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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Pound For Pound: Wrestling rankings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC’s Kurt Aschermann Jr. talks H.S. wrestling each Thursday. Feel free to talk back.
Borrowing a page from its Class AAAAA football brethren, wrestling’s highest classification has its own mess to deal with. Parkview and McEachern have been getting all kinds of love this year and with good reason. Parkview boasts one of the more dominant quartets in the state in Chad Mitchell, Carson Fields, Ryan Galloway and Jesse Miller, who are 110-3. The Panthers have depth as well: Josh Matlack, Connor Dalton, Nandor Csnonka, Charles Sandusky; the list goes on and on.
McEachern, a popular pick for Class AAAAA head honcho when the season began, is fresh off a Cobb County title. The Indians have a stable of potential state placers, led by last year’s 103-pound state champion, Brandon Westerman, who’s showing no signs of letting up in his sophomore campaign.
And then there’s Collins Hill. The Eagles have almost been a forgotten player in Class AAAAA with Parkview and McEachern grabbing most of the headlines. But these Eagles are good. So good, in fact, that their junior varsity team finished fifth at the Alexander Invitational this past weekend.
“I think Parkview is definitely the team to beat and McEachern is probably the ones right on their heels,” Collins Hill coach Cliff Ramos said. “But I think Parkview and McEachern are aware of us.”
Oh, yes, it would be wise to be aware of Walton and its bruising lineup that includes defending state champions Dylan Temple (171) and Andy Olsen (189). How about Union Grove? The Wolverines have five wrestlers, Joey Lazor (119 pounds); Justin Crozier (125); Carrington Banks (145); Jack Roberts (152); and Bradley Banks (160) that no one wants to face.
It should be fun when the dual tournament gets underway next weekend in Macon.
Kurt Aschermann Jr. ranks the top wrestling teams in the state, regardless of class: Week of Jan. 11
1: Parkview
2: Collins Hill
3: McEachern
4: West Laurens
5: Walton
6: Eastside
7: Union Grove
8: Lafayette
9: Gilmer
10: Stockbridge
Pin it down: Who’s your favorite to win it all? Is there a darkhorse, or a clear favorite? You tell us.
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Trimming back weight cutting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In an effort to trim the practice of dangerous weight cutting among Georgia high school wrestlers, the GHSA is adopting a new body fat and hydration test. While most coaches are behind the idea (there hasn’t been one of its kind in GHSA history), there are components of the plan that don’t sit well with those same coaches. Adrian Anderson, president of the Georgia Wrestling Coaches Association and head coach at Northgate, explains the latest news in weight cutting.
Q: How does this compare to the old system?
A: Well, the old system was there was no system. The old system was you had to get a certain amount of weigh-ins under your weight class’ weight. Say you’re a 119-pound wrestler: you had to weigh in under 119 a certain number of times. What that did was make you hold your weight, and by making you hold your weight it would prevent you from cutting too much weight.
Q: How will it work?
A: First they test your urine (and) it can’t be above 1.025 on a specific gravity test. That means compared to water, it can’t be heavier than 1.025. Once you pass that, you go through a body fat analysis. You’ll be tested early in the year — the hydration test, that’s the real pain. Because teenagers walk around over-hydrated anyway.
They’re using something called a tenita scale: you step on the tenita scale and it gives you a body fat analysis. So, you get your weight, you get your body fat analysis, and they give you what your lowest possible weight class would be — which will be your current body composition, reduced to 7 percent body fat. So, in other words, if you come in at 14 percent body fat, you can lose 7 percent of your weight as long as it’s body fat.
Q: What are the advantages?
A: It also gives you a first date you can be at that weight. In other words, if you come in at 127 pounds and your body fat is 10 percent, that would mean you’re carrying around 12.7 pounds of body fat. Now at your lowest weight if you’re 127, if you lose down to 7 percent body fat, you can lose 3.81 pounds, so at 127 pounds you can lose 3.8 pounds and your lowest allowable weight would be 123.
Q: What are some of the problems you foresee with this system?
A: 1: It’s an incredible amount of paperwork that’s going into this. One of the coaches said it was close to 40 hours, so you’re basically spending an extra work week. It’s extremely time-consuming.
2: I think this system may punish a kid for getting in shape. This system might make a kid have to wrestle up a weight class. It gives a certain kid an advantage.
I think weight cutting is one of those things I’d like to see out of the sport, but at the same time, don’t punish a kid for getting in shape and working hard. Kids don’t need to starve and dehydrate to cut weight. But it’s a step in the right direction and it’s better than nothing.
Q: Ultimate solution?
A: If they really wanted to do it right, they need to put a scale by the mat and weigh you in each time you wrestle.
Time for you to tackle this issue. Speak your mind. Got a wrestling-related issue for Kurt to take down? Send an e-mail.
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Wednesday showdown: Larry Hartstein vs. David Purdum
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This week’s challenge between staff writers Larry H. and David P. will determine who is the best general manager. We each drafted an eight-person team (four girls, four boys). Each team must play at least two girls on the floor at all times.
Cast your vote on which team would win.
