I think I would go with Preston. But i have not seen Dustin wrestle this year either. So it is hard for me to compare. But I would also throw Brandon Ball out there if we are talking about this year only.

Corbin Nirschl has been pretty darn dominant this year as well. He is a smaller weight freshman, but I would venture to say he is the only person in Kansas to beat a Fargo finalist this year.

Michael Olsen also looks untouchable and smooth as can be.

stats please?

Jeff Boyle = not fair to any other high school kid!


However, just to play the devil's advocate; he was so dominate because he was high school heavyweight wrestler built like a brick s#*t house with some athleticism to go with it. That's a rare combination at the upper weights. A lot of heavys do not ever get off their backs when put there. It's much more common to see athletic kids built like that in the lower weights, thus making domination like that much harder.

This is not meant to take anything away from him, in fact I believe he was definitely one of the most dominate wrestlers from Kansas.

Trent Salsbury has been destroying nearly everyone this year. He has one loss to the RTOC Champion from Ponderosa CO so no one from Kansas has touched him. 39-1, 36 PINS!!! Don't forget, he wrestles one of the toughest schedules in the state.

Champion:
Gardner
Council Bluffs, IA
Allen TX
Derby
Bobcat
Kearney Duals Undefeated
Silver Lake

Runner Up
Garden City

Who's "the best"? Can't say. Lots of "the best". Depends on who you were watching when "the best" was wrestling. Choosing a "the best" takes away from all the other "the best". All "the bests" were "the best". That's what makes it a great sport--the memories, history, tradition, reputations, the records, the discussions, questions like "Who's the Best.

The 'best" can't wrestle the "best" to actually determine "the best". If "a best" beats another "the best" then the loser is not a "best".

It' like who was the best heavy weight boxer: Joe Lewis, Marciano, or M. Ali.

Hell of an analysis and statement Bill!

My late entry for the most dominating wrestler: late 90s Chris Brown from Columbus. 3 time sate champ 9th, 10th and 12th grades. Upset in semifinal in 11th grade---came back and punished his opponent in the 3rd place match. A very, very tense wrestler who terrorized his opponent before the matches started. Tough and technically excellent. A sad story and ending I am not going to reopen. I think anyone who saw Chris will agree he at the top of the list.

Now, would like to change the question:

1. What was the best single match you ever saw? What, what, when, where?

2. What was the best bunch of wrestler you saw on the mats on or near the same time? Who, what, when, where?

My opinions, just opinions:

1. Best match: 1997, KS Coliseum, 145 lb 4A Championship, Jason Blanding, senior, Paola, undefeated in HS, 2 time state champ VS Brandon Pfizenmaier, senior, Clay Center, 2 time state champ. Two absolutely great technical wrestlers. Move-counter, move-counter-counter the whole match. The refs truly moved to the outside circle and let these 2 elite wrestlers wrestle. Action on all other mats (6A and 5a championships halted, plus all fans in the coliseum, focused on this match. Pfizenmaier won. I think Pfizenmaier went on to be a D2 All American at a college in Nebraska. Blanding disappeared. Always heard Blanding was an undefeated freshman at Columbus but was injured and did not wrestle in the state level competition. May have moved to Chanute as a 10 grader and won a state championship. Wrestled at Paola in 11th grade and won his second championship. Great match.

2. Best group of wrestler: Again 1997 state tournament. List is too long to include everyone. Do remember 4xers Jeremy Long- SFT, 3 or 4xer Beau Tillman-Pratt, 4Xer Bo Maynes-Salina, 4xer Zack Roberson Blue Valley, all the same or next weight classes, plus several other future greats.

Within the state of Kansas the best group on the mat close to the same time was prob FS/GR State, around 2000 in which I believe the following were all in the same bracket or close to it: Zach Roberson, Dustin May, Dusty Spaulding, Jeremy Long and Zach Allen.

