This is a tough one. From 96 to 02, if you could pick a wrestler at each weight,all classes,to form an all-star team who would you pick?
103-Brent Brandyberry or Shawn Bunch
112-Derek Jones or Dustin May
119-Zach Roberson or Travis Vandever
125-Dusty Spaulding or Doug Hoover
130-Devin Bahm or Bo Maynes
135-Kelly Gable
140-Drew Soule or Travis Stites
145-Justin Crabbs
152-Joe Johnson or Jacob Klein
160-?
171-Scott Coleman or Shawn Silvis
189-Justin Dyer or Joe Nelson
215-Wes Walker
HWT-?
this is just one little thing, but maynes never wrestled 130 in HS. I would however take him at 119 or 125
Charles Chainey of Wyandotte was the best 215 I have seen in the state of Kansas and one of the better ones in the country. Anyone who saw him in the state meet his senior year, the east/west meet that year, or against Missouri's Herzog who was ranked fourth in the nation (Charles Pinned him) in the Kansas Missouri match would have seen that. He embarrassed a whole bunch of good wrestlers and was a tremendous athlete off the mat as well.
By the way, Roberson vs. Vandervier, come again??? Roberson was one of the great ones and he is in a class by himself since 1996.
Don't understand your question mark at the 275 lb. class. Jeff Boyle from Norton High School was, without a doubt, the best heavyweight not only during those years but the best ever.
I think that Matt Murray has to be in there somewhere he beat spaulding and may and he can beat may easily. He is improved now but he could have beat may in high school to.
I would put Scott Urban of Atwood at 189, wasn't he an All-American (Maybe even a National Champion) in High school? Also for the 160 weight class, I guess I'd go with Matt Ramsey of Scott City although he didn't win State until his Senior year at 171.
Definately Colemon at 171
3x State Champ
4x State Placer
1x High School National Champ
2 or 3x All American(Freestyle, Greco, etc...)
He won a 132 man bracket at high school nationals and every single one of the national top 20 was there that year!
Just because he beat Spaulding doesn't mean he should be in that spot. I know for a fact Mike Scott from Heights beat Spaulding twice but I would't argue over who was the better wrestler.
Jeremy Long, after his junior year in freestyle got beaten bad by zach roberson, zach allen, dusty spaulding and joe johnston. Jeremy didn't even try to wrestle the tough competition after his senior year. He did win four state titles and I'm not taking that away from him, but to be considered one of the best you have to be able to beat the best kids.
i don't know how you can say that jeremy long didn't beat anyone he beat spaulding 12-5 and he pinned may, the kid pinned all but 2 or 3 guys in his four times at the state tournament. that is just my opinion.
shaun moore
I have one Name for you Josh Stirling. he is an excellent wrestler!!
Aaron Pratt is a pretty good wrestler too so is Donnie Abel. he would have tore it up at state but he has a dislocated sholder!!
Justin Stirling is one of the hardest working kids I know.
Adam Veneges(spelling) is an excellent wrestler!!!! Shawn Maynes and Shawn Bunch and Zach Roberson all kick ACE!!!!!!
why is justin crabbs on the team. He only won state once.
103-chad carlile
112-Derek Mainus (beat jones numerous times)
215-Alex Haines/walker
hwt-boyle hands down
just a few corrections
When I was coaching at Wyandotte we stuck Carlisle with Daniel George on his way to a state championship. George was very tough beat tillman from pratt and his only loss his last two years was to Roberson. Chaney was just a world better than Walker. I mean no contest better in every phase of the game. I really dont think people understand how very good chaney was. I have seen every 215 since the weight was started and had a lot of good ones and he is by far the best I have seen. Nobody wanted to wrestle him by the end of his senior year.
Another guy who should be mentioned in this catagory is Aaron Hodges from Harmon. He was a two time state champ and wrestled varsity at Northwestern in the Big 10 for three or four years. He was a tremendous 171 pounder and I havent seen many better recently than he was. He might not have been the best one but he is sure among them.
what about ubben at 275 and speer at 215? Who the hell is wrestlingfanatic? None of the spring hill guys you mentioned ever won state, and shouldn't even be mentioned in this catergory. Their good no doubt, but all-time greats at all.
