Varsity Kansas - The Blog

by joanna

I’m pretty comfortable, knowledge-wise, with most sports. I know a pick-and-roll, a flea flicker, a slide (volleyball). You get my drift.

But wrestling, that’s a whole other thing. I know wrestling’s main words, such as pin (fall), takedown, escape. I even know how most of the scoring works. But there’s been some words, or rather, phrases, thrown around today and yesterday that I just don’t know about.

When I interviewed Heights’ Chase Nelson yesterday, he threw out the head-arm move. It’s not that I need to completely understand it, but I need to know how to spell it or write it. Chase said it needs a hyphen and it’s not head and arm.

Then there’s the other stuff like what I heard screamed from behind me earlier today — Get your head in the hole! (that one made me laugh) Wrist control. Elbow pass. Then from yesterday, the more the kid made was the whizzer. I’m sure you wrestling folks know, but I’m a little lost there.

The best thing about wrestling people, though, is they love their sport, so if you look a little clueless, they’ll fill you in willingly.

by joanna

I’m back at Koch Arena, trying to figure out the best way to cover this final day and trying to figure out what will be the best stories. It’s pure conjecture, though.

The fifth-place matches are just finishing up on one mat. Which means the other two mats have a few random young kids messing around. There’s quite a few wrestlers just chilling on one end, and about five guys are warming up — of course, with the hoodies on.

Oh, look at that, Maize coach Roy Oeser and Heights assistant Mike Church have made up from yesterday (check out yesterday’s post for their minor issue). Oeser even gave Church a bottle of water. Too funny. Ha! Church just told me that he’s going to hand a case of water to Oeser tonight.

The finals are on Kansas Now 22 at 6 tonight — finals start at 6:30 — but make sure to  check out this blog throughout the rest of the day. I’ll try to give you as much info as I can.

Before the fifth and sixth place matches started, Derby had cut into Goddard’s 50-point lead, cutting it to 181.5 to 180. Can it hold up? We’ll just have to see. It’s certainly possible. I’m going through all the finishes right now, but it looks like Derby’s got 10 in the finals and third-place matches. Of course,Goddard’s got 7 in the finals tonight.

It should be interesting.

by joanna

Well, it’s all over here at 6A. At least the first day. The mats are empty — oh wait, two kids just walked onto the mat, shook hands and are hitting each other up side the head. Oh, now there’s a takedown. I don’t know who these kids are, but they’re looking good.

It was a good first day, though, and I love this venue. I know 5A and 6A go back to the Kansas Coliseum next year, but I’m loving how well-lit and spacious this is. It’s a little crowded around the mats, but it’s the same at the Coliseum.

There definitely was some good wrestling going on, too. Goddard was dominant. I’d love to find a different word for the Lions, but I can’t. I mean, they got 9 into the semis and advanced 7 to the championship? Hello, that’s amazing. Derby got 9 in as well, but only two are in the title matches. The Lions scored 177 points, while second-place Derby has 127.5. They sucked up most of the points as third-place Heights has 73.

The City League is well represented, with Heights and Northwest each with three in the championships.

In 5A, Carroll is doing as expected — rolling. The Eagles lead Ark City 154.5 to 96.5. In 4A, Clay Center leads Andale 100 to 88.5.

Class 3-2-1A is tight with Smith Center holding a narrow lead — 103, Philllipsburg 101.5 and Beloit 97.5

All in all, a good day. Good fans, none too crazy. Good matches, no ridiculous or outrageous events. That’s what I like.

So tomorrow should be even better. I hope.

by joanna

Well, 6A semis are over. I am desperately trying to do interviews and track down wrestlers and get the actual scores on everything. But you know what? I’m here for you. I want you to have the latest info before anyone else. So I’m taking a break to blog.

