Tournament needs more
While the crowd was good and the wrestling OK, the first night of the Washington County Wrestling Tournament showed that more is needed. More teams that is. Two rounds and a wrestleback session took just four hours among 13 Washington County schools. There were too many lopsided matches. This tournament should extend an invitation to Greene County teams to compete. The inclusion of Waynesburg, Jefferson-Morgan, and West Greene would make this a much stronger tournament.
The teams in the two counties wrestle each other every season, some by choice but mainly because the teams are in the same section. Next season would be a good time to include Greene County because a week and two competition points are being lopped from the season.
The teams in the two counties wrestle each other every season, some by choice but mainly because the teams are in the same section. Next season would be a good time to include Greene County because a week and two competition points are being lopped from the season.
posted by Joe Tuscano at
11:32 PM
9 Comments:
Each year of this tournament someone brings up about inviting the greene co. schools Like it or not this is the WASHINGTON COUNTY tournament ergo the 13 schools from washington county compete! This is the talent from Washington County Let it go!!!!
All I ever here is how Washington County was the hot bed of WPIAL wrestling and now your saying that you want to toughen it up with other counties. Like what is said about it is the Washington County tournament. If you want to get it to be something special that the kids really care about like the Westmoreland County tournament then leave it as is. Remember the year Connelsville and NA were in the WCCA tournament? It made it feel less important, less traditional.
There are two schools of thought about the Washington County Tournament. The first is to leave it alone so that only the schools in Washington County will compete in the tournament. They want the tournament to become something special so that you can say that you were the County champ...and I understand that school of thought. The second school of thought is that if you are going to use 3 points towards your total points allowed (1 point is used in a dual meet and 3 points are used in a tournament) make sure that the tournament that you are going to will be competitive and give your wrestlers the opportunity to learn and get better. I didn't get to the tournament until the quarterfinals and I was told that every Canon-Mac wrestler pinned there first round opponent. I was going to check out the whole first round to see how competitive it was but, it isn't up on the internet yet. The finals were pretty competitive and were fun to watch. I think what Joe is referencing when he is saying they should add some more teams to this tournament is it could be a more competitive tournament from top to bottom. And, now that they are taking two more competition points from the teams and shortening the season by a week, I am sure some of the coaches could use those three points differently by going to a more competitive tournament.
So, which school of thought is correct...keep it a small county tournament or grow it to a larger competitive tournament?? I vote make it bigger and even more prestigious.
"I'm tired of wrestling the exact same people"--CM coach Chris Mary.
The level of competition in this "hot-bed" of wrestling does not justify expending the competition points to "wrestle the exact same people."
End the sham!
"I'm tired of wrestling the exact same people"--CM coach Chris Mary.
The level of competition in this "hot-bed" of wrestling does not justify expending the competition points to "wrestle the exact same people."
End the sham!
Sham might be a little strong.
People clammoured for this event for years. Attendance, even in a year that was not going to be highly competitive, seemed to be acceptable.
Coach Mary's quote has merit, but is not a definitive "end of the event" demand.
Unlike the Westmoreland or Allegheny tournaments, Washington & Greene Counties have many, many shared events and programs, including Hall of Fame, Coach of the Year, etc.
While the addition of the three Greene County teams would bring some solid wrestlers in most weightclasses, I'm not sure it would greatly change the "toughness" of the tournament.
In the end, each wrestling coach has to decide if the benefit (Washington County champ) is worth the expense (3 competition points)...
Bob, I think your last comment is the key to this whole argument. Is this tournament worth the 3 competition points especially when they are taking 2 away from the teams next year. If you were to add Greene and maybe Fayette, then I would think the coaches could justify spending those competition points in a tournament of that size. But, with only 13 teams and not every team can fill all of the weight classes, you find yourself in a tournament where the only truly competitive match is in the finals.
I think that this tournament was a good addition to the schedule but, that doesn't mean that it can't be made better and one of the ways to make it a better tournament to attend is to expand the field.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THE TOURNAMENT WAS WHEN LARRY MAGGI WAS BOO'ed UPON INTRODUCTION.
HILARIOUS!!
I agree, Larry Maggi should be booed more often and with more enthusiasm for both his work as a referee and a county commissioner.
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