2012 BOBCAT CLASSIC

PLATTE COUNTY MISSOURI AND CLAY CENTER HAVE BEEN ADDED TO
ROUND OUT THE FIELD OF 36 AT NEXT YEAR'S BASEHOR-LINWOOD
BOBCAT CLASSIC.

How about Andover Central?

Two nice additions!

Ok, that is ridiculous and crazy, enough is enough.
This tournament was tough enough already two years ago but continues to get tougher every year.
This tournament is becoming way too big and way too tough.
It will supplant GC as the toughest and probably already has.
It definitely needs a new name because Bobcat is just not tough enough.
How about Saber-Toothed Tiger or He-Man Battle Cat or perhaps "Muscle Tribe of Danger and Excellence",
oh wait, that last one is what we will declare the team that wins it.

We had 27 state champs in it this year. I was going to total the placers but haven't gotten around to it yet. I am pretty certain no tourney matched that total this year. Newton and Garden are very tough but not any tougher than the Bobcat. It is a tester that is for sure.

That is kids who have won a state championship at some point in their career including this past year.

Platte County has 3x state champ Slyler Wood at 125 this year and a tough 103/112 as well and probably some others. Clay Center was loaded not sure what they graduated but they are always tough.

Here is a list of 24 current or previous state champions who participated at Newton:
1. Dustin Reed of Colby
2. John Risewick of Norton
3. Josh Walker of Tulsa Union
4. Dane Norris of Manhattan
5. Cody Beasley of Campus
6. TJ Stokes of Gardner-Edgerton
7. Konnor Kriss of Colby
8. Troy Bainter of Norton
9. Daniel DeShazer of Wichita Heights
10. Brandon Charbonneau of Emporia
11. Trey Dice of Arkansas City
12. Bradley Little of Derby
13. Kyle Ash of Tulsa Union
14. Chase Sanchez of Emporia
15. Matt Reed of Wichita Heights
16. Landon Keiswetter of Norton
17. Reece Wright-Conklin of Lawrence
18. Spencer Shirk of Norton
19. Kyle Crutchmer of Tulsa Union
20. Zach Anderson of Clay Center
21. Hunter Jameson of Wichita-Heights
22. Justin McPhail of Liberal
23. Nathan Butler of Leavenworth
24. Jesse Trent Dodge City

There were also 2 wrestlers who have titles to their name who did not participate:
Devon Keith of Carroll
Anthony Calderon of Garden City

I would say Newton is right on par with the Bobcat Classic and especially when you consider that Bobcat has 10 more teams that participate.

I might do some research for the Garden City tournament, which is also pretty salty.

Garden City, Goodland and Abilene dropped out a couple years ago only to be replaced by Oak Park Mo, Blue Springs Mo, and Mountain Range Co!! So what 2 teams dropped this year to let Platte Co, and Clay Center in?


Kevin Seybold

Like I said, they are all tough. Just as a point of interest, we had one weight, 135, where we had six state champs in three different states. We had a two timer seeded seventh at another weight and he took seventh. All of these tourney's have those kinds of weights but I thought those were interesting.

Here are the 29 former and current state champions from the Garden City Tournament:
1. Paul Mascarenas CLEVELAND
2. Mac Borrego CLEVELAND
3. Drew Romero LAJUNTA
4. Braun Marquez RANDALL
5. Geordan Martinez PINECREEK
6. Michiel Roberts RANDALL
7. Nathaniel Lujan RIORANCH
8. Josh Martinez PINECREEK
9. Matt Nunez RIO RANCHO
10. CJ York ROOSEVELT
11. Darrian Adame LAMAR
12. Travis Himmelman CONIFER
13. Zack Rogers RIORANCHO
14. Austin Gabel PONDEROSA
15. Anthony Garcia RIO RANCHO
16. Shea Nolan RIO RANCHO
17. Anthony Calderon GARDEN CITY
18. Chris Burley GREAT BEND
19. Jesse Trent DODGE CITY
20. Chase Sanchez EMPORIA
21. Brandon Charbonneau EMPORIA
22. Justin McPhail LIBERAL
23. Jason Perez ULYSSES
24. Taylor Moeder ST. JAMES ACADEMY
25. Ryne Cokeley ST. JAMES ACADEMY
26. Jake Hattabaugh ANDALE
27. Colten Lissolo HUGOTON
28. Clay Mulligan SCOTT CITY
29. Luke Hayes SCOTT CITY

Looks like Garden City surpassed the total for the Bobcat Classic.

