Actually I replied to the individual who posted the comment and asked him to take the names off of the post and I am only 20 years old.

This is an incredibly dumb thing to say regarding an issue like this. Do you honestly believe that just because an entire wrestling team appears to be a top 3 or 4 team in the state that they are exempt from the rules?

I believe that those involved should be punished in a reasonable and acceptable fashion, something to fit the crime so to speak. I can't say that I have read the team handbook of Derby Wrestling (if one exists). I would say that whatever is contained in that book should be the penalty administered. It shouldn't matter how good a wrestler is that determines his/her punishment. I know where I came from our team book had specific guidelines regarding alcohol/tobacco use. Anyone caught with alcohol/tobacco was suspended from the team for the week which included any duals and tournaments that week. This was in accordance with the schools own policies. The 2nd time for this offense was dismissal for the team. There were no provisions for an athlete’s talent level.

I have met the wrestler whose name was mentioned here. He is an intelligent person with a heart of gold. I honestly believe that this incident will serve as a great reminder that there are still rules in life, and I don't think he will repeat them. As far as the team goes, it would be a shame to see leniency shown just because of their talent level. Rules are set for a reason and if you break them you have to be willing to accept the consequences of them.

I can agree as the message board, which this thread comments on, http://www.kansas.com, has removed their posts, which did include offensive posts singling out a specific wrestler. I have made a few more phone calls and here are things I would consider we all think about. If in fact a different action occurred for the managers which it appears it did, maybe more information needs to be gathered before assumptions are made on this forum. For example, if a different event, (I know, hard to believe), occurred with the managers and if they had different actions and responses as opposed to the wrestlers, the different punishment may have been justified. Maybe Mr. Salyer can indicate with his friend, if the managers were cooperative with the coaches or not? Were they in the same room as the party, or not? Were they cooperative with the administration, or not? It seems to me the wrestlers in fact did not even know about the managers “party.” If one is to place their trust in the administration and coaches, maybe, the administration understands and realizes a different set of circumstances occurred and they responded appropriately.

I know this type of thing occurs with most high school teams. I don’t support it, but that don’t change the facts. Anyone who denies it, likely never participated on a sports team. That is not an excuse and the actions should not be condoned. But I think a good topic of discussion related to this might be what schools do to prevent this type of thing. Our school has a lights out policy, and coaches check the room on overnight trips to insure the wrestlers are staying out of trouble. I expect when allowing a large group of high school students to get together in a room there is little good that can be expected. High school kids will be high school kids. At that point parental assignment to rooms, coaches’ room checks and those types of things should be expected. I don't know how something like this could have occurred with a team that follows this policy.

I do believe Derby’s administration, coaches, and parents have control of this situation. Hopefully, we can learn from it to see that it doesn’t occur with our Kansas schools in the future. As stated before, let’s be careful about making decisions that affect the life of a high school student. While some may pretend these students are adults, that is all they are doing, pretending. These were not youth caught with a DUI or having a drinking problem. May some of us who on occasion consume alcohol, or have done things we shouldn’t that make this pale in comparison, be careful before we throw stones, may we instead seek truth, justice, while at the same time, displaying mercy.

Well Dick, if you read the post on the Kansas.com forum, Nathan was directly attacked there. So, I put his name on here to defend him. And I understand that not everyone on this message board has friends, but I do, and I am loyal to them. I will always come to their defense.
As for him not being held to a higher standard, that's ridiculous. You said your son attended a party, where there was alcohol. I commend him for leaving, but why wasn't the fact that there were other wrestlers there drinking ever brought up on a message forum? Why don't we ever hear of the other stories of kids getting caught drinking? I can assure you it happens in every public school. The difference? Someone wanted to call out a very respected person to bring them down.
As for you hinting that Mike didn't raise his kid right, think again. He loves his kids with all his heart and I think he's raised his 2 kids wonderfully. Just because a kid makes one mistake doesn't mean he has bad parents. It's ridiculous that you would put that twist on it.

Heres my take on this situation. I do not mean to offend anyone and I'm hoping my views will possibly allow a few of us to at least look at these things from a different angle. I will say the name of Nathan Furches but please read my entire post before jumping to any conclusions, I am not attacking anyone.

1) I do not think its fair but the fact of the matter is a kid like Furches will be singled out and held to a higher standard when things like this happen. This is because a great wrestler has a lot more to lose then a so-so wrestler.

