maligned Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 If I could put together a team of 14 Indiana state champions that could win all 14 weight classes against anyone from any year this decade (2000-2009), I would choose these 14 (note: I only used a particular wrestler once...could've obviously used A. Escobedo at 3 or 4 weights): 103: Aaron Clark (2001) Won state as a senior after placing high at 112 as a junior and beating the state champion during the season that year. Teched or pinned almost everybody all season in '00-'01 and throughout the state tournament. Interestingly, he was shocked by Craig Macke at the Team State finals the following week. 112: Josh Harper (2007) No clear-cut strongest choice here, but I'll go with Harper over a couple other possibles because of his two other titles in '06 and '08. 119: Camden Eppert (2009) Capped off his career with a second state title and later defeated the Fargo champ while gaining freestyle All-American status. Finished with 4 losses--all to Brandon Wright. 125: Reece Humphrey (2004) A no-brainer for being on the team. Had to take his junior season so I could include my 130-pound choice. He wasn't ever in danger of losing this season or in '05. 130: Andrae Hernandez (2003) Again, a must for my team, but had to take his junior season because of the stud at 135. Anyway, 61-0 ain't a half-bad junior season. 135: Angel Escobedo (2005) As I said above, the '02-'04 versions of this great champion could probably fill 2 or 3 other weights below this. 140: J.T. Young (2001) Smooth as silk Young strolled to his second title this year. No clear-cut top dog at this weight with 4 two-timers among other candidates. 145: Alex Tsirtsis (2004) Another no-brainer. Just had to choose which weight to take him. 152: Matt Coughlin (2005) Two-time champ and two-time runner-up was slightly more impressive in high school than Kinser, even though Kinser took his spot at IU. 160: Andrew Howe (2008) Yet another no-brainer. Possibly headed toward greater national/international success than anyone in Indiana history. 171: Blake Maurer (2004) Four-timer. Have to have him. 189: Nathan Moore (2002) I'll take the two-timer Moore and his amazing physicality over the undersized Hinton from '08. Hinton beats all comers at 180 though. 215: Jake O'Brien (2003) Three-timer at this weight? A phenomenal athlete that has gone on to a nice MMA career at the highest level. 285: Dexter Larimore (2006) Dex edges Wagner of 2000 in a nail-biter. He was possibly the best in the nation in '06. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Very good list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattgyver82 Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I don't want to make anything of it, but you don't think Cashe Quiroga fits in at all? just saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maligned Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 I had to make one change from my original list. I made a mistake and accidentally had Tsirtsis at 140, thinking he was there in 2003. He was not, so I had to bump him to 145, drop Weinzapfel (a tragic drop...he's the only one to give Tsirtsis a match; 2-time champ, 2-time runner-up). Inserted J.T. Young in a very difficult to pick 140 spot. About Quiroga...I limited my choices to state champions from the years they won state only. In other words, I only considered Quiroga from 2008 at 119; and I don't think he was as strong that year as Eppert was in 2009. If he had won state last year, I would have put him at 125, moved Reece up to 130, and dropped Hernandez. It's crazy not to have a Fargo National Champion on a team of the decade; but following the rules I gave myself, this is what I came up with. Also, putting Jason Tsirtsis from 2009 at 125, bumping Reece to 130, and dropping Hernandez' junior year is very much an option. It's tough though. Hernandez was a Fargo Junior runner-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhsfan09 Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I don't want to make anything of it, but you don't think Cashe Quiroga fits in at all? just saying. a one timer? yeah he is a great wrestler but he won one state title. find any guy on that list with less or even credentials and i will be shocked. Cashe dominated in 08, and 09 but he wasnt as dominant in his first two as many on here were so that is why i feel he was omitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooke Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Good List Maligned! I would have loved to have seen what Dexter could have done in college.....on the mat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachM Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Great list, many seem to have forgotten some of the better wrestlers at the beginning of the decade though. Two time champs Alex Ramoes of hobart 5th 1st 1st, Michael Escobedo of Lake Central 2nd 1st 1st, Danny Williams of Warren Central 3rd 1st 1st, and Marcus Shontube of Lowell 1st 1st, may fit into that list some where. They didn't have the college success of some of those on your list but they were all very dominate in their high school careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maligned Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Yeah, it's impossible to forget those guys. The problem is that Escobedo's two titles came at 145 and 152. Which of Coughlin and Tsirtsis are you going to bump? Ramos won his only title of the decade at 125...I would put Humphrey or Jason Tsirtsis above him. Schontube was phenomenal--but his titles came at Blake Maurer's weight. Finally, Williams is one of four--count 'em, four--two-timers with their highest weight title coming at 140, all of which you could make an argument for inserting at 140. We could easily make a list of 50 wrestlers that you could argue are in the Top 20 for the decade. In my opinion, with all the previously unattained national success we started having, it was a golden decade for Indiana wrestling with countless stars that we were able to enjoy watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catfish Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Would it be safe to assume that a certain MD coach would win coach of the decade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STARSMAN Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 What about Kasten at HWT?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnome Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Ruggeri (sp?) at HWT could have easily made the list as well. Overall, great list maligned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2CJ41 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Go to the special forum to vote for your favorites http://indianamat.com/messageboard/index.php/board,33.0.html Lets see what all the wise people of the board think as to who was the best of the decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR.Takedown Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I had to make one change from my original list. I made a mistake and accidentally had Tsirtsis at 140, thinking he was there in 2003. He was not, so I had to bump him to 145, drop Weinzapfel (a tragic drop...he's the only one to give Tsirtsis a match; 2-time champ, 2-time runner-up). Inserted J.T. Young in a very difficult to pick 140 spot. About Quiroga...I limited my choices to state champions from the years they won state only. In other words, I only considered Quiroga from 2008 at 119; and I don't think he was as strong that year as Eppert was in 2009. If he had won state last year, I would have put him at 125, moved Reece up to 130, and dropped Hernandez. It's crazy not to have a Fargo National Champion on a team of the decade; but following the rules I gave myself, this is what I came up with. Also, putting Jason Tsirtsis from 2009 at 125, bumping Reece to 130, and dropping Hernandez' junior year is very much an option. It's tough though. Hernandez was a Fargo Junior runner-up. I remember Englsih giving Tsirtsis a match Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ontherise219 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Eric McGill doesn't make the list 2nd inj 1st 1st and had to beat one of the top kids his senior year I would put hi ahead of JT young for sure and then what about Brennen Cosgrove 1 title but went 3 2 2 champ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefthanded Headlock Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I had to make one change from my original list. I made a mistake and accidentally had Tsirtsis at 140, thinking he was there in 2003. He was not, so I had to bump him to 145, drop Weinzapfel (a tragic drop...he's the only one to give Tsirtsis a match; 2-time champ, 2-time runner-up). Inserted J.T. Young in a very difficult to pick 140 spot. About Quiroga...I limited my choices to state champions from the years they won state only. In other words, I only considered Quiroga from 2008 at 119; and I don't think he was as strong that year as Eppert was in 2009. If he had won state last year, I would have put him at 125, moved Reece up to 130, and dropped Hernandez. It's crazy not to have a Fargo National Champion on a team of the decade; but following the rules I gave myself, this is what I came up with. Also, putting Jason Tsirtsis from 2009 at 125, bumping Reece to 130, and dropping Hernandez' junior year is very much an option. It's tough though. Hernandez was a Fargo Junior runner-up. Cashe beat Eppert last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirateville Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Jason beat Cashe last year at State ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ontherise219 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Cashe might have had 1 of the best seasons in Indiana history. But he did fall short of his second title but he did beat the runner up and Champ at 119, 125, 130 I think that is pretty amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busstogate Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Yep, one point match in the semis. Cashe beat him earlier in the year. Jason beat Cashe last year at State ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maligned Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share Posted December 28, 2009 Cashe beat Eppert last year. You didn't understand me. I said I only considered each wrestler FROM THE YEAR HE WON STATE. So, in other words, I thought like this: in a match between Cashe of 2008 and Eppert of 2009 at 119, who would win? I think Eppert would have won. It's impossible to know, but that's what I think. It's true Cashe beat Eppert last year with Eppert up to 125. That doesn't mean he was good enough in 2008 at 119 to beat the Eppert of 2009 at 119. Sorry if that's confusing. That's how I made my list. Cosgrove? Can't take him over Coughlin McGill? Can definitely make an argument for him at 140. I would have taken him if I hadn't taken Young. Young/McGill/Sandefer/Williams...who do you take? All 2-timers. All great. Kasten? Sorry. He went back and forth in his matches with Larimore when Larimore was a junior. They were as even as it gets. I'll take the bigger, badder, better Larimore of the next year over him. Ruggeri? He thrilled us all for a couple days when he went on his run, but he got hammered against national competition. Larimore beat a couple of the top guys in the nation 2 years after losing to Ruggeri. As I said before, he may have been the top Heavy in the nation his senior year. As someone else said, it's too bad he didn't wrestle in college. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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