Tito Santana

I think the Fort Wayne Semi-State will shock the world!!! Knowing they are totally outmatched, a consensus will be made amongst programs, coaches, wrestlers, AD's, wrestling moms, mat maids, and northeast Indiana shaved ice lovers alike; to not have a single wrestler make the trip Friday. That's right folks the Fort Wayne Semi-State will secede from the IHSAA wrestling tournament. We know we already have one of the finest Semi-State venues, we'll just start crowning our own state champions a week early! That's right suckers, you probably would have eliminated every single one of our wrestlers if we had shown up, but the joke is on you! Now we can claim the title of "TRUE Indiana High School Wrestling Champion" just on the basis we are going to be the first champions crowned each year. You other three Semi-States can duke it out for the illegitimate title, and let us know how that turns out for you!

Well this contain the same information as the first Echoes or will it just be an addendum? Being the tight wad I was at the time, I missed out the first go around.

Kudos to Coach Harmon, that's some amazing memory there. When you hear people talk about the fastest this or that in wrestling, time seems to embellish some memories. Elmhurst started to return wrestlers back to the state tournament in the late 90's-early 00's so when Coach Sherbondy asked, "You guys want to see what is probably the fastest takedown ever in a State finals match?" we were skeptical. He dusted off the tape around Semi-State/State week and sure enough he did not lie to us. The old timers are right, it was literally one of the fastest takedowns I have seen at ANY level. Heck, I was just telling my buddy last week that I thought I remembered it was a snap down, but Coach Harmon's description is correct. Imagine a duckunder so quick it looked like a snapdown, finger point and all. Man I love this time of year!!

I think the bracket selection process is about as transparent as our current White House administration....

Did Luers ever pickup some decent meets to replace the Al Smith and Belmont duals?

and become Bishop Luers first state champion in wrestling?

http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/portals/0/Individual%20State%20Brackets%20-%202010.xls

http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/Sports/Boys/Wrestling/200910/IndividualStateTournament/tabid/754/Default.aspx

...for grossly under-preforming? 5 to Semi-State and no one out. Heck their cross town counterpart Bishop Luers, got more kids out. I like the program, I really like almost all of the people associated with it, but their season shouldn't be ending at the Coliseum. With the resources, and feeder programs at their disposal, they should be doing better than just ruling the roost of the dumpster fire that is the SAC. I will admit they are churning out fine young adults, and should be proud of the wrestlers that represent their program and school. Just would think they could achieve greater mat success. How is it they helped lead the charge to change the scheduling of the SAC, and their schedule still seems as weak as ever? Like I said, they may be content with where they are at, but I would be disappointed myself.

Are you kidding? From what I heard, the kids coming out of 189 this year aren't the same caliber 189lbs Fort Wayne has seen in the past. With the SAC taking a nose dive, you don't see the same type competition you used to get out of the upper weights. Not saying that all these kids couldn't compete with the Talamantes, Hammocks, Arvesons, and Moes of the world; it's just not near as deep as it once was.

Give us some brackets!!!!

I think that outfit would finally dethrone my brother's fishing hat during Dommer's state championship appearance!

All hail Commissar Caprino!!!

Is Tony Lovejoy the first Fort Wayne Semi-State champion to repeat at a lower weight class since Anton Talamantes at 215-'97 and 189-'98?

I was the only wrestler and Hispanic in my group of friends in high school. Between those two things, and the fact that we grew up in the 80's as Hulkamaniacs (this is not us pictured, but these pics are awesome) I ended up Tito Santana... It's funny the name Tito has stuck for over ten years. So much so, that several of my friend's parents had to ask them what my real name was for my wedding. When my two brothers and I were on the wrestling team at the same time '97-98 they called us the Flying Burrito Brothers.