I have a hard time characterizing it as "inherited" given his level of involvement in the program and the development of those seniors before becoming the head coach.
After we beat Davidson last week, a friend of mine from Lowell, MI was like “You guys are going to kill everyone in Indiana”. I immediately said something like Indiana teams are no joke this year. Wait until you see Crown Point’s team next Saturday. He called me last night on his way home from Crown Point. He asked when dual state was and said he wanted to come watch the dual between us and Crown Point. I told him you still haven’t seen the teams from Mater Dei or Center Grove, etc. He couldn’t believe anyone could be competitive with Brownsburg or Crown Point. I again told him Indiana wrestling is reaching a different level.
I talked to Hawkins last night about the potential dual. First thing is we both know we have to get there. It won’t be an easy task. All that being said, the Purple and Red Dogs have a great relationship. We hope to both make the finals at dual state and put on a show for the ages.
Well… not to take this a wrong direction, but how cool is it that a Team State tournament has led to this much discussion over a 1 A and 2A vote-in team?
Not many 1A and 2A individuals are getting this much discussion. The team aspect is what makes wrestling great.
Well… not to take this a wrong direction, but how cool is it that a Team State tournament has led to this much discussion over a 1 A and 2A vote-in team?
Not many 1A and 2A individuals are getting this much discussion. The team aspect is what makes wrestling great.
Well… not to take this a wrong direction, but how cool is it that a Team State tournament has led to this much discussion over a 1 A and 2A vote-in team?
Not many 1A and 2A individuals are getting this much discussion. The team aspect is what makes wrestling great.
We were really surprised with Jasper last year. Caused me to really rethink the semi-state experience. Up until last year, I just thought a painfully long check in, getting treated like we were children, and overall rude behavior of those running the tournament were all just a part of the semi-state experience.
Maybe no one explained to the Jasper AD and his crew that this was how semi-state was “supposed” to be. Everything about how Jasper ran the tournament was first class…Genuinely nice, helpful, smooth process all around.
Just wanted to pass along that Mike and his girls were in a serious auto accident yesterday. They are all on the mend, but roughed up pretty good. Please keep Mike and the girls in your thoughts today.
Cash Turner doesn’t get his strength from lifting weights. His muscles are built by moving over 500 hay bales a year, splitting wood and working on his family’s 100-acre farm. He doesn’t get his grip from the gym either – that comes from holding on for dear life while trying to ride a massive bull for as long as possible. And, that fearless attitude those around him say he has – that comes from growing up with a father that was a phenomenal wrestler and then went on to become an all-around champion in the rodeo world.
The Edgewood junior is certainly not your typical wrestler. He’s the Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV vs. the Ivan Drago’s of the world. His training isn’t conventional, but it works.
“Cash is training without training, and he’s doing it a lot,” Edgewood coach Greg Ratliff said. “I remember one time he went to his grandpa’s place in Kentucky instead of going to workouts. I asked him what he did while he was there, and he told us he and his grandpa spent the week just digging post holes. Somehow, I knew he would get more out of that then he ever would by hitting our weight room.”
Turner knows two things well – rodeo and wrestling. When he’s not in wrestling season, he’s working on his rodeo skills. His only break from the rodeo is when he’s wrestling. Coach Ratliff believes the work Turner is putting in on his rodeo is only benefiting him on the mat.
“We talk a lot about multi-sport athletes,” Ratliff said. “There are a lot of crossovers. The will, the drive, and the determination he uses in bull riding carries over to wrestling. There isn’t as much footwork and agility, but all the toughness that comes with it is a big plus. I think, in a day and age where coaches are asked to do more and more and more, and wrestlers are told they need to wrestle every weekend – but the best wrestler in your room is like – I have this going on. It’s refreshing. You can do other things and still get good. As long as they are training in something, that’s going to help make them better wrestlers.”
For Cash, part of the allure of the rodeo is facing fears and overcoming them.
“The hardest thing in my life is probably trying new things,” Turner said. “I was always an avid bull rider, but my dad asked if I would want to try saddle bronc riding and bareback riding – which is basically riding wild horses. I was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life. I was going to get on a giant horse that wants to throw me off. But I did it. I overcame that fear.”
That bravery has helped Cash excel in the rodeo. He qualified for the High School Nationals in Nebraska where each state brings four representatives to compete.
“The rodeo definitely makes me tougher in wrestling,” Turner said. “I know if I can do that, I can probably put a kid my size on his back on the mat.”
Although Turner’s dad, Toby, was a very good bull rider and wrestler. He didn’t want to push those things on Cash.