I,m sorry but not all my reply was noted. Josh lattimer, a 2x state champion, with two broken hands his sr. yr. wt.215
I think the only true way to have an All-Star team is to place the wrestler where he finished his Senior year at. I had to move a few guys to make the list fit but most everybody is at weight they finished at. Here's mine. I couldn't remember everyone's first and last name but here it goes.
103- Daniel George, Bren Brandenberry
112- Chris Ngo, Austin Devoe
119- Wazell Evans, Shaun Bunch, Michael Bradley
125- Bo Maynes, Zack Roberson, Doug Hoover
130- Devin Bahm, Chris Saferite
135- Billy Gable, Matt Murray, Dustin May
140- Dusty Spaulding, Danny Fox, Jason Nichols
145- Brandon Pfizenmaier, Andy Tieben, Vogel
152- Dirk Foust, Matt Bradshaw, Nathan Lawrenze
160- Jacob Klien, Clint Caton
171- Shaun Silvis, Scott Coleman
189- Joe Nelson, Justin Dyer
215- Wes Walker, Jack Denis, Josh Carrol
Hwt- Jeff Boyle, Andrew Ubben
Ben Orozco of Ellsworth was a 4A finalist @ 103 in '97 and 112 in '98. Ellsworth then dropped to 3-2-1A where Orozco was a champ at 119 in '99 (10-1 over Derek Jones of Hoxie in the finals) and a champ at 125 in '00. Career record of 129-7.
Clint Freeman of Ellsworth was a 4A state qualifier as a freshman at 125 in 1997. Placed 3rd @ 4A 152 as a sophomore (beat Silvis of Augusta twice in the state tournament 4-2, 2-1). He then dropped to 3-2-1A and placed 3rd as a junior. Then, as a senior, he was the most physically dominating 171 pounder in recent memory as he cruised to an undefeated state championship.
Travis Baker of Hoxie state champ as a freshman, second as a sophomore, third as a junior (after Pat Dykstra earned an Oscar for his rendition of an injured wrestler in the semi-finals) and state champ as a senior.
Adam Koster of Hoxie third as a freshman, second as a sophomore, third as a junior and champ as a senior.
Again, maybe not the best, but certainly deserving of a mention in this forum.
Les, I'll agree that Orozco is very deserving of being on a list like that. But if you put Orozco in a category w/ Maynes, Roberson, and Hoover all 4X state champions You can't leave out Beau Tillman a 3X State Champion from Pratt. It's just a stacked weight.
About Freeman, the year he beat Silvis twice, Silvis only wrestled regionals due to a blown out knee from football. If I recall correctly those two wrestled in the East vs. West where Freeman took a thumpin. Also Silvis followed his stellar highschool career with a national championship this year at 165 for UCO.
If you put Baker on this list, you might as well put Chad Flores, Pete Koster, Jeremy Long, Josh Brown all on the list. All four had great highschool careers. Flores 2X, Koster 1X but won one of the toughest brackets I've ever seen as a So. Long 4x With his second coming over Tillman who was going for his fourth. Brown of Columbus also a 2x state champ. Tough pick. Baker was tough, still is.
As for A. Koster, he was a great highschool wrestler but so was Don Boone from Valley Center and Mike Dawes of Andale. Boone was untouchable his Senior year in 96. Dawes was a three time state champ, 2X in 1-2-3A and once in 4A. I don't want to take anything from any of these wrestlers, I just didn't see one shining above the other.
When Tilman lost to Long, Tilman was going for his third title, his junior year.
JJETC -
Was not intending to belittle your selections, as they were great choices. You obviously had done your homework. But I did feel the four I shared were worth a mention too.
The point about Orozco is well taken - but I would have loved to see Ben meet any of the others you mentioned.
And about Freeman. I don't know if I saw the East/West results that year, but do know that Freeman advanced quite a ways in the front side at senior nationals before ending up at 8th place. And also know that Silvis went 0-2 in the same bracket. As for post high school, Silvis is tearing it up - but Freeman wrestled some varsity for the University of Missouri as a true freshman (did he redsirt this year?). Point is that they are both extremely talented.
