How many wins do kids in 321A get from opens during duals that help pad their records? How many 4/321A kids have to wrestle off versus varsity-caliber wrestlers every week just to make it on varsity?
One reason 5A/6A wrestlers usually have worse records is because unlike 321A, they don't get to wrestle the fish from other schools who are only wrestling varsity because no one is in their weight.

Quit your whining. If you want me too, I'll can call you a waambulance. After state, maybe I'll take you out for a waamburger and french cries. Babies.

WHEN DEBATING THE TOPIC OF KIDS WITH LOSING RECORDS GETTING INTO THE STATE TOURNAMENT, KEEP IN MIND THAT IS MUCH EASIER TO GET THROUGH AN EIGHT MAN REGIONAL THAN A SIXTEEN. YEARS AGO I WOULD FOLLOW THE 4A REGIONALS WHEN MY BROHTHER WRESTED FOR CANEY VALLEY, AND IT WAS AMAZING THE LEVEL OF COMPETITON WITH COLUMBUS, AUGUSTA, WELLINGTON,AND ANDOVER. FOR MANY KIDS IT WAS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT JUST OT GET THROUGH REGIONALS. MANY TIMES THESE SAME TEAMS WERE COMPETING FOR THE STATE TITLE. NOW I LIVE IN A TOWN WITH A 5A SCHOOL, AND ALTHOUGH I WATCHED SOME KIDS WITH LOSING RECORDS GET THROUGH REGIONALS LAST SATURDAY, I APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS. TWO WRESTLERS FROM OUR TEAM (WITH LOSING RECORDS) DEFEATED OPPONENTS WITH WINNING RECORDS TO QUALIFY (THATS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT, WINNING ON THE MAT, NOT ON PAPER). SO I WOULD DISAGREE THAT ONE CLASS INHERENTLY HAS BETTER WRESTLERS THAN ANOTHER, ITS JUST THAT THE EIGHT MAN REGIONAL PROVIDES KIDS WITH A BETTER OPPORTUNITY.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this topic. After reading the comments, I wanted to mention that I hope my post didn't come across as taking anything away from the best kids that any class has to offer. All 4 classes have a lot of very good wrestlers. It just appeared that the overall depth of 5A and 6A was down this year. I have no idea if prior years have been that way. But as mentioned by others, that doesn't keep the best 6 kids from getting medals each year. And if a kid with a losing record gets a medal, that's great for the sport because he obviously worked hard throughout the year to improve.

Just to show some respect for 5A and 6A, I will throw out a few names: Bo Maynes, Zach Roberson, Eric Akin, and Temour Terry. All have gone on to division 1 schools and represented our state very well.

The regional that Hoxie come from this year may of had 16 teams but had an average of 8 kids in each bracket!

OH so let me see if I understand your argument. You think that the problem your wrestlers have in getting to state is somehow affected by the fact that there are fewer 6 and 5A teams in the state. Wow I never thought of that. So if they combined 5 and 6A then it would be easier in some way for your 4-321A guys to get to state, problem solved huh. Gee that makes perfect sense why didnt I think of that. Is that what you really meant to say, is it just jealously or what is this all about. Maybe they should just combine 4 and 321A and split it down the middle or maybe oh well... none of this makes any sense anyway so I will just stop while I am ahead lol

And Jacob Klien and Johnston and Bunch, and.... hey quite a lot of them really.

I don't understand why people in 321a try to rag 5a 6a. I mean we all put our kneepads and head gear on at the same way. All teams have a stud or two that no matter what class they were in are JUST GOOD! I think we should just just combine the whole thing and Wrestle it. Make the brackets whatever size they need to be and then see where all the 321a individuals and teams end up. I guess that should be the fairest way to do it.

And by the way... I have seen quite a few padded records in the 321a class. I am not knocking them but there aren't a lot of full teams.

PS Prant Garker wants my shoes

I for one have to wrestle a varsity caliber wrestler every week to get on varsity and I failed each time. Earlier in the year, though, I wrestled a 5A wrestler and defeated him. Most wrestlers in 321A do not take as many byes for duals as you think. Also, Phillipsburg's regional had many more than 8 in an average bracket. More like 13 or more. 5 & 6A should have substate instead of regionals, that is the only fair way to do it. Although, I agree Grand State would clear up alot of these problems. Also, a big shoutout to Dave Newell from Norton, who won Grand State in one of the two years of its existence.

I am not sure what weight you are at Saybon but just cuz you beat a 5a guy doesn't mean 5a is inferior to 321aand you can beat ALL 5a guys. Thats silly and those are the comments I am talking about.

I was just showing one spot where a 321A wrestler obviously is good enough to wrestle varsity, but sadly stuck on JV. Didn't mean to generalize completely and say 321A was the best. Just disproving a scenario which a 6A wrestler discussed.

P.S. I'm at 171

I am not out to start fights, just to voice a different opinion by sticking up for the other side of the argument. Basically i think that the wrestlers in all the classes should have the same chance to get to state. I offered combining 5-6a as an "idea" to get the qualification rate down to 25%(as is in 4-3-2-1a). I do not think that the medalists from 4-3-2-1a are better than 6-5a medalists. I believe that alternates year in and year out. Sometimes day in and day out. I do think that 6-5a is too easy to qualify. Especially when the regional has 8 teams and those brackets aren't alway full. Some kids literally get to go to state just because they made varsity. AND THATS NOT FAIR.

How bout we all just quit wrestling since everyone seems to hate each other and play some basketball... ya that sounds like fun, i think im gonna go lace up my jordans right now!

No, I do not want your shoes. That's like saying, "Prant Garker wants to wear a dress."

I'm simply too manly to do either.

Your Violet shoes aren't much better...at least mine give me special takedown powers.

Well, since 6a is the best and everything we do is better than everybody else (sarcastic) let 321a qualify 16.

I can't wait to see ya this week Prant, I've been wondering what exactly you look and wrestle like for quite a long time now.

Two things:

1. There's a reason that 321A is combined at state.

2. Prant, that may be your best post ever. Your point is dead on accurrate and in the most simplified way explains the "fact of the matter."

I went to a (at the time) large 4A high school in Kansas. I played three sports and made varisty in all three from my sophomore year on. Let me say that in two of the sports I was not good, not bad--but not good by any stretch of the imagination. Granted there were some better atheletes in the school who didn't go out, but I really did not have a lot of competition. Someone I played behind in basketball in jr. high went to a large 5A school for high school and sat the bench for three years before playing a reserve role as a senior. Trust me, this person would have started all four years at my school. Not only that, but they did not even make the team in two other sports. I have to say from a generalized experience that the larger schools definately have a bigger selection of atheletes to draw from. Again, that is not to take anything away from atheletes at smaller schools. I realize wrestling is an individual sport and to compare it to basketball or any other sport is not fair. This is just an opinion from an outsider. There are always exceptions to any generaliztion.

\More fule for the fire: There were ten (10) Kansas high school seniors who were signed to D-I football scholarships this year--three were from Conway Springs, a 3A high school. A team from a small school with three D-I players should have no problems with their small school, no D-I athletes, competition, right? Wrong, they beat Norton by 7 in the sectional game (where Norton had the football at mid-field with less than a minute to play) and then beat TMP by only 3 in the sub-state game.

You are correct El Gato Grande. They also played Garden Plain, a 2A school (and Conway's biggest rival) and only beat them by 7. GP should have won the game had it not been for a fumbled punt right before halftime and one other stupid play. How can a 2A school even stay in the game with a school with 3 D-1 players?