defenderb

Don't they need 10 practices in to compete?

Thank you for the kind words about Jed.  He truly is a class act.  Win or lose, he is always humble.  He comes from a pretty good pedigree.  For those of you who do not know Jed's wrestling history, here is a snap shot of what he accomplished:
 
Career record of 179 wins 31 losses
4x All-NECC
3x NECC Champ, 1x runner-up
3x Sectional Champ, 1x runner-up
2x Regional Champ, 2x runner-up
4x Semi State Qualifier, 2x Placer (2nd, 3rd)
2x State Qualifier
3x Al Smith Placer (2nd, 5th, 7th)
3x War on the Wabash Champion
Undefeated in middle school

I just wanted to recognize a great wrestler with great sportsmanship. Jed Levitz from Prairie Heights. He fell short of going back to state for a 3rd time. After his lost he was a class act, handling it like a true champion,shaking hands and congratulating the other wrestler 2 times. A great example of what wrestling and a great coaching staff has taught this young man. Congratulations on a awesome high school wrestling career.  

The other thing is we get compared to other sports all the time. The bottom line is that wrestling is a 2 and done sport. That is how all good tournaments are ran at all levels.  But during the athletes most important tournament it is one and done at the most crucial time.
We are one of 5 states that isn't classed and the only state that doesn't have wrestlebacks.  We are nationally ranked in the top 20 consistently for High School wrestling.  How is that not a data point that matters?
I get it that they already think we have it better than other sports because we seed.  Heck our returning state champs girls basketball team just got knocked off first round by a local rival that is great this year and that should have been a sectional finals game.  But how is comparing other flawed systems to us a logical step or argument? I just really don't understand. This is after watching it and being a part of it for the last 25 years.  Every year it works me up.

Or those better kids went to a different part of the state in the regular season, beat 3 state qualifiers (1 medalist), but go through a different semi-state so they ran into somebody that was legitimately better than them in the ticket round. When I coached at Mooresville, I had a state qualifier at 132 that returned to that weight for his senior season. He won all his matches at 132 that year aside from losing to Brayton Lee in the finals of Regionals, earning him a 2 seed. Probably the third best wrestler in the semi-state, but he draws into Nick Lee for the Ticket Round. Season over. Career over. Had to watch not 1, not 2, but 3 kids he beat that season medal over him while he sat in the stands, not to mention others he defeated that lost on Friday night. This is a rarity, I understand, but it wouldn't happen near as often if we had true wrestlebacks. 

The reality is that there is a very very small percentage that can do what you did, even if they killed themselves trying, and for many kids making it to the Walk of Champions ends up being their State Title.  I am not saying give everyone a trophy.  What I am saying we can do a much better job of making sure the kids that earned it get the chance.

I have a Carroll Sectional Preview in the works right now, expect to see it later today on this post