got some technique from the old Takedown and Legwrestling Camp up in New York, I believe. Joe was mid-to-late sixties. Was Joe Morales of Ryan a leg man? Also in the mid-sixties, '66 I believe, there were two accomplished wrestlers who put on a clinic whenever they met...in the mid-lightweights...Ryan?MBA?BGA...who were legmen...probably the first I ever saw. Any "old geezers" whose memory may be sharper than mine have a recall of names? Of course, Brian Dunning, himself, and Pat Simpson were both tough with legs in the '70s.

[Rabbitt]

david vance has to be the single most best high school wrestler in the history of tennessee. dont want to make no one mad, but thats my opinion. vance was a beast, and he was well coached by connell. i was a little kid when i use to watch him wrestle, but i still remember him very well.

[RMC]

I'm surprised Pat Murphy doesn't get a little more respect. Didn't he go on and become UTC's only 4 time Southern Conference champion? And If I remember correctly, 3 of his 4 loses in high school were to Johnny Bradford, the defending state champion, in his sophmore season. Remember, he wrestled when you only got 3 years to wrestle in high school and he was 64 - 4. The other loss came to Ellis Gardner, from McCallie, and that was the day he had a cast taken off his leg. He later pinned Gardner in the State finals after getting up 14 to 2 on him. Gardner's 2 points came from uneccessary roughness points. In the match where Gardner beat Murphy he attacked Murphy's leg that he just been uncasted.

[delaWarr]

Another great call on Pat Murphy. He definitely was a top quality wrestler who should be up for consideration. I remember Pat's wrestling, but I don't recall a three-year limit on wrestling varsity. Maybe Pat's school was divided with freshmen under a different administration, housed separately from the 10 through 12, which would have nixed his varsity participation.

[RMC]

I'm not sure if it was a "limit" or not. I went to school with Pat and had Junior High and High School that were housed at two different locations.

 

Prior to Pat Murphy we had another pretty good wrestler in Tom Popp. Actually we had a string of pretty good wrestlers: Stan Walden, Randy Batten, Dean Smith, Marvin Walden, and Steve Griffith. Batten, Smith, and Murphy all had good careers at UTC.

[mjgIII]

Good calls on both Murphy and Jabaley. I don't think James ever got the respect he deserved. A couple of other names from the past: Chris Wilson, 2x state champ 155 in '77 then 167 in '78. I believe he beat a young Lyles in the finals his senior year? Eric Wood, 2xer at 155 then 185 back in '71 and '72. Impressive 30lb weight difference in one year. Greg Wingo seemed to place every year in the 70's too. And John Crawley, 2xer at 126 in 77-78. A bit unorthodox, but almost impossible to score on.

[luchador]

3-0 that year. They wrestled 3 or four times more prior to that year during their high school careers. McTorry never, ever did/could beat Nelson in folkstyle.

[slicknquick]

1st TEAM

98 Mike Bowerman Cleveland

103 Jordan Leen Baylor

105 Martin Francis Notre Dame

112 Darren McKnight Red Bank

119 Adrian Norfleet Whites Creek

125 Randy Batten Hixson

126 Johnny Lennon Cleveland

130 Matt Keller Bradley Central

132 Gordon Connell Brainerd

135 Phillip Simpson MBA

138 Jake Yost Soddy Daisy

140 Heath Eslinger Bradley Central

145 Tony Carletello Ryan

152 Kevin Ward Soddy Daisey

155 Tom Marable CBHS

160 Marquese Nelson Kirby

167 David Weeks Notre Dame

171 Charles McTorry Overton

185 Johnny Bradford Chattanooga Central

189 Rusty Blackmon Bradley Central

215 Pat Murphy Hixson

HW Bill Harlow St Andrews

 

2nd Team

 

98 Ken Whitworth East Ridge

103 Matt Sweeton Tullahoma

105 Lyn Goss East Ridge

112 Josh West Bradley Central

119 Tony Kennedy Stratford

125 David Thoni Ryan

126 Howard Langford Cleveland

130 Raymond Dunning Ryan

132 Steve Agnew Brainerd

135 Waylon Lowe Jefferson Cty

138 Zac Dailey Mt. Juliet

140 David Vance McCallie

145 George Lewis MCCallie

152 Bobby Smiley Maplewood

160 Marc Lyle Baylor

167 Mike Blosser Hixson

171 Tywon Armstrong Franklin

185 Bobby York Franklin

189 Ronnie Stevenson McGavock

215 Will Bartholomew MBA

HW Scott Wells Brentwood Academy

[flyingmerkel]

I think McTorry was undoubtably the best athlete of the two and one of the best athletes ever to wrestle in TN. However, I think this was precisely his problem against Nelson. McTorry whipped everyone so bad, that he wasnt conditioned well for the close matches. He was so quick that he could wrestle from open and rarely had to use set-ups. He was so strong that he could afford to not have perfect technique. Nelson was the only person that had enough athletic ability to slow McTorry down. Time after time Nelson would close the gap and McTorry couldn't clear his head. Nelson was always a little stronger in the 3rd. My hat is off to both of them. They were two of the greatest ever.

-FLYINGMERKEL-

[lovetowrestle]

What do you think about Kevin Baltz on any of the lineups? When I remember didnt he almost have Mctorry pinned? I know he lost, but it was a great match. what do u think about him on at least an honorable mention list?