maligned

No one knows what happened to Garcia?

who are you? diaz? can't think who was at 140 that year.

Someone said on another post that he's injured. A knee issue.

Rush of West Noble upsets #8 Ntende of Goshen in the semifinals at 140. Rush goes on to lose to Gaff of DeKalb in the championship.

I posted these thoughts before, but it still bothers me. Sorry if you've read my opinion on this before: Bobby Cox's comment in the Toe to Joe interview that suggested wrestlebacks only "add to an already long program," should have come with a sidenote that said, "but we're willing to lengthen it if it brings in more revenue." After begging for wrestlebacks at semistate for years and being told it would take too long, the wrestling community sees the IHSAA add the fourth place regional wrestlers to the semi-state first round last year with no input from anyone. These extra matches easily take longer than the one wrestleback round with 2 matches per weight that would have required extra time for wrestlebacks from the quarterfinals in the previous system (the first wrestleback round could have been run simultaneously with semifinals). Know why? Simple math: More wrestlers = more parents = more money at the gate. So in summary: $$$ > wrestling community's wishes; $$$ > program of reasonable length; $$$ > getting the top kids to state for the most competitive state finals possible. I get it. The IHSAA needs money to do the very important work that they do for Indiana athletics. Just be honest about the real reasons for your decisions.

I've analyzed this every which way I can think of for the past 3 years and can't find a solution that doesn't involve a 2-day sectional or 2-day regional/semi-state round (unless we're willing to go all day on Friday with more participants at state). These are a couple of the most logistically workable and competitively justifiable ideas I've come up with, and they still have major flaws: Example 1: "Unbalanced sectionals" (16) 8-team sectionals (top 2 advance) (16) 12-team sectionals (top 3 advance) 20-man semi-state brackets (4) 8-team sectionals and (4) 12-team sectionals feed into each semi-state (20 total participants) 4 pigtail matches, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals = 5 matches (no possibility for wrestlebacks in one-day event with 8 different sectionals of varying quality levels feeding in) Example 2: "Super sectionals" (20) 15/16-team sectionals (top 3 advance) (no chance for full wrestlebacks to find real 3rd if not 2-day event) 15-man semi-state brackets (5) super-sectionals feed into each semi-state (7 first round matches, one bye, unbalanced distribution of qualifiers w/5 super sectional champs) Again, I just don't see how it can work unless the state finals were expanded to include 24 or 32 wrestlers with a tournament that begins on Friday morning or Friday noon.

Any change you see from the last time you examined the rankings happened at the last minute before sectional. As Boot said, nothing's changed. It's all up to the wrestlers now (as it always was).

Nice, b. You're only supposed to say things like that to other officials behind closed doors.

I just haven't had the time to fully update Genius the way I wanted with sectional data included (and I won't be able to in time for anyone to read it before leaving for matches tonight). This would have made a significant difference with a few schools (Mater Dei and Peru, for example, would have been helped nicely in the POTENTIAL ratings). Not much else would have been very different than what is outlined below: Here are Genius POTENTIAL's point differentials for tonight's Team Regional matches, based on pre-sectional data: 1. Portage, 6 pm CT Match 1: Munster vs. Portage (+18) Match 2: Crown Point vs. Merrillville (+3.5) Championship: Merrillville (+6.5) vs. Portage; Crown Point (+3) vs. Portage 2. Jimtown, 6 pm ET Match 1: Prairie Heights vs. Jimtown (+16.5) Match 2: Wawasee vs. Mishawaka (+66) Championship: Mishawaka (+31) vs. Jimtown; Mishawaka (+47.5) vs. Prairie Heights 3. Adams Central, 6 pm ET Match 1: Homestead vs. Whitko (+1) Match 2: Bellmont vs. Yorktown (+24.5) Championship: Yorktown (+37/38) vs. Whitko/Homestead; Bellmont (+12.5/13.5) vs. Whitko/Homestead 4. Peru, 6 pm ET Match 1: Eastern (Greentown) vs. Logansport (+2) Match 2: Harrison (West Lafayette) (+11) vs. Peru. Championship: Harrison (+19.5/21.5) vs. Logansport/Eastern; Peru (+8.5/10.5) vs. Logansport/Eastern 5. North Montgomery, 6 pm ET Match 1: Indianapolis Cathedral (+21) vs. Noblesville. Match 2: Fountain Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern (+10) Championship: Cathedral (+13) vs. HSE; Cathedral (+23.5) vs. Fountain Central 6. Greencastle, 6 pm ET Match 1: Franklin Community vs. Bloomington South (+3.5) Match 2: Avon vs. Perry Meridian (+35.5) Championship: Perry Meridian (+8.5) vs. Bloomington South; Perry Meridian (+12) vs. Franklin 7. Seymour, 6 pm ET Match 1: New Castle (+6) vs. South Dearborn. Match 2: Jennings County vs. Roncalli (+24) Championship: Roncalli (+17) vs. New Castle; Roncalli (+23) vs. South Dearborn 8. Jasper, 6:30 pm ET Match 1: Jasper vs. Castle (+34) Match 2: Evansville Mater Dei (+9) vs. Jeffersonville Championship: Castle (+2) vs. Mater Dei; Castle (+11) vs. Jeffersonville