2) I do not personally know Nathan Furches but have always found him a pleasure to watch. He is a tough competitor, a hard worker and a class act on and off the mat from what I have witnessed at tournaments and I have never heard anything bad about him. This does not change that. Good people make mistakes, even great people make mistakes.

3) Lots of High School kids drink. Lots of High School athletes drink. This doesn't mean this act in and of itself is acceptable. However a lot of these kids that do this are good kids and good human beings. I'm sure a lot of people would be shocked to know how many classy and well respected kids in wrestling drink occasionally. You don't have to think this is right or anything like that. But the only different between this situation and a huge percentage of High School wrestlers is that they got caught. Don't condone it, don't think its right, but don't lose respect for any of these kids over it either.

4) I personally do not know Derby's policy on alcohol. It sounds as if these kids will serve some kind of suspension and be allowed to wrestle again this year. I do hope this is the case. While I believe these actions should be punished I see nothing to gain in ending the season for these young men.

5) No one should even hint that this has anything to do with the parenting of Mike Furches or anyone else. I can tell you from experience that my parents raised me in a Christian home where alcohol was NEVER used and they expected me to not drink at all. As a high school athlete I still made the decision to drink on occasion. This wasn't right, but theres nothing under the sun my parents could have done to prevent it. Based on the reputation of Mike Furches I would say this lies in the same category. Sometimes what a parent tells their kid isn't enough and the kid must simply learn from making their own decisions

Finally....

Before any of us are to critical we need to look in mirror. As a Christian I believe God has given each of us multiple chances and forgiven us for multiple mistakes. You may or may not share that spiritual belief with me. Even if you don't think back in your life and I'm sure you were given second chances. Theres a lot worse things then a kid getting caught up and being involved in a party. It should be reprimanded, but its not exactly punishable by death. These kids have and will be punished, lets allow that to be sufficient and appreciate the positive qualities they have in the past and will continue to exhibit. I don't believe a dose of mercy here is to much to ask.

To play the devil's advocate.

I don't recall pleas and calls for mercy when a certain kid from a certain wichita club and then high school make a not so nice gesture after winning a state championship years ago.

I mention this because there really wasn't a way to punish this wrestler at the time, but I often wonder what would have happened had they had the ability?

i to would lide to know the fate of the wrestlers for i have been involved in the exact same kind of incident in hs.i was suspended from school for 1 week,suspended from one wrestling dual,attended an aa program for 3 months,and coach had me do extra conditioning before and after practice for the rest of the season.I LEARNED MY LEASON.SO I HOPE THAT THE WRESTLERS INVOLVED AND THE MANAGERS HAVE NOT BEEN KICKED OFF THE TEAM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR FOR THAT WOULD BE TAKING IT TO FAR IN MY OPINION

Unless the posts were edited on Kansas.com, which I didn't notice, none of the wrestlers were identified by name. The first post in the thread appeared to be referencing a certain wrestler, but not by name. If in fact the poster was doing so, it would have only been obvious to those on this board and not to the majority on Kansas.com. Like most boards, wrestling doesn't have much of a following there.

He could have been punished. Adults around him just chose not to, as had been the case his entire career. Had they punished him as a youngster maybe the gesture never would have happened.

If you actually read the entire thread, someone asked the original poster to delete the names, and the poster did so. He went from the name to saying a "national champion". The text at the bottom of the original post that said "post edited" was also a dead giveaway that he edited his post.

What part of my first sentence, ("Unless the posts were edited on Kansas.com, which I didn't notice,") did you not understand?

Apparently the same part of "Nathan was directly attacked there" that you didn't understand.

Ah but as I pointed out any names had been edited prior to my first viewing the thread. I figured you would understand that, my bad!

I assumed everyone that read the post on Kansas.com would have figured out that there were names named before the post was edited.

All I can say is KIDS! Especially teenagers, they are the smartest people in the world… just ask them. Until they actually have there own children you can’t tell them anything. As a parent you just have to face the fact that you are the dumbest SOB on the earth. You just got to love them and try to educate them about life and hope they make the right choices.

yeah, you live and you learn. just try not to make the same mistakes twice.

That is what you get for assuming.

Especially if everyone had read the entire thread and posts indicating the person needed to remove names, and they themselves in another post stated they had indeed removed the names. Of course I am as guilty as anyone for at times not reading everything in a thread.

That wasn't the same wisdom you dispensed to a certain 112LB finalist in the hallway at the Newton Tourney.

any word on when we can expect furches back on the mat?