Takedown Report

High School News (2021) – # 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A dozen articles on high school wrestlers, coaches and teams in various states are included for your review. Plans of schedules and the use of preventive protective equipment to ensure healthy conditions for wrestlers in this age of pandemic. Thanks and compliments to Andy Hamilton of Track Wrestling for his preseason rankings of wrestlers from across the country are towards the end of the list.
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1 } – Wrestling coach Terrence Tetter was a pillar of Danville High
DANVILLE — Terrence Tetter was more than a wrestling coach at Danville. On Saturday, Tetter passed away after a nearly nine-month battle with a brain illness. “It was a shock and caught me completely off-guard when I got the call,’’ said Mark Bacys, athletics director at Danville High School. “Terrence was a pillar of Danville High School. You saw him everywhere around school and at every athletic event. He, genuinely, was in it for the kids.’’
One of the kids that Tetter helped along the way at Danville was Glen Rowell, who is currently an assistant football coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky. “I knew coach Tetter when I was growing up and we already had a relationship when I got to the high school,’’ Rowell said. “The struggles that I went through in high school, coach Tetter was one of the people that helped me the most get on the right track. He was always there for me.’’ Not only did Tetter help Rowell at Danville, but he also helped him after high school. “He helped get me to Joliet (Junior College), and if there were times that I needed a little help, he was there for me,’’ Rowell said. “He knew that I wanted to get into coaching, so he hired me as his assistant coach, giving me my first shot.’’ … rest of story at _{^{https://www.commercial-news.com/sports/wrestling-coach-terrence-tetter-was-a-pillar-of-danville-high/article_0ffc99b8-286e-11eb-a6e4-13c3c8e3337f.html?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – Ripley retires after 22 seasons at Scott West
Stauffacher will take over program he’s also helped lead for 20 years
Darren Ripley took the Scott West wrestling team to new heights, but now the longtime coach heading into retirement. In 22 years, Ripley led the Panthers to 15 Section 2AA titles. His teams were state runner-up four teams and ended up third in sixth other seasons. Scott West has also won the prestigious Rumble on the Red in Fargo five times in his tenure. “It has been one of the great opportunities of my life to help lead and coach such an outstanding wrestling program over the last 22 years,” Ripley said. “Scott West wrestling is not only highly regarded throughout the state of Minnesota, but throughout the country as well with national team rankings in 2011 and 2012.
“I would personally like to thank former Jordan High School Principal Mr. Mark Ruggeberg, as he had the confidence and trust to select me to be the Scott West Wrestling coach during the programs most important time of transition back in 1998-99,” Ripley said.
… rest of story at _{^{https://www.swnewsmedia.com/jordan_independent/news/sports/ripley-retires-after-22-seasons-at-scott-west/article_6a99b5b0-39f5-5262-8583-74233147780a.html?mc_cid=d6bdb93622&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – Simley wrestling just wants time on the mat
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (BVM) — Simley High School wrestling is coming off a season that to many looked like one of its best ever.  The Spartans went 22-0 during the 2019-20 season, winning the MSHSL 2A team state championship as well as having five wrestlers win individual state championships. The team also won prestigious tournaments during the regular season like the Cheesehead, Cliff King and Minnesota Christmas tournament. “You just don’t have seasons like that very often,” Simley head coach Will Short said. However, as Short looked towards this season, he was excited at all the talent he was bringing back. “I never didn’t have my eye on it,” Short said. “I do believe we have a special group this year and obviously their accomplishments speak for themselves.”
The Spartans are returning nine place winners, seven finalists and four individual state champions. Six of his wrestlers are also ranked nationally and his five seniors are all going to Division I programs to wrestle in college next year. “To have a team like that is really kind of crazy and unheard of,” Short said. “Even kind of uncharted territory for me and I have had some great teams with some very good guys but not with the kind of accomplishments these guys have. “Every guy we put out there is a 25 to 30 match winner. …There’s just no holes.”  Unfortunately the question quickly went from what will the team accomplish to will it even get a chance. The COVID-19 pandemic has put uncertainty into all sports seasons.  “I do like wrestling’s chance of going,” Short said. “I believe wrestling can be done in a safe way.”