The Draft
Larry — Maya Moore, F, Collins Hill
David P. — Gani Lawal, F, Norcross
Larry — Chris Allen, G, Meadowcreek
David P. — Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Norcross
Larry— Cameron Heyward, F, Peachtree Ridge
David P. — Alex Winchell, G, South Gwinnett
Larry — Zach Graham, F, Peachtree Ridge
David P. — Jordan Jones, G, Collins Hill
Larry — Richard Howell, F, Central Gwinnett
David P. — Shelbie Pool, G, Mill Creek
Larry — Antionette Howard, F, South Gwinnett
David P. — Kiara Evans, G, Berkmar
Larry — Anne Marie Armstrong, G, Wesleyan
David P. — Sam Goodman, G, Central Gwinnett
Larry — D’Nay Daniels, F, GAC
David P. — Teondre Williams, F, Meadowcreek
Larry’s Legends Roster
Starting Lineup
Maya Moore
Chris Allen
Cameron Heyward
Antionette Howard
Zach Graham
Bench
Richard Howell
Anne Marie Armstrong
D’Nay Daniels
David P.’s Legend Killers Roster
Starting Lineup
Gani Lawal
Al-Farouq Amin
Sam Goodman
Alex Winchell
Shelbie Pool
Bench
Jordan Jones
Kiara Evans
Teondre Williams
David P’s Game Plan: We expect to dominate the glass, creating multiple opportunities for our shooters, Jones, Pool and Evans. We’ll slow the tempo with a sagging 1-3-1 zone, utilizing Goodman’s athleticism to chase the ball at the top. If Allen gets hot, we feel comfortable putting the bigger Al-Farouq on him and forcing him to drive into the teeth of our defense, where Lawal awaits.
Larry’s Game Plan: They are bigger, so we will trap them mercilessly (they’re short on ballhandlers). We will get out and run, and we’ll drain lots of threes. When Allen and Graham draw the defense, everyone else will get easy looks. Mark it down: 98-86, Larry’s Legends.
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Take Ten: Why hoops top pigskin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Admit it. You are a high school athletics fan, but you hate bone-chilling nights in December and you can’t remember the last time you actually went to a baseball or soccer game when you didn’t have a relative playing. Football may be king in the South, but basketball has eclipsed football at the high school level in the state of Georgia.
It’s more fan-friendly, the gymnasiums are nice and heated, and usually it isn’t more than a two-minute trip to the bathroom. Here are 10 reasons why basketball is WAY better than football at the high school level.
10: Three times a week, baby! You want to watch three high school football games in a week, then you better head to Savannah or Macon where they don’t have enough football stadiums and you have to play football on Thursday. In basketball, you can see six games in three days, catching boys and girls doubleheaders. Heck if you get there early enough, you can watch nine games or more with some junior varsity action.
9: It’s a global game: A 6-foot-10 kid from the Ukraine comes to America as a foreign exchange student and plays basketball, and he is the next recruit for the University of Florida. That same kid goes out for the football team and he might end up as the state’s tallest trainer. Football doesn’t translate well.
8: Region tournaments: Lose half of your games in a football season, and the odds are that you aren’t going to make the playoffs unless you live in Tom Murphy’s district (forgive me Lord for speaking ill of the deceased former Speaker of the House). But lose half your games at the right time, and you can still win a state title. In 1994, Dodge County was the fourth seed from its subregion (SUBregion!) and won the state championship with a team that got hot at the right time.
7: Dapper dressers: In football, the head coach is differentiated from his assistant coaches by wearing a white sweater vest while the assistants wear a blue sweater vest. In basketball, head coaches are a who’s who of designer suits and expensive names. East Laurens coach Jimmy Williams would wait until midseason to assess his team before heading to Atlanta for some new suits if he thought his team was playoff material. The shiny gold suit he donned for the Class AA state title game in 2000 should be enshrined at the Macon Centreplex.
6: Pickup games: You might get a little two-hand touch going in the back yard with one guy as the “all-time quarterback” but go to any park in the state and you can get a real basketball game going.
5: Squeaking shoes and bouncing balls: Some of these big football stadiums, a football game has no real feel in the middle of September. Go to Hallford Stadium for a 5:30 September game and you could be fooled into forgetting there’s even a game going on. But no matter the basketball game, there’s always the squeaking shoes. And you can hear the basketball hitting the floor. Tell me what the sound is of cleats hitting turf. That’s right, you can’t.
4: Small schools can compete: Get a couple of big-time players, surround them with some role players for a solid starting five, and there’s no reason a Class A team can’t play right with a AAAAA team on any given night. Southwest Atlanta Christian had a loaded team a few years ago with Dwight Howard and Javaris Crittenton, and this season Class A Wilkinson County has three Division I signees, including Senario Hillman who has signed with Alabama. In football, a lack of depth kills you. In basketball, a good starting five can carry you to the title.
3: ESPN comes to town: It’s pretty cool to have ESPN hanging out in the ATL, showing a little high school ball, as was the case when Norcross played under the lights against Oak Hill Academy this season. The next time they put Georgia high school football on national TV will be the first.
2: Fans get close to the action: In football, the fans are separated from the field by the sidelines, a fence, the track, a wall at the front of the stands, some police, cheerleaders, team hangers-on, and a wide, shark-infested moat. In basketball, fans can reach out and intercept a pass if they want. You’ve got to get your feet out of the way just so they can inbound the ball. In most gyms, if you wear a basketball jersey, they’ll make you an honorary player. That’s what they mean by Sixth Man.
1: Basketball state title games don’t end in a tie: ‘Nuff said.
Go on. Take Ten. Tell us why hoops rules and football drools. Or why that’s just CRAZY talk. Because we’re down with the “no ties” thing but… um… squeaking shoes? Oooo-kaaay…
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