Derby 1919
Dodge City 1854
Garden City 2024
Hutchinson 1487
Junction City 1737
Maize 1387
Manhattan 1638
Wichita-East 2258
Wichita-Haysville Campus 1546
Wichita-North 2071
Wichita-Northwest 1415
Wichita-South 1601
Wichita-Southeast 1570

JOHNSON COUNTY
Gardner-Edgerton 1406
Olathe East 2046
Olathe North 2025
Olathe Northwest 1929
Olathe South 2090
OP-Blue Valley 1449
OP-Blue Valley North 1512
OP-Blue Valley Northwest 1593
OP-Blue Valley West 1357
Shawnee Mission East 1653
Shawnee Mission North 1500
Shawnee Mission Northwest 1752
Shawnee Mission South 1364
Shawnee Mission West 1755

TOPEKA AND EAST
Kansas City-Wyandotte 1444
Lawrence 1465
Lawrence-Free State 1555
Topeka 1739
Topeka-Washburn Rural 1817


Since the inception of the 6A Class in 1979 only two Johnson County High Schools have won a title, Blue Valley 1997 and the 2005 STA team. That is 2 out of 35... With 14 of the 32 schools being from Johnson County it seems that we need to challenge our wrestlers and coaches to break free from their traditional scheduling and training. It isn't working. We cannot get any better unless we all work together and plan. Without change there will be no improvement and all of you know this means that some of the change might be painful or a struggle to pull off. It is a simple equation for me, it is all about the kids and teaching them to aim for perfection in hopes of achieving some excellence along the way. Being stubborn and excluding or not changing because you are holding onto some ridiculous "tradition" is NOT going to improve your program.

Just to expand this position a little, you can draw a line just west of Topeka where you will find 50% of the population living on each side and just over 59% of the 6A schools and you will still only get two state champions since 1979.

5A
Andover 794
Arkansas City 775
Emporia 1103
Goddard 795
Goddard-Eisenhower 862
Great Bend 958
Hays 737
Liberal 1237
Maize South 764
Newton 1020
Salina-Central 988
Salina-South 1064
Valley Center 838
Wichita-Bishop Carroll 1170
Wichita-Heights 1304
Wichita-Kapaun Mount Carmel 880
Wichita-West 1336


Kansas City-FL Schlagle 812
Kansas City-JC Harmon 1265
Kansas City-Turner 1090
Kansas City-Washington 990
Lansing 879
Leavenworth 1334
Lenexa-St. James Academy 797
OP-Blue Valley Southwest 1059
OP-St. Thomas Aquinas 905
Pittsburg 771
Shawnee-Mill Valley 1290
Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights 1136
Topeka West 922
Topeka-Highland Park 755
Topeka-Seaman 1202

We can continue this argument into 5A as well where you will find that nearly 47% of the 5A schools are east of this mythical wrestle talent dividing wall.

Eastern KS schools are not fairing much better in 5A either going just 3 for 35. Does anyone disagree that this is a bit embarrassing???

It is time to CHANGE. We need to wake up and challenge our athletic directors, coaches, wrestlers, and parents to do things differently. Think outside of the box called the past and figure out some new plans. Make your schedule tougher. Walk the halls and grab those kids that are not a part of anything now. Figure out ways to get more kids involved like scheduling more tournaments and fielding two teams. "He is not ready for varsity" is the biggest crock of crap you can try to sell. If you have wrestlers at every weight then bring ALL of them! I guarantee you they will NOT get any better sitting at home playing X Box. USA Wrestling is offering a $300 deal to get ALL of your wrestlers a card. When KSHSAA season is over send them to the nearest kids club and tell them to wrestle in the USA Kids State Series. If you are afraid of what is happening in your kids club then get involved! It is time for the excuses to be put in the round file and lets develop some solutions (and by the way, OPEN MAT is not a solution!). Lets tip the scale and bring two state championship trophies EAST of that mythical line this year and every year hereafter!
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