xgamehoss

What a great post. Very insightful.

Sure wish I could "unread" that. Scarred forever, I guess.

Yes, I remember the finals....and for the first 5 1/2 minutes of the match, Campbell was fast enough to run circles around Ayersman.

Agree with everything in this post, and want to add a couple of points. Gillum did idf against Mullins, yet wrestled for 3rd successfully an hour or so later. Apparently, he is a very quick healer. Also, remember the trouble Ayersman had with Campbell's quickness in last year's finals? IF Phillips can survive the guantlet, through the brackets...he has a great chance to beat Ayersman in the finals.

This means YOU missed Todd dominate nationally-ranked Campbell (who, by the way is faster than Petrov). Campbell tried out-muscling Todd, which clearly didn't work. Then he tried using his quickness, no luck there either. Lastly, he tried to create scrambles...Todd had the answer every time. I don't think Petrov has much of a chance against either Campbell or Todd.

I think if you go back 2 or 3 years ago....Tyler Clark from South Dearborn drew Tsirtsis on Friday night back-to-back years. Now, that's almost as unlucky as I am on the poker table.

That's correct and makes more sense of LeCount's running...he knew he wouldn't be giving up a point. Phillips was taking so many shots, I thought he may have gotten cautioned earlier. Very exciting match. Two great wrestlers.

This is pretty accurate as well. LeCount was literally running at the end, more like 4 or 5 seconds though. Cheap may be too strong, but at the very least...unsightly and risky considering LeCount had been cautioned for stalling. Official could have very easily (even should have?) awarded the point for stalling and tied up the match.

Can't tell you how thankful I am that brave young men like you are overseas, serving our country and keeping us safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree with this assessment of the match. In fact, when they landed out of bounds; both wrestlers feet were in the air, so technically not any part of either wrestler was in bounds.

Aren't you able to see that determining strength by placement is still subjective because half of all state qualifiers, in fact do place. The placement numbers are skewed (which keeps subjectivity in play), because a kid coming from a weaker SS has a first round match-up with a wrestler from another weaker SS. The winner of that match gets credit under your system when he probably wouldn't have advanced through the stronger SS. Maybe the best numbers to use would be which SS has more 3 & 4 seeds win on Friday night.

I'm not trying to sell it to anyone, as I stated that is how I interpret the question. What your last statement doesn't account for, but my angle does, is give credence to the talent of those 3 or 4 ranked wrestlers (in several different weight classes) at the New Castle SS who won't have a chance to compete at the finals. Why?.....Because they had the misfortune of having to go through the actual toughest semi-state. Also, your point is subjective as well. Those placers you mentioned, from other SS, might've been in the same boat, if their SS had 7 or 8 ranked kids at their weight class.

I think you pretty much nailed the consensus on this. In 5th place...I might add the first round (ticket) of regionals. In small communities or schools, it can be a big deal for a local kid to become a semi-state qualifier. In best-case scenarios that can be a jumping-off spot toward building a program.

You're missing something....I think he's referring to Coach P.

To me the question, "which is the strongest semi-state?," means how tough is it to advance on to the state finals from it. Not how well did those kids advancing, perform at the finals. This year, same as the last few years, the New Castle SS has many more ranked wrestlers in the majority of the weight classes (read the previews, if you don't want to take my word for it). So, I feel that makes the NCSS, the strongest.