I think the only true way to have an All-Star team is to place the wrestler where he finished his Senior year at. I had to move a few guys to make the list fit but most everybody is at weight they finished at. Here's mine. I couldn't remember everyone's first and last name but here it goes.

103- Daniel George, Bren Brandenberry
112- Chris Ngo, Austin Devoe
119- Wazell Evans, Shaun Bunch, Michael Bradley
125- Bo Maynes, Zack Roberson, Doug Hoover
130- Devin Bahm, Chris Saferite
135- Billy Gable, Matt Murray, Dustin May
140- Dusty Spaulding, Danny Fox, Jason Nichols
145- Brandon Pfizenmaier, Andy Tieben, Vogel
152- Dirk Foust, Matt Bradshaw, Nathan Lawrenze
160- Jacob Klien, Clint Caton
171- Shaun Silvis, Scott Coleman
189- Joe Nelson, Justin Dyer
215- Wes Walker, Jack Denis, Josh Carrol
Hwt- Jeff Boyle, Andrew Ubben

Ben Orozco of Ellsworth was a 4A finalist @ 103 in '97 and 112 in '98. Ellsworth then dropped to 3-2-1A where Orozco was a champ at 119 in '99 (10-1 over Derek Jones of Hoxie in the finals) and a champ at 125 in '00. Career record of 129-7.

Clint Freeman of Ellsworth was a 4A state qualifier as a freshman at 125 in 1997. Placed 3rd @ 4A 152 as a sophomore (beat Silvis of Augusta twice in the state tournament 4-2, 2-1). He then dropped to 3-2-1A and placed 3rd as a junior. Then, as a senior, he was the most physically dominating 171 pounder in recent memory as he cruised to an undefeated state championship.

Travis Baker of Hoxie state champ as a freshman, second as a sophomore, third as a junior (after Pat Dykstra earned an Oscar for his rendition of an injured wrestler in the semi-finals) and state champ as a senior.

Adam Koster of Hoxie third as a freshman, second as a sophomore, third as a junior and champ as a senior.

Again, maybe not the best, but certainly deserving of a mention in this forum.

Les, I'll agree that Orozco is very deserving of being on a list like that. But if you put Orozco in a category w/ Maynes, Roberson, and Hoover all 4X state champions You can't leave out Beau Tillman a 3X State Champion from Pratt. It's just a stacked weight.

About Freeman, the year he beat Silvis twice, Silvis only wrestled regionals due to a blown out knee from football. If I recall correctly those two wrestled in the East vs. West where Freeman took a thumpin. Also Silvis followed his stellar highschool career with a national championship this year at 165 for UCO.

If you put Baker on this list, you might as well put Chad Flores, Pete Koster, Jeremy Long, Josh Brown all on the list. All four had great highschool careers. Flores 2X, Koster 1X but won one of the toughest brackets I've ever seen as a So. Long 4x With his second coming over Tillman who was going for his fourth. Brown of Columbus also a 2x state champ. Tough pick. Baker was tough, still is.

As for A. Koster, he was a great highschool wrestler but so was Don Boone from Valley Center and Mike Dawes of Andale. Boone was untouchable his Senior year in 96. Dawes was a three time state champ, 2X in 1-2-3A and once in 4A. I don't want to take anything from any of these wrestlers, I just didn't see one shining above the other.

When Tilman lost to Long, Tilman was going for his third title, his junior year.

JJETC -

Was not intending to belittle your selections, as they were great choices. You obviously had done your homework. But I did feel the four I shared were worth a mention too.

The point about Orozco is well taken - but I would have loved to see Ben meet any of the others you mentioned.

And about Freeman. I don't know if I saw the East/West results that year, but do know that Freeman advanced quite a ways in the front side at senior nationals before ending up at 8th place. And also know that Silvis went 0-2 in the same bracket. As for post high school, Silvis is tearing it up - but Freeman wrestled some varsity for the University of Missouri as a true freshman (did he redsirt this year?). Point is that they are both extremely talented.

Thanks for your comments.

This is a tougher one. All-Star team 1985-1989

98-Todd Drake/Terri Smith
105-Kelly Brewster/Wes Harding/Kevin Stewart
112-Corey Jones/Jason Brown
119-Dave Canfield/Eric Akin
126-Neil Keller/Chris Jacoby
132-Lance Wilson/Brady Ayer
138-Todd Layton/E.K. Franks/Craig Lindsey
145- Del Ray/Trevor Squibb
155-Randy Mathews or Doug Morrow??????who first?
167-Preston Underwood/Eric Napier
185-Frank Veach/Sonny Manley
Unlimited-Dave Gossett
How did I do?????

Any all star team that leaves Justin Ware and Doug Duell off it in the state of Kansas is suspect I think. If we are going to go as far back as some of the names on the previous list, I would put Fisher from Norton at 103 and Lampe from Colby at 112 on there somewhere as well as Hernandez of Ark City at 167 and Roberson of Northwest somewhere on the list. Pretty hard to ignore those guys.

Westfahl, That is why I did the list back that far to find out other picks from other individuals.
Roberson or Akin? Your call on that one. (Fun to play the what if game once in a while). You think Hernandez over Underwood? You think the Norton kid over Drake? Ware over Canfield?
Good call Westfahl you got me thinking again. Give me your list. Thanks. Matthew.

