Judging from the team scores in the last couple state tournaments, the answer remains "no". However, I believe slowly, but surely Eastern Kansas is making more of an impact in 3A wrestling. Here's why:
* Better kids programs: You see a lot more kids from small town Eastern Kansas kids wrestling clubs doing well. Building a strong kids program is vital.
* Better coaches: It's true. Incidently, how many of these coaches are former Western Kansas wrestlers? A lot. 3A Eastern Kansas wrestlers now know what a cradle is and how to apply it
* More interest and fan support: Every year it seems like a few more people from Eureka, Silver Lake, etc make the State Journey to Hays to support their teams.
* More kids. While Western Kansas population is shrinking, Eastern Kansas maintains or grows. This translates into more kids in school and larger wrestling participation. It can come down to a numbers thing.
My belief is Western Kansas will win State again (Norton) but Silver Lake is close. But because they're doing well this year doesnt mean they'll do well next year. They have some good seniors...can they reload like the Western Kansas schools? We've seen very good teams (Effingham with 2 state titles) and individuals from Eastern Kansas, but can multiple teams maintain long-term success?
