Toughest high school wrestlers from Illinois - Page 3

Jaguar · #21 01-25-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteNinja

Didn't he have the accident in shop class where he cut off his little finger too? And then when they said they could reattach it, and have him miss the season, or leave him without that finger (or was it two?), he chose to lose the finger and wrestle instead? I'm pretty sure it was him but I might be confusing him with someone else. But if it was, thats toughness right there.

You are correct. A good kid, and one of the toughest I have seen.

MR TWISTER · #22 01-26-2011

Read this and thought I would re post it.

Tougher sport? Wrestling takes down football
By ROB SMITH - rsmith@nwherald.com
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A classic preps sports debate ponders: Which is the physically tougher competition – football or wrestling?

The argument pits the full-contact athletes of the iconic “Friday Night Lights” sport vs. the singlet-wearing wrestlers, often competing in sparsely filled gymnasiums. For those who play or coach both sports, the answer is simple.

Crystal Lake Central’s Gage Harrah led the area in rushing this fall and placed at state in wrestling the past two seasons. He said the six intense minutes in a regulation wrestling match did not compare to the stop and start nature of football games.

“Tell some football player to go to war with another kid for six minutes,” Harrah said. “I love football, but wrestling is so much harder.”

Jared Koch plays football and wrestles for Marian Central. He placed at state the past two seasons in wrestling and pretty much was on the football field non-stop for the Hurricanes, playing offense, defense and special teams.

In football, players get bruised and battered more, which is why people consider it brutally tough to play. But Koch said the all-out effort needed in wrestling was more demanding.

“When it comes to physicality, football is definitely tougher, but you can’t compare it with how exhausted you are after one [wrestling] match,” Koch said

Wrestling also imposes more accountability because of its individual nature. Cody O’Neill, a former Marian offensive lineman and wrestler, plays football at South Dakota. He said he could play his best, but if the quarterback threw an interception, there was not much he could do about it. Wrestling, O’Neill said, is all on the individual.

“In wrestling, you decide your own fate. It’s you vs. the other guy,” O’Neill said. “In football it’s you and 10 other guys.”

Koch said that accountability was the toughest, and the greatest, part of wrestling.

“The mental strain that you get ... in wrestling is unbelievable,” Koch said. “The most physical part of wrestling is the mental. I like it because I can push myself as far as I can take myself.”

Harrah said being a wrestler had improved his football skills, particularly on defense. A double leg takedown in wrestling is similar to tackling, he said.

“When I’m playing defense and take a double on a kid, it’s just like wrestling, you drive him to the ground,” Harrah said.

Tim Haak coaches football and wrestling at Harvard, which, like many small schools, has a lot of crossover athletes on both teams. He agreed that wrestlers make good defensive football players and are more resilient.

“Wrestling really helps you become a better football player. [Wrestlers] seem to have that comfort zone when it comes to tackling in football,” Haak said. “You get put in a lot of adverse situations in wrestling. I think that really helps.”

Conditioning for wrestling is so much tougher than in football, Koch said. After a 12-game football season, he found out what kind of shape he really was in at the first wrestling tournament of the year.

“I was just exhausted after my first full match,” Koch said. “I thought I was in pretty decent shape.”

O’Neill said that playing Division I football had changed his perspective from high school about how hard conditioning was for football. His day begins at 5 a.m. with a workout, followed by classes until 3 p.m. and then practice until 6. Watching film and studying usually keeps him busy until 11 p.m.

“The point where I am now, football is a lot tougher,” O’Neill said. “You have no breaks.”

Koch, who has committed to wrestle at the Air Force Academy, said it was tough going into wrestling after being beat up in football, but he wouldn’t change anything about his high school experience of playing both sports.

“I would be better off if I didn’t play football, but I love it so much,” Koch said. “There’s nothing like Friday night lights.”

Mr. White · #23 01-26-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR TWISTER

In football, players get bruised and battered more, which is why people consider it brutally tough to play. But Koch said the all-out effort needed in wrestling was more demanding.

“When it comes to physicality, football is definitely tougher, but you can’t compare it with how exhausted you are after one [wrestling] match,” Koch said

...except for this part.

I know on a typical Saturday morning during football season I would usually feel pretty beat up, and I would have bumps and bruises everywhere. That was brutal for sure.

But, during wrestling season it seemed like I felt that way just about everyday. My face always looked like hell, whether it was matburn, scrapes, scratches, black eye, bumps, I even had a couple of cuts from taking elbows to the forehead. My neck was always sore from having my head banged on, my lips always had scabs from constantly getting bloodied. I always had bumps and bruises everywhere on my body during wrestling season.

I get that he was trying to say how mentally exhausting wrestling is, but I don't think football left me more bruised and battered than wrestling. I also played offense, defense, and most special teams so I know the physicality of football well.

Jaguar · #24 01-26-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. White

...except for this part.

I know on a typical Saturday morning during football season I would usually feel pretty beat up, and I would have bumps and bruises everywhere. That was brutal for sure.

But, during wrestling season it seemed like I felt that way just about everyday. My face always looked like hell, whether it was matburn, scrapes, scratches, black eye, bumps, I even had a couple of cuts from taking elbows to the forehead. My neck was always sore from having my head banged on, my lips always had scabs from constantly getting bloodied. I always had bumps and bruises everywhere on my body during wrestling season.

I get that he was trying to say how mentally exhausting wrestling is, but I don't think football left me more bruised and battered than wrestling. I also played offense, defense, and most special teams so I know the physicality of football well.

I was a running back and linebacker in high school and played both ways every play every game. I distinctly remember going from footabll season to wrestling season thinking that I was in the best shape of my life. That first day of wrestling practice about killed me and showed me how wrong I was! There is nothing I have done compared to the six minutes of a hard fought wrestling match.

lemiwinks31 · #25 01-26-2011

Tim Obrachta 1983-84 OPRF...2 time state champ @ 132 & 138, wasnt very quick, decent strength but not a noticable advantage over anyone else, short....no signature moves or style other than just coming at you for 6 minutes and refusing to lose. Time after time, far more talented and skilled wrestlers would walk off the mat with an L..not wanting another piece of him.