After crushing previously No.1 Blair Academy Graham isn’t satisfied with a co-champion.

Amateur Wrestling News, the leader in High School wrestling polling currently lists both Apple Valley, MN and St. Paris Graham, OH as co-champions.

How can this happen? I hear you asking.

That’s exactly what Graham coach Jeff Jordan was saying after he discovered on Monday, Feb. 8, that the country’s most-respected national high school pollster ranked his team and Apple Valley as co-No. 1’s. Previous No. 1 Blair Academy dropped to third.

Apple Valley was previously No. 2 and Graham No. 3. However, Graham beat Blair convincingly, 36-21, in a head-to-head dual meet in St. Paris on Jan. 30.

“It’s strange; the pundits sent a big e-mail out that there can only be one No. 1 team, then two weeks later there is a tie,” said Jordan. “We’ve been ranked No. 2 in the country for three years in a row and Blair was No. 1. But this year, they put Apple Valley ahead of us at No. 2.

“But it is what it is.”

And, with Apple Valley never running into Blair or Graham during the season, it’ll likely end up that way. “They say if Apple Valley wins their state championship and we win state, we’ll end up tied,” said Jordan. “It sure would have been great if we could have met them head-to-head.”

We at HSWrestling.Net and TheWrestlingTalk.com say the two teams should meet the week after state, give each wrestler a 3 pound allowance above their state weight classes so it’s a much easier cut, and find out who the real champion is.

Brian Breakman breaks down who will walk away with state titles at each weight class and each division at the 2010 Ohio High School Wrestling State Tournament.

Brakeman’s Projected State Champions

Division 1
Team: Wadsworth
103 pounds: George DiCamillo – 10 – St. Ignatius
112 pounds: Kory Mines – 12 – Maple Heights
119 pounds: Jerome Robinson – 12 – St. Ignatius
125 pounds: Gus Sako – 12 – St. Edward
130 pounds: Jamie Clark – 12 – St. Edward
135 pounds: Shawn Fayette – 12 – Miamisburg
140 pounds: Robert Shepherd – 12 – Mason
145 pounds: Brad Squire – 12 – Wadsworth
152 pounds: David Habat – 12 – St. Ignatius
160 pounds: Nick Sulzer – 12 – St. Edward
171 pounds: Josh Demas – 12 – Westerville North
189 pounds: Caleb Busson – 12 – Wadsworth
215 pounds: Nick Tavanello – 10 – Wadsworth
285 pounds: Ben Buzzelli – 12 – Wadsworth

Division 2
Team: Graham
103 pounds: Ryan Taylor – 10 – Graham
112 pounds: Andrew Bertubin – 12 – Cambridge
119 pounds: Ty Mitch – 12 – Aurora
125 pounds: Johnni DiJulius – 11 – Walsh Jesuit
130 pounds: Bo Jordan – 9 – Graham
135 pounds: Isaac Jordan – 10 – Graham
140 pounds: Felipe Martinez – 10 – Graham
145 pounds: Matt Stephens – 11 – Graham
152 pounds: Harrison Hightower – 12 – University
160 pounds: Brad Wukie – 12 – University
171 pounds: Cody Lamberg – 12 – Kenmore
189 pounds: Max Thomusseit – 12 – Graham
215 pounds: Jake Henderson – 12 – Toledo Central Catholic
285 pounds: Matt Schramm – 12 – London

Division 3
Team: Monroeville
103 pounds: Nathan Tomasello – 9 – Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
112 pounds: Alex Dronzek – 12 – Beachwood
119 pounds: Hunter Stieber – 11 – Monroeville
125 pounds: Logan Stieber – 12 – Monroeville
130 pounds: Mike Kovach – 12 – St. Peter Chanel
135 pounds: Johnny Carpenter – 11 – Madeira
140 pounds: Cam Tessari – 11 – Monroeville
145 pounds: Kyle Burns – 12 – Troy Christian
152 pounds: Jake Howe – 12 – Blanchester
160 pounds: Dennis Raber – 12 – Orrville
171 pounds: Chris Phillips – 11 – Monroeville
189 pounds: Kurt Schaefer – 11 – Northwestern
215 pounds: Ethan Hayes – 11 – Dixie
285 pounds: Tyler Obringer – 12 – Spencerville

HSWrestling.Net narrows down the top 10 High School Wrestling teams. After Blair dropped a dual 36-21 to St. Paris Graham they drop two spots in our rankings. Apple Valley remains undefeated and the No. 1 team in the nation.

