Does anyone know how the sponsels are doing up in Neosho?

HA! I'm not really sure how the others are doing but John got stuck in 1:28 at the Labette/Neosho dual the other night. I hope all of them are getting a real reality check.

"I hope they all get a real reality check" You sound as if you have been waiting your whole life to see one of the many Sponsel's get beat. Did something happen? I know for a fact that every one of the Sponsel's come from a great family and are upstanding guys (John especially). I also know that they have beaten some quality wrestlers while at Neosho and have lost their fair share of matches, which is to be expected when making a step to the next level. Where do you wrestle?

It's not so much that people have been waiting for them to get beat, its more that they come from Bishop Carroll, a 5A school, where many of them succeeded for the sole fact that the class is weak compared to the other 3 classes. I would also have to say that Sponsel got rocked just as did the rest of the Neosho team when we handed them a 32-7 loss the other night. The fall was expected during the 174 pound match, just as it was during the previous dual when Gorzynski stuck Sponsel in the first period at Chanute.

So the only reason that anyone is good, that wrestles for Bishop Carroll, is because they wrestle in 5A? So Ark City built their program due to the fact of their classification? That is the worst excuse I have ever heard. To say that a team is successful "solely" because they compete in the 5A division holds no merit. You have to come up with something better than that. How about they cheat or wrestle in the easy tournaments only, but to correlate their success to their classification only, come on. They just beat a ranked 6A team last night 57-12 and came in 4th at the Perry Invitaional that included two nationaly ranked teams.

I wouldn't say at all that 5a is a weak class. John sponsel had one of the toughest brackets at state last year at the 171 weight class and i beleive he ended up taking 3rd which was pretty good because that bracket was stacked.

Don't even get them started on the 5A vs 3-2-1A, 4A, and 6A thing. The class debate has been beaten to death, revived, beaten again, kicked, and then had it's eyes stabbed out with sporks. Come on folks, can't we find a better reason to dislike Sponsel? I think Wintz gives John the respect he deserves (and rightfully so). Yeah he got stuck, no i didn't see it to comment on how it happened, but it happens. There is a big jump from High School to College and it doesn't look like that has quite set in yet for Sponsel. No one knocks Gardner who was from 5A or Justin Dyer from 6A. Leave class out of it, say you don't like him and move on.

I heard from a wrestler at NCCC that John Sponsel quit the team Tuesday morning... can anyone verify?

Sponsel did not compete today at the Colby TOC. Neosho was without at entry at 174 after Kenny Brown did not make weight.

Now, I like to bash 5a as much as anyone, but to dislike Sponsel because of weak competition is bogus. As much as I hate to admit it, in 2002, Bishop Carrol had the best team in the state. Whether or not that's because they had an army of Sponsels, I can't say, but it sure didn't hurt them.

And Wintz is right, the 5a 171 bracket was incredibly tasty last year.

Yes Sponsel quit Tuesday morning. As did two of their team captains over Christmas break.

I agree that Bishop Carroll was the best team in the state last season. Why did Sponsel quit at NCCC.

I disagree heartily that BC was the best team last year. However, in 2002 they definitely earned that distinction.

That's right. I used the word "heartily."

No matter what size school you come from you are gonna catch great kids... Several VERY quality kids have come from 5a, 6a, heck all the A's...College is simply a WHOLE new ball game.. I learned more in my first 3 weeks of college than i did in 4 years of high school... Cut the kids some slack... Bashing a kid because he's from 5a is like bashing a kid for being short, fat, blond haired, etc.... Anyways congrats to the sponsel kid for being tough enough to stick out college, The gryzinsk0i (<---spelling???) kid from labette is tough as heck..

I didn't know people were making fun of blonde-haired kids nowadays...

Why did the two team capts and sponsel quit the team? Were there problems w/ the coach?

Not only was BC the best team in the state last year but they are also the best team this year.5A is definetly tough this year!! Sponsel is tough not a quiter and very respectful to others in the sport of wrestling.

so i guess the allegations of quitting were not true?

The allegations must not be true like you said rocknraider, because if he isn't on the team anymore the only thing I can see him classified as is a QUITTER!

Just for a point of information, Caroll wasn't even the best team in 5a last year, Ark City was.