Actually yes i do think those guys over the others in each case. I had the honor of coaching against all those guys except for Fisher and I wrestled at the same time he did. We actually beat Akin his senior year with a tremendous wrestler of our own, but in regards to Ware. I am not real sure I have ever seen a better wrestler in this state than he was his senior year. I left out Stan Falkender of St. Francis who was a lot like Justin and about as good. He was about a 142 pounder or something like that I can't remember but he was amazing. They are, in my mind, the two best I have seen since 1965 in any weight class. I think there are a lot of guys in the Roberson, Akin, area but I see no one that is in the same grouping skill and talent wise as Ware and Falkender. They were the two most special wrestlers I have seen with Doug Duell right square behind them. But it is all opinion and everyone elses is as good as mine.

Matthew C- I wrestled both Del Ray and Trevor Squibb in high school. Del Ray was tougher.

Eric Zeeman (Salina Central) was also tough. I would have loved to see him wrestle Del Ray or Todd Layton. They were never in the same weight that I can remember.

That Underwood vs. Hernandez match would be a match worth paying for. I got to reading the posts again and got to thinking about that a bit. I would pay to see that one I don't really know who would win that one. I tell you another couple of guys that were probably better than those two and I had forgotten them is Gary Walters from St. Francis and a fella name Voss from Colby and I don't remember his first name but he was very very tough. If anyone from St. Francis is reading this, I bet, and I am just thinking on paper here, but I bet you could put together an all star team in your history that is very nearly the equal of any all star team you could put together from the rest of the state of Kansas. That little place has had some tough hombre's in the last fifty years or so. Somebody from St. Francis talk to one of those old farmers up there and get them to tell you who the tough guys were. They have had some of the very best Kansas has had to offer.

By the way I am going to vote for my little brother at 189, Rock Westfahl. He was a two time state champ and pinned all but three opponents his junior and senior year and went on to wrestle at LSU. I got to vote for him because he was good and because he won't shut up if i don't hahaha. he was pretty darn good though.

Westfahl & Mamasawn, what do you think about Treaster Beloit? In there anywhere?
Mamasawn, did you wrestle Morrow from Derby or Eddie Harrington (or was he too light-weight)?Can't remember when he wrestled.
Westfahl, Duell? When where did he wrestle? I remember the name, but cannot place it right now.
Your brother was tough, good call.
Ware was incredible to watch. I remember watching him wrestle Clint Lopez from Derby. I think Clint really had the upper hand in that match at the Derby Tournament. Some say bad calls. I disagree just an incredible match. Who ended up winning. Ware. Let me know.

Westfahl & Mamasawn, what do you think about Treaster- Beloit? In there anywhere?
Mamasawn, did you wrestle Morrow from Derby or Eddie Harrington (or was he too light-weight)?Can't remember when he wrestled.
Westfahl, Duell? When where did he wrestle? I remember the name, but cannot place it right now.
Your brother was tough, good call.
Ware was incredible to watch. I remember watching him wrestle Clint Lopez from Derby. I think Clint really had the upper hand in that match at the Derby Tournament. Some say bad calls. I disagree, just an incredible match. Who ended up winning, Ware. Very, very close. Let me know.

Doug Duell was a four time state champ from Goodland in the 70's. He was a smooth on his feet as anyone has been in this state or any other state. He wrestled varsity at Oklahoma State as a freshman and was a match away from placing inthe nationals his freshman year. His sophomore year he was ranked fourth or fifth and the brain trust at OSU decided to go with another wrestler for the big eight tourney and Doug came home if I remember correctly. He was unreal though and as good as there has been. he was the star attraction at the first grand state tourney. He beat Linden Bontz of kapaun in the finals 9-0 or 9-2 and got a standing ovation that lasted for about five minutes or more. He was an awfully good one and I think still lives up around Attwood somewhere. His father was Ben Duell the great coach from Burlington, Colorado and his brother Freddie was a two timer who was very very successful at OSU as well and one of the best leg wrestlers to take the mat in these parts. As for Treaster, I know he was good but I was coaching at a different state those years and didnt see him or coach against him so I really don't know but people said he was very good. I think Lopez had the day of his life against Ware. I coached against both of them with the same wrestler and I know we had Lopez down in the third period and lost and the same kid of mine lost in the state semi's to Justin down eight nothing when he was rudely stuck. I think Justin was much the superior wrestler overall.

Morrow was a tough tough kid. I remember once we had a good kid named Keith Dean at that weight and we caught Morrow witha cradle early in the match at Coffeyville and almost pinned him. All it really did was make him mad and he came out of there like a banshee, hung a cradle of his own and pinned Keith. He really was good, I don't think as good as the other two I mentioned but only marginally not as good. He was not fun to try to beat I can tell you that.

If we are adding older guys into this, I would put in Allen Hankins from Ark City. I don't think I've ever seen a more dominant year than the one he had his senior year. At the Newton tournament, he pretty much handled Brit Madison from Ulysses and no one else even came close.

Westfahl, who was the kid you coached that Lopez beat or Ware stuck? Where were you coaching at?
Now I remember Duell. Smooth wrestler, clutch too.
Should I have added Oeser to that list?
When did Allen wrestle for Ark City?
Westfahl do you remember Eddie Harrington? He wrestled for Derby, OSU, then FHSU.
Did Ware compete at the college level?

Hankins wrestled from 91-94 finished at 135 lbs. 3x champ, runner-up freshmen year.