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OT: Best Individual HS Rivalries.

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pawesome11

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Jul 10, 2020
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SIAP but saw a tweet earlier that made me think of this topic. What were the best individual high school rivalries that you witnessed.

Personally, being a NW/D9 native it has to be Kyle Cathcart (Clarion) vs Matt Wilcox (Maplewood) in the early 2000’s.

More recently in D6 - Jake Strayer vs Garret Scott (RIP).
 
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Rivalries today are usually tamer, in the sense that they all know each other and get along off the mat.

The big exception is Starocci vs. Nijenhuis. Two 2x state champs, both physical and ultra competitive, and with bad blood between them. (At least from 9-House. Not sure Starocci really cared until the whistle blew -- which probably pissed off 9-House even more.)

Out west right now: Richie Figs vs. Joey Cruz.

Lee vs. DeSanto might not have been a rivalry to Lee, but it was to DeSanto, and it made for legend.

Garett Hammond vs TC Warner and Nichter vs Ulrey were really good rivalries too, that went from duals thru state finals.
 
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El-Jefe said:
Starocci vs. Nijenhuis. Two 2x state champs, both physical and ultra competitive, and with bad blood between them.

Out west right now: Richie Figs vs. Joey Cruz.

Lee vs. DeSanto might not have been a rivalry to Lee, but it was to DeSanto, and it made for legend.

Garett Hammond vs TC Warner and Nichter vs Ulrey were really good rivalries too, that went from duals thru state finals.
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Came here to cite the Nichter/ Ulrey rivalry which was phenomenal last year. Amazingly, after wrestling 170 his sophomore and junior years and 160 last year, Nichter is wrestling and wrestling well at 149 this year for Drexel.

Another D3 submission is the Coy Wire/ Rick Gilliam HWT rivalry from the mid-nineties.
 
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Don't know if rivalry, Henry Green(Huntingdon) vs. Jimmy Carr. Way back when. Almost 50 yrs. ago
 
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pawesome11 said:
SIAP but saw a tweet earlier that made me think of this topic. What were the best individual high school rivalries that you witnessed.

Personally, being a NW/D9 native it has to be Kyle Cathcart (Clarion) vs Matt Wilcox (Maplewood) in the early 2000’s.

More recently in D6 - Jake Strayer vs Garret Scott (RIP).
Click to expand...
Then strangely both Cathcart and Wilcox signed with Clarion. Wilcox fubarred his knee and never returned.
 
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pawesome11 said:
SIAP but saw a tweet earlier that made me think of this topic. What were the best individual high school rivalries that you witnessed.

Personally, being a NW/D9 native it has to be Kyle Cathcart (Clarion) vs Matt Wilcox (Maplewood) in the early 2000’s.

More recently in D6 - Jake Strayer vs Garret Scott (RIP).
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Damn.... thinking of Garret Scott is a downer. Kid was so damn good. Such a shame
 
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I’m not sure if they wrestled more than twice, but Robbie Howard and Antonio Minnino had 2 great matches - Howard won in the state semis in the match from the clip in the tOSU match thread, but Minnino beat him the year before in the finals:



Match starts about 1:13:00. Nothing spectacular in regulation IMO, but there was another crazy/controversial scramble in the first OT that starts at 1:21:30 where many thought Howard should have had a TD
 
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Max Murin and Cole Matthews developed a nice little rivalry. They were both overshadowed by Brian Courtney (Athens) in 2016. Murin has easily had the most success of that trio.
 
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Evan Link vs Nick Roberts

In 2009 Roberts beat Link in the SW regional semis 3-2. In the State finals Roberts won 4-1.

In 2010 they were in different weight classes.

In 2011 Link beat Roberts in the SW regional finals 4-3. In the State finals Roberts pinned Link (with a tilt.)

Who did Link beat in the state semis in 2011 to meet Roberts in the finals?

Zain Retherford.
 
