MattM

1999 The previous years 3rd place finisher Steve Minton (New Albany) defeated the previous years State Champ Robert Rossbottom (Jeffersonville) to win Regionals. Doesn't seem like a crazy upset until you factor in a couple of things. One: Rossbottom had defeated Minton on several previous occasions and almost everyone outside of the New Albany faithful assumed it would happen again. And the bigger Two: This upset created the Rossbottom vs. Dan Jankowski (EMD) ticket-round match at Semi-State. For context, Jankowski was the returning state runner-up from the year prior. Making this match the poster child for semi-state wrestle-back for at least the quarter-finals. Rossbottom defeated Jankowski at semi-state by a point and moved on to eventually becoming a two time state champion. Jankowski as a senior was done for his high school career and became one of the best to never win a state title. Steve Minton would go on to prove he was also as good as advertised by becoming state runner-up the week to Rossbottom.

Terre Haute South Franklin Columbus East Columbus North Martinsville Bloomington South

With what was added to the sectional this year, I’ll take the over.

Should be a good battle if most of the main lineup is in. There is some good talk going about it on indianamat’s college board. But I really wish they would schedule this one on a Sunday. Saturday of Sectionals makes it a little more difficult to make it after a long day in the HS gym. I feel like it was on a Sectional Saturday last time it was in Bloomington too.

Columbus North. Moved to Highland Hills area years back and has a son that’s on Floyd Centrals squad now.

Sounds good in theory but when coaches are looking out for their own wrestlers it not always going to play out in the fairest of ways. I get why they do this, but it doesn't help create the best bracket when it occurs. Looking at the overall process a rule like this one isn't getting accomplished in seeding or sometimes after the brackets have been built.

Well let's see a coach happen to place a backup wrestler in for seeding who happened to only compete in part of the varsity season against lesser opponents and ends up with a decent record. That wrestler then gets seeding anyplace in the bracket, but for your strategy at least he was seeded and that's all you need since that "strategic replacement" will be moved to the 6-seed anyway. The actual seeds likely ended up correct at the seed meeting according to the IHSAA criteria and the wrestler submitted by the coaches. But then those seeds get shifted later Saturday morning when that coach pulls their original seeded guy for the actual "strategic replacement" knowing he will move by rule to the opposite side of the bracket from the #1. Saturday morning that coach removes that original wrestler and replaces them with their "strategic replacement" who was their varsity most of the season. That "replacement" possibly had a record that would have ended them up in the 4th or 5th seed at the seed meeting which the coach was worried of because them into the #1 in the semi-finals who they believe the wrestler will have a hard time beating. According to the rules the replacement moved to the 6th-seed and ensure they are away from the #1 rather than chance that occurring at the seed meeting. This puts the "strategic replacement" on the side of the bracket with the #2 and #3 seed. The coach feels their good “strategic replacement” wrestlers can beat the #3 in the quarters and likely can at least have a good shot against the #2 they have in the Semi-Finals. So the strategy often gets the team another finalist and the wrestlers a better spot for Regional too. The coach sets this up when their most worried about the #1 but think they have a shot at the #2/#3 so it can help the individual placement, individual chance in regionals, and their team score, and this replacement strategy helps to improve those odds. Again, per the rules, the coach can replace someone in that way. But these are "strategic replacement" not a surprise one due to something occuring in practice during the later few days before Sectional. Sure the coach may not be concerned about how thid affect anyone else or another team, but in the larger picture it shifts the bracket often causing two of the expected regional-level guys to face each other in the blood round with one now not getting out. Sadly can't fix the fairness and honesty of all coaches when seeding at the meeting and no rule can fix that. But there is a set criteria in place which is about as objective as you can get. We can however look to improve upon a loophole in the rules that allow for a strategic manipulation in the brackets after the fact that leads to an advantage for the manipulator at the expense of other regional a ability wrestlers. Simple fixes to that would be to say "no replacement," "replacement is drawn-in," or the "replacement goes to the 5th seeded spot." Even the last two seem too much of a risk to play the "strategic replacement" game with cause you may still end up on the #1 seed side in the end. And I think the coaches association could at least make the argument to the IHSAA about some of these options as a more even and fair approach without making a big deal to the IHSAA of this being due to certain coaches manipulating the system. But, I feel like you already would understand most of this as it has occurred multiple times in our sectional over the last several years. Something tells me again it may happen once or twice this Saturday too. Although we may find that the extra added depth this year may make that strategy a little more of a gamble than years past.