1. Apple Valley, Minnesota Entered the season as our No. 1 pick and they remain undefeated; setting a state record for consecutive wins in the process (95), Won Cheesehead and Clash.
Key Components: Destin McCauley, Dakota Trom, & Brandon Kingsley

2. St. Paris Graham, Ohio – Absolutely dominated Blair, 36-21. Winning seven of eight bouts to open the dual. 2nd at Ironman.
Key Components: Nick Brascetta, Felipe Martinez, & Max Thomussei

3. Brandon, Florida Hung in close to Apple Valley at the Cheesehead, a very strong dual meet squad. Defeated No. 8 Collins Hill, Georgia (34-24). 2nd at Cheesehead.
Key Components: Joe Cozart & Henry Chirino

4. Blair Academy, New Jersey Tried to cover a major hole at 145lbs against St. Paris Graham. It backfired and they got throttled. 1st at Beast & Ironman.
Key Components: Evan Silver (No. 1 @ 112), Mike Evans(No. 1 @ 189), Mark Grey

5. Central Dauphin, Pennsylvania Powerade Champions, Undefeated in dual meet action, 2nd at Beast.
Key Components: Marshall Peppelman (No. 1 160), Kenny Courts (No. 1 @ 171), & Tyson Dippery

6. Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania 3rd at Beast
Key Components: Simon Kitzis (No. 8 @ 135), Dominick Malone (No. 1 @ HWT)

7. Simley Minnesota : Defeated Montini Catholic, Illinois & Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 2nd at Clash.
Key Components: Kurtis Julson & Kyle Gliva

8. Collins Hill, Georgia :- 2nd at Powerade, lost 34-24 to No. 3 Brandon, Florida
Key Components: Bazell Partridge, T J Mitchell, Joel Smith

9. Wadsworth, Ohio: Defeated No. 10 St. Edward, Ohio at dual meet state.
Key Components: Brad Squire (No. 7 @ 145), Ben Buzzelli (No. 9 @ HWT)

10. St. Edward, Ohio: 3rd at Ironman, lost to No. 9 Wadsworth, Ohio
Key Components: Nick Sulzer, (No. 4 @ 160), Dean Heil, (No. 11 @ 103)

Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) v. Joe Cozart (Brandon, FL)

HSWrestling.Net narrows down the top 10 High School Wrestling teams. After Blair dropped a dual 36-21 to St. Paris Graham they drop two spots in our rankings. Apple Valley remains undefeated and the No. 1 team in the nation.

1. Apple Valley, Minnesota – Entered the season as our No. 1 pick and they remain undefeated; setting a state record for consecutive wins in the process (95), Won Cheesehead and Clash
2. St. Paris Graham, Ohio – Absolutely dominated Blair, 36-21. Winning seven of eight bouts to open the dual. 2nd at Ironman.
3. Brandon, Florida - Hung in close to Apple Valley at the Cheesehead, a very strong dual meet squad. Defeated No. 8 Collins Hill, Georgia (34-24). 2nd at Cheesehead.
4. Blair Academy, New Jersey - Tried to cover a major hole at 145lbs against St. Paris Graham. It backfired and they got throttled. 1st at Beast & Ironman.
5. Central Dauphin, Pennsylvania - Powerade Champions, Undefeated in dual meet action, 2nd at Beast
6. Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania – Hung very close to No. 1 Blair Academy (31-29), 3rd at Beast
7. Simley Minnesota - Defeated Montini Catholic, Illinois & Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 2nd at Clash.
8. Collins Hill, Georgia - 2nd at Powerade, lost 34-24 to No. 3 Brandon, Florida
9. Wadsworth, Ohio – Defeated No. 10 St. Edward, Ohio at dual meet state.
10. St. Edward, Ohio - 3rd at Ironman, lost to No. 9 Wadsworth, Ohio

After tackling individual national rankings and top prospect profiles, TheOpenMat makes our first endeavor into national team rankings. We offer here the nation’s top twenty teams with season accomplishments and rationale for Top 10 placement.

