I grew up in Kansas, after being an assistant at OU, I served as a volunteer coach at Kapaun-Mt.Carmel under Duwane Miller from 1975-1978 before moving to Arizona. Now I'm back in Norman, but I think despite my long absence from the Kansas wrestling scene I can add a few things.
The Kapaun Grand State champs were good, but I'd have to go with Norton in 1962 with 4 state champs in a row.
138 - John Kent
145 - Tim Carroll
154 - Richard Wyatt
165 - Urban
Newton took 2nd that year with Bruce White, Al Martinez, and Glenn White at 103, 112, and 120 if my memory serves me correct.
My high school coach Bob Williams would talk about the St. Francis teams in the 1950s when they won 5 state championships in a row. He said they were so good that St. Francis ran two varsity teams that had their own dual meet and invitational tournament schedules. They wrestled off at each weight to see who went to the Northwest Kansas League tournament, and District.
This was when Kansas had only one class for wrestling.
Duwane Miller completely changed high school wrestling in my opinion at Kapaun-Mt.Carmel. With the Wichita Wrestling Club as a feeder program, and no one else in the City League having one, Kapaun ended Wichita Heights run of supremacy. After that wrestling exploded in the state of Kansas. More schools started wrestling programs on the periphery of Wichita. Today almost everyone has a feeder program.
When I was in high school 1960-1963 the northeast part of Kansas did not field teams competitive with the Northwest Kansas and Ark Valley leagues. Topeka Highland and Emporia were the only teams that produced wrestlers that competed for state titles.
After being in Arizona, I noticed that for 3 years in a row Beloit beat Kapaun at the state tournament. I called Duwane, and said do I need to come back to show you how to win state again? He said no, Beloit just has very good teams, we couldn't beat. Of course after that he ran off 5 state championships in a row.
Ark City certainly had some great teams. Scott Chenoweth, the head coach of Perry, Oklahoma told me that he was very impressed with Goddard's team this year after seeing them at the KC Metro Classic.
When Norton won with 4 champs there were only 12 weight classes. Tim Carroll was the uncle of Chuck Carroll who I helped coach to 2 state titles at 185.
Trivia question, how many Isernhagen brothers were there that wrestled at St. Francis. I was told 10 and that all won state championships. Fred and Glenn Isernhagen were the youngest and each won a state championship while I was in high school.
