This old topic from 2002 http://www.usawks.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000350 is definitely worth another read. By the way, anyone have any footage of Jeff Boyle as many of KS most knowledgable stated that Steven Mocco (Recent NCAA Champ) had nothing on him. In that respects, it would be fantastic to put together a compilation of KS All-time best in 1 minute highlight increments to produce a 60 or 90 minute tape for sale to the Kansas wrestling community. It could very easily sell for $29. All it would take is for parents to volunteer some home footage tapes to some media medium savvy person to compile with mix of natural background sounds, upbeat music, coach commentary etc. and morph into one truly awesome piece of Kansas Wrestling History. Let's see, I can envision.. Akin, Roberson, Temoer Terry, Ware, Melvin Douglas, Todd Drake, Shawn Bunch, Chris Bollin, Brooke Bogren, etc. -------
*** And wouldn't it be awful nice to have that savvy person or group to be generous enough to donate profits back to Kansas Wrestling... I just wish I was capable because I would be on it. At least I've offered up my idea.

I also think would be an awesome marketing tool to have in few second increments -- highlights of individuals (Kids such as Bo Pursel, Deshazer, Tischauer, for Kids State/ Taplin, Cornejo, Grater, Erisman for H.S.) to make a 30 second commercial to air say during big market Topeka, Wichita, Salina, Hays, Manhattan, Lawrence, KC TV newscast during Sports News at 6 or 10 pm for say 2 weeks preceeding the High School and Kids State Tourneys showcasing a few of the top grapplers in intense action and pan the crowd, show the "Grand March" song entry for placers, lazer show, a hand raised etc. , the City and venue i.e. ..Expocenter, Colliseum, Gross Memorial and end with welcome invitations to public from each respective ambassador Kids Director Greg Grater, KWCA President Kit Harris to each corresponding event. as ol' Larry the Cable Guy would say, ...someone please just ... "Get R' Done "! I'm willing to help all I can if someone is willing to run with this baby !!

To take the tapes to next level ..How bout ??
1) Take-down artist 2) Pinning Wizards 3) Beefcakes 4) Wichita area or NEK area etc. best
5) Top Teams 6) Collegiate Contenders 7) Top Brother tandems 8) Kids Federation- Up & Comers
9) Top-notch Coaches 10) the 80's. Feel free folks to offer up who you think is deserving in each of these sub-categories. It would be a priviledge to be featured so I bet this could actually work if parents would be willing to submit tapes to be dubbed and give back to them. I know I'd absolutely love to see and own everyone of these. Any suggestions ?? Kevin Calhoon- Atchison, KS chiefs_fan58dt@yahoo.com

My daughter and I actually put a tape together in the past for my son and one for his former club that was really good. This is a great idea; one of the problems though is that some of the colleges, if using college footage could maintain rights to the tape if I am not mistaken. I don't know if you could get a release or how this would work. Lawyer type could probably answer this question. If the rights were available, this might be a great idea to work on over the year. I'll also say this, there are a lot of the old-timers that if footage was available would make a great tape. Charlie Knox actually recommended that I look at doing a book for a fundraiser as well with some stories of Kansas Wrestlers and coaches. With the stories I obtained while doing the All-American Shirt I am convinced that there are so many great stories out there that it would also do well.

when arguing Ks. "all-time" best, you get into infinite arguments. only one Kansan that I know of has won three NCAA championships-- does that mean he was better? compared to his peers of the time , probably yes. Head to head with those who wrestled since 1955? Hard to say. films are fun to watch, but the argument of who would be the "all time" best, its just a waste of time because there is no way to actually tell without the candidates wrestling each other while at the top of their games. recordwise, hard to say that anyone from Kansas has created the legacy that Myron Roderick has created. I know that as late as the 1970's , when he hosted the Oklahoma state wrestling camps, he would offer any participant a full refund if they could take him down-- I saw a lot of people try but never saw anyone do it.

Just to tell you Tischauer won't be wrestling this year...more than likely

Kahuna,

Obviously the "best brother tandem" in this state is not up for grabs. Let's just say that Prant is a large part of the Garker family tradition, while other family members have lagged behind. (Some would say, "Lagged be-Highland.")