With the season headed for the homestretch, there is a good bit of evidence to base our rankings on. With several key duals, state series, and National Preps remaining, there’s still time to jockey for position. Enjoy, and feel free to leave a note or discuss the rankings on our message boards.

#1 Apple Valley, MN

Season History: The only unbeaten team in the country. Apple Valley boasts a deep roster and balanced lineup. They have won two competitions to support their #1 status. At The Clash, a dual meet tournament featuring three other members of our Top 20, AV went 5-0 with team scores of 55-12, 50-19, 45-12, 40-16, and 32-20 (to #12 Simley). At the Cheesehead, Apple Valley outdistanced second place Brandon, FL, by 39pts in while putting seven in the finals and winning four individual titles.

Rationale for #1: Tremendous balance. Several front-line studs and no holes in the entire line-up. Depth gives them the flexibility to create match-ups if needed. They are a dual nightmare for the opposition.
Up Next: Dual vs. #12 Simley 2/12

#2 Graham, St. Paris, OH

Season History: Finished 2nd to Blair Academy at the premier tournament in the country, the Ironman, by 41pts. After a dominating performance over #13 St. Ed’s, SPG upset Blair Academy at home, 36-21.

Rationale for #2: Graham has seen some great in-season progress, particularly in their middleweights. Second at the IM and a dual win over Blair puts them Top 2. A hypothetical dual on paper is all we can resort to. In the end, we give the advantage to AV, as there’s no easy outs in their line-up, and little room for opponents to score bonus.
Up Next: Dual vs. #11 Wadsworth 2/5

#3 Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ

Season History: Blair dominated their early schedule winning several major tournaments in the Ironman, the Beast, and the Bethlehem Holiday Classic. Duals, however, proved to be their Achilles heel. Their mettle was tested in the Final Four where they managed to win despite a close call (36-33) to Collins Hill. The following week, Blair would fall at St. Paris by 15pts.

Rationale for #3: If the rankings were based solely on tournament scoring ability, Blair might be your #1. They have enough studs to pace them in tournaments regardless of the field. The issue for them, however, comes in duals where it’s difficult to overcome holes at certain weights against the nation’s tougher, more balanced, teams.
Up Next: Duals vs. #7 Wyoming Seminary and #13 St. Edwards 2/6

#4 Brandon, FL

Season History: Brandon has a very balanced line-up featuring a host of Fargo-credentialed wrestlers. They competed in two major competitions this season. In Wisconsin, at the Cheesehead, they finished runners-up to Apple Valley. They also beat #6 Collins Hill by 10pts at the Kyle Maynard Duals in Georgia.

Rationale for #4: This team could make a push for #3. A dual with Blair would figure to be nip-tuck. Blair’s impeccable tournament resume gives the Buccaneer’s the nod, however.
Up Next: State Series starting 2/6

#5 Central Dauphin, Harrisburg, PA

Season History: The Rams competed in two major events thus far. At the POWERade tournament, CD led the 44-team field and took home top honors. In Delaware, they were runners-up behind #3 Blair.

Rationale for #5: The top-ranked team in Pennsylvania, Central Dauphin is built more for tournaments than duals. They should get tested in the State Dual Championships. If they survive, they will solidify their #5 status as they are the odds-on favorite to win the PA big-school state individual tournament.
Up Next: District Dual Championships 2/6

#6 Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, PA

Season History: Sem traveled early and often this season. The Knights had Top 5 finishes at the Ironman, Cheesehead, and the Beast of the East, while picking up a title at the Escape the Rock Tournament.

