Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School What happened to Hoxie wrestling???

Is it true no qualifiers for state from the team the ruled for most of last decade? Wow.

Even when Sainty or one of the other traditional wrestling schools has a bad year they still get 3 or 4 into state.

WOW - Topic!

From a very knowledgeable source on NW Kansas Wrestling:

"Mike Porsch is the new coach and he is a class act. Given time and support, he'll get the ship back on course. He was a terrific wrestler for Hoxie in the late 80's and has been learning from Baker as an assistant coach for the past 15 years +/-.

Likely their best chance to qualify was lost to injury before regionals.....and if you look at the wrestler's records who did compete at regionals, it should come as no surprise that they didn't get anyone through.

Declining enrollment numbers have hurt.....but past success has also hurt. If you were a freshman choosing between wrestling and basketball a few years back and saw Farber, Baker, Schippers, Schippers, Gilliland, Campbell.......all as underclassman on the wrestling team (and all competing for state honors as underclassman), most would choose basketball because they wouldn't see the light of day for three years in the varsity wrestling line-up - and also note that Hoxie's b-ball team has done fairly well in recent years.

There are some decent 6th and 7th graders in the pipeline (although not the quantity of kids Hoxie is used to).....just give it some time and Mike will get it going again. Perhaps will never have enough kids on the team to compete for a team title, but I bet you'll see some of them on the awards stand at the end of the tournament."

ALL schools' talent will cycle. In small schools the cycles will be more pronounced, even without declining enrollment being a factor. Declining enrollment not only serves to amplify the down cycle, but could also prolong it.

Hoxie had an incredible run of talent (coupled with outstanding coaching--which includes Coach Porsh) through much of the 90's into the early 00's. To think that such a depth and width of talent would continue indefinitely in a school the size of Hoxie while also suffering from declining enrollment is, at best, unrealistic.

Two things I have learned in my many years is that (1) we should spend more time enjoying the moment and (2) over time, "it" all averages out.

Hoxie will be back.

I think it all started with Coach Baker's retirement party this past summer. Opposing coaches from surrounding schools flocked to the party. Even Billy Johnson made an appearance. And although Coach Lippelman from Scott City put on a good show as a stand-up comedian, it's looking more and more like he knew Scott City was dropping to 3A and wanted to glean a few trade secrets. Some conspiracy theorists have even ventured to guess that somebody spiked the punch on that fateful summer night. If so, this would have been such a shock to the virgin immune systems of these young student-athletes that it might take at least a year to recuperate. But most importantly, one of the former wrestlers (seems like it was either Derek Jones or one of the Schippers twins) made the mistake of announcing Baker's secret formula. And now all teams in northwest KS know about the healing qualities of cider.

I believe it was Pete Koster who pointed out the cider healing technique!!

Those anticipating the complete demise of Hoxie wrestling are a little premature. The upward climb will begin next season with a couple of good freshmen. Hoxie will also return the injured wrestler Richard discussed. The 7th and 6th grade classes have some really good kids.

Kirk Baker retires as one of the state's most successful wrestling coaches. But Mike Porsch has been an assistant for a long time and will build a successful program. State will be strange this year with very few from Hoxie in their regular position just below the upper press box.

I beleive I heard that Hoxie finished second in the NWKL jr. high tournament yesterday so they must have some 7th/8th grade wrestlers with some talent.

I know i am going to miss the Sea of Red sitting over to the corner left of us. It was always fun when you had a kid from Hoxie wrestling a kid from Norton and it seemed like 2 whole towns were just screaming at the top of their lungs. Sounds like they should be back in a couple years though with any luck.

I think Burgundy has a good idea on the subject..haha

No baker's left at the school

I was talking to a wrestler from hoxie, and he said that there had been a state PLACER every year since 1980. Big downfall, but they will be back.