Sportsmanship

[takedown3]

After the much discussed example of poor sportmanship in our states, the enclosed article seemed appropriate as an example of good sportmanship. Jim Glasser, the coach at Lovett, was a great wrestler at McCallie, went on to wrestle at Oklahoma and finished at UTC. His admonition to his wrestlers is worth remembering.

 

[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 2-23-03 ]

CLASS AAA

Lovett wins by default

By JOHN MANASSO

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

 

The Class AAA wrestling championship hung in the balance as the tournament's final match entered overtime.

If Elbert County's Aubrey Fortson won the heavyweight final, Lovett would hold on for the team title. If Westminster's Daniel Palmer won, his team would share a co-championship with its archrival.

 

Lovett coach Jim Glasser couldn't stand it.

With 37 seconds left in the one-minute period, Fortson scored a clean takedown just before the two big men spilled out of bounds for a 5-3 victory at Spalding High in Griffin, giving Lovett sole possession of the crown.

 

Lovett placed five wrestlers in the finals, winning their first two, but no others. Westminster placed four in the finals and won three, including one by pin for two bonus points, to close Lovett's 18-point lead to 199-195.

 

Two of Westminster's victories in the finals -- at 171 pounds by Greg Heller over William Cherry and at 189 by Patrick Keenum over Brantley Evans -- came directly over Lovett opponents.

 

But the final team scores would end with Lovett ahead by four. Had Palmer won by major decision (eight points or more), technical fall (15 points) or a pin, Westminster would have won the title outright.

 

"We had the opportunity to win this tournament ourselves," Glasser said. "It's bittersweet to watch a young man like Palmer wrestle his heart out and then we win a state championship because he doesn't win. It's bittersweet."

 

Before the final match, Glasser gathered his team in a corner of the gymnasium for a talk about sportsmanship. "I told our team that regardless of what happened in the heavyweight match, I do not want us cheering for Elbert to the extreme as if he's one of our wrestlers," Glasser said. "We will show class if we win and we will show class if we get second."

 

Lovett built a 191-181 advantage with wins in its first two championship finals, from 112-pounder Schroder Voyles and 125-pounder Lansing Lee.

 

But Westminster began its comeback with a pin by T.H. Leet at 152. Leet was one of the state's most dominant wrestlers this year. He finished his season at 44-1 by pinning LaGrange's Archie Dudley -- the fourth time this season Leet beat Dudley.

 

Leet earned pins in every round of the tournament. His only loss this year was to a wrestler from Tennessee.

But it wasn't enough.

"We've wrestled Westminster so many times this year and beaten them by so few points that it was not on our agenda to lose to Westminster," said Lovett's Voyles