Wrestling already has health and skin checks it does normally before events so the addition of COVID testing could be added to those checks easily. Also the fact that it is a one on one sport allows for the sport to create situations where wrestlers have limited contact with others within events and practices. … rest of story at _{^{https://bvmsports.com/2020/11/11/simley-wrestling-just-wants-time-on-the-mat/?mc_cid=b4122c2e60&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – Coach spotlight: Millbrook wrestling coach Jeff Holmes
Jeff Holmes has led the Millbrook wrestling program for the past eight seasons.
In 2017, Holmes guided the Pioneers to the Conference 21 West title. They would go on to place sixth in the region and eighth in the Class 4 state tournament, the highest finishes among local squads in both tournaments. Holmes was The Winchester Star’s Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2017. Last season, the Pioneers tied for sixth in the Northwestern District tournament. Holmes graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.) High School in 1997. He wrestled four seasons there, winning a sectional championship and earning a runner-up finish in the state championship at 140 pounds as a senior. He also played middle linebacker for the school’s football team. Holmes is 2002 graduate of SUNY-Oswego. He wrestled there and qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament at 157 pounds as a junior. Prior to taking over as head coach, Holmes was an assistant wrestling coach for four seasons at Millbrook. He also coached two years as an assistant at SUNY-Oswego. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.winchesterstar.com/sports/coach-spotlight-millbrook-wrestling-coach-jeff-holmes/article_0bb273a1-44c8-5769-a6e6-64e07e429d86.html?mc_cid=799fb85b6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

5 } – Cliff Keen Preseason High School Wrestler of the Year: Paddy Gallagher
Paddy Gallagher had a decision to make entering his final high school season. Wrestle his normal high school schedule for St. Edward High School or spend the first semester competing in open college tournaments. Gallagher chose the latter. 
He had every intention of wrestling at the prestigious Midlands Championships in December and various other high-level tournaments. He planned on winning them, too.  A global pandemic altered his original plan, but the intent and the desire is still there. Gallagher doesn’t care who he faces, either. He wants the best domestic and international competition wherever and whenever he can find it.  “I’ve been training with the best guys for a while,” Gallagher said. “I’ll travel everywhere. I travel to the Ohio RTC and I always pick out the best guy and just get beat up ever since I was little.
“I grew up that way. Go pick out the toughest guy and see what you got. It’s kind of part of me.”
Gallagher’s list of accomplishments is long and distinguished. He is an Ohio state champion and was named Ohio’s Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2020. He also won Ironman last December and was a 2019 Fargo champion. Gallagher gets to add Cliff Keen Preseason Wrestler of the Year to that list after he was recently selected by Trackwrestling for the honor. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606535661469&twSessionId=jayqpafogn&postId=880127135&mc_cid=0d9bace552&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
Blair Academy’s Brian Antonelli and St. Edward’s Paddy Gallagher – OTM620
Brian Antonelli, the head coach at one of the nation’s premiere high school wrestling programs, Blair Academy, joins the show, as does Trackwrestling’s Cliff Keen Preseason Wrestler of the Year, Paddy Gallagher … story at _{^{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/blair-academys-brian-antonelli-and-st-edwards-paddy-gallagher-otm620/?mc_cid=ac95ae6b76&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – This season’s first set of Trackwrestling high school rankings has arrived
High school wrestling is scheduled to return this month in at least a couple dozen states across the country and the first set of Trackwrestling national rankings have arrived, too.  Six wrestlers who finished last season on top of the national rankings open this season atop their respective weight classes: Marc-Anthony McGowan (113), Richard Figueroa (120), Drake Ayala (126), Nic Bouzakis (132), Shayne Van Ness (138) and Alex Facundo (170).  Cliff Keen Preseason Wrestler of the Year Paddy Gallagher (160), Fargo champs Travis Mastrogiovanni (152), Lenny Pinto (182), Tate Picklo (195), Nick Feldman (220) and Hayden Copass (285), Super 32 champion Vinny Kilkeary (106) and Beast of the East champ Cody Chittum (145) also occupy No. 1 spots.  Viewers will notice one subtle change this year with the Trackwrestling high school rankings. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606881591177&twSessionId=gjrpfqfumb&postId=882280135&mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
Also Who’s No. 1 in prep wrestling? St. Edward stakes claim atop cleveland.com Top 25, with several challengers to 2021 throne – cleveland.com
