Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School Wichita observations.

I missed 4A being in Wichita this year. Energy, noise and crowd size, were missing. It's a serious mistake to divide the state's wrestlers into 3 sites. Not only is energy missing, but does KSHSAA ever consider that this is a bad way to showcase talent in KS? A college coach on a recruiting trip misses 2/3's of the kids. Having 3 sites is dumber than living in a sod home.

As for the wrestling, if I were a college coach scouting the event in Wichita, I would leave with the following notes.

The young Kansas talent is very impressive. I would circle the following names. Ely, Caldwell, Arnold, Beard and Cotton. I like these kids because they're basic and stay in good position. Their head position is excellent and they seem to know how to set up and finish a shot. They're pretty good solid on top and bottom.

Kansas wrestlers need work on their feet. They need to lose all the crazy headlocks and latdrops. Live by the throw, die by the throw. You win folkstyle with high percentage stuff. KS wrestlng lacks set-ups. It needs works on finishing. If I'm a college coach do I want to teach kids the basics they should have learned in HS? There were numerous examples like the 5A 145 final match. 30 seconds to go. Losing kid tries to get in on a shot with a flutter of what look like "dog paddles" to the face of the kid winning. Not so effective.

Finally, I'd have been intrigued by DeShazer. After struggling to make spectacular throws for a minute or so in his finals match, he changed levels and shot a lightening quick low double. Nice. His cradles were good. Had he stayed basic with shots and had he tried to pin the guy rather than jumping off for the tech fall, I would have been more impressed. He didn't show me that he knew how to wrestle on the college level in his state final match.

Those are my observations.

I agree with the headlocks and lat drops, I don't like them at all

I would definitely add Arnold from Bishop Carrol to that list. In the 2 matches I saw of his, he never once was out of position on his feet, and is lightning quick. He is definitely one to watch for the next couple of years.

Twink, He was on my list.

"I would circle the following names. Ely, Caldwell, Arnold, Beard and Cotton."

Headlocks and lat drops are fun to watch. So are jap-whizzers and cradle throws. Young wrestlers out there--don't stop doing them. There's nothing better than making the crowd go "OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"