Nevertheless, your video is a good idea. To increase sales, I recommend you also make a Prant Garker/Hat Town witty banter instructional video. We would teach how to spell correctly, fight The Man, apply the name switch, and of course, bomb on Nigel. Those things would be selling like hot cakes.

Aahh...Nobody compares to northwest kansas wrestling.

Anyone know what happened to Marvio Tischauser?

What brother tandems are going to make the most noise this year ? High School or Kids ??

Eric Akins has been a pretty Bad wrestler from Kansas. At least he has in freestyle and greco. as you can see from past results of Fargo

Yes Akin, Bad dude. Yes, obviously FS & GR. But not just that. I am more impressed with 4 NCAA DI All-American honors. 2 Time Finalist?

Look for A.J. Heckle to challenge for a championship and his brother Derick to put up a good showing at 4a state this year. Next year will be the year for the brothers to excell.

the dixons would have if they wouldn't have moved to gorgeia this year they were good

ken piazza is one of the best coaches to coach high school wrestling and beloit should be mentioned as one of the best schools

Best all-time spans seventy years--- no one is old enough to remember all who have come and gone, and if anyone is living that did see, he likely can't remember. so you have to go with stats. Beloit is impressive exclusively because Piazza chose that school to prove his superior coaching skills and it would appear that he took the first oppurtunity to move to a place he would rather have been coaching when it was offered. Since he is still there, I would surmise that once he was satisfied with his position, he was willing to stay there. when you look at the great programs, they were able to continue at a championship level when old coaches left and new coaches arrived. Beloit has had good individuals since the group that Piazza developed graduated, but have never threatened to win a state title since. Other schools, like Norton, Hoxie, St. Francis, Douglass, Ark City,
and Goodland have. all time best in teams is a pretty tough shoe to fill.

Best programs of all time- look northwest. St. Francis has State Champions dating back to 1934 and about 90+ thereafter (of course several two timers, three timers and one four timer), many team titles and too many state placers to count.

well if you look at the numbers for teams here is a list of state team champs

1 arkcity 19
2 st fran 16 but two were ties
3wichita east 10 but that was in the old days
4 hoxie 9
5 oberlin 8
6 emporia 8
7 norton 7
8 garden city 6
9 kapun 5 -1 grand state
goodland 5
colunbus 5
newton 5

and lots of single championships Arkcity and hoxie are the only teams that have won consistantly over the 74 years of keeping track arkcity being the most consistant.

as far as the best single wrestler iv seen alot of good guys from kansas and even had the chance to try a take down on myron rodrick, in the 70s, he was i think 50 years old and woopen the best guys okla st had so he would be my pick as best grappler from ks all time. David Ray from goddared bishop carrol very very good, and then roberson. just my picks

"Ark City and Hoxie are the only teams that have won consistantly over the 74 years...."
I would disagree. I think that if you look it up, AC and Hoxie were not able to win a title until the schools were split up in 1966. that leaves them three decades (almost) behind Sainty, who won their first in 1938, when they had to beat everybody. of St. Francis' 16 titles, 8 were exclusive-- one class, the original Grand State. Wichita East had 9 during that time period. It has been mentioned that two of St. Francis' titles were ties, any state champion after 1966 (except the Grand state champs) is in the same boat, sharing the title with one to three other schools. I will concede that AC's 11 straight 88=98 run is legendary, several of those teams possibly being among the best ever, I doubt that would have been possible before 1966 when so many schools were contending that could take out your scorers. there is no doubt that AC would have won several of those 11 in an all-inclusive venue, I just doubt if they would have won all of them. Fact of the matter is that only St. Francis has won titles in all decades that wrestling has been in Kansas, and even though they might not be in the top 3 or 4 teams of all time, they cannot be dismissed for the consistency award for the 74 years. I think that this decade may bring them down, as they just get smaller and amaller due to the farm economy, and they may be swallowed up if consolidation gets to be a big deal, but over their run, with the amazing variety of coaches that they have had, their run of titles over time will not be duplicated, because no other team has been at the top for so long.

Great post mike and thanks i enjoy learning more about this great sport we share an intrest in and didnt know all the details about st fran traditon. And you are right about the diffrence in compeating with all schools rather then just a single class thanks for the Info.