It was the lowest seed available at the sectional. I assume the feeling was a genuine replacement could be decent enough to be seeded 6th seed and that would still not give them a big advantage if the wrestlers weren't quite the quality of a 6th seed. It's also one less draw-in bracket shift, but if you are already shifting multiple seeding wrestlers I'm not sure that argument really works much. But these "strategy replacements" don't fit that mentality since they often can beat the #3 and at least have a decent shot at beating the #2. My 3 suggestions above (one at the top and two at the bottom) are possible fixes to that.

If the seeding meetings are permanently going to be moved to Wednesday I would have not issue with the rule being changed to "no replacements" if your wrestler already entered in a finalized seeding meeting bracket drops out. Other than a few freak accidents there shouldn't be anyone getting seriously injured or sick between Wednesday after practice and Saturday morning. And most wrestlers with minor injuries or sickness will still find a way to compete that day. The old Monday seeding meeting offered a little more of a chance, but Wednesday is pretty close to competition and the coaches usually taper things down a decent amount by then. We all know the teams doing this are entering a weaker wrestlers who happens to have only wrestled selective matches and came out with a decent record in order to ensure the coach can get them any of the seeds. Then the coach replaces that entered kid with their actual good wrestlers who is dropped to the 6-seed, which just so happens to now avoid the #1 kid until the sectional finals, which they may not be able to beat. Sure it's within the rules but it wrecks the rest of the seeds for the other sectional wrestlers and usually bunches two sold wrestlers into a blood round match. We all know that "strategy replacement kid" was getting through regardless but the real damage is it now likely puts a few regional quality guys out at the blood round due to their brackets shift now pairing them against each other then while on the other side a unlikely regional qualifier gets through since their side becomes a much easier route after the shift. May not be as big of an issue with the small size sectionals but some of the bigger ones with several quality wrestlers it definitely puts a few kids in a tough spot. My only other possible suggestion other than "no replacements" would either: 1.) Move the replacement wrestlers into the 5-seed so they have to face the #1 guy in the semi-finals. This makes the above strategy kinda pointless. 2.) Shift the other guys up into the remaining seeds and then draw the replacement wrestler in. Which then at least means you have a 50% chance of running into the #1 guy before or by the semi-finals. Which again I'm not sure most coaches would want to gamble on. This game is getting played enough times now that I think the coaches' association and IHSAA may need to revisit the "replacement rule" soon.

You know you are old when recorded that still seem somewhat recent to you are now old enough to get into a bar.

I believe I heard they voted to settle that weight via a Royal Rumble.

But your cat would be jealous.

I call and I raise you both the entirety of this match. Doesn’t fit the thread title but it sure fits this specific discussion.

Jennings County basically has an Auxiliary basketball gym with decent bleacher seating on 3 sides but not one fixed basketball goal hanging from their ceiling. Fits 4 mats comfortably for an event, but could fit a few extra for a practice or camp. A huge improvement over practicing on the upper level of the main basketball gym during b-ball practice and having to move the old school mats daily.

The no noisemaker fan rule is usually covered for the IHSAA indoor sports like volleyball and basketball. So that school may have been delivering a blanket statement assuming all sports had the same policy. Outdoor sports seem to be given just a little more leeway with how they can produce supportive noise.

Told my then girlfriend I would be attending State Finals on the date of her 21st birthday. We had a wrestler from my school in it, but I was still in college so just attending as a fan at that point. I remind my now wife all the time that she knew what she was getting into after she decided to stick with me following that weekend. She does appreciate that I’m just a volunteer coach these days, although I still spend a significant amount of the week at one age level of wrestling or another.

A few have. But much less if you remove the highly ranked kid that SS injury defaulted to 4th from the discussion. Often one heck of a state bracket buster and a shocking surprise for a SS when those type of defaults occur.

Sectional seed meeting is coming up in a few day with Sectionals next Saturday, so not much time to reschedule any multi-team meet unless they got it in today (Saturday).

Chad Ruggeri locking up some double overs and decking Dexter Lamimore for a pin and the state title was impressive. Daniel Young and Gavin McGinley were having a pretty intense back and forth battle all the way into the 3rd of the state final. McGinley put Young on his back and was close to a pin. Then Young got out, hit a reversal straight into a cradle and got the fall. The crowd was way into that match.

Came to say this.

Yeah I think it was Rulman situation that sent down that rabbit hole initially.

My favorite saying to hear, well the one I chuckle at, during an event is usually whatever the loud mom is yelling from the top of the stands. From a coaches mouth what I’m usually amused by is when I hear a loud SQUEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZEEE!!!!! being belted out from the corner as they are also making some type of hand jesture while doing a power squat away from their chair.

Not sure about a 4x runner up, but when looking at some old records I recall seeing some past wrestlers that had 2nd and 3rd finishes for most of their career. Foggy brain preventing me from pulling a at names out right this convent.

And then was Junior Freestyle champ that summer.