I just don't equate crying with what we are talking about here. I've had kids that cried after a tough loss heck I've cried with them after some losses. The fact that they do it in front of someone doesn't give the crowd VD or something and it isnt an unsportsmanship act to cry. If it was Roy Williams would be banned from TV. It happens and kids are emotional. This other stuff though, all this anger and uncontrollable physical reaction and vulgarity has to go though. The state has to take a stand at their events and zero tolerate that stuff. If they mean what they say they stand for then they just cannot tolerate it from anyone of any sex, color, age, or school. Once would be something you could work with but over and over and over from the same kids and schools is getting a little bit rediculous. Its got to stop or we are going to see a referee hit or a coach struck by a wrestler or someone going into a crowd. That is happening all over the country and when it does it is just an ugly ugly deal and it is not what we have ever been about in this state.

What did tanner do to stop his tantrum???

I believe he just told him to ignore the crowd.

It was a simple thing, but I think that Knox was heading straight for a DQ if Gardner hadn't stepped in. Regardless of the reasons for Knox's actions on the mat at the conclusion of the match, Gardner showed a lot of smarts in defusing a rapidly deteriorating situation.

I think its a shame that wrestlers can walk over their coaches nowadays. It used to be that a coach would kick your butt and drag you around by your ear to teach you respect and responsibility. Now if Knox's coach would have smacked the sanity back into Knox, he could be slapped with a lawsuit or be fired. I wish we could go back to the old school methods. There would certainly be less severe tantrums.

Knox should have been DQed but i was happy that the officials let him wrestle. He deserved the state medal after all the work he put into making himself a stud.

Great kid or not- Knox should have been DQ. We can't allow that kind of behavior out of our wrestlers - wrestling is to great of sport.

I MUST SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. TOAST AS HE PREFERS TO BE CALLED DID NOT SHOVE ME. HE DID THROW HIS ARMS IN DISGUST WHEN I TOLD HIM TO GO SHAKE TANNERS HAND. BUT PUSH ME, NOT IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS. AS TALENTED AS TOAST IS, I STILL TOSS HIM AROUND IN THE WRESTLING ROOM. AND AS MUCH AS HE HATED TO GO SHAKE HANDS THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE DID. ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY NOR WILL ALL THE PROBLEMS AT WEST BE CURED IN MY FIRST YEAR. WE DID ONLY LOSE THREE TEAM POINTS THIS ENTIRE SEASON(THREE TO MANY) BUT THAT WAS FAR FEWER THAN OUR OPPONENTS LOST WHILE COMPETING AGAINST US. WE ARE FAR FROM PERFECT BUT STRIDES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR.

Hey Nigel,

Tovar's tantrum after he lost was not the only one he threw that year. He threw one later at Kids state when he lost to Justin Schwartz. I guess the first one was not good enough.

Jim, I know some of the other posts on here from me may sound harsh and degrading, but they are not meant that way about you or your brother. I know that you run great programs and are blessed with fantastic athletes. I do have to say that I am incredibly impressed with what you have been able to do at West this year in just your first year. I hope that you are getting the support from parents and administration to help clean up the reputation that has been built up for so many years. I think that you have made progress and like you said a complete reformation isn't going to happen overnight, good luck and keep up the good work.

Sounds like Mr. Dryden is making great strides in the right direction - I hope he gets all the support he deserves. Also, for Nick Nothern (I always thought it was Northern): You are still my hero; congratulations on a fantastic freshmen year. - - Ray Arveson

Tanner did not have a black eye on Monday.

You must be insane if you believe that Tanner Gardner would allow himself to get into a fist fight. When Tanner is at a tournament, he is all business, and wouldn't allow himself to be distracted by such matters. I think you are just trying to stir up trouble by starting a baseless rumor. Hopefully nobody will say such negative things about you in the future.

Toast? LOL

where'd the nickname toast come from anyway?

Whenever i've been there when they introduced him to the TOHK club. They told us that it came from his skin color but Im not positive i just remember our coach saying that when he introduced toast to our club after the high school season