RegionRoyalty

I also witnessed Riley Akers put his hand to his ear and egg the crowd on when people were booing at the Merrillville Semi-State.

Gaige Torres reacted similarly in the finals at Merrillville while people were booing at the end against Truver.

One or two examples either way does not define all of the athletes.

If they both committed murder would they be treated the same?

I personally have no problem with the fans booing.  I do think that high school needs to go to the NCAA rule of first injury time is choice for the other guy.  This would reward the opposing wrestler for a lot of the situations listed above.

Anytime you get 10,000 fans in one place, there will always be the "mob mentality".  As long as a few people start booing, the rest will follow just off of pure instinct.

The argument that these are 14-18 year old kids, and we shouldn't boo kids doesn't really hold up.  These are not just any regular kids.  These are elite athletes who we pay money to go watch.  Just because they are not compensated for their talents, does not make this any different of a situation than the NCAA or professional ranks, and we have no problem booing them.

Losing is not an option!!!

Not their scholastic team--a club team that had scholastic team members that were high caliber.  Again, for me this is similar to Alex Tsirtsis getting permission to wrestle the Midlands.  Beast of the East is not an example because it's not a club event.  What other in-season club events are we talking about?

The Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament would be one example.  International freestyle competitions would also count I presume.

Jon will have his hands full with Dembowski, im taking dembowski.

I would hope you would take yourself.  Every post you make is about Valparaiso and Dembowski.

Good luck this weekend, I'll be rooting for you.

Notable officials who have worked the State Finals in the past 2 seasons who are not working a Semi-State this weekend:

*Note that some of these are due to retirement

Steve Anslinger

William Carpenter

Jon Hammond

Frankie Medvescek

Ray Pettit

Pete Schroeder

Charles Barnett

Jeff Colborn

Michael Golando

Robert Helm

Jeff McClane

Keith Mughmaw

That's 12 of the best officials in the state sitting home this weekend on one of the most important weekends of the season.  Doesn't quite make sense to me..

With the new rule implemented last year that after 2 years in a row officiating at the State Finals, you can only officiate a Sectional the following year, and only a Sectional and Regional the year after that, I will be interested to see how the officiating plays out this weekend at the four Semi-States..

I see pro's and con's to this rule.  The pro's are that some new guys get a chance to advance in the state series and prove themselves at the higher levels.  The con's clearly are that we aren't sure that we have enough good officials in the state to have 6 to 10 State Finals caliber officials sitting out the final, most important few weeks of the season.  While this may work for basketball, and sports where there are 1000 officials, this is difficult to pull off successfully in wrestling, where there are less quality officials to choose from.

What are your guys thoughts on this? The current system is as follows (Note: This is DIRECTLY from the IHSAA website)

Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.

TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS RATINGS SYSTEM

The ranking of contest officials applying for an IHSAA tournament series event shall have two components:

1. School vote                         (50% of total rating)

The composite number calculated by this method will represent 50% of the officials overall score for the tournament assignment and advancement.  Each school will be asked to rate an official or crew listed on the IHSAA Officials Voting Survey. The rating scale will reflect a numerical rating system labeled as 5-4-3-2-1 with criteria established for each category.

5    The official/crew exhibits excellent communication skills, NFHS/IHSAA approved mechanics, arrives at the contest site mentally and physically prepared, demonstrates excellent game management, and has control of the contest by making consistent calls from beginning to the end and can work the highest level in the tournament.

4   The official/crew displays very good communication skills, and is in position to make most calls. The official manages the game well and has control of the contest, but not at the highest level.

3   The official/crew demonstrates adequate rules knowledge and acceptable game management.  Communication with coaches and players is acceptable but needs more experience to work the higher levels of the tournament.

2   The official/crew has the ability, rules knowledge and communication skills to work the lowest level of the tournament. Improvement in one or more of these areas is required for advancement

1   The official/crew is unable to adequately demonstrate the skill level, communication, judgment, mechanics, and rules knowledge expected for the tournament.  Game management needs improvement in order to officiate a tournament contest.

Note:  Schools that submit a rating of either 2 or 1 must provide specific feedback via a drop down menu.

1. Individual Vote      (50% of total rating)

Each official or crew that applies for the IHSAA tournament series must meet the minimum requirements for working the tournament.  Five (A – F below) individual criteria will total 50% of the officials overall score for tournament advancement.

                        A. Previous Tournament Experience (5%)

                                    State                5 points

                                    Semi-state       4 points

                                    Regional          3 points

                                    Sectional         2 points

                                    Applicant         1 point

                        Previous tournament experience will be considered over the last six (6) years.

In football, each crew member should verify their highest level of tournament advancement in Arbiter.  The numbers for each of the 3 crew members with the most tenure will be added together and divided by 3, which will represent the previous tournament experience.

                        B.  Previous Tournament Assignment (any level) (5%)

                                    6+                    5 points

                                    5                      4 points

                                    4                      3 points

                                    2-3                   2 points

                                    0-1                   1 point

                        Previous tournament assignments will be considered over the last six (6) years.

In football, the numbers for each of the 3 crew members with the highest number of tournament assignments will be added together and divided by 3, which will represent the average previous tournament assignments for the crew.

C. Years of Licensure in Respective Sport (5%)

                                    12+                  5 points

                                    10-11               4 points

                                    8-9                   3 points

                                    5-7                   2 points

                                    0-4                   1 point

In football, each crew member should verify their years of licensure in Arbiter.  The numbers for each of the 3 crew members with the most tenure will be added together and divided by 3, which will represent the average years of licensure.

D. Test Score - Part 2 (5%)
  100-98 %   5 points

                              96-97%    4 points

                              94-95%    3 points            

                              92-93%    2 points

                              90-91%     1 point

                                 < 90%     fail to meet minimum tournament requirement

                        E. Number of Contests Worked (20%)

                               7+ Varsity Events    5 pts

                               6 Varsity Events     4 pts

                               5 Varsity Events     3 pts

                               4 Varsity Events     2 pts

                               3 Varsity Events     1 pts

Minimum games required to work the tournament series:

     Wrestling 3

F. Association Attendance & Member in Good Standing (10%)

                             4 Meetings Attended     5 pts

                             3 Meetings Attended     4 pts

                             2 Meetings Attended     3 pts

                             1 Meeting Attended       2 pts

                             0 Meetings Attended     0 pts

      A maximum of (2) meetings will be offered on-line via the IHSAA.

IHSAA Tournament Officials Rating System – Reminders
A.   Member schools will have the opportunity to rate all officials that have applied for a specific  
      tournament series. 

1. All IHSAA member schools shall participate in the ratings of tournament officials in all sports.
2. When computing the school ratings for contest officials, the following equalizers shall be used:

1. Officials receiving 12-29 votes shall have the top and bottom (1) rating discarded.

30-49 votes, top and bottom 2 ratings discarded.

50-69 votes, top and bottom 3 ratings discarded.

70-89 votes, top and bottom 4 ratings discarded.

90-109 votes, top and bottom 5 ratings discarded.

110-129 votes, top and bottom 6 ratings discarded.

130-149 votes, top and bottom 7 ratings discarded.

        150-169 votes, top and bottom 8 ratings discarded.

This a stretch..

You lost me when you compared a 2x Indiana State Champ (LeCount) to a 4x NCAA Champion and one of the greatest college wrestlers to ever live (Kyle Dake). 

Lake County Championships at Hanover. No close second. Chicken, sausage and potato's were fantastic.

They just let fans and parents in there to eat?  Was this their payment for the Stevan Micic Public Relations work you did this year?

Ah yes, oversight

Here are a few possibilities....

 

132 Lovejoy over Broukal

 

160 Partee over Mammolenti

 

182 Howard-Anderson over Warman

Props to AJ.. All 3 of these happened. (Partee actually beat Dole, but Dole beat Mammolenti)

Funny to go back and look at these.  Looks like the most accurate poster got 8 of 14.  Crazy year.

It should be about the kids..  If I've noticed anything over the years, its that these top wrestlers in the state are all friends.  They all want to be "cool" and they all want to do what their friends are doing..

If the top guys want to wrestle for IHSWCA Gold because that's the cool thing to do, let them do that.

If the top guys want to wrestle for IndianaMat Gorillas because that's the cool thing to do, let them do that.

I think that once a few of the top guys make a decision one way or the other, their friends (the other top wrestlers) will follow, and this will all be decided..

Hello everyone ... this is Kevin Whitehead, and I must tell you that I've gotten quite a kick out of this trip down memory lane just as you have. Interestingly, you've listed most of my favorites, as well. The TJ HAYS phenomenon was simply the perfect intersection of hot wrestler with a rabid (Belmont) fan base; a can't miss combination. Jankowski and the echo from the Mater Dei folks was much the same ... it just never created quite the "wall of sound" that we had with TJ. The best combinations come from multi-syllabic names with long vowel sounds ... that's why names like Escobedo, Maldonado, and Weinzapfel were (and are) so great to work with. Hard consonants like Js and Ks are also good. The "growling R" sound in Radnovich worked so well because it seemed to mirror DJ's on-mat personality. Beyond the fan participation favorites (Hays was #1; Jankowski was #2), I think my personal favorites have probably been Rico Talamantes and Demetrius Jackson. Over 33 years, I'm sure I'm somewhere in excess of 5000 different wrestler names called out now, and there have been MANY great ones. It's been my honor and my pleasure to be entrusted with the state finals microphone all that time. Glad you all have enjoyed the ride with me! THANKS!

Kevin, great post!  However, I hope this is not a farewell.  I hope you have 33 more years in you. Great job this weekend as usual

I would pay to have coach bell coach my son.

I wouldn't let Danny Bell anywhere near my kids, much less PAY for it...

Heck, I don't think he's qualified to watch my dog..

The biggest mouth on the message board..  Jeopardizing the Hobart class of 8th graders which includes a MS State Champ and a Runner-up because they don't want to be coached by or talked about on the message board by this yahoo.  Sounds like these families are considering moving elsewhere, and I can't say I blame them..

What were his accolades anyways?  Where is all of his confidence and boastfulness in producing state champions and placers coming from?  Was he a good wrestler?  Division 1?  State champion?  Placer?  Qualifier?  Someone enlighten us..  Who is Danny Bell, the wrestler?

http://www.ihigh.com/hoosiersports365/video_905094.html

Petrov/Campbell

This is one of my favorites...

http://www.ihigh.com/hoosiersports365/video_893317.html

Unknown Wrestler and Cole Lukaszka

Devildog and the Logansport Regional

Caliboy and Breyden Bailey

Cosgrove and himself

Matt Sands- Andrean 2005

He then transferred to Hanover Central and qualified again

So is it safe to say the IHSAA is forecasting a Blackout for Saturday night around 7pm?

Good to see Coach Balash is leaving the Hobart program in good hands.

Funny you say this.. I saw former Hobart coach John Cantu ripping Cosgrove and Danny Bell a new one at the semi-state this weekend after Hobart's performance..  The words, "too busy on the internet, and not enough energy spent preparing the wrestlers" were used.

There is no such formal distinction as "Freshman of the Year" by the IHSAA, IHSWCA, or anyone else..

I think the fear is that people will have a hard time finding the exits in the dark... not that anything will burn without the presence of light.

This year you produced NO state qualifiers, only a PARTICIPANT..