Goddard has seven of nine semifinalists in the finals — Means, Caldwell, R.Houlden, Fisher, Bonewell, Beard, Villegas. They’re the definite front-runners for the 6A title. But they don’t have it wrapped up

Derby has two in –C. Reinhart, Long

Heights has three — Nelson, Maple and DeShazer

Northwest has three — Caylor and Heithaus and Ringgold

Maize has one — Dunham

That’s all I’ve got for now, folks. (I feel like I need Woody Woodpecker in the background after I say that) The backside is going on right now, and I need to write. I’ll be back, though.

by joanna

Turns out the Class 6A and 5A wrestling championships will be on Kansas Now 22. Great, huh? Unfortunately I just got the press release from Cox Communications today

Saturday’s matches in 6A will be on Kansas Now 22 starting at 6 p.m. The 5A championships will air at 2 on Sunday.
Just wish I could have told you all this before.

By the way, I love the hair styles at state wrestling. Where else do you see dye jobs, mohawks, multi-colored hair? OK, maybe at the mall, but rarely in sports.

And the way these guys warm up, get hyped, makes me laugh. And cringe a little. I mean, why hit yourself on the head or slap the crap out of your legs? I know, I know. It works for them. That’s fine. When I need to get hyped, I, well, I guess I never need to do that.

Thank God for athletes, otherwise I wouldn’t have a job.

by joanna

I’m loving this tournament. I’ve got a front-row seat to both mats with semifinal matches on them. Can’t beat it. I can beat the food. I bought a polish — God help me. I think I’m sick now. And I love Polish dogs, yet I don’t think I can eat it anymore. Ever.

Uh-oh. At 130 pounds, Heights assistant Mike Church asked a Maize assistant if he could have his water to help Kendric Maple out, I guess the guy said yes. Church took it and Karl Oeser, the Maize head coach is angry — (that’s ROY Oeser. Man, I am stinking in this father-son thing here lately). They just yelled at each other for about 20 seconds. No big deal. But that’s wrestling coaches. They are waaaay intense. Aren’t they? If you’ve ever seen even one match, you know what I mean.

Church cracks me up, I mean this guy is now an assistant - -he was the South coach — but he still thinks he’s a head coach. He’s funny to watch, so animated

Derby and Goddard each have nine in the semis. Not bad, huh?

Talked to Goddard coach Brett Means before the semis. I’d seen him with his eyes closed before the quarters, and his mouth was moving. I asked if it was yoga or a relaxation technique. Nope, it’s prayer. This is obviously a stressful time — when aren’t coaches stressed, though? — so he said he was talking to God and asking for help. Hey, whatever works. You know, Means smiled at me, too. Ha! That’s two points for me.

Chatted with Manhattan coach Bob Gonzalez. He’s got to be the most gregarious person ever. Lovin’ him. I could talk to him all day.

East’s Bill Coffman is standing in the corner, bending all kinds of crazy ways. He looks like how I do when I’m playing video games — If I’m trying to turn my , whatever it is, I stand up, I have my arms high. Yeah, I don’t do the video games. Uh-oh, he just bent his arm all crazy to the side.

The match is over now, and I told Coffman how I was laughing at him inside — he just wants me to get his name right. Nice response to the fact that I had written Brian Byers instead of his son MATT Byers in a story last week about East basketball. No offense taken, I really like coach Sue Coffman. HA! Just kidding, Bill (although I enjoy dealing with his wife, the Andover volleyball coach).

So I interviewed Maize’s Tim Dunham, a winner at 130, turned around to watch Heights’ Chase Nelson at 135 against Lawrence’s Blake Greenfield, but he wasn’t on Mat 1. I asked around where Nelson was. I looked like an idiot because he was already done - -he pinned Greenfield in 17 seconds. Whoa.

by joanna

If you can believe it, Gary Musselman of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said no to the Dr. Phil show.

I’m personally in disbelief. That’s like saying no to an armadillo cracking peanuts by the roadside. (OK, I think I failed at mimicking a hokey saying of his, but, whatever.)

