BeastMode#31

Warsaw has been given back to the kids......Ford/Brooks is now Penn and UFC
 
I also agree it's not about the "my" or "coach". Its about.......
 
The Pursuit
For the longest time - I got it wrong...
I thought the ultimate achievement in wrestling was to win a State Championship...
It is not.
The ultimate achievement in wrestling is to prepare a young man for his life by having him become the best person he can become by acquiring the "Qualities of a Wrestler" while in pursuit of a state championship.
Acquiring these qualities is more important than winning a state championship.
They are what is needed to become happy and successful in life.
These qualities are acquired during the pursuit and not in the winning.
It is in the pursuit that a kid transcends into a man.
It is in the pursuit that a kid is prepared for what life will bombard him with when he becomes a man.
It is in the pursuit that this sport is at its finest.
Winning a state championship doesn't teach these things.
The pursuit does.
It is setting a goal that is more than you think you can ever achieve and then achieving more than you thought you ever could.
It is in overcoming any and all obstacles that may be in your path in pursuit of that goal.
It is in the agony of learning how to "figure it out" on your own.
It is in making the necessary adjustments even after "You figured it out."
The hard adjustments which will require supreme sacrifice that will only make a small difference. Which will happen to be the difference between winning or losing.
It is in working endlessly and seeing no results; and still continuing to work because your will is stronger than everyone else's doubt.
It is in learning that one man with belief is worth a thousand with only an interest.
It is in failing miserably and very publicly in front of your peers and everyone who is important to you. It is in learning to master the concept of "Again" - the ability to muster up a little more when the world would understand if you quit.
It is in not achieving your desired goal, after a very long hard season, one in which you bled to do so. To then make a personal decision to work even harder for another season with absolutely no guarantee of success.
It is in the knowing that you did everything that you could to achieve your goal and the understanding that sometimes that will be enough, and sometimes it won't.
You can't control that.
All you can control is to be as best prepared as you can.
It is in the understanding that when it magically is enough, that you are humble because you know the feeling of being on the other side of the win.
And when it is not enough you know to dig down and inspect and analyze your performance because there is something within the loss that you need to learn to help you achieve a future bigger goal.
And you find it.
And you turn a weakness into a strength.
And you keep doing that until you have no more weaknesses.
This is the process of becoming a man.
Many wrestlers who went on to win a state championship are now jerks.
Many wrestlers who took 2nd, 3rd or never even placed have become great people.
So it is not winning the state championship that is the difference.
It is what you take away from this great sport that is the difference.
It is in the pursuit.
If ones idea of achievement is to win a state championship then logically there can be only 1 winner per weight class throughout the state.
There is not.
Because the real winners in this sport are the wrestlers who acquire the traits which will be necessary for their success and happiness in life.
And those traits all can be found in the pursuit.
www.johnapassaroblog.com

Sure looked like wwe. Four corner posts and ropes.
 
Duh.

Now you only want to go up against part of the conference hmmmmm....I see your game it changes a lot.... lol

I have never gotten this record

For sectionals, EC can fit three mats across WITH the lower-bowl basketball bleachers all the way out. The nationally ranked seating capacity is listed at around 8,300, so even if all the hoops bleachers were pushed all the way in (I'm guessing they just push one side in so as to maintain the PA/press tables) and 4-6 mats laid out, we're still talking much more capacity than LC or Merrillville at full no-mat/basketball strength.
Fire Marshall Bill will have no beef here.
Agree with indianmorg that it's not the Bahamas in terms of desirable entertainment/shopping spots, especially hotels (northern Hammond will earn some of that economic impact), but quaint Whiting is just up the road with a nice downtown area, including a small movie theater, and there are two McDonald's within a mile or two, Subway, 2 BKs, gyros joints, pizza, plenty of sitdown authentic Mexican places, etc. And for the over-21 crowd interested in "gaming" there are options *floating* around nearby as well.

Indy Big Un are you saying you don't get how to quote?

It is ridiculous to rank a kid #1 in the semi state and then discredit him after he is injured. He has not beaten those guys and they have not beaten him but he simply was not losing matches say what you want he was on pace

You had him ranked #1 in the semi state and I have no basis to say he would have placed!? lol show me a loss

Come on y2 you had him #1 in FW semi state which means you had him winning it just like we all did. So that means he would have had to lose to a four seed on Friday night to not place? Not saying it couldn't happen but he was better than last year I feel he would have at least placed .

Our DAC bylaws state that only a dual that is wrestled first round of the tournament will be counted as a conference dual.  That is why we lost.  You will never hear an ounce of regret from the coaching staff or our kids, our job and goal is not to win DAC titles, it is to win State and National titles.  That is just what we signed up for.  And maybe that is arrogant, but that is us.