Unfortunately, I think she's in the wrong semi-state. I think there are probably numerous regional champs she could beat, but I'm not sure she's going to end up with a regional runner-up/regional champ combo to face at Merrillville that's very surmountable. She's right there, though, in terms of being competitive with some fringe state competition. Looking at some of her victories, she's definitely better than many sectional champions. Anyway, it would be an incredible story at Conseco--the place would be rockin'. If not this year, she's got a year left, right?

Tellin' it like it is. It can't keep going like this forever. You guys were so close.

Turnarounds. What causes them? Is it coaching? Do new, talented kids move in? Does it just go in cycles? I'd love to hear from some of the programs that are currently rated well in the Indianamat.com rankings or the Genius ratings that have seen a revival in their programs recently. How did it happen? Tell us your secrets! Here are 5 that were dogs at least for a period (or always were), but are at about the strongest point I can remember them for 8-10 years or more: Jeffersonville Roncalli Huntington North Munster Pike Now, obviously some of these teams had success some years back--but they all experienced significant dips or have always been "middle-of-the-pack." What happened to you? Why do you look so good now?

Ok, I understand. One of our top kids quit before his senior year to be a diver. He'd never dove competitively in his life. Others have done what you described--quit or didn't come out and then came and watched all the matches. I wish more kids would do like Steve Stahl of Elkhart Memorial--ok, I'll come out, but I'm not going to cut weight. I think a lot of kids enjoy the sport but get overwhelmed, as others have said, by the pressure and the weight cutting. The way I see it, I'd rather see a talented kid keep going in the sport a couple weight classes higher than just not go out or quit mid-season.

I like the Heritage Hills 189-pounder's name. It's the first time I've noticed it.

Someone posted on another thread that multiple weights at Castle have errors--no specifics mentioned.

I fail to see the connection between the last sentence and the rest of the comment--other than that it's two frustrating and disturbing situations that both make us frown and shake our heads in despair. Could you explain? Is cheerleading stealing your wrestlers?

Perfect, T, thanks.

Perfect, AJ. Thanks! Now I just need Twin Lakes.

Why do kids seemingly quit or miss weight late in the season so much? I never remember hearing about a star high school running back or point guard just deciding he didn't want to compete at sectional and quitting the team. Why does this happen in wrestling? By the way, I put missing weight in the same category with quitting because my experience is that the ones that truly want to compete never flirt with missing weight. I cut like a dog when I wrestled--by the end of the season, you know what you have to do to make it if you truly want to keep going. Any thoughts on this?

Could someone please post the full team scores for the sectionals at Delta and Twin Lakes. Thanks!

All regional brackets are very simple. In the Perry regional case it's this at every weight class: 1st at Decatur Central vs. 4th at Shelbyville 2nd at Shelbyville vs. 3rd at Decatur Central 2nd at Decatur Central vs. 3rd at Shelbyville 1st at Shelbyville vs. 4th at Decatur Central Click here to find Shelbyville results (you'll have to click on a link at this page): http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/Sports/Boys/Wrestling/200910/IndividualStateTournament/tabid/754/Default.aspx You can use those results to piece together the Perry regional pairings at every weight.

Definitely not as funny as your School for the Death line. Keep 'em coming though.

Schools with under 700 we'll see at state? I think Vegas would set the line with this field at 0.5.

Ha! Made me laugh...some Leno "Headline"-esque humor. Simple, understated, very funny line.

Nice job, Peru. According to the Genius ratings, easily the biggest upset of the weekend.