Eirsman looked awsome at the JOCO Classic. His toughest match, I thought was against Stirling of Spring Hill. I have heard Erisman compared to Roberson, who I never had the pleasure of seeing wrestle. I would have liked to see Erisman wrestle Bogart, and wonder why he didn't take advantage of the opportunity? It didn't appear to me that weight was a factor, and it is still very early in the season.

i agree, he did appear to be wrestling extremely well at the classic. I was impressed with his victories over ecker, clayton and stirling. I had to remind myself that he is only a freshmen. Personally i think bogart would beat him.

i have had the opportunity to coach both of them at the same age. i was a cadet coach in 1996 and drew zach as one of my primary wrestlers to coach through the tournament. i was able to stand mat side (but wise enough to ask kevin klemm to coach) for his cadet championship final match in fargo where he placed second. i am currently neils high school coach.

neil has similar tools to what zach had at the same age. most important is their work ethic and attitude about the sport. they take everything they hear and see in, yet still manage to keep their focus on the match that is ahead of them regardless of the quality of the opponent.

it is difficult to compare the two, but i know that i have been blessed with the opportunity to have a part in each of their wrestling careers. neil is still a freshman at a very talented wieght-class, and he is very talented himself, but most importantly he is smart enough to know that it all comes from hardwork and preparation for each match like it is his most important.

comparing roberson and erisman by personality though, they are both wonderful human beings with an intense desire to compete and focus on what is important without being too distracted... even at a very young age.

Well said Coach Deyoe. I am also impressed with the priorities that Erisman has established in his life. Almost unheard of in this day for a teen.

Does he not go to desoto anymore?

I had a chance to watch and coach against Neil this weekend in the Burlington High School Wrestling Invitational. Neil was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament over a field of competitors that included many excellent wrestlers. What impressed me the most about Neil was the way he carried himself during the tournament, and the high level of respect that he showed to his opponents, the officials, and other coaches.

I have watched Neil develop through the USA-Kansas ranks, and he has accomplished a tremendous amount. I have seen him stop to pray before and after many tournament competitions which tells me that he is grounded on a solid foundation. This has also served a role-model for many other young wrestlers in our sport. For a young man that has accomplished so much already in our sport, he is very humble and very focused. I hope these traits continue throughout his career.

I have often heard it said that a great athlete makes those around him better. I can tell that several of his DeSoto teammates have benefitted from having a top-notch practice partner in the wrestling room. I was impressed with the level of improvement that I saw in 152-pounder Leif Goleman. Leif has always been a solid wrestler. I was impressed with the way he has continued to improve in the high school ranks.

It will be fun to watch Neil, Leif, Coach DeYoe, and the DeSoto Wrestling team develop and come to the forefront in the next several years.