Had this same discussion with a friend of mine and it really comes down to where your priorities lie. If your goal is to win a DAC title, then you wrestle the dual as it was scheduled, if you want to have your team get better by wrestling better competition, then you wrestle in Detroit.  Portage strikes me as a team that strives for more than a conference title, so in that regard, their team was better off wrestling the stiff competition in Detroit. Congrats to CP on the DAC title, they beat the team in front of them.  

It was dropped I did move on then you started it back up.....?????? I I congratulated mr hicks several times Carroll several times . Heck I even got introduced and met Mr Hicks through your site and wished his son well in the postseason . I didn't bring up what anyone weighed ...Track wrestling said it was 2.6 lbs 0ne kid in 138 weight class one in 145 high school who cares .......your quoting weights maybe you guys satellite weighed in the night before who cares .....a lot of teams did I know firsthand who cares .....,... We just wrestle ....Good win mr . Hicks I think I have said that four or five times.

I think Breyden Bailey will break through

The post-season is here!  For SIAC fans, this means a trip to fabulous Newburgh, Indiana.  Mrs. Hook, Hookticia, Hookert and Hookun have the trusty 1985 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, cleaned, gassed-up and backed into the driveway.  They even scraped the gum off the seats so that their grandparents, “Big Hook Mama” and “Cool Daddy Hook Bucks” will have a safe place on which to sit.  Our Kool-Aid is stirred; the Lays Stackers (much cheaper than Pringles) are packed.
 
106- Mater Dei’s one-seed Clay “Scrambled” Egli is the favorite.  The Castle Knights counter with freshman Devon “Lightning” Casebolt, who brings a strong, 29-3 record to the party. 
 
113- Baxter “Vader” Annakin is back!  While this is good news for Bob Harmon’s Knights, it bad news for the field.  Recovered from his injury, Annakin could make a deep run in the State Tournament Series.  Seth “Hears a Who” Horty has steadily improved and rolled up an impressive, 31-3 record.  Horty will likely meet Mater Dei’s Blaine “Bring the Pain” Mayer in the semifinal.
 
120- Fifth-ranked Mater Dei junior Kyle “Sweet” Luigs nabs the top seed.  Castle’s Neal “The Real Deal” Bealmer will duke it out with Central’s Cody “Samsonite” Baggett in the semifinal.  Harrison’s Beau “Geste” Barrett, Drew “Little Big” Horn and Reitz’s Chris “Not the Actor” Tucker also expect to compete for podium spots.
 
126- The Knights’ Carson “What You Talkin Bout” Willis has put together an awesome 29-1 record, his only loss to Cathedral’s top-ranked Breyden Bailey.  Reitz’s Caleb “007” Craig and Harrison’s Jay “Spice Boy” Hollowell will likely battle for a spot in the final.  Mater Dei’s Joe “Don’t Worry, Be” Happe will also be in the medal hunt in this deep weight class.
 
132- The North Huskies’ Josh “Hamburger” Elpers has screamed to a 30-1 record and the top seed.  Castle’s Braedon “Slowhand” Clopton is an SSQ, boasting a 20-2 record.  Throw in Memorial’s Jacob “The Rock” Brockman, Reitz’s Kye “Cabinet” Fehrenbacher and Mater Dei’s Kyle “Minogue” Embry and you have yourself the makings of a real donnybrook.  I know Castle’s concession stand is calling…better make a run well before this bracket is wrestled.
 
138- Actually, you had better stock up on concessions; you will not want to miss any 138 action, either.  Castle’s Austin “Pharaoh” Ramsey gets the nod for the top seed.  A senior, the ranked Ramsey will be dissatisfied with anything short of a State berth.  In his way is Mater Dei’s fifth-ranked Blake “Air” Jourdan.  Down from 160, earlier in the season, and from 145 last year, Jourdan looks poised for another spot on the podium at Banker’s Life.  BUT….before he gets there, Jourdan will have to get past North’s Nick “House Of” Burke.  Burke is under the radar but brings a 29-1 record to the meet.  Overlook him at your peril.
 
145- Mater Dei’s Joe “Younger, But Bigger” Lee grabs the spotlight.  Last year’s State Runner-up is the heavy favorite.  Harrison’s Bryce “De Moray” Ransom, North’s Dalton “Battleship” Gray and Castle’s Clay “Almond Joy” McNutt will battle for medals.
 
