AC_Wrestler

If you don’t think that Hoxie faces any competition in western Kansas, think again. Western Kansas in rich in wrestling tradition and the sport has become a family tradition to many people in that region. Just check out all the family names that have repeated over the decades. Chances are that most wrestlers in the state of Kansas can probably trace the lineage of the sport they learned to western Kansas, somewhere down the line some of their instruction came from the western part of the state. Too many times people look at the size of the schools in western Kansas and automatically think that their smaller enrollment indicates that they are less of a athletic power. Remember it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
It has been my experience that western Kansas wrestlers demonstrate more tenacity and overall mental toughness than most kids from urban areas. In my opinion many kids around urban areas tend to have a less rigorous lifestyle. They find jobs working at fast food restaurants or grocery stores and after practice their work day ends. Kids in the rural setting are usually picking up hay or working cattle, some type of physical labor, and many of these kids still have work to do after practice has finished. The setting that they have been raised in demands more work ethic.
We tend to hold too much stock in tournaments like Newton, the Bobcat Classic. I would gather to say that the toughness of the dual schedule of western Kansas schools far exceeds that of the dual schedules of urban schools. But, if you are going to base your argument on tournament schedule, I will guarantee you that Hoxie competes in tournaments every bit at tough as Newton. Didn’t Hoxie win the Beloit tournament and wasn’t Manhattan at the Beloit tournament? Manhattan won the Newton tournament didn’t they?
I didn’t have the pleasure to see the Hoxie Indians this year, but have talked people who did. From what I understand and the comparisons that I have made I don’t think it would matter what classification Hoxie was competing in this year. Hoxie has earned the respect of everyone who truly knows anything about wrestling.

Scott Neil
Head Wrestling Coach
Basehor-Linwood High School
(Host of the Bobcat Classic)