Was there even wrestling in MO in the 70s?

[graham]

One person who I feel had a huge effect on Kansas City area wrestling in the 1970's was Coach Chuck Sears of Blue Springs. I was fortunate to be able to learn under him in the off season as he always had the gym open for freestyle workouts at Blue Springs. Chuck was an innovator and made other coaches mad when he was one of the first to have his wrestlers take an opponent down and let him go and take him down again! He was the one who proposed the top, bottom, or neutral rule instead of just top or bottom. It was adopted by Missouri and then went national the next year I believe. Coach Sears thanks for all you did to help all wrestlers not just your Blue Springs team!

Chuck Sears, Wes Roper, Fran Martin , thank you! Am I missing anyone?

[scipio]

earl was for sure from beaumont...he was like 3rd or 5th as a soph then a 2 time champ ...most likely less than 60 matches in his career but his pin percentage was like 98 %...guy at rbtoc ..(i think) got a standing ovation for not getting pinned in the finalswent on to wrestle for kentucky or tennessee.(yes sec had wrestling in those days...kevin jackson coach at iowa state wrestled for LSU before transferring when the program was dropped )

[Stickum]

Jackson was Heavyweight. wasn't he?

[Stickum]

One person who I feel had a huge effect on Kansas City area wrestling in the 1970's was Coach Chuck Sears of Blue Springs. I was fortunate to be able to learn under him in the off season as he always had the gym open for freestyle workouts at Blue Springs. Chuck was an innovator and made other coaches mad when he was one of the first to have his wrestlers take an opponent down and let him go and take him down again! He was the one who proposed the top, bottom, or neutral rule instead of just top or bottom. It was adopted by Missouri and then went national the next year I believe. Coach Sears thanks for all you did to help all wrestlers not just your Blue Springs team!

I remember going to some of his camps.

[Stickum]

earl was for sure from beaumont...he was like 3rd or 5th as a soph then a 2 time champ ...most likely less than 60 matches in his career but his pin percentage was like 98 %...guy at rbtoc ..(i think) got a standing ovation for not getting pinned in the finalswent on to wrestle for kentucky or tennessee.(yes sec had wrestling in those days...kevin jackson coach at iowa state wrestled for LSU before transferring when the program was dropped )

I don't remember Kevin much. However my dad talked about him alot. And Earl was called earl the pearl. I remember going to Iowa with Ritchie. He had enjoyed one of the nights just a little too much. Hell Jackson may have been with us I can't remember. I think Slay might have been with us also.

[Stickum]

YES, St. Louis was dominent over KC.
Cam Crouthers
Wes Roper (Austin's dad) was good.
Winnetonka had just opened its doors around 1972. They the best team in the area at that time. Wrestlers' like Dennis and Jeff Balagna, Jeff Jenkins, Gary Sambursky Eldon Gorbet, the Ewings.
Kenny Simmons (might have been early 80's)

Kids wrestling was only at the YMCA or the Community Centers, in KC.

St. Louis had a great program in the 70's. They ran the freestyle program at Forest Park and had several Junior olympic programs. It was ran by a great wrestler, Jack Crider.

[scipio]

i think youre thinking of a different jackson...

[258dad]

I wasn't there for the Fudge\Clarke match, but I do know Carl actually won state in '78 at 98 and '79 at 105. Joe Clarke won state in '78 at 105, then took third both in '79 and '80 but at 112. Unfortunately I remember as I was knocked out of the tournament in '79 when Fudge won in the semis, and then in '80 when Clarke lost in the semis.

Clarke was state champ in 78, second in 79 and was third in 80 from 75-83 Moberly producuced some solid wrestlers. Including Brockman, Clarke, the St. Clair's and several others.

[swmissouri]

Curtis Longstreet,Neoshos first State Champ, undefeated his senior year,i think 1977.

[IAFF-2665]

shepard was class of 79 ..earl rayford was maybe ..78 i think or 77 ..earl was a bad man ...i remember thinking andre fuller was jeff mallets dad..lol..the styles were different but i think alot of the guys from then would match up well if given the smae coaching the kids now have...that is the biggest difference ... more skilled coaches nowadays...i lost a match and my coach asked me to show HIM what the guy did ....

Shep was the 1st head coach for Team St Louis it was a summer team & freestyle. We practiced @ the St. Charles Boys Culb (SCBC). By the way the was SCBC dominiated little league wrestling throughout the mid west, from the 70s through the 90s up until they disbanded.