Thanks for your comments.
This is a tougher one. All-Star team 1985-1989
98-Todd Drake/Terri Smith
105-Kelly Brewster/Wes Harding/Kevin Stewart
112-Corey Jones/Jason Brown
119-Dave Canfield/Eric Akin
126-Neil Keller/Chris Jacoby
132-Lance Wilson/Brady Ayer
138-Todd Layton/E.K. Franks/Craig Lindsey
145- Del Ray/Trevor Squibb
155-Randy Mathews or Doug Morrow??????who first?
167-Preston Underwood/Eric Napier
185-Frank Veach/Sonny Manley
Unlimited-Dave Gossett
How did I do?????
Any all star team that leaves Justin Ware and Doug Duell off it in the state of Kansas is suspect I think. If we are going to go as far back as some of the names on the previous list, I would put Fisher from Norton at 103 and Lampe from Colby at 112 on there somewhere as well as Hernandez of Ark City at 167 and Roberson of Northwest somewhere on the list. Pretty hard to ignore those guys.
Westfahl, That is why I did the list back that far to find out other picks from other individuals.
Roberson or Akin? Your call on that one. (Fun to play the what if game once in a while). You think Hernandez over Underwood? You think the Norton kid over Drake? Ware over Canfield?
Good call Westfahl you got me thinking again. Give me your list. Thanks. Matthew.
Actually yes i do think those guys over the others in each case. I had the honor of coaching against all those guys except for Fisher and I wrestled at the same time he did. We actually beat Akin his senior year with a tremendous wrestler of our own, but in regards to Ware. I am not real sure I have ever seen a better wrestler in this state than he was his senior year. I left out Stan Falkender of St. Francis who was a lot like Justin and about as good. He was about a 142 pounder or something like that I can't remember but he was amazing. They are, in my mind, the two best I have seen since 1965 in any weight class. I think there are a lot of guys in the Roberson, Akin, area but I see no one that is in the same grouping skill and talent wise as Ware and Falkender. They were the two most special wrestlers I have seen with Doug Duell right square behind them. But it is all opinion and everyone elses is as good as mine.
Matthew C- I wrestled both Del Ray and Trevor Squibb in high school. Del Ray was tougher.
Eric Zeeman (Salina Central) was also tough. I would have loved to see him wrestle Del Ray or Todd Layton. They were never in the same weight that I can remember.
That Underwood vs. Hernandez match would be a match worth paying for. I got to reading the posts again and got to thinking about that a bit. I would pay to see that one I don't really know who would win that one. I tell you another couple of guys that were probably better than those two and I had forgotten them is Gary Walters from St. Francis and a fella name Voss from Colby and I don't remember his first name but he was very very tough. If anyone from St. Francis is reading this, I bet, and I am just thinking on paper here, but I bet you could put together an all star team in your history that is very nearly the equal of any all star team you could put together from the rest of the state of Kansas. That little place has had some tough hombre's in the last fifty years or so. Somebody from St. Francis talk to one of those old farmers up there and get them to tell you who the tough guys were. They have had some of the very best Kansas has had to offer.
By the way I am going to vote for my little brother at 189, Rock Westfahl. He was a two time state champ and pinned all but three opponents his junior and senior year and went on to wrestle at LSU. I got to vote for him because he was good and because he won't shut up if i don't hahaha. he was pretty darn good though.
Westfahl & Mamasawn, what do you think about Treaster Beloit? In there anywhere?
Mamasawn, did you wrestle Morrow from Derby or Eddie Harrington (or was he too light-weight)?Can't remember when he wrestled.
Westfahl, Duell? When where did he wrestle? I remember the name, but cannot place it right now.
Your brother was tough, good call.
Ware was incredible to watch. I remember watching him wrestle Clint Lopez from Derby. I think Clint really had the upper hand in that match at the Derby Tournament. Some say bad calls. I disagree just an incredible match. Who ended up winning. Ware. Let me know.
Westfahl & Mamasawn, what do you think about Treaster- Beloit? In there anywhere?
