Rob Sherrill
01-02-2008, 03:03 PM
Happy New Year!
Yes, after all these years, I’ve finally been persuaded to share my thoughts regularly here on Illinois Matmen.
Most of you know me as the publisher of The Illinois Best Weekly, which I’ve done for 24 years now and have had a blast doing it. But those of you who know me know I’m never short on opinions, so this seems to be the perfect place to express those.
I was a member of the broadcast team for Illinois Matmen’s broadcast from the Dvorak recently. As an offshoot of a popular thread on the Matmen forum, the subject of the lack of Class A representation at the tournament, given that the Dvorak has become such a showcase for Illinois high school wrestling, came up during the broadcast. I refrained from getting involved at the time – but not because I had no opinion. As you’ll read here shortly, I certainly do. But the Dvorak is such a momentous event on the Illinois wrestling calendar that I didn’t want to take the conversation in a direction that would detract from that. After all, every discussion has its own time and its own place.
It’s highly unlikely that any Class A teams are lining up at the door, clamoring to get into the Dvorak. I think any school that wants to be a part of it – for the right reasons – should be permitted to do so. But there’s a reason – and a very good one – why there aren’t any.
Class A already has its own wrestling showcase, and it takes place this coming weekend. It’s called the Princeton Tournament.
How lucky we are in Illinois to have such prestigious showcases for each class.
The Dvorak has been compared to Minnesota’s showcase tournament, the Minnesota State Christmas Tournament, which takes place the week prior to the Dvorak. That tournament does include teams from all three of the state’s classifications – because Minnesota has no equivalent of the State Christmas Tournament for Class A and Class AA teams there.
Fortunately, Illinois does.
I remember when Montini got into the Dvorak for the first time about a decade ago, when Glenbard East still hosted the event. Montini was a program still on the way up in Class A, and they were able to take advantage of the fact that this prestigious event was located just a couple of miles away. So Montini was all set up for success. Still, the Broncos really took their lumps their first two or three years in the Dvorak. I remember how ecstatic the coaches were the first time the Broncos scored 100 points in the tournament. Montini couldn’t have forecast the series of events that would find them competing in Class AA years down the road, but either way, the climb to state and national elite was a building process, one that took years. The Dvorak was just one aspect of that.
Class A teams have other options today. The Princeton Tournament was pretty good a decade ago, but didn’t have the elite field it has today.
When I was introducing myself to Class A wrestling 20-odd years ago, the Plano Tournament was the showcase, at least for northern Illinois teams. Going there for the finals was one of the highlights of my wrestling calendar. Plano still puts on a great event today. But Princeton brings together not only the northern powerhouses, but the likes of Petersburg Porta and Monticello from central Illinois and Vandalia from the south.
Now that’s a showcase.
There are so many good teams at Princeton that it would be virtually impossible for a team to run away with the title. The top five in last year’s tournament: Yorkville (187.5); Wilmington (175); Ottawa (165.5); Dakota (160); Harvard (155.5). Vandalia (151) finished seventh and Porta (147) eighth.
So…should Wilmington be in the Dvorak, as so many on the forum claim? I think Princeton gives them a pretty good test…and should again this year.
Now, should they, or any other program, progress to the point where they win, say, by 50 points three straight years, that would be an indication that their program has surpassed that level, and maybe the time to search for greener pastures has arrived.
Until then, let’s enjoy the fact that both Class AA and Class A have something to shout about. Go to Princeton and yell your heads off. Wish I was there.
Yes, after all these years, I’ve finally been persuaded to share my thoughts regularly here on Illinois Matmen.
Most of you know me as the publisher of The Illinois Best Weekly, which I’ve done for 24 years now and have had a blast doing it. But those of you who know me know I’m never short on opinions, so this seems to be the perfect place to express those.
I was a member of the broadcast team for Illinois Matmen’s broadcast from the Dvorak recently. As an offshoot of a popular thread on the Matmen forum, the subject of the lack of Class A representation at the tournament, given that the Dvorak has become such a showcase for Illinois high school wrestling, came up during the broadcast. I refrained from getting involved at the time – but not because I had no opinion. As you’ll read here shortly, I certainly do. But the Dvorak is such a momentous event on the Illinois wrestling calendar that I didn’t want to take the conversation in a direction that would detract from that. After all, every discussion has its own time and its own place.
It’s highly unlikely that any Class A teams are lining up at the door, clamoring to get into the Dvorak. I think any school that wants to be a part of it – for the right reasons – should be permitted to do so. But there’s a reason – and a very good one – why there aren’t any.
Class A already has its own wrestling showcase, and it takes place this coming weekend. It’s called the Princeton Tournament.
How lucky we are in Illinois to have such prestigious showcases for each class.
The Dvorak has been compared to Minnesota’s showcase tournament, the Minnesota State Christmas Tournament, which takes place the week prior to the Dvorak. That tournament does include teams from all three of the state’s classifications – because Minnesota has no equivalent of the State Christmas Tournament for Class A and Class AA teams there.
Fortunately, Illinois does.
I remember when Montini got into the Dvorak for the first time about a decade ago, when Glenbard East still hosted the event. Montini was a program still on the way up in Class A, and they were able to take advantage of the fact that this prestigious event was located just a couple of miles away. So Montini was all set up for success. Still, the Broncos really took their lumps their first two or three years in the Dvorak. I remember how ecstatic the coaches were the first time the Broncos scored 100 points in the tournament. Montini couldn’t have forecast the series of events that would find them competing in Class AA years down the road, but either way, the climb to state and national elite was a building process, one that took years. The Dvorak was just one aspect of that.
Class A teams have other options today. The Princeton Tournament was pretty good a decade ago, but didn’t have the elite field it has today.
When I was introducing myself to Class A wrestling 20-odd years ago, the Plano Tournament was the showcase, at least for northern Illinois teams. Going there for the finals was one of the highlights of my wrestling calendar. Plano still puts on a great event today. But Princeton brings together not only the northern powerhouses, but the likes of Petersburg Porta and Monticello from central Illinois and Vandalia from the south.
Now that’s a showcase.
There are so many good teams at Princeton that it would be virtually impossible for a team to run away with the title. The top five in last year’s tournament: Yorkville (187.5); Wilmington (175); Ottawa (165.5); Dakota (160); Harvard (155.5). Vandalia (151) finished seventh and Porta (147) eighth.
So…should Wilmington be in the Dvorak, as so many on the forum claim? I think Princeton gives them a pretty good test…and should again this year.
Now, should they, or any other program, progress to the point where they win, say, by 50 points three straight years, that would be an indication that their program has surpassed that level, and maybe the time to search for greener pastures has arrived.
Until then, let’s enjoy the fact that both Class AA and Class A have something to shout about. Go to Princeton and yell your heads off. Wish I was there.