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pawesome11 said:
Max Murin and Cole Matthews developed a nice little rivalry. They were both overshadowed by Brian Courtney (Athens) in 2016. Murin has easily had the most success of that trio.
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I went to states that year to see Spencer win his 4th title (we know how that went...), and saw the Murin/Matthews final. Fantastic match decided in UT.

You're right, they both lost to Courtney in 2016. Courtney beat Jonathan Gabriel of Bedford, then Matthews, then Murin in the finals, all 3 who were former state champs.
 
Nazareth had this guy named Dan Tashner back in the early to mid 90s. He vs D4 125 lbers were a battle. He had Bob crawford from Milton who he went back and forth matches with in 92 and 93 and then he kept beating brian derr of shikellamy in 94.

Matches were epic.
 
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dunkej01 said:
Nazareth had this guy named Dan Tashner back in the early to mid 90s. He vs D4 125 lbers were a battle. He had Bob crawford from Milton who he went back and forth matches with in 92 and 93 and then he kept beating brian derr of shikellamy in 94.

Matches were epic.
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Any Crawford match was like the saying about rolling in mud with a pig, you'll get dirty and he likes it.

Tashner seemed to like it too.
 
Damion Hahn vs Jon Trenge. I had the pleasure of watching several of their Cadet and Junior level free style clashes years before the 2003 NCAA final. During one MAWA tournament run by Damion's father, Miles, in Damion's home town of Lakewood, NJ, 5 of the 6 mats stopped wrestling to watch while the two battled it out on the 6th. Hahn won a close decision something like 6-5 if memory serves.
 
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Little OT, but it sure would be SAWEEET if someone could list our starters HS records and state finishes. 🙏
 
danoftw said:
Liked the Luciano vs Trenge matches from maybe '96-'97
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Those matches were wars.
I remember watching the one match down Parkland. Luciano was losing late and tried to hit a cement mixer near the end of the bout. I thought he was going to snap Trenge's neck.
Note: Cael's last college bout was against Jon Trenge when he won his 4th title.
 
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El-Jefe said:
Any Crawford match was like the saying about rolling in mud with a pig, you'll get dirty and he likes it.

Tashner seemed to like it too.
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Greatest High School match I ever saw was when Tashner stopped Crawford win streak at Regionals.
If I recall Crawford lost early his Freshman year and had a 120? Match win streak.
Tashner was losing 3rd period and hit Crawford with a odd move (Quarter Nelson was how it was described). Crawford was on his back probably a minute but didn't get pinned. He came out back door of Tashner legs at buzzard and almost had reversal that would of tied the match.
 
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District 11 saw Oliver and Kindig numerous times. Oliver always got the better of him. One match I remember , Kindig had Oliver on his heels in 3rd period. If I recall, there was an injury time that allowed Oliver to catch his 2nd wind.
Kindig's dad was Head Coach at Blue Mountain and I always thought it was admirable that they stayed at Oliver's weight.
A lot of coaches would of bounced kid to a different weight.
 
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CholleyVandine said:
Beau Bartlett / Shayne Van Ness

Obviously, no bad blood & future teammates, but they had some epic battles
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Would love to see them, I recall looking on YouTube but not finding them. guessing they’re all behind paywalls 😌
 
yekrut321 said:
1983-84 D6 Koll vs Sidorick (PO) and Koll vs Corl (Bellefonte)
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YEp. I was going to say koll
And sidorick. Koll crushed corl.

I was amazed that koll and sidorick wrestled to I beleive a 4-3 decision for koll etc. I never watched him have a close match. Usually he crushed everyone including me in practice.
 
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razpsu said:
YEp. I was going to say koll
And sidorick. Koll crushed corl.

I was amazed that koll and sidorick wrestled to I beleive a 4-3 decision for koll etc. I never watched him have a close match. Usually he crushed everyone including me in practice.
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Koll went up a weight for that dual, and it was the only time they wrestled in competition.
 
Seems like Pierson Manville and Jude Swisher have a nice little rivalry going on. Too bad Pierson didn't make it to the Super Regionals. We'll hopefully get a few more editions of this rivalry next year.
 
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