Rationale for #6: Finished near the top of several national tournaments (and just behind Central Dauphin at the Beast). Collins Hill’s balance makes #s 6 and 7 tricky, but Sem has the big guns that we feel would get them over the top.
Up Next: @ #3 Blair and vs. #13 St. Edward’s 2/6

#7 Collins Hill, GA

Season History: Collins Hill did its share of traveling this year, wrestling in Tennessee, Missouri, and visits to both ends of the Keystone State. The Eagles opened eyes with their impressive performance in capturing the Toshiba Midwest Classic over highly touted Park Hill, MO and several other solid teams. Later they finished 2nd behind Central Dauphin at POWERade. In Easton, at the NHSCA Final Four, they went 3-1 in duals, while nearly knocking off Blair.

Rationale for #7: A very balanced and well-coached team, you have to earn a win against them. This season, only #3 Blair and #4 Brandon managed to do that in duals.
Up Next: Region Tournament 2/6

#8 St. Mark’s, Wilmington, DE

Season History: The Spartans are enjoying a banner season with Coach Bastianelli leading them to podium finishes at the Beast and the Bethlehem Classic as well as the Virginia Duals team title.

Rationale for #8: A good number of studs throughout the line-up, especially down low. The Spartans fourth finished behind just Blair, CD, and Seminary at the Beast, and appear to be equally adept in either dual or individual scoring formats.

Up Next: State Prep Championships

#9 Central Mountain, Mill Hall, PA

Season History: Central Mountain placed 5th at Ironman, were Runners-up to Wyoming Seminary at Escape the Rock, and won the King of The Mountain tournament. They have an unbeaten dual record, albeit against sub-par competition.

Rationale for #9: CM is paced by its studs, but, as a team, they continued to improve throughout the year. Still, they’re stronger in a tournament setting; the bigger the better, and will push #5 Central Dauphin at Hershey in March.
Up Next: District Duals 2/6

#10 Clovis High School, Clovis, CA

Season History: Clovis is at the head of the class of a very strong group of Californian teams. They placed 11th at the Ironman, but sent just seven wrestlers as the rest of their starters stayed home and won the Clovis West Shootout dual event. With their full line-up intact, they went on to win The Temecula Valley Tournament and the Doc Buchanan.

Rationale for #10: Clovis doesn’t have a whole lot of studs. Like Collins Hill, they’re a bunch of solid, grind-it-out guys with few, if any, holes in the line-up. They’re much better suited for duals, so a CIF State Title isn’t a shoe-in. But, if they can push the numbers through to the state tournament, the odds will be in their favor.
Up Next: State Sectionals 2/19

#11 Wadsworth, OH
Key Accomplishments: Placed 6th at Ironman. Dual win over #13 St. Ed’s.
Up Next: @ #2 St. Paris-Graham

#12 Simley, MN
Key Accomplishments: The Clash Runners-up. 5th at Cheesehead.
Up Next: @ #1 Apple Valley 2/12

#13 St. Edwards, Lakewood, OH
Key Accomplishments: 3rd at Ironman. Only dual losses to #2 St. Paris Graham and #11 Wadsworth.
Up Next: @ #3 Blair Academy and vs. Wyoming Seminary 2/6

#14 Park Hill, Kansas City, MO
Key Accomplishments: Toshiba Midwest Classic Runners-Up (to Collins Hill)
Up Next: Oak Grove Tournament 2/6

#15 Montini Cathlolic, Lombard, IL
Key Accomplishments: Ironman 10th. Dvorak Champs. 3rd at The Clash. 4th at the Cheesehead. Ranked #1 in Illinois.
Up Next: Regional Tournament 2/5

#16 Bishop Lynch, Dallas, TX
Key Accomplishments: Ironman, 7th. Dvorak Runners-up (to Montini). NHSCA Runners-Up (to Blair).
Up Next: Texas Prep State Tournament 2/6

#17 Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Key Accomplishments: Bi-State Champs. The Clash, 4th. Oconomowoc Invite Runners-Up (to Apple Valley). Ranked #1 in Wisconsin.
Up Next: Conference Championships 2/6

#18 High Point Regional High School, Sussex, NJ
Key Accomplishments: 18-1 dual record (only loss was to Bishop Lynch). #1 ranked in New Jersey.
Up Next: Sectional Tournament (state dual series) 2/8

#19 Bakersfield, CA
Key Accomplishments: Temecula Valley and Doc Buchanan Runners-up (both to #10 Clovis) Five Counties, 3rd. Ranked #2 in CA.
Up Next: State Sectional Tournament 2/19

#20 Cox High School, Virginia Beach, VA
Key Accomplishments: Placed 5th at the Beast. 5th at Bethlehem. 4th at VA Duals. Ranked 1st in VA.
Up Next: State Series

Editor Willie Saylor

#2 Blair Academy bumped up the bulk of their lower weights against #3 St. Paris Graham in an attempt to cover a hole at 145. The result, a 21-3 lead at intermission and a final score of 36-21.

After such a dominating performance against Blair, HSWrestling.Net will have to run down a mythical match up before releasing their next set of team rankings.

Perennial Powers Collide Saturday

by Willie Saylor, Editor

And the winner is…

Apple Valley? Huh? Wait a second.

There’s a storm brewing in high school wrestling, the precipitates of which will change, or reconfirm, the national team rankings. When the #1 Buccaneers travel to the #3 Falcons in St. Paris, OH, Saturday, all that will be on the line is a National Championship.

To put the picture in perspective, a little backtracking is in order.

Blair Academy began the season with the designation of being the best team in the land under a tenuous banner. Despite being among the nation’s elite year-in and year-out, the Buccaneers had lost nine starters, and number of teams around the country were returning the bulk of key contributors to squads that finished at or near the top of the 2009 campaign.

There was strong support, especially for Apple Valley, Minnesota. But when Blair won the Ironman in early December much of the dissent was quelled. At that tournament, Blair was without standout 135lber, Austin Ormsbee, and still blew away a field that featured seven of the top ten, and eleven of the top twenty teams in the country, by 41pts.

Since the Ironman, Blair went on to convincing wins at The Beast of the East and the Bethlehem Holiday Classic, tournaments featuring several teams ranked nationally.

Runners-up to Blair were these very SPG Falcons who themselves were without two starters; Fr. 130 Bo Jordan, and So. Felipe Martinez, 140. Later, at the Greater Miami Valley Tournament, SPG, now at full-strength, won by a wide margin and had Martinez collect OW honors, and 171lber, Huston Evans, take the “Most Falls” award.

Further clouding the picture for this weekend’s showdown is the opposite directions the teams seemed to take in duals last weekend.

Blair survived a scare at NHSCA’s Final Four by beating #11 Collins Hill, GA, 36-33, without the services of 130lber, Robbie Preston, who sustained a hip flexor injury in the semifinals of the Bethlehem tournament.

In contrast, St. Paris Graham was firing on all cylinders as they dismantled #10 St. Edwards, 39-20.

While most experts would agree that Blair is the premier tournament team in the country, their dual meet ability, against other nationally ranked teams, seems called into question.

The Breakdown:
103
#8 So. Max Hvolbeck, BA vs. #11 So. Ryan Taylor, SPG
Hvolbeck dec. Taylor in the Ironman Coni-Semi’s.

112
#1 Jr. Evan Silver, BA vs. So. Conner Cassidy, SPG
Expect bonus pts. from undefeated Ironman Champ Silver.

119
#11 So. Mark Grey, BA vs. #6 Jr. Nick Brascetta, SPG
One of the premier bouts of the night. Brascetta won by dec. 3-1 at Ironman.

125
Fr. Russ Parsons, or Fr. Mike Deehan, BA vs. Sr. Sheldon Kegley, SPG
Parsons went 3-2 at Ironman. Kegley was 2-2.

130
Fr. Russ Parsons, or Fr. Mike Deehan, BA vs. #18 Fr. Bo Jordan, SPG
All indications are that Blair regular (and previously ranked) Robbie Preston will not wrestle, which is a considerable blow to the Blair line-up. Bo Jordan may well be one of the best among the upper echelon in the country. He was out the first part of the season, but recently took out #1 Sr. Jamie Clark in the St. Ed’s dual.

