texas23 Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 The word out of the McCallie Camp a few weeks ago was Andrew Smith was going to "declare" which weight he was going to wrestle in the Traditional State Tournament! I did not give this much credence, because Smith, although one of McCallie's best, is only a junior with no state titles under his belt. It appears that Smith did indeed get to choose which weight he was going to wrestle without having to challenge one of three returning Senior State Champions, who have 6 state titles between them!!! I don't think Smith could beat Justin Blair(State Champ), Spencer Manley(2 x State Champ), or Ryan Scott( 3 x State Champ). This appears to confirm the article in The Chattanooga Times/Free Press that stated that McCallie does not hold challenge matches for all of it's wrestlers. My question, how in the world can this happen? Or, let me ask, how can a junior dictate where the wrestlers weight classes end up, in particular the case of Manley, who now has to face probably the only wrestler in the state that has a chance to ruin his quest for a third state championship? takedown3, I do not think that matman meant in his origninal post of starting this topic, that the coach was having a "problem" with this situation. I believe he means that either the wrestlers or the parents of the wrestlers may have an issue with the way in which the different weights are being determined by the team. In my opinion, that is the coach's call. It is also only my opinion that as long as the participants and their parents understand how the coach works , then they will be able to accept the manner in which wrestlers are put on the mat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takedown3 Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 I knew what he meant. Having 4 wrestlers the calibre of Scott, Smith, Blair and Manley in the middle of your lineup is a great "problem" to have. I have no doubt Gordon will figure out how to get the most out them. Now, if he find a 103 lber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas23 Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 td3, you still miss the point that the premise of matman's post is the lack of challenge matches for detemining the lineup. No one that I know of has a question of the talent of the four wrestlers that you named. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takedown3 Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 "In my opinion, that is the coach's call. It is also only my opinion that as long as the participants and their parents understand how the coach works , then they will be able to accept the manner in which wrestlers are put on the mat." I agee 100% with your analysis and would still welcome Gordon's "problem". I understand your post and was mainly commenting on the quality of McCallie's middle line up. As a senior in high school many many years ago, my best friend and co captain weighed basically the same as me. Our coach let us decide who was going to wrestle where. He won the state. I came in second. Our team won the state. It worked out but I still think I could have taken him! He still reminds from time to time of our respective results. Our team results are what I continue to be most proud of. I imagine that's what Gordon has the guys and parents most focused on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBJONES1983 Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 Word is that they didn't want Scott at 152 because they wanted to make sure he wins his 4 state champ. dblduce, That is absurd. Scott has beat Marable 4 or 5 times with the last one being last years state championship and pretty decisively I might add. Yes Marable did stall his way to a 1-0 decision in the Father Ryan Finals last year. But to get on here and say that he is running from Marable is ridiculous. Scott will do better at 160 than Andrew Smith. The McCallie lineup is much stronger with Smith at 140, Blair 45, Manley 52, Scott 60. Don't try to make it look like Scott is running. Scott, Manley, Blair as seniors are doing what is best for the team. Plus at the same time Smith was promised (as was already stated on this thread) that he could choose his weight because he sacrificed so much last year (not just cutting to 130 but also doing it to face R.Dunning in the finals again). He was doing that so that the team would have a better lineup last year, and the three seniors this year, especially Manley, are doing it to give their team a better lineup and chance to win state as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrestleSBA Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 To call Scott's defeat of Marable in the finals last year decisive is ridiculous. Yes it is true that he got the best of Marable most of the time last year Marable has improved greatly and it would have certainly been a great match this year. I fully agree that everyone is doing what is right for the team at McCallie which I greatly respect, what a group of athletes/leaders they have. And I think that it is partially true that they do want Scott to win his fourth championship and they would be right to move him to 160 where it is almost assured rather than risk facing Marable in what surely would be a close match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBJONES1983 Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 WrestleSBA, Scott's finals match with Marable last year was a 9-5 decision. Now while that does not sound so decisive put it into this perspective. Scott had 4 takedowns for 8 points and an escape for his 9th point when he chose down when it was his decision. All of Marable's 5 points were escapes 4 escapes from Scott's four takedowns and then his own escape when he chose down. Now I would say that 4 takedowns to 0 takedowns is a pretty decisive victory. Either way it was a hard fought match. The point is Scott is not running and the McCallie coaches are not trying to "secure him his 4th state title." How could any wrestler feel good about that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas23 Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 it is interesting to see all the stuff going on about the Mccallie line up and even see the coach on here and not one comment to correct or direct the discussion. Come on coach....tell us what the real story is. Please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
best_of_the_west Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 The McCallie lineup is much stronger with Smith at 140, Blair 45, Manley 52, Scott 60. While I have no problems with McCallie chosing to let Smith go 140, I think this quote is beside the point. I think that the time for creating a strong line up was in Clarksville. This is the INDIVIDUAL tournament. It's for wrestlers to prove themselves one on one. The duals are a coaching battle, but the individual tournament is meant for each wrestler to get to the top on his own. That's why I believe that the McCallie kids all agreed to allow Smith to go 140, and hopefully, Coach Connell was not making this shift to increase team points. That's just how I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chattcity Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 fatdad is correct. This is McCallie's strongest lineup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBJONES1983 Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 it is interesting to see all the stuff going on about the Mccallie line up and even see the coach on here and not one comment to correct or direct the discussion. Come on coach....tell us what the real story is. Please. tex- What coach and which screen name are you referring to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas23 Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 Hey Bob, the coach of the topic of this thread. You figure out the screen name on you own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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