Mamasawn, did you wrestle Morrow from Derby or Eddie Harrington (or was he too light-weight)?Can't remember when he wrestled.
Westfahl, Duell? When where did he wrestle? I remember the name, but cannot place it right now.
Your brother was tough, good call.
Ware was incredible to watch. I remember watching him wrestle Clint Lopez from Derby. I think Clint really had the upper hand in that match at the Derby Tournament. Some say bad calls. I disagree, just an incredible match. Who ended up winning, Ware. Very, very close. Let me know.
Doug Duell was a four time state champ from Goodland in the 70's. He was a smooth on his feet as anyone has been in this state or any other state. He wrestled varsity at Oklahoma State as a freshman and was a match away from placing inthe nationals his freshman year. His sophomore year he was ranked fourth or fifth and the brain trust at OSU decided to go with another wrestler for the big eight tourney and Doug came home if I remember correctly. He was unreal though and as good as there has been. he was the star attraction at the first grand state tourney. He beat Linden Bontz of kapaun in the finals 9-0 or 9-2 and got a standing ovation that lasted for about five minutes or more. He was an awfully good one and I think still lives up around Attwood somewhere. His father was Ben Duell the great coach from Burlington, Colorado and his brother Freddie was a two timer who was very very successful at OSU as well and one of the best leg wrestlers to take the mat in these parts. As for Treaster, I know he was good but I was coaching at a different state those years and didnt see him or coach against him so I really don't know but people said he was very good. I think Lopez had the day of his life against Ware. I coached against both of them with the same wrestler and I know we had Lopez down in the third period and lost and the same kid of mine lost in the state semi's to Justin down eight nothing when he was rudely stuck. I think Justin was much the superior wrestler overall.
Morrow was a tough tough kid. I remember once we had a good kid named Keith Dean at that weight and we caught Morrow witha cradle early in the match at Coffeyville and almost pinned him. All it really did was make him mad and he came out of there like a banshee, hung a cradle of his own and pinned Keith. He really was good, I don't think as good as the other two I mentioned but only marginally not as good. He was not fun to try to beat I can tell you that.
If we are adding older guys into this, I would put in Allen Hankins from Ark City. I don't think I've ever seen a more dominant year than the one he had his senior year. At the Newton tournament, he pretty much handled Brit Madison from Ulysses and no one else even came close.
Westfahl, who was the kid you coached that Lopez beat or Ware stuck? Where were you coaching at?
Now I remember Duell. Smooth wrestler, clutch too.
Should I have added Oeser to that list?
When did Allen wrestle for Ark City?
Westfahl do you remember Eddie Harrington? He wrestled for Derby, OSU, then FHSU.
Did Ware compete at the college level?
Hankins wrestled from 91-94 finished at 135 lbs. 3x champ, runner-up freshmen year.
The kid that I had that wrestled both of them was Tyra Thomilin while I was at Schlagle. When Tyra was a sophomore he wrestled Lopez and was ahead of him in the third period 2-0 and got caught in a backside cradle and got beat. Tyra wrestled Justin the next year over in 5A (we fluxed back and forth about every other year) in the semi finals of state and got hammered. When Justin nailed Tyra, tyra was 24-0 and ranked second in the state. We had no questions about Ware after that day. Lopez had a funny style and I think it sort of artificially made it look like he was closer to Ware than he should have been. He was tough, no doubt but not nearly as athletic as Ware.
By the way Ware went to Nebraska and took second in the Big Eight as a freshman and lost to a national champion in the finals 7-5 after leading most of the match. He was ranked fifth inthe nation as a freshman but was upset at the NCAA's. He didn't like college and left after that but he was great while he was there. Hankins was tough as a boot. He was very dominant both his senior and junior years.
By the way I don't remember Harrington but that could have been when we were in 5A or after I left.
Matthew C- I never wrestled Morrow or Harrington. Others I did wrestle who I thought were good were Shawn Simons (leoti), Rick Burris(Emporia), Danny and Shawn Copeland (Salina Cen) Donnie Modene (Salina South). I never had to wrestle Todd Layton but watched him thump some teammates of mine enough to know he should be on you list. He was tough. I wrestle his teammate Shane Wallis who was pretty good. Treaster should be on your list as well.
