As a parent of a wrestler that participated in the Eagle Invitational, I am deeply disappointed with the conduct of the Eagles
113 lb wrestler. I sat in the stands and watched him punch another wrestler in the head, not once but three times and the ref claimed to have been out of viewing area to call it. I have a video of this. It was a blatant attack by the Colby wrestler and the ref was in full view. I wont name names, and I may be removed from your forum for posting this, but my point is this: What are we teaching these young men when they are not held accountable for their actions? The video is on its way to KHSAA. As far as Im concerned, Colby HS coaching staff, the ref and the wrestler should all be held accountable.

Well since this is your first post on the Kansas wrestling forum welcome. But since you're from Colorado and you have a agenda to criticize our high school, coaches and student/athletes without really knowing any of them and there coaching abilities is classless. Why go on a public forum and post your concerns and anger on a individual who you say you won't post his name but put his weight on here. I have been involved in this wrestle community for years and our coaches do a great job on and off the mat as well as the classroom. Over the years I have seen some pretty wicked cross faces some being penalized a point some let go. Some even thrown on my own sons. Wrestling is a tough sport and all things don't always go our way, but the sun will come up tomorrow. Have a good season. Blake

As a parent and wrestling fan I have every right to criticize when I see a coach, mentor not do the right thing.
Is it an isolated instance? Boy, I hope so. Was it not as intentional as the video makes it seem? Boy, I hope so.
I have no problem calling out an adult. Coach Sims looked right at his wrestler after the other teams coach questioned the ref as to why the punches weren't called illegal. All Coach Sims chose to do was put a finger to his temple and tell his kid to be smarter. A good coach would have pulled his kid and shown he had no tolerance for dirty moves. This, Blake, is classless. Not my posting on your forum so that others know about this incident. You miss one main point of my post---I asked the question as to what we are teaching our young men when we don't hold them accountable? I, too, have seen some "wicked crossfaces" This was no cross face. Its two, closed fist, hard punches to the back of the head. Im not sour grapes that you have a good program and Im not calling out all your wrestlers. Kudos to a strong program. Maybe this should all be laid at the feet of the ref. But from what is on this video that was sent to me, it certainly appears that it could have been handled better at matside. As far as an agenda? I have none. I wont see Colby HS wrestle again this year. I don't wish any of the team or school any ill will, Im just asking that someone realize that we do no justice to these young men when we condone bad behavior. As a student athlete, these kids should be held to a higher standard than that of a thug.

You ask the question, "What are we teaching our young men when we don't hold them accountable?" Your question would hold more merit if you held yourself accountable and posted your name since you did call a coach and program out by name. The rules state that if you do so you should post your name. Are you able to lead by example on how people should be held accountable? If not your post holds no merit.

Chad Beeson

It really does. Thank You.

Well Mike not sure what your intent is and I do have a son that wrestles on the team so maybe I may take it personal that you would question the integrity of the program and coaching staff over something you see questionable. Do you know if coach Sims talked to him after the match and what did that conversation intell? I don't, but can assure you that this isolated incident that you see intentional is not coached or tolerated by our staff in anyway. I'm just saying if you had a problem with it then there are other ways to handle it. Sorry you had a bad experience as this is a good tournament that takes alot of effort by the school, community as well as the schools involved to make happen. Were you at the tournament or just recieved the video and are basing everything off it? Blake

How exactly should a spectator handle it? Yes, I was there. I cant interrupt a match, especially when it doesn't involve me directly. I saw pats on the back and congratulations on a match that was won. Do I know what happened behind closed doors? No. I don't.
In the heat of battle, so to speak, maybe it wasn't looked at in the same light that it would when you watch the video. I can tell you are a proud community, and that you don't like the criticism. But maybe, just maybe it wont ever happen again because somebody like me stood up and said they saw it and it wasn't right and it shouldn't be ignored.

My name is Chris Gardner. This is very well could be my first and last post on this forum. I do enjoy the sport of wrestling having wrestled in HS and coached some in both MS and HS. I also enjoy reading this forum, but am not near knowledgable enough to throw out many opinions on it. I make this post in regards to the post involving Coach Sims and the match at the Eagle Invite. I have not watched the video, but do have access to it and haven't had a chance to see it yet. So, I am not going to address what happened. I am going to address the post attacking the character of Coach Sims. If you post on a public forum about a situation and judge how that situation was handled by those involved, then you have an agenda.... Your agenda was to question the character of an athlete, coach, and referee in a given situation. You were not involved in the situation, and from what I can tell, you might not have seen the situation live, but saw a video of it? IDK.
I can tell you from working with Coach Sims and the other coaches on his staff, and coaching that athlete in another sport, that questioning his and their character, and how they should have reacted in this instance on public forum might have been over the top. You can have your opinion on what you saw, (live or on video) and how you might have handled it. But to be so exact on how it should have been handled and this is what should have been done, and by that not happening Coach Sims doesn't hold athletes accountable etc... You couldn't be farther from the truth. In my opinion, Your "hope" that this is just an isolated incident further shows that you do have an agenda. You were a spectator at an athletic event. Enjoy your time. Root for your team.
It is a great tournament, and I hope that you had a good enough time to come back next year.
As far as the character and mentorship that Coach Sims and his staff have in the Eagle wrestling program... I can say that I would hold it in high regard. I have been around it for 8 years.
JMO.

We are a proud community and we do accept constructive criticism that's what makes one better. Have a nice day.

I cannot stand by and watch this without saying something, no matter how much my husband would like me to ignore it. You are questioning my sons integrity as a wrestler and as a person and I do take that to heart. He has never had anything such as this said about him and to do it publicly as you have done is not mature. That is your side of it. It was not fist to his head, it was forearm to forearm and it was twice. I was sitting right in front of it as was the Ref who didn't call it. Was it more aggressive then it needed to be, yah probably, and we handled that way before your public comments. He is a 16 year old boy who is still learning. We discussed this in our home and do not feel it was any of your business to determine what kind of people surronding him would allow such a thing. Wrestling is a contact sport and sometimes things that are inappropriate aren't picked up on the video...
Tate didn't need to be cheap to win the match, he works hard and takes wrestling very seriously, to speak of him in this manner is insulting and inappropriate.

Tricia Carney aka Tate's Mom

I think there is some confusion here from the accuser. I just watched the video between Pine Creek and Colby and I assume this is the dual in question, I did not see that Colby wrestled another CO school. Tate stuck his opponent early in the first with a chicken wing, there were no cross faces or "punches" in the match. In the 106 weight there was one questionable cross face from Colby but, later in the match the CO wrestler used the exact same cross face. It once each per wrestler in this match. What I saw was fairly common practice (until warned). I did not see an issue there.

The match was the Colby Burlington dual on Friday evening.

Now I am questioning what kind of people are surrounding this wrestler. What kind of man can not control his woman?

Oh my Beeson. You just opened a big can of worms.

Wasn't there, didn't see it but I've seen Tate wrestle. He wrestled my son at Hays last year. It was very physical, it had a LOT of people watching. That being said, when it was done it was as good a sportsmanship one could ask from Tate. And he didn't get his hand raised. So whoever is influencing him and steering him, my hats off to you. I think he is a fine competitor that I would love to have on my team.

I haven't read through all the responses yet AND I have no dog in this fight.....however, at the 2:35 mark below, you can judge for yourself.


Keep in mind that this is a Colby broadcast. Muting is recommended. ;-)


Link to Open Spaces Sports - Colby vs Burlington


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1 point unnecessary roughness maybe in 1st.
Still dominant performance by Tate.