152- The Wildcats’ journeyman “Abercrombie &” Mitch Lehman gets the nod for the top slot.  Memorial’s talented “Take A” Chance Williams gets the two seed.  Williams has battled non-stop injuries for two seasons.  Here’s hoping Larry Mattingly’s senior stays healthy for a post-season run.  Castle’s freshman, William “Milling” Nunn and Reitz’s Blayd “Runner” Blair will also be in the mix.
 
160- Castle’s Jacob “Old McDonald” Farmer is the favorite here.  Danger lurks, as Farmer will likely meet the Memorial Tigers’ Jack “In the Box” Folz.  On the other side of the bracket, Shawn “P. Diddy” Coane of North meets Mater Dei’s Hunter “Baby, You Can Drive My” Carr in the first round.  The winner of that one meets the winner of Reitz’s Noah “Ark” Reich and Harrison’s Dymond “Legs” Harris.  No bathroom breaks during 160!  I’ll be taking notes.
 
170- Castle’s Evan “Sville” Dowell is a big favorite.  Dowell has a ton of varsity and big match experience.  Look for him to cash some chips.  Bosse’s Raymond “Bradbury” Garnett is the two seed.  Garnett has rolled up 17 wins and looks to bring his gridiron success to the mats.  Memorial’s Mitchell “Encyclopedia” Brown, Mater Dei’s Blake “Bing” Chandler, North’s Marcus “Axle” Eatan, Central’s Kiave “Guerrier & Ives” Guerrier and Reitz’s Jeremy “Ring My” Belli will also look for a medal.  Wrestlebacks will be a blast!  Are you going to make me say it?  Very well.  NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
 
182- Bob Harmon gets another top seed with his junior, Carson “Cougar Mohlercamp” Mohler.  The first-year starter has rolled up an outstanding 29-3 record and looks to top the awards stand in his home gym.  The Tigers’ Conner “Buster” Brown is the two-seed.  Reitz’s Andrew “Dean” Koonce, North’s Justin “Gun” Naylor, Central’s Austin “Monte” Hall and the Wildcats’ Seth “Of Courth” Orth will also battle for medals.  I’m not going to say it three times in a row.  If you have any questions, refer to 160 and 170 for personal instructions.
 
195- Mater Dei’s Coach, Greg Schaefer, is grinning over his top-seed, junior Kurtis “Call of the Wild” Wilderman.  Reitz’s Andrew Shaw “Shank” and Castle’s Will “Rock And” Rolley will battle for a right to meet Wilderman at the center mat.  Do not discount North’s “Captain” Nate Smith or Memorial’s Marcus “Niemen” Gahagen—they will both be in medal contention.
 
220- Schaefer is still grinning!  Why?  Because his sophomore, Michael “Made For Walkin” Boots is the one seed.  Boots will likely meet the Tigers’ Jacob “Cole” Sulawske in the semifinal round.  On the other side of the bracket, Castle’s Brennan “Stormin” Norman should meet Reitz’s Blake “I Need A” Huggins for a right to pursue all of the marbles.
 
285- By now, Schaefer’s smile is ear-to-ear.  Austin “Powers” Fleck is at the top of his bracket.  Reitz’s Brett “Ed” McManus and Castle’s Brock “Lesner” Lofton will meet, with the winner getting Fleck.  Central’s Jordan “On the label, label, label” Libby is the two-seed.  He will likely face the winner of Memorial’s Ryan “Flyin” Ohlen and Harrison’s Davionte “Howard” Hughes.
 
Hookemendations:
 
Don’t miss these first round matches:  113- Harrison’s 21-13 “Mister” Christian Nix and North’s four-seed, Brenton “Fort” Myers.  120- Barrett vs. Tucker.  126- Jacob Brockman is a senior that has seen a lot of battles.  He faces Reitz freshman, Kye Fehrenbacher.  Athletic and tough, Coach Scott Ferguson has a good one in Fehrenbacher.  160- Coane vs. Carr.  Coane is a very solid 23-7, while Carr is 0-3.  Carr is coming off injury and should be ready to present him a stiff challenge.  170- Belli vs. Guerrier; Chandler vs. Garnett.  182- Koonce vs. Naylor.  285- Lofton vs. McManus; Ohlsen vs. Hughes.
 
Best first round match:  182, Austin Hall vs. Seth Orth.  Only at 182 could SSQ Seth Orth not receive a seed!  The senior will face junior Austin Hall for the first time this year.
 
Don’t miss these semifinals:  113- Mayer vs. Horty.  126- Craig vs. Hollowell.  138- Burke vs. Jourdan.  152- Nunn vs. Williams.  160- Farmer vs. Folz.  Carr/Coane vs. Harris.  170- Brown vs. Garnett.  182- Hall/Orth vs. Brown.  195- Shaw vs. Rolley.  220- Norman vs. Huggins.  285- Ohlsen/Hughes vs. Libby; Fleck vs. Lofton/McManus.
 
