State Dual Format Poll

[BayouBear]

Make your choice.

[BayouBear]

Don't know what the final tally will be but the Current Format is getting slaughtered.

[BayouBear]

The poll has stayed around 80/20 in favor of change.

[TDArtist]

Just some side facts - a split into large and small would probably be around 1100. There were no schools at the state duals that would qualify as small. There were no school that made their region finals except East Ridge that would qualify as small. The only small schools that made the top four in their region that I can think of is Greenback and Greeneville. Let us know if you know more.

Edited February 10, 2004 by TDArtist

[duggerd1]

For the benefit of wrestling in Tennessee, I strongly feel that it is more important to add a small school division than it is to include the second place school under the current set up. Greenback and Greeneville are the only schools in recent history that have come close to qualifying for the Duals. The smaller schools need something to shoot for. I have coached only in a large school and a D2 school, and am not coaching now, so I have no dog in the fight except that I think fairness is important.

 

Dan Dugger

[Sommers]

I think it would be a great thing to shoot for if second place was offered in duals + in the traditional tourney, all you need is two or three stud wrestlers for your whole team to break into the top 10 or even the top 5 which was all it took for our old Hixson Wildcats to be there several years ago with just 1000 students.

 

Last year Smyrna came within a "couple of wins" of being number 6 in the state tounament. One tough loss kept us out of the top 10.

 

Point is, you don't have to be that "big wrestling machine" to have success in this sport... Especially individually... which, again, boosts the team.

 

It just takes time. Just ask coach Henry, Legman and Turner Jackson. Two programs we at Hixson loved to have in front of our student body only 15-18 years ago.

 

Time sure can change things, can't they Roger Vandergriff? I know, there may be a couple of complications in your case, but hopefully the point is made.

 

soms

Edited February 10, 2004 by Sommers

[TDArtist]

I'm not talking about the individual tournament. Good wrestlers rise to the top. But, it seems that wrestlers from the same big schools are always rising to the top. They have great coaches, great support, and feeder programs. What about schools that don't have any of this? Is it just too bad, so sad?

[morelanmn]

At what number does a small school become a big school?

Greenback isnt small, It's a very small school.

 

 

Michael Morelan

Edited February 10, 2004 by morelanmn

[rushn]

TD Artist,

 

FRA wrestled Overton in the Region finals (37-28). With a 1.8 multiplier they would currently have a population of 509 (that's 283 without it). That is small.

[CoachGonyeaSHS]

What about schools that don't have any of this? Is it just too bad, so sad?

 

That's what I'm told everytime I question the status quo in TN. Could it be that someone is getting nervous when we try to shake things up? If this is really all about the kids, why is there a problem in making a level playing field?

 

Just because my parents job is in a zone of a small school, I never deserve a chance at a state championship?

[best_of_the_west]

There is no way to determine what is fair for a school to be considered a "small school". If you put a number on it, there will be teams on both sides of the number that are not happy. It's not an easy road to a state championship. The program makes a good duals team. "Slim pickins" isn't really a good excuse. If you get more kids to wrestle, you will have more to chose from. Once you start making indefinite qualifications on the classification of schools, you've opened a can of worms that won't be easily closed. Besides, wouldn't Smyrna be in the large school division anyway?

[best_of_the_west]

There is no way to determine what is fair for a school to be considered a "small school". If you put a number on it, there will be teams on both sides of the number that are not happy. It's not an easy road to a state championship. The program makes a good duals team. "Slim pickins" isn't really a good excuse. If you get more kids to wrestle, you will have more to chose from. Once you start making indefinite qualifications on the classification of schools, you've opened a can of worms that won't be easily closed. Besides, wouldn't Smyrna be in the large school division anyway?