Westfahl/Mamasawn. What would you call the dominating team? Example, Kapaun 85 or Beloit in the early 80's.Goodland or Kapaaun during the Grand State years. etc. Who would you rank to be the toughest teams stacked through the years. Tough decision I think. I gues the ultimate all star teams. Ranking 1-10 any year. Matthew.
The best team I have seen was the Ark City team that had the Hernandez brothers, Ware as a soph, Scott Goodale and several others whose names I cant think of, I think a Beeson. That was the most dominant team I have ever seen in this state I think they won a very good 5A by a hundred points or more that year. Hoxie had a team in the early 70's and Norton had one in the late sixties that had five or six state champs a peice. Those were easily the most dominant high school teams I have seen. The Kapaun teams were great but why wouldnt they be, they recruited them all over the Wichita area. I sort of thought of them as a Wichita All-Star team. The Beloit teams were very good and there were some others that I know I am leaving out but those are the ones that stick out in my mind. There was a St. Francis team in the sixties that had some Kellers, Cooks, and others on it that was awfully good. Pudge Wilson had some really amazing teams out there and won the state six times in a row with them.
One name I have seen left off these lists is Scott Murray - he wrestled at Washburn Rural in Topeka from 1989 to 1992 (I believe has was as fat as 125 pounds his senior year). He took 3rd as a freshman and junior, and won state as a sophomore and senior. I'm not sure about the details (I'll have to look it up on the back of the Team Kansas T-shirts...), but I know he was an All-American a couple of times up in Fargo at Junior Nationals.
After high school, he went on to the University of Northern Iowa (the same school Nate Lawrenz attended). As a freshman he qualified for the NCAAs, but didn't make weight. He also came within one match of being an NCAA All-American as a junior. His senior year he was 1-2 (I think) at the NCAAs. Not too shabby, even though he never won a medal at nationals.
I went to the same high school as Scott and had the opportunity to watch him wrestle several times. He worked with the freestyle time in Topeka often and I learned quite a bit from him. He's probably the most talented wrestler I've ever met personally, and I've got quite a bit of respect for the guy.
Probably the best in the early 80's was David Ray. Wrestled for Goddard and Bishop Carroll. 3x state champ and 2 time Greco national champ, freestyle runner-up. Wrestled at Iowa for 3 years behind Randy Lewis, transfered to Edinboro and ended up 3rd in NCAA senior year. He would have to be top 5 in Kansas History.
Todd Drake is mine. Four timer. One loss. Third in Nationals a couple of times DII. National Champion once. Not too shabby. Ware would have been a national champion two times or more. Had the talent walked through 4A through 6A competition.
Do think that wrestlers dominated more then than now? Example, How would Hoover hang with Ware, Canfield, Devoe, Drake, Akin, Jones, Duell, (the schlagle kid that beat whole heartidly Akin) etc. Do you think talent is better today along with work ethic, or stronger in the seventies, sixties or even the eighties??????? Tough one to call.
Westfahl. What is your Complete all-star lineup? 98-heavy. If you could use any year.
Best team- Probably 84 Beloit with 6 champs with the Treaster and Johnson Brothers. Although I saw Ark City scored 203 points in 92. They had to be good.
I think 85 Kapaun was up there. I think they had 6 in the finals and eight in the top 4. I have to say Wichita West with 6 finalists last year and Carrol this year with 10 medals and 4 champs was pretty impressive.
Someone to consider, and I may be a tad bias, is Tony Dong from Concordia. He ended his career at Con with a 54-1 record. In the 9th grade he weighed 80 lbs. and couldn't make the 85 lb. minimum. In the 10th grade he weighed a whopping 90 lbs. but still couldn't make the team. He lost in the state finals his jr. year and had an undefeated sr. year. He then went to Southwest Missouri State and qualified for the NCAA's and went 2-2 his jr. year. His senior year was one to remember and forget. Ranked as high as 5th in the nation he was a runner-up to Boling at the Midlands. Boling was probably three or four years older. He had a great chance at placing at the NCAA's, but didn't make weight for the regional. So, a person can't always tell by his high school career how good of a college wrestler he might be.