On the eve of the 2020 Ohio State High School Wrestling Tournament, the Ohio High School Athletic Association decided to press pause when the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold. (Note : this article is for subscribers only)

7 } – Road to a PIAA wrestling title got much tougher
The goal of every Pennsylvania wrestler is to qualify for the PIAA championships. That goal has become much more difficult for wrestlers in the 2020-21 season. On Wednesday, the PIAA board of control adopted a proposal for its postseason wrestling tournaments that includes a “super regional” round in Class 3A and Class 2A that will be held the week before the state tournament. The proposal also cuts the number of qualifiers for the PIAA tournaments from 20 individuals per weight class to eight. The proposal is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and PIAA recommendations that include avoiding tournaments that require overnight stays. “This format is in line with what the PIAA did for its fall sports,” said WPIAL wrestling committee chairman Frank Vulcano Jr., who is also a member of the PIAA wrestling committee. “Our goal was to limit each tournament to eight individuals in each weight class and have tournaments that would be completed in one day.” The super regional round will combine qualifiers from multiple regional tournaments. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/hsother/2020/12/11/PIAA-wrestling-changes-cuts-in-qualifiers-PIAA-tournament/stories/202012090009?mc_cid=afaeddd782&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – Masks could make wrestling even more challenging for District 10 and PIAA participants
COVID-19 has made it difficult to picture what the PIAA’s 2020-21 wrestling season will look like. It also could be hard to tell what the individual wrestlers will look like if they must wear masks or facial coverings. The PIAA allowed its winter sports programs to begin practices on Nov. 20. However, there was uncertainty if participants must wear sanctioned masks or facial coverings both in active and nonactive situations, based on information released during its Nov. 18 board of directors meeting.
The PIAA posed and answered the following:
Question: Can an athlete remove their mask during play if the mask causes a medical condition, including respiratory issues that impede breathing?
Answer: Yes, the Order provides an exception in section 3 that provides that if wearing a face covering would either cause a medical condition, or exacerbate an existing one, including respiratory issues that impede breathing, a mental health condition or a disability. The order indicates all alternatives to wearing a face covering, including the use of a face shield, should be exhausted before an individual is excepted from this Order. 
The Erie Times-News sought further clarity of that question-and-answer. Mark Byers, the PIAA’s chief operating officer, responded with an email. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.goerie.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2020/12/01/district-10-piaa-wrestlers-grapple-prospect-facial-coverings/6422922002/?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – Cliff Keen Preseason High School All-American Team: First Team
Note: This marks the fourth of a five-day series that will run throughout the week unveiling the Cliff Keen High School Preseason All-Americans. Today we’re publishing the first-team selections. Friday we’ll release the Preseason Wrestler of the Year. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606440408945&twSessionId=mmzrpheame&postId=879896135&mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – Cliff Keen Preseason High School All-American Team: Second Team
Note: This marks the third of a five-day series that will run throughout the week unveiling the Cliff Keen High School Preseason All-Americans. Today we’re publishing the second-team selections. Thursday we’ll release the first-team selections. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606440408945&twSessionId=mmzrpheame&postId=879825135&mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – Cliff Keen Preseason High School All-American Team: Third Team
Note: This marks the second of a five-day series that will run throughout the week unveiling the Cliff Keen High School Preseason All-Americans. Today we’re publishing the third-team selections. Wednesday we’ll release the second-team selections. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606266170854&twSessionId=fyljkeogxe&postId=878108135&mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – Cliff Keen Preseason High School All-American Team: Honorable Mention
Note: This marks the first of a five-day series that will run throughout the week unveiling the Cliff Keen High School Preseason All-Americans. Today we’re publishing the honorable mention selections. Tuesday we’ll release the third-team selections. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606266170854&twSessionId=fyljkeogxe&postId=878114135&mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

January 9, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized