HeadLocksWinChampionships

I think they’re both getting hit with stalling at this point. 

I could be wrong but I felt they were referencing a 4x'er going on to Ohio State. That's how I understood it. 

I'm not in the arena, but the only boos I remember hearing were aimed at referees.  There were a "few" of those 

You must have never had Lars Sacquitne. 

For those that didn't catch this article back in December.  Just thought I would highlight it again, sharing Nathan Critchfield's story.

Nate wrestled for Mt. Carmel HS in IL (not Chicago Mt. Carmel) and was a 2 time State placer, finishing 3rd his junior year.  A tumor was found in his spinal chord in August 2020.  A couple of surgeries, an infection and a long recovery followed.  His family moved to Evansville in his year off and he came to Mater Dei for his senior year.  For him to reach the level he has is a pretty incredible accomplishment.  And to be the only one to go the full match against Christian Carroll just highlights it.  

Congrats to Nathan!!

Article: Critchfield Ready for One Last Go In Indiana

Lol, Lars ain't half bad.  I see you and raise you Mark Smith.

Jim Bob is the worst official in the state. Criminal that he gets to ref state. 

I don’t know if the FWSS kids are tired of hearing on how bad the FWSS is or what but they all showed up today.

If the First Session #s were correct, I believe FW got 28 placers

106 1 Jake Hockaday 2 Jalen May 3 Gavin Jendrens 4 Levi Johns   113 1 Tanner Tishner 2 Easton Doster 3 Preston Haines 4 Ashton Jackson   120 1 Isaac Ruble 2 Toby Billerman 3 Kyrel Leavell 4 Hayden Brady   126 1 Aidan Sprague 2 Logan Frazier 3 Blake Wolf 4 Joey Buttler   132 1 Zeke Seltzer 2 Dylan Stroud 3 Cheaney Schoeff 4 Landon Bertch   138 1 Jessie Mendez 2 Bryce Lowery 3 Gavin Garcia 4 Cameron Clark   145 1 Ben Miller 2 Matthew Koontz 3 Brody Arthur 4 Aidan Torres   152 1 Samuel Goin 2 Delaney Ruhlman 3 Mitchell Betz 4 Kody Glithero   160 1 J Conway 2 Charlie Euson 3 Cody Goodwin 4 Logan Farnel   170 1 Landon Buchana 2 Brodie Porter 3 Brody Baumann 4 Connor Svantner   182 1 Veazy 2 Gunner Henry 3 Orlando Cruz 4 Drake Buchanan   195 1 Connor Barket 2 Gabe Sollars 3 Gage DeMarco 4 Alex Deming   220 1 Christian Carroll 2 Blake Heyerly 3 Nate Critchfield 4 Tommy Morrill   285 1 Leighton Jones 2 Makhi Watts 3 Hunter Whitenack 4 Ashton Hartwel

Wrestlebacks are for losers!

Oh, you’re gonna fit in nicely here.

I’ll just add this to show his character.  When we got in the back tunnel, we hugged.  Told him I loved him and was sorry it ended that way.  His response: “Coach, I’m really sorry.  I know the team needed my points today and next weekend”.   Was tough for me to hold it together to be honest. 

Josh Clark vs anyone

Josh Clark vs.  Brandon Villafueta (49-0)  Fort Wayne 

If they are on their feet, I'll take Dunn. But on the mat, I'll take Clark

Is General Heavy Hands in the doghouse? Has to be, we haven't heard a peep from him, either that or his health took a turn for the worse. Hope he's ok.

That slam in the ticket round was bad. I hope the kid is ok and am appalled that people are booing that kid.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought it was only a 2pt nearfall.

7-2 isn’t a tight match. I’m guessing the Carroll kid will be just fine next round

I say no to the weight allowance because kids shouldn't be cutting that much. They already have 2 pounds from after Christmas. But that's just me. If they get 2 pounds more that is a total of 4 pounds, that is almost a whole different weight class.
 

GIVE US WRESTLE BACKS!!!!!

Many people look at this shirt and just see a referee/official’s uniform. Very few people look at this shirt and see what it really is - pure dedication, strength, and nerve.
 
They don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. Days away from families and one’s home, countless hours of studying, analyzing and reanalyzing one’s own calls, reading and re-reading the rule book, countless hours on the phones with other officials to ask questions and mentor each other, hours and their own money dedicated to associations and trying to make the world of officiating a better place. 
 
What people think they see: “a horrible official”, “someone who doesn’t know the rules”, “a biased official who “clearly” has it out for their team”, “someone who should never be able to be an official”.
 
To those people who sit in the stands or sit behind their computer screens or phones making these comments – I encourage you to try it. Sitting in the stands or on the couch and making the calls is the easy route. Because you have the ability to be right or wrong with no consequences. The official out there on the mat, field, or court has to be right all the time (which is subjective to your eyes, your team, and your desired outcome, instead of the rules). I encourage you take the official’s test. Take it and you will see that you didn’t pass because you don’t know as much about the sport as you thought you did. And when you do fail, use it as motivation to join an association, read and study the rule book, and then take the test again. After taking the test (probably multiple times), maybe just maybe you will pass. And if you do pass, then go ahead and put on the uniform, muscle up the nerve and strength to actually become an official and step out into the center mat, court, or field.
 
Every sport is in need of more officials. The number of officials and number of younger people wanting to be officials has greatly decreased. Why? Probably because it is an extremely difficult position to be put in, and all you get in return is constant hate.  
 
To the fans – I am not asking you not to root for your team. Root and scream for your team! If you don’t like a call, boo it, and then move on! What I am asking, is please be more respectful in person or online.
 
Officials walk out to a game or match knowing that  by the end of it they will have one side hating and degrading them. They are required to make the tough calls over and over again, calls that will upset one side or the other. It is a lose-lose situation regardless of the outcome. So why do they do it? My guess would be for the love of the sport.
 
Officials are humans, with families- wives, husbands, and children, with friends, with homes, other careers, and feelings. They are people. Real people. Who, after everything that they do, still have to listen and read horrible comments from people who wouldn’t dare or have enough courage or knowledge to step out into the fire. Yet these officials have enough dedication and nerve to continuously step out onto the mat, court, field, etc…  over and over and over again because they love what they do and they love the sport. They are truly relentless. Are they always perfect? Probably not. They are humans, in a world of sports where rules are ever changing and evolving. They are dedicated, and every official that I know uses every call, match, game, and outcome as a learning experience, whether good or bad.
 
Officiating is one of the most difficult and thankless jobs that I can think of. So to every official out there – THANK YOU. Thank you for doing everything that you do so that the world can enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports. Thank you for the brotherhood and sisterhood that you provide each other, and for becoming each other’s lifelong friends and family. Thank you for giving up countless hours and days away from your families. Thank you for continuing to put yourself out there over and over again regardless of all of the negative feedback and comments/posts from spectators. Thank you for the time and energy that you dedicate into your craft, so that we, as spectators, can sit, watch, and enjoy the sports that we love.

No one is condoning bad behavior. The issue is the official had history similar to this prior with the same coaching staff. I'm an AC fan, so it was a benefit for the school I follow, but it was a bad call. (Not going to find much love for the Bellmont fans & coaching staff from me, but I will wish their wrestlers best of luck because they are local kids.) My issue is more with the system (IHSAA) & lack of technology being used today. Since it's hard to get officials, it wouldn't hurt to get technology to review calls. If you can stream a webcast and have at least 1 if not 2 radio stations broadcasting, then you can surely have replay. If you can't tell, I'm not a big fan of the IHSAA, OHSAA, & NFHS as a whole. A lot could be done to move into the 21st century in their regards. 

Not asking for perfection, asking for competence. I understand it’s a hard job, but the reversal especially shows someone is deciding big matches that doesn’t know wrestling.