Tood Layton from Indy was a four timer who could have went almost anywhere in college but chose to wrestle at Notre Dame and earn a degree that is now making him a lot of money. He is a credit to wrestling, someone who sees the big picture. Also I would put him up with any of the great Kansas wrestlers of all time.
I love to read this stuff, brings back memories.
I got to see Layton one time, he was a very
intimidating wrestler. Saw Ware, his senior year
at regionals and state, awesome. One that maybe
overlooked on here Temoer Terry, hurt most of his
senior year, dominated Bahm in the finals. Bahm
had dominated everyone else that year. Best team
I've seen Ark City, any one in the early 90's.
Ware, Hernandes', Bahm's, Goodale, Hankins.
Although I never thought that Devin Bahm,or Hankins were DOMINATING, they always found a way
to win. I thought Hankins had a "bad" match in
the finals his senior year, but still pulled it
out, truly a champion. Probably his toughfest
matches were in Kids where he had to wrestle
B.J. Moorman from Coffeyville, he never wrestled
in high school because he was home schooled. He
wrestled Kids all the way through, and always
gave Hankins trouble, many one point matches between the two.
Hummm my complete team. I will try although the weights have changed for some of these guys over the years.
98 or 95 then - Fisher - Norton
112 - Lampe - Colby
119 - Duell - Goodland
125 or 127 - Maynes - Salina South
130 - Roberson - BV Northwest
135 - Canfield-Drake-all of those guys.
140 - Ware - Ark City
145 - Falkender - St. Francis
152 - Ginger - St. Francis
160 - Hernandez - Ark City
171 - The Tacha brothers of Norton as a tag team match which would be interesting and entertaining.
189 - Rock Westfahl - Kinsley
215 - Chaney - Wyandotte
HWT - Lonnie Austin - Kinsley and the Norton kid whos name escapes me but was mentioned a lot earlier.
gosh that is tough and I just couldn't remember a few of those weights and where some of them landed. I may have gotten a couple of them out of their weight classes but as Moore reminds me I am getting old. I know I missed some of them and I put the Tacha's on there because they still scare the hell out of me (laugh)
As for do I think kids are better now than in yester-year. No I don't at all. Kids are much sloppier now and they are forced to be because of some of the rules that have been imposed on them. It is impossible to say that kids have changed or not over the years. Everyone likes to say their era is the best but if you look at how short a time that has been in the scheme of things the human animal just doesnt change that much. I will tell you one thing it is much harder to get kids to work hard now but on the other hand they have so much opportunity to wrestle so many more matches they should be better. I think sometimes we try to make wrestling appealing to the masses at the expense of good wrestling. People who know me know I was a leg coach and the rules makers have really tried to end that form of wrestling. Good setups are a thing of the past because the refs will call you for stalling before you can get a quality move set up. That is why, in my mind you see so many kids make desperate and very sloppy moves that cost them matches. Very crowd pleasing but crappy wrestling. I think kids are kids some are more talented than others but it is not the same game for better or worse and maybe both that it was twenty five or thirty years ago. Personally I think it was more of an art then than it is now and I miss that very much.
Ubben does not even compare to Boyle. He is in nowhere near the same league. Boyle was a solid block of finely-tuned muscle. He would have pinned Ubben in the first period just like he did to every opponent he faced his senior year. There is no question as to the best HWT during this time period.
After thinking about my list for a few hours, I probably left off Eric Akin who should be there along side of Roberson or Maynes and Roy Oeser who should be there at 152 with Ginger of Sainty. Really backstroking now ain't I (smile).
Boyle is by far the best HWT. I agree he would have pinned Ubben just like everyone else his Junior and Senior year with the exception of his finals match his Junior year.
how about David Seamonds at 189lbs?
Great list Westfahl! I would have to disagree with Falkender over Layton. Lampe would have lost to Jones of Kapaun by at least four points.
Picking this list is like eating a mud sandwhich. Not very much fun. Amazing how many old timers are listed compared to the current crew.
What about Little from the old Douglass days? Wrestled for K-State. Tough as some of the rest.