4, 4X State Champs and a Jr. National Runner Up (He lost to Roberson in the finals)

The late 90s early 2000's were great--perhaps the best of KS HS wrestling. Probably more 3x and 4Xers in that time period, plus lots and lots of wrestlers who went on to success in college at all D levels. But, that can probably be said about the wrestlers over any spread of years.

'96-'99 4A 5A 6A in the times of the Coliseum

Off the top of my head...

Roberson 4x
Maynes 4x
Stites 4x
May 3x
Spaulding 4x
Long 4x
Devoe 3x
Hoover 4x
Coleman 3x

Will never forget witnessing all that talent under one roof.

My vote goes to Zach Roberson...put 100lbs on Roberson and see if Boyle pins him

Most dominant "prep wrestler": Boyle!

Trivia - Boyle's high school football coach and the man who ran the Norton weight room in those days became the Salina Sacred Heart football coach Nicks freshman year. Coach Graber, who has done a exelent job changing the culture of the weight room at SH, claims he had absolutely nothing to do with the way Jeff looked. He came to Norton after Jeff was well on his way and that Jeff was a driven youth that would have done what it took no matter who was in charge of the weights. I ignore that part, tell Nick and his teamates its all Graber, and show that video as many times as they can stand to watch so to get them pumped about being pumped up.

That being said: I know Nick is almost a 100 lbs short and just a shadow of a Jeff Boyle, but in a small twisted way I like to think of Nick's physique as "Body by Graber", just like Jeff Boyle!

That is one hell of a list!

I've always thought this would have been a tough time to be a 4A wrestler.

1983 1 (3-2-1A) Johnson, Toby Beloit 105
1984 1 (4A) Johnson, Toby Beloit 112
1986 1 (4A) Johnson, Toby Belot 138

1985 1 (4A) Canfield, Dave Concordia 112
1986 1 (4A) Canfield, Dave Concordia 119
1988 1 (4A) Canfield, Dave Concordia 126

1985 1 (4A) Drake, Todd 98
1986 1 (4A) Drake, Todd 112
1987 1 (4A) Drake, Todd 126
1988 1 (4A) Drake, Todd 132

1986 1 (4A) Roark, Matt Columbus 105
1987 1 (4A) Roark, Matt Columbus 119
1989 1 (4A) Roark, Matt Columbus 145

1987 1 (4A) Franks, E.K. Wellington 138
1988 1 (4A) Franks, E.K. Wellington 145
1989 1 (4A) Franks, E.K. Wellington 152

1988 1 (4A) Dong, John Concordia 112
1989 1 (4A) Dong, John Concordia 119
1991 1 (4A) Dong, John Concordia 135

1989 1 (4A) Roark, Randy Columbus 126
1991 1 (4A) Roark, Randy Columbus 140
1992 1 (4A) Roark, Randy Columbus 145

1992 1 (4A) Madison, Britt Ulysses 130
1993 1 (4A) Madison, Britt Ulysses 135
1994 1 (4A) Madison, Britt Ulysses 135


.

I wish i was good

In 2002 215 lb weight class had 3 guys that placed in the Senior Nationals. Josh Carrol (4), Blake Seiler (5), and T.J. Staab (7). Throw in Ian Bork (Stanford) and Zach Hemmerling (2X state champ)and 2002 had a great 215 class.

Also, 2003 145 lb at the 1-2-3 tourney featured Eric Johnson (2,1,1,2), Shawn Drennan (4,2,1,1), and Matt Pyle (1,1,3,4)

The Noce Brothers in the early 80s were tough as nails. Gene Noce won 2 state championships and was runnner-up one year. Cliff Noce won 3 state championships during his tenure. Best combination of brothers to have wrestled during the 80s in high school. Gene Noce went on to college and was a 3 time All American and National Runner Up.

He was in 5th grade the last time he lost to a wrestler from Kansas. It was his own teammate, a kid named Billy Tally (very handsome young man if I remember correctly).

I'm gonna throw Kyle Caylor for Wichita Northwest into the ring 4x state finalist 3x state and he won greco and freestyle at Fargo one year if I'm not mistaken