Best semifinal match:  132, Braeden Clopton vs. Kyle Embry.  Clopton is very strong and solid; he fell in last year’s SS ticket round.  Embry is very strong and solid.  The senior has had four years of battling for a spot in a crowded line-up.  This should be a good one!
 
Best title matches:  113- Annakin vs. Mayer/Horty.  Mayer and Horty are healthy and in supreme condition.  Annakin has five matches—what kind of shape is he in?  We will soon learn.  132- Elpers vs. Embry/Clopton.  Josh Elpers is as muscled-up as any 132-pounder you will find.  However, Embry and Clopton have wrestled super-tough schedules and experience brutal practice partners, on a daily basis.  Who holds the cards?  138- Ramsey vs. Jourdan.  Both are high energy, super-hardnosed grapplers—they are also great kids.  I can’t wait for this one.  285- Fleck vs. Libby.  Fleck owns a win over Libby.  However, the win was narrow and Libby is a wily veteran.  Expect Libby to be coached up for his center mat appearance. 
 
Bold Observations, Questions and Predictions:
 
·         Give Harrison’s coach, Matt Mastison, a week and some plastic sweats.  I’ll wager he can get to 113…again.
·         Central’s coach, Mike Lapadat, will burn more calories coaching than at least half of the 285-pounders do wrestling.
·         Castle’s concessions will wow you with pizza slices that cover an entire paper plate and baked potatoes that resemble, in size and appearance, Wrestleman’s head.
·         IU89 has the scoop.  Trust me on this one.
·         Ask Mater Dei’s coaching staff if they go with light, medium or heavy starch on their shirts for the SIAC meet.  Then, find me and give me the answer.  I want to know.
·         In spite of their heavy Castle bias, 1gold, backtothemat, todddfoxxx (Triple D, Triple X) and bluebolt1 are actually pretty congenial guys that would love to talk wrestling with you.  
·         Bob Harmon will have his beard freshly-trimmed and a stern countenance.
·         My daughter, Hookticia, will be matside complaining about how the yellow mats screw up her photography.
·         Ask Larry Mattingly “What is going on?”  I’ll bet he will have an easy smile and a great story to tell you.
·         Mater Dei’s fans will take issue with at least one of the referee’s calls.  The balance of the fans will take issue with the fact that MD fans have an issue.
·         JonH will be imbibing a libation from a can marked “Ski”, but he will not share.
·         Some folks will be offended by my nicknames.  I have no choice in the matter, as my fan(s) (sometimes one, sometimes two) demand jocular comments and pithy analysis.  Everything I do, I do for my fans.  Or fan.

I hate your rumors. 

You can't count out Gage Torres with a few others. But I will take Bailey at this point from what I've seen. He's nearly impossible to score on.

Lee already is committed to Penn State, he has already lost out on the chance to be a 4 timer, so what is the difference between a 3 timer or 2 timer? I would go after the challenge of knocking off the nations best because that is what it is going to take for him to win a National Championship at the next level.

That they do...

Take the statistics -- as well as the excuses as to why you cannot win -- to the IHSAA Commissioner.

Just watched the match on BTN. Nickal tries to throw Nate but gets caught on his back in the first. Nate holds Nickal off to victory with his lead. Huge upset and confidence booster for Nate. 

there is no doubt that it would garner perceived success as you would not have those small class individuals( you know, the ones that don't have a chance in a single class system) beating up on them but would it make the team stronger by making it an easier route ? I just don't see it and until someone can guarantee that classing individual will do that then I'm against classing.  Indiana IS special and has too much lose imo

We wrestle at the Spartan, wrestle several 3A schools. We plan to strengthen our schedule but right now we have 8-9 freshman in our line up so you also need to balance it out so they don't get too discouraged. Build them up a little too. We work hard in the off season, attend RTC's, camps, and wrestle even thru the summer. Not all of our kids are that committed but the opportunities are there if you take advantage of them.

Some "top squads" won't schedule smaller schools for various reasons. It never stopped us (Monrovia) from competing at the highest level though back in the day. While I would have always rather wrestled the best competition each and every time in place of pushover so to speak, that's not where you improve. You don't improve your skills, conditioning or mindset during a "6" minute match. You improve in the offseason, in practice, and on your own.

Well, the gentleman who started the thread has quite a wrestling resume. State Champ, college wrestler, coached state placers, parent of state caliber wrestler. I coached along side this guy, have been involved in big school feeder programs, Jr. high coach, high school assistant & father of a 3x sq. so we know what it takes.

No one said it was easy.