“Toby placed second in state in wrestling, twice,” Ratliff said. “In the rodeo he was on the PBR circuit and was a National Champion. It’s really cool to watch their interactions with each other in the wrestling room (Toby is an assistant coach). They are both so stubborn, but his dad really didn’t want to push wrestling or rodeo on his son. As it turns out, those are Cash’s biggest passions. Cash just loves them both.”
Turner found success early in his high school wrestling career. He won the Bloomington North sectional at 106 pounds his freshman season. He then went on to claim the regional title at Bloomington South and advanced to state by placing third in the Evansville semistate. In that semistate, Turner had his favorite match in his career up until this point.
“It was the match after my ticket-round win,” Turner said. “I faced a kid that I had never beaten before, and we had wrestled many times – probably around a dozen or so. I just knew this time would be the time. I wrestled how I wrestle and ended up hitting a lat drop on him and scored a few points, then hit another funky move and ended up winning by quite a few points. So far, that was my favorite match. I was getting over an obstacle.”
Coach Ratliff remembers that match well.
“I remember it because the young man he was wrestling’s dad yelled out ‘watch out for the spladle’,” Ratliff said. “I don’t know if Cash heard it or not, but he immediately hit the spladle. He went up five points. That was an exciting match.”
Turner proceeded to place seventh in state that freshman season.
He did not make it back to state as a sophomore. He won sectional and regional for the second time in his young career, but fell short in the ticket round of semistate, losing in the ticket round to Brownsburg’s Brady Isom. Isom went on to place third in state at 126 that season.
“Last year was tough,” Turner said. “I went up from 106 my freshman year to 126 as a sophomore. That was a big jump. I knew people were going to be a little stronger than me. I went as far as I could. The ticket round loss was a tough loss, but he was a really good opponent. I took what I could from it and I’m trying to work this year at getting back to state. That’s my goal.
“I think when you’re a junior you start to get a sense of urgency you didn’t have before. When you’re a freshman and sophomore you look at wrestling and you’re like, I still have three…or two more years. Now you realize it’s coming fast and pretty soon I’ll just be done. I only have one year after this.”
Turner is coming into the season slightly hobbled. He broke his elbow in September riding a bull.
“Funny story about that,” Cash said. “I had a duck hunting trip planned with a few friends. It was going to be a few days after the rodeo. I went to the rodeo and ended up hurting my elbow. I didn’t know I broke it. I finished my events and even won some events. When we went home, I didn’t think much about it, but I put it in a sling and went to school the next day. I couldn’t bend it at all.
“I showed our athletic trainer and he looked at it and said it was definitely broken. I went to the doctor, and they put a cast from my wrist to my elbow. The first thing I told my mom was I had to see if I could shoot a shotgun with one arm. I went out and tried to shoot a few times. It was hard, but I could do it. I went on the hunting trip and even killed a few birds there. It was an interesting experience.”
Going hunting with a broken elbow, while your entire arm is wrapped in a hard plastic cast shows just how stubborn Turner is.
“He’s the kid that is always stubborn,” Ratliff said. “For example – we do a drill in practice where we set it up like it’s an overtime match. First takedown wins. He might get taken down, because his practice partner is really good at takedowns, but Cash will argue and argue about whether something was a takedown or not. He just doesn’t give up. He’s going to keep wrestling from there. The ref has to really think about it. He will tell you ‘That wasn’t a takedown, I still had a hold of his toe’.”
Turner has several plans after high school. He is currently involved in a fire science and fire safety vocational school and would eventually like to be a firefighter. He said he would like to go to college somewhere that has a fire science education program where he can get a degree in that field. He also wants to pursue the rodeo out west, where there are more opportunities in the sport.
For now, however, he’s focused on getting back to the state finals.
“That’s my ultimate goal,” Turner said. “It was great to go as a freshman and I want to get back there.”
Congrats to him, and tough break for WL Wrestling this upcoming season. He is an electric factory.
If Mo does wrestle first semester, this does sets up a perfect scenario to have a real life Vision Quest....
Nearly went the distance in his first (second) year wrestling...
Graduating at semester so he won't have a post season run...
Can cut a huge amount of weight to take on an "unbeatable" foe (Cristian Carol)...
Coaches could wear a polo under singlet to practice...
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Greg Ratliff got a reaction from Jcjcjc in Last vote-in spots for team state
Greg Ratliff got a reaction from Thor in Last vote-in spots for team state
Greg Ratliff got a reaction from 84Coach in Last vote-in spots for team state