Hernandez would have had to break Underwoods fingers to get that spot in the line-up.
What a wonderful game this has become. Amazing only a few of us try to put forth the perfect team.
Westfahl, What ever happened to Melchori (spelled right?) of Coffeyville?
Westfahl what about Richards of Oberlin he beat Ron Tacha 5 times Tacha junior year.
Which Tacha larry or ron.
About Layton and Falkender man no way on that one. I mean no comparison in the two of them. Falkender was one of the most complete wrestlers i have ever seen in this state heck he beat Horning from Norton a bunch and Horning was better than Layton.
I forgot about Richards that has been a long time ago and I was a youngen
I coached against Layton lots of times, beat him once and there is just no way in the world he was in the same class as Stan. I can go with a bunch of things but that would not be one of them.
By the way if you didnt see Lampe and Lowry it is hard to really believe how good they were. They matched in the state finals and a bunch of times before that, then Lampe went on to wrestle varsity at Iowa State and Lowry at OU I think. Talking about a couple of natinonal class wrestlers here. Jones was ok but he wasnt national caliber.
I guess I never had the opportunity of watching Falkender. When? where? I would love to have seen him wrestle if he could have stomped Layton. Thanks for the input Westfahl. Matthew.
Falkender and Horning were in the late 60's along with Lampe and Lowry.
I tell you on further review I think I would put Lightner of Garden City in at 167 and J.D. Armstrong of Liberal in there at 189 ahead of my brother (so you know I was impressed. sorry J.D. how could I forget a brute like you) Seamonds would have gotten wild with my brother or J.D. and they would have pinned him.
It is hard to imagine how difficult the Northwest Kansas league was in the 60's and 70's and before that really. You could, and they would (laugh) make an all star team for each team in that league and it would be hard to match anywhere else in the state. They were that dominant. By the way Hernandez was pretty good no matter what appendage he was breaking (laugh). This is fun it is nice to remember some of those guys they were all awfully good. I dont mean to impune Layton either he was tremendous. Talking about an elite group here and of course he is in the large group.
You know so much of this is guys each of us have seen in our lives. I had completely forgotten about Richards from Oberlin and he was a great one. Another guy in that 167 range that was awfully good was Val Landis of Wellington. If you really think about it that 160 to 170 pound range is full of good ones in Kansas, like Kline of Kapaun, Walters of Sainty, the guys I already mentioned. Lots of very good wrestlers there. I guess the proof of it is that it is just **** tough to put together just one team of guys they all had there strengths and all of them were very very good. The best part is there will be many many more of them, some little booger is planning on it as we type I bet in some town somewhere right this minute.
Are you the same Westfahl that coached at Flinthills High School in the mid 80's. I know that his name was Rock Westfahl, and he coached my brother.
for the metro classic (ks vs mo)is anderson county included? is garnett conciderd part of the metro?
Billy; That was my little brother Rock that coached your brother down there. He is teaching school in Victoria, Texas now.
As for the territory for the metro classic, because of the disparity of numbers between the Kansas and Missouri side, they roughly go 75 miles or 50 I can't remember which from the sight (kck juco) to get participants. That makes the potential wrestlers available about equal. I know the Missouri people cry about that but there about three times as many wrestling schools on the Missouri side of the metro and about five times the population. If they didnt do that there would be no way to find enough seniors to fill it out. Heck the state champions in Missouri mostly come from this side so they have plenety of talent to pick from. As for Anderson County and Garnett, I don't know I will check and see if I can find out for you. Why is there a kid or two over there we should be looking at. Let me know if there is and I will alert Troy Hodges about it.
i dony know if there will be anyone from Anderson county that would be good for that, i am going to go ther next year and i wanted to see if i might have a chance of going.
Doug Duell beat my dad at the first grand state ever held. He won.
Takedown; Not that it matters to me much what you think, but I don't coach anymore, I'm gettin old. I doubt that your taxes ever paid much of my salery when I did though but I am glad your minding my business for me, always nice to see someone doing that for an old guy.
Hey Takedown are you the forum police or what. Pretty rude of you. Guess you don't want to talk about wrestling you just want to pop off.