135
#5 Jr. Austin Ormsbee, BA vs. HM So. Isaac Jordan, SPG
Ormsbee is one of the top wrestlers in the country, but Jordan’s another stud in-the-making. Advantage Blair. But should be a heck of a bout. Isaac wrestled Ironman at 140 to a 4th place finish.

140
#1 Sr. Chris Villalonga, BA vs. #6 So. Felipe Martinez, SPG
Their rankings say it all. Chris V. is experienced, savvy and knows how to win scrambles and close matches. Martinez is a dynamo. Someone, please get this on tape.

145
Fr. Jack Wedholm, BA, vs. #20 Jr. Matt Stephens or Jr. Robert Mannier, SPG

152
#7 Sr. Jesse Shanaman, BA vs. #20 Stephens or Mannier, SPG
Stephens has wrestled both weights this year. It should be interesting to see if Coach Jordan goes stud-to-stud. That decision will probably be dictated by the team score at the time of the bout. Shanaman was runner-up at Ironman to #1 Alton. Stephens (at 145) lost for 3rd vs then #10 Salupo (St. Ed’s) whom he has since beat when the teams dualed.

160
Sr. Brad Bishop, BA vs. HM Jr. Kyle Ryan, SPG
Edge to Graham’s Ryan here, who placed 4th at IM.

171
Jr. Marino Orlandi, BA vs. HM So. Huston Evans, SPG
Evans is among the best 171lbers in the country. Bonus points should come here for the Falcons.

189
#1 Sr. Mike Evans, BA vs. #5 Sr. Max Thomusseit, SPG
Another premier match. Evans controlled this bout in IM finals in a 6-2 decision.

215
Sr. Dillon Hoffman, BA vs. Jr. Mark Meyer, SPG
Toss up. Hoffman placed 8th at IM. Meyer was one bout from the podium.

HWT
#15 Fr. Brooks Black vs. Sr. Lucas Williams, SPG
Black, one of the nation’s top freshman at any weight class, is a heavy favorite here.

Blair: also has the potential to bump up everyone from 112 or 119 to 145 to get the match-ups they think most strategic. If they choose to do so, expect to see Jr. Kyle Taylor at 112. With Preston likely out, this is a real possibility.

Graham: Line-up should be as-expected with the only shuffling likely at 145/152.

Notes:
Like any big dual, toss-up bouts figure to decide the match between two close teams.

For Blair: Bonus pts are key. They need to avoid them when they’re overmatched, and get them with their studs. In their close duals, one problem has been the lack of bonus pts from their top guys who seem content on riding instead of racking up points. We’ll see if that approach changes here. They certainly have the ability to.

For SPG: Needs to get bonus where they are decided favorites. If I were Coach Jordan, I’d avoid the potential Stephens/Shanaman bout.

What It All Means
If Blair wins, case closed, assuming they run the table of their remaining schedule. They would have gone undefeated in a grueling schedule, the nation’s toughest, and won in both dual and tournament formats (the latter half of the year less a very intergral 130lber.) against more ranked opponents than anyone.

If not, #2 Apple Valley has remained perfect. They won the Cheesehead which featured five nationally ranked teams, before taking the title at The Clash, a dual format tournament, with another seven ranked squads. Their line-up is a little bit Blair; with studs throughout, and a little bit Graham; having a lot of balance.

How they would fair against Blair and/or Graham will remain conjecture as they aren’t on each other’s schedule. But if Graham should come out on top Saturday, Apple Valley might be the biggest winners…all the way to the tune of national title. Blair would have a blemish. SPG would still have a second place showing as a remnant of Ironman.

What about Graham? Is it not possible for them to lay claim to the national title? After all, they would have taken out the previous #1.

There’s a shot. But for that to happen, I think the Falcons would have to dominate and win big. They would still have a second place finish, something that Apple Valley doesn’t have to admit. And although that second place finish occurred when they weren’t at full strength, neither will Blair be (by most indications) for this dual. In the end, under this scenario, Apple Valley would be the only team to remain unscathed.

The biggest winners of this dual between New Jersey and Ohio teams just may be the folks from Minnesota.