Musselman told me today that he’d been called by the Dr. Phil show to appear on it and talk about the situation regarding the female basketball official and St. Mary’s Academy. If you missed it, check out the previous blog posts. In short, St. Mary’s wouldn’t allow the woman, Michelle Campbell, to officiate a boys basketball game because they don’t believe in women having power over men.

Musselman has talked to many different media outlets, including Good Morning America, but he turned down Dr. Phil. He said the assistant producer was speechless. He paused, paused, paused after Musselman’s response. I guess there aren’t many who turn down the big man who went to high school in Kansas.

The whole situation surrounding St. Marys has been difficult, and I feel for Musselman for having to deal with this, especially because it involves a school that’s only approved, not a member. The KSHSAA board will meet March 11 to discuss whether to revoke St. Marys’ status as approved or if it will put stronger language in. Who knows what will come of it.

Fact is, something needs to happen. Discriminating against gender is a serious issue — thus laws that guard against it happening.

All right, back to wrestling. Derby’s Blake Long just won his match. His opponent at 189 pounds was DQ’ed for his fourth penalty — he kept locking his hands.

by joanna

We’ve just gotten to 189-pound quarterfinals out here at Koch Arena. It’s funny that it can really be so quiet out here even with this many people. Oh, wait. A kid just got pinned, which meant a loud cheer from the winner’s fan area. In this instance, the Shawnee Mission East fans, sitting behind their black and light blue Lancers banner.

Derby’s got two guys wrestling right now — Alex Feldkamp at 171, Blake Long at 189.  Not anymore. Feldkamp just pinned his opponent.

Now the Goddard fans erupt after Roman Villegas won his match. I’m pretty sure it was a pin, but how do I know? It just happened, I was typing and these matches are moving fast!

by joanna

Activity is picking up around here. The shenanigans have finished and guys are starting to warm up, practicing some with teammates. Others are running around the arena floor, others jumping in place.

Wrestlers are definitely fans of hoodies. Guess it’s a good way to warm up the head, too, or is it intimidation. Some of these 103-pounders, they don’t scare me. My little finger is bigger than them. Now those middle weight wrestlers, I’m intimidated.

Usher’s “Yeah” is on, which means there’s a lot of dancing going on. One guy from Manhattan has Usher’s dance moves down.

“Walk it out” just came on.That will get you focused.

Just talked to Cindy Montgomery, a South high staff member who’s been working the state wrestling meet for 26 years now. Um, wow.

“I used to do a lot of sports,” she said. “I did announcing for basketball, football, but I had to cut back.”

She’s stuck with wrestling, though. So if you want results, they’re on the KSHSAA Web site because of her.

I’m out.

by joanna

I’m out at Koch Arena, and there’s a break now. Gotta admit, the breaks are some of my favorite times. Just saw a kid, not a wrestler, doing some break dancing — spinning on his head. Man, I wish I could do that, seriously. I’ve always wanted to learn the running man, too. I’ve got the grocery cart down and the sprinkler, too.

There’s quite a few kids out here wrestling on the three mats here. None of them are participants in the meet. You know the participants because they’re resting, heads on pillows or arms. Kids, what an ability to sleep anywhere.

This place is less than full, but what do you expect? It’s only 6A here. I’m sure it will pick up in later rounds - -quarters start at 2:30, semis are at 6:30.

One thing I love about wrestling is the banners and how the different schools’ fans stick together in their own little area.

Uh-oh, it was just pointed out that on the brackets — which the champs will get tomorrow at each weight — that it says 275, not 285. Not good. Then again, not that big of a deal.

Ryan Jilka, the former Goddard coach, is out here. He’s an official now. I saw him at the Valley Center regional last week. Southeast coach Randy Lemon’s here. He’s finished coaching after this.

Love the cats with the bleached blond hair. One dude looks like Sisco, the singer with Dru Hill ( you know, the singer who sang the Thong song.) Tell me I’m not dating myself here. Please.

It’s really cool in here, temperature wise. Just doesn’t feel like a wrestling meet — you know, it’s supposed to be crowded and hot.

That’s all for now. Check back in later.