SMS vs. OS

Shawnee Mission South (40) Olathe South (24)
106- (SMS) Open vs Denny Deaton
113- Skylar Olsen (SMS) WBF over Cameron White (OS)
120- Jacob Benson (SMS) LBF to Bailey Yetmar (OS)
126- Brent Haffey (SMS) W dec over Matthew Massey 2-0
132- Avery Reynolds (SMS) vs (OS) Open
138- Both Teams Open
145- J.W. Pabst (SMS) W dec over Derek Pike (OS) 8-2
152- (SMS) Open vs Morgan Bromely (OS)
160- Brandon Jenkins(SMS) Mdec over Cody Brown(OS)14-3
170- Ahmed Alsmar (SMS) vs (OS) Open
182- Rasheed Brady (SMS) WBF over Matt Loy (OS)
195- Adolph Mathews (SMS) vs (OS) Open
220- Both Teams Open
Hwt- Joey Horak (SMS) LBF to Josh Luttrell (OS)

Open weights

106, 132, 138, 170, 195, 220

Pitiful for 6A schools!

Do you think it's a numbers issue or maybe an issue of fall sports participants who might have taken the 1st week off and then held out first competition?

Give me a break. We're talking Class 6...fall sports or not I can't believe there aren't enough JV or B team guys available to fill the holes. Time to do some hallway recruiting.

State Qualifiers Missing for SMS: Humphrey, Pearce, Jongerius, Arriaga

State Qualifiers Missing for OS: Dremel, Bauerly, Copen

Majority of the JV/B-team guys are first year wrestlers at these schools. Probably not a good idea to throw them into the varsity lineup after a couple weeks of learning wrestling.

Yeah you're right it wouldn't be "fair".

Wish both schools would have had all their atheletes for this dual.

Rasheed Brady(SMS) had a good match at 182 and Skylar Olson(SMS) wreslted at 113 and looked technically solid- he will wrestle at 106. Perhaps the most entertaining and impressive kid of the night was Rayquan Williams(OS) at 160#. He wrestled JV and had two entertaining and high energy matches. He was non-stop effort and action from beginning to end. Once his techncial knowledge and experience catch up with his effort and athletic abilities he will be very good.

Too many options in big schools and many kids in larger areas don't want to work as hard as wrestling requires. Larger schools quite simply have the most opportunity, and the least participation percentage. That is a issue that nobody has solved. The top kids are still usually more frequent in the larger schools I believe because for those who want it they have more access to different coaches, facilities, and workout partners. It's simply more kids in a smaller area. Over 50% of the ranked kids and over 70% of the #1 all-class kids are 5a or 6a. My kid can get to east KS, Purler, Park Hill, MoWest, and Victory all in less than 45 minutes. You can't do that in smaller areas. But that still does not give you full rosters. At it's core wrestling is not a "city" sport. It's a rural blue colar, get to work sport. You just don't see that enough right now.

Wrestling is hard and more and more kids right now don't want to work. Those that do will always have my respect. Just being honest. Here is to all the kids that come out for wrestling and work hard every day. That will get you far when your wrestling life is over.

I understand at an event like Gardner or Basehor, but for a dual vs. SMS I would think that it would be a good idea to wrestle your JV guys to fill the roster.

I agree 100% with your statements, It's been getting worse each year getting new athletes to stick with the sport, it is much easier for them to quit and their parents are ok with it. It is sad.

Here are my suggestions for increased participation. I don't have all the answered but have been around the block a time or two.

1. Your HS coach needs to be involved in your JR high or kids clubs. He needs to start building a bond with the kids. By the time they get to HS it's too late, wrestling is too hard for the majority of the kids to start in HS. Kids will try things when they are younger they will not as they get to HS. Too many beatings and they get more violent the older they get.

2. You need to have a JR high or kids club program to feed your school. (I guess that goes before #1). Name all the top programs with good participation and good year over year results and they all have good feeder programs. Colby, STA, Lansing, Wichita Heights, Andale, Goddard, Norton, Hoxie, Chanute, etc.

3. You need leaders in your top kids, someone others look up to.

4. Create something positive. Kids want to be a part of something that makes them feel wanted.

5. Don't be afraid to let kids work with other clubs, or teams. Of coarse not during the HS season, but some coaches don't want kids working with "outsiders" afraid they might see their secrets or want to leave. It's actually the opposite.

6. They need to wrestle more that 3 months a year and coaches from HS or club or something need to provide leadership more than 3 months a year. Freestyle, camps, off-season workouts, etc.

Just my thoughts, but think of any top program and they have this. On the contrary look at any program struggling for numbers and I bet you they don't have a least one if not more of these factors.

Good stuff. Here's a link from the MO board with some excellent ideas/advice:

http://www.missouriwrestling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13737

I am sure some of OS opens have to do with the fact that they just finished football as they won the 6A State Title this past weekend and those wrestlers on the football team were not available.

Think before you post guys, We had a hand full of starters play in a state title football game a few days before.

Just my opinion......

I believe Badbo is on the right track. I will speak of just what I am involved with (6A Olathe Schools).

Little to no support by the district and most School Administrators. The wreslting program, and wrestlers are treated as a "red-headed stepchild". This includes the youth programs in the district also. Little to no recognition by the school and/or administration.

It is not Football or Basketball! No glamour, with lazy kids and parents, and alot of hard work. Or better said, Johnson County!

So why would anyone want to be involved in this type of activity? Unless you are the select few, with passion, drive and just plain love for the sport.

Being involved in wrestling for the past 13 years, and after the last 3 years of dealing with the OS Administators, we have made the family decision to not be involved in the KSHSAA this year. So you will not be seeing Zach Dremel in the rankings or on the mat at this level. It was a difficult conclusion to end up at, and the end of a sucessful run. Giving up the chance of a State Champioship was the hardest. But as a family we choose to stand our ground.

In closing, this is why wrestling is still the "Greatest Sport" with the best and toughest kids. Who will be able to hold their own in LIFE.

Mark Dremel

Wow, that's kind of a slap in the face towards SMS wrestling..if my memory serves me correctly, I beleive SMS won the Shawnee Mission duals Last season, beating Shawnee mission east in the final round to go 4-0, so what are you saying about the rest of the Shawnee Mission schools wrestling programs? Im just saying, that is kind of a low blow.

Humphrey, Pearce, Jongerius, Arriaga, all sat out for points, rather than waiting until the end of the year and sitting out a dual or tournement they got it out of the way early. They all wrestled at Springhill tonight. Humphrey went 5-0, Pearce went 5-0, Jongerius went 4-1, and Arriga went 4-1. Those four guys are all back, just a little change in team stratagy this year.