That being said, my prediction:

Blair 31, St. Paris-Graham 26

Ian McCutcheon FloWrestling.org
There is not much that I can add to the discussion of David Taylor and Colin Palmer.  Unless something drastic happens, this will be the high school match of the year.  Potentially, it’s the high school match of the decade.  With six, soon to be eight, state titles between the two, this was a dream for anybody associated with wrestling.  I give all the credit in the world to Taylor for having the guts to bump up in weight class, to Palmer for accepting the challenge, and to both coaches for making it happen.  For anybody who had the privilege of being in the building, it looked like an absolutely electric atmosphere, worthy of the magnitude of the bout. 
Everything in the previous paragraph has been said a thousand different ways by writers, message board posters, and John Q. fan who heard about the match.  But after looking at the totality of the weekend, the thing that interested me most was not the match.  In one of his interviews with Flo, Colin Palmer was asked what happened in the third period, where his 4-3 lead became an 8-5 loss.  He answered that “I don’t really get pushed too much,” and “I don’t have anybody that pushes me for the full six minutes,” to flesh out his point that conditioning played a part in the result.  On the flip side, Taylor was excited to mention that there are four or five guys he wrestles with that are national caliber, adding “there’s always somebody that’s going to take you down in practice.” 
This is not a knock on St. Ed’s program, or an assertion of Graham’s dominance as a program.  They’re two of the top programs in the history of high school wrestling.  But it does raise the real dilemma that elite wrestlers like Taylor and Palmer face.  In most sports, you can practice your skills individually and excel.  Great basketball players can work on shooting and ball handling at all times.  Baseball players take batting practice and throw.  Golfers can practice any shot in the book.  But wrestlers need somebody else to wrestle.  Being great is really only half the battle.  Wrestlers that are successful at the highest levels need not only their own individual talent, but people around to push them, whether it be fellow wrestlers, assistant coaches, or whoever.  Although wrestling appears individual, the contribution your workout partners make immeasurable, and ultimately makes the difference between champion and runner up. 
Frankly, this is one of the things that hurt the chances for ever having parity in the college game.  Wrestlers who want to become the best need to go where they’ll be pushed.  I’ve complained in this space before that team talent is way too concentrated.  But when you go to Iowa as a middle weight, you’re not just going for the tradition, but for the chance to roll around with Brent Metcalf and Ryan Morningstar every day.  That’s how you become the best.  While Michael Beasley can be the best high school player in the nation, go play for a relative basketball nobody like Kansas State and still be national player of the year and a lottery pick, a wrestler would have serious trouble flourishing in the same situation.  Schools of that profile in wrestling simply can’t handle a kid like David Taylor.  Dan Gable could be coaching the team, but if he doesn’t have the people to roll around with he’s not going to reach his ceiling.  More than any coaching change, budget shift, or facility upgrade, this is what holds back mid and lower tiered programs from jumping a level. 
One final addendum.  I loved seeing the packed house for this dual.  But what made me really happy was listening to David Taylor’s interview where he spoke of the atmosphere for the match.  As a former high school basketball player who doubles as a wrestling junkie, it was great to hear that the Graham student section is led by the basketball team.  It’s great that there is a student section period.    So often, wrestling tends have an incestuous crowd, where only wrestling people go to wrestling events and support the sport.  Often it appears as if this is by design.  As an outsider, I’ve noticed wrestling folk tend to isolate themselves as a fan base.  I realize that is imbedded in the culture.  It’s a lonely sport, and being independent is how you get through it.  But that’s not a great way to build a fan base.  The Palmer-Taylor match was.  The main reason for this is it was accessible to everybody.  Taylor said that he saw so many people that have never been to a match before.  With two competitors of that caliber and an atmosphere like that gym, tidily-winks could be exciting.  And more than just wrestling people saw it live.  That’s important.  The first time I went to a wrestling match, I saw defending state champs Matt Ciasulli and Jeff Ecklof go at it in front of a sold out crowd in Easton’s gym.  The electricity in the room that night hooked me to the sport for life.  Hopefully the same thing happened to somebody else last Saturday.   

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