I saw both tourney's and there is no doubt about the quality of either of them. They both pass the eye test for toughness. I don't care really which one is this or that, they are just all three great high school tourney's that showcase this area of the country.

numbers don't make a tournament tough. wrestlers do. numbers can be skewed or twisted to make any point valid. tough wrestling is tough wrestling no matter how you look at it. right ricky?

I don't know why anyone is worried about it, all three of these tourneys are great to watch and remarkable for the competitors. What they all three have in common is administrators that care deeply about wrestling and wrestlers. I don't know who is doing Newton now, but Joe Keeler and Martin Segovia are two A.D.'s that are totally committed to high school wrestling and they do a marvelous job on those two tourney's. They are proud old wrestlers and they are doing a great job of promoting wrestling through these tournaments. That is all that is really important.

Westfahl, you said it. As coaches we don't care which tournament is tougher, we want the best possible competition for our wrestlers and the fans. Also don't forget that the coaches have a big impact on the continued success of these tournament not just the AD's. Believe it or not coaches are also proud old wrestlers that help promote this great sport of wrestling!! The toughness of each tournament is always going to be debated but in reality it just doesn't matter. Each year you will have some weights tougher and weaker than others but lets not take anything away from the kids that wrestle them, they have no control over who is in what weight or what tournament they attend.

Coach, I am an old retired wrestling coach from not all that far from where you live right now. Believe me, I understand how much coaches have to do with it, and I am now a fan of all of you. Best of luck.

Carlos, What Randy did not tell you! He is from Kinsley, Kansas and back in 1969-1970 Garden City HS was in a battle with Kinsley HS in a dual meet. Randy Westfahl is old school tough. GCHS was riding a three year unbeaten dual record. We lost my senior year in 1972 to Liberal. Back then the Invitie was only
7 schools with GCHS A & B teams entered. In 1971-72 added Edmond HS, Okla. Coached by Dean Biggs. That team had DeWayne Martin #105, Mel Perez #112 both Okla state placers as Juniors. FYI:
Some tough kids back then:Keenan,Claphan,Scheuerman,Kulten of GBHS. Bob Foward of Hougton,Rod Strate,Larry Atwood,Bill Gillett, Rock Westfahl of Knisley.David Romero,Mike Taylor, Ulysses.Mike & Wayne Woofter,Colby.David Edwards,Louie Riederer, Dodge City. We had Mike Brungardt #138. Who is now a strength coach for a NBA BB team. RMG

Robert. . .JD Armstrong from Liberal has to be added to your list of past greats at the GCHS Invite; JD was the late '60's equivalent of Jeff Boyle. . .JD had some of the biggest biceps I had ever seen; and this was in the days before weight training was prevalent!

Dean Biggs; that is a name from the past! We had the privelege of watching him wrestle in High School at GCHS in the early 60's. Wasn't he teammates with Johnny Lightner (who went from GCHS to GCCC and was a Juco National Champion and had a solid two years at Oklahoma State?

I also remember watching Steve Lampe, then of Colby High School, wrestle in the GCHS Invite.

The Bobcat Classic has added defending Oklahoma 4A state champion,
Collinsville, Oklahoma to next year's event. They will join Platte
County, Mo. and Clay Center, Kansas as new tourney teams. The tournament is now full with the addition of Collinsville. It should be a lot of fun!

Collinsville has KS ties with West Harding coaching them. And Gary Wayne won his first high school state championship this year as a freshman at 112.

Colllinsville's lower weights are super tough.