Yo.

I like Norton. If Hat Town didn't win it, I'm glad that they did.

Also, is there any reason for Manhattan's performance? I didn't see any of the Wagners (we have like, 8) or Bubba in any of the results listed, can someone (Red?) let us know if we brought a full team?

Go Hat Town, win Beloit.

Go Norton, win...wherever you go next week.

Cwink's sister is hot. There, I said it.

Prant I think some of the problem may have been a lack of preparation/focus from the manhattan team. Maybe not, but this is what coach Gonzales was quoted as saying the Manhattan mercury.

"This tournament was tougher than I anticipated," said Manhattan coach Robert Gonzales. "I was happy to place six out of our 14 wrestlers, that's how tough it was."

Lack of preparation was just part of it… Lack of a Wagner, Bubba, and size and maturity! This is not the Manhattan team of Old. This is a young bunch with a new coach and staff. There is allot of talent that needs to be shaped and polished. I don’t want to take anything away from the TOC of past years but I think that this tournament was extra tough this year! There weren’t the big names like before but the brackets were loaded top to bottom. Norton is the real deal they only took 10 of 14 weights and pretty much wrapped it up on Friday. I don’t care what anybody says about the finals… Coach Johnson and the Kids took care of business. Also Norton has the best fans in wrestling, half these guys don’t even have kids on the team!

P.S. How many other teams brought their radio station?

hey JFinkeldei - i think your onto something with the fan support vs quality programs thing. maybe they just go together like peas in a pod. I know we have great support here in Norton (for all sports and activities) and it helps keep the kids motivated when the going gets tuff. As for all the booing and cheering for the other guy, folks dont need to worry too much about it. Most of the kids are used to it and think its kinda funny. If you want to hear it get REALLY loud show up at the league tourny. Any bluejay that makes the finals there cant count on it being them vs the world.

Except for at league none of them will lose in the finals lol

Mike Juby, thanks for the post. I didn't think of it as the crowd rooting for the underdog, if that is what it was. It gave me a different persective of the final's now.
Parkwayred, thanks for the compliment. We at Norton appreciate it and I have to agree. Placing this year was tough. There were some awesome matches in the semi's and the next mornin was a dogfight to see who would place.

Just wanted to say Congrats to Norton for their great Tournament at Newton. I know Coach Johnson and the team would like to have wrestled a little better saturday, but they had an amazing Friday night. The electricity in the gym when they were on their role in the semis was awesome.

Congrats on winning the TOC 2x in a row! Good luck the rest of the year!

Prant- my sister could still kick your butt!

I’m sorry Billy if it sounded like I was making excuses… I felt that Prant asked a question and I gave a legitimate answer from my perspective. You have very little knowledge of what the Varsity lineup consist of and even less knowledge of the coaching staff. These comments were not intended for judgmental eyes. So bite me!

#15 on the forum mean anything?

I am quite sure that Male Kann's sister, my daughter, would not "make out" with such as you. If you were trying to be funny 'Billy" it was a weak effort , rude and totally lacking in any redeeming value. An apology would be expected from a mature and responsible person, but an apology, no doubt, will not be forthcoming from you.

Yeah egg...I was going to say, I wouldnt expect an answer coming from someone such as Billy

I do apologize because it was directed towards Kale, but it was very out of line. My bad and I apologize to Klaire too.

And Red, I only go by what the remaining varsity wrestlers tell me, including your son Mike, a coach and former wrestler under Woodford. My comments come straight from people who are on the team and involved with the team. I'm sorry that you're accepting this huge disappointment and I think that a few years ago you wouldn't have been making excuses. So go lose for me, I don't want your yellow teeth on me so I won't ask for the bite.

I apologize because I respect Kale and Klaire. I respect you as well Mr. Egg, but this apology is because of your family, not any other follower on the forum.

Transitions are tough, especially when someone follows a coach as good and as respected as Coach Woodford at Manhattan High School.

A lot of things had "grown up" around Coach Woodford during his long and successful tenure at Manhattan High School. He was the face of Manhattan wrestling and will be for a long time, maybe forever.

Coach Gonzalez knows what he is doing in regards to coaching; what he may not know is when something he does runs afoul of a Manhattan tradition, or less seriously, just an accepted way of doing things as in "that is not the way we have always done things."

Very often those who have fewer opportunities to have been other places (such as a high school wrestler who has wrestled in only one program) assume that every place does it the same way; nothing could be further from the truth! Every coach and program has things that are unique to them. Over time it is these unique things that grow up to be the traditions of the program.

The feeling of alienation will lessen with time, as those who wrestled under Coach Woodford are replaced by those who have not. Does this mean that Coach Woodford will be forgotten or become less important to the Manhattan wrestling tradition? No, he will continue to be respected and revered in Manhattan wrestling circles just as Jake Durham is still respected and revered as the coach-emeritus in Norton. In not too many years from now there will be wrestlers in the MHS wrestling room complaining about the way things are or are not being done by the new coach, because that was not the way Coach Gonzalez did them!

billy,
All of us here in Manhattan are extremely disappointed in our showing at Newton. I think the coach is the easiest person to blame (especially since he is new to Manhattan) but he has been successful in the past. Our assistant coaches come from good programs and they know what it takes to be a winner. Travis Baker, our head assistant comes from a wrestling family. His dad is one of the most successful coaches in the history of Kansas wrestling. I believe if we give them a fair chance, our coaching staff will get us back to the top.
Second, it is almost as easy to blame the wrestlers. We did have some varsity kids missing at Newton and in some weights we are young but that should not be an excuse for the way we wrestled. I think our kids will step up and we will see a different team by the state tournament. As you mentioned, it's not the first time we had a poor tournament.
Third, I think our fans need to step up. We, the fans, should have been paying attention to the Norton fans and we should learn from them. On Sat., Norton fans were the first ones in the gym and they didn't have anyone wrestling until the second round. They all sit together, watch every match and are very supportive of their team. If you remember, our state championship year, all of our fans supported every wrestler on our team.
Chris, we are all upset with the results of the Newton tournament. I think with all of us pulling in the same direction, we will get this turned around before the state tournament.

Wow Mr. Tacha, that was all that I ever wanted to hear from anyone. I appreciate that explanation and I am only upset because I know that the kids there are good enough to be winning tournaments like that if other things work out.

Great post Mr. Tacha, I remember our championship year also, and the tremendous amount of support shown at the tournaments/duals. I believe that all great programs need great fan support. I remember Ark City in the 90's filling their entire section with purple and gold at the state tournament, and they still come close to filling it. With support like that I know the wrestlers could step it up. WRESTLE! WRESTLE! WRESTLE!

Ron, It was nice having dinner w/ you saturday before finals at wendys. As you said, to keep you updated on our bball season, we won monday and play friday in the semis of our league tourney.

Chris-
Your apology is appreciated and accepted. Klaire is a great young lady, and does not need to be disrespected in any way. I on the otherhand don't mind a little bantering coming from you- as long as it is directed at me!

Also- don't worry too much- the Hat town program will be up soon enough. Like Egg, Red, and Mr. Tacha have said changing is tough, but those who adapt will be ok.

Klaire- good luck!

Chris,

Your apology is duly noted. Please keep in mind that what you post is read by people across the state. All most know about the people being posted about is what is being posted. Personal "inside" comments really have no place on this kind of forum.