Point Pleasant - A Case Study

[Bearhugger]

Before we wrap up the 2019/2020 wrestling season and enter the regional and state tournament, we should all recognize West Virginia's current best team and what we know about them.

Here is what I know enough to feel comfortable is saying:

1. Point Pleasant won the state title in 2019 and returned the majority of their team. However, one must look further back to 2018. They returned many "bodies" but were in 4th place in returning state team points. What happened from 2018 to 2019??? How did a squad projected as 4th best become a dominant force that blew past the competition?

2. If you take AWAY all of the team points scored by Raike, Bartee and Short at the 2019 state tournament, they would have fell short by 1 point of STILL winning the team title. Please double check my math and scoring. One of Point's JV 106s could have stepped in that season and scored at least two points and secured the team title anyway. AGAIN, kick Short, Raike and Bartee off the team and they STILL would have won the team title.

3. Point implemented a wrestling focused strength program before the 2018/2019 season and has stayed with it. The program has measurables to indicate progress. Significant progress is recognized!!

4. Point continues to lift two days DURING the season. Maybe it is luck, BS or whatever...……..but I do not see Point wrestlers missing matches due to injuries. I also see some Point wrestlers EXPANDING their leads in rematches as the season progresses. As for the dominant Point wrestlers, they do not seem to be losing ground to their in state competition. A few exceptions exist.

5. Not to rip on the football program, but as an outsider looking in, Point's football team might do better if they start following the wrestlers' strength program. Point's wrestling team does consist of a few football players.

6. Point seems to ALWAYS post their scores on WVMat!! Nothing wrong with recognition and marking your kids' names into history. For me, it has been fun to meet current coaches and dads while watching their kids. However, it has been even "funner" to go back onto WVMat, search through the results of the past and see where these dads won matches to include a state title.

7. Point has an extensive recognition presence on Facebook. Pictures are posted and numerous "wrestlers of the week" are acknowledged. These "wrestlers of the week" have businesses names attached to them. I do not know the details but is shows community involvement. Some schools' wrestling programs appear to TRY to keep their wrestling schedule a secret.

8. Point started the season ready! What defines "ready"? Here is my definition that I am prepared to discuss with anybody. They had their team set, in place, on weight on DAY 1. With the exception of one wrestler delayed in joining the team due to a football injury, they had their starting 14 set. 13 starters starting on day 1. 13/14 = 92.86% in place on day 1. There has been no changing of weight classes, disrupting the squad's line up, etc. Set and ready on day 1 while the competition is playing catch up. When you start 10 steps behind, you will never catch somebody a head of you, unless they slow down.

9. Parkersburg South and Wheeling Park are the two best AAA wrestling teams. Point defeated both in head to head duals. Point has demolished all AA/A teams in head to head duals and won what could be viewed as the toughest WSAZ we have seen.

10. A special hats off to 106 Henderson and 113 Freeman. Two wrestlers that were JV last season. They didn't quit! I repeat, they didn't quit!!!! They stayed with the sport!! They are both top contenders for state titles this season. It is also obvious that there was an offseason plan to work these two into the line up while many other wrestlers went up 2-3 weight classes. Yes, kids grow. However, when wrestlers go up 2-3 weight classes, history has shown they almost always only maintain their winning ways if they increase their strength to body weight ratio. See #3 and #4 above.

Anybody and everybody can implement a strength program. Anybody and everybody can post scores and recognize their team. Anybody and everybody can have team rules. Anybody and everybody can find ways to determine the best line up and get kids on weight at least before Christmas.

I am simply giving credit where credit is due. Good luck to all wrestlers, all coaches, all refs, all fans and all parents as we wind down this great season that has been marked with positive advancements (WV Duals Championship, WV Girls' State Championship, Biggest WSAZ ever, a few improvements to existing events, some teams ramped up their schedules) in West Virginia wrestling.

[mscoach20]

I’d say the weight program Coach Darst (WV wrestling HoF) has done pretty well. Go lookup Point football on fourseasonsfootball.com since Coach Darst got there AND STARTED A WEIGHT PROGRAM. You may edit the post with proper research.

But to your point, yea. Point wrestling is good. Hard work, dedicated youth and middle school program, and a wrestling community will do that for you.

No secret recipe. Hard work.

[Bearhugger]

I’d say the weight program Coach Darst (WV wrestling HoF) has done pretty well. Go lookup Point football on fourseasonsfootball.com since Coach Darst got there AND STARTED A WEIGHT PROGRAM. You may edit the post with proper research.

But to your point, yea. Point wrestling is good. Hard work, dedicated youth and middle school program, and a wrestling community will do that for you.

No secret recipe. Hard work.

Unfortunately when praising one person, place or thing, an innocent bystander could get criticized unintentionally. Let me be more clear, the non-football playing wrestlers on Point's team appear to be more physically prepared, more physically dominant and are winning more matches. A few of them are really doing better than they did last season. The football playing wrestlers appear to be less physically prepared than the non-football playing wrestlers.

Only the coaches (wrestling and football) have the data that shows "Wrestler/Football Player Joe" lifted this in 2018 and can now lift this in 2020. I am sure it will all work out in seasons to come.

[mscoach20]

I’d say the weight program Coach Darst (WV wrestling HoF) has done pretty well. Go lookup Point football on fourseasonsfootball.com since Coach Darst got there AND STARTED A WEIGHT PROGRAM. You may edit the post with proper research.

But to your point, yea. Point wrestling is good. Hard work, dedicated youth and middle school program, and a wrestling community will do that for you.

No secret recipe. Hard work.

Unfortunately when praising one person, place or thing, an innocent bystander could get criticized unintentionally. Let me be more clear, the non-football playing wrestlers on Point's team appear to be more physically prepared, more physically dominant and are winning more matches. A few of them are really doing better than they did last season. The football playing wrestlers appear to be less physically prepared than the non-football playing wrestlers.

Only the coaches (wrestling and football) have the data that shows "Wrestler/Football Player Joe" lifted this in 2018 and can now lift this in 2020. I am sure it will all work out in seasons to come.

I’m not sure how one gauges the measurement of “less physically prepared”. But hey, it’s your logic. I rarely understand it and today is no exception.

I’m just gonna nod and say...sure.

[Bearhugger]

I’d say the weight program Coach Darst (WV wrestling HoF) has done pretty well. Go lookup Point football on fourseasonsfootball.com since Coach Darst got there AND STARTED A WEIGHT PROGRAM. You may edit the post with proper research.

But to your point, yea. Point wrestling is good. Hard work, dedicated youth and middle school program, and a wrestling community will do that for you.

No secret recipe. Hard work.

Unfortunately when praising one person, place or thing, an innocent bystander could get criticized unintentionally. Let me be more clear, the non-football playing wrestlers on Point's team appear to be more physically prepared, more physically dominant and are winning more matches. A few of them are really doing better than they did last season. The football playing wrestlers appear to be less physically prepared than the non-football playing wrestlers.

Only the coaches (wrestling and football) have the data that shows "Wrestler/Football Player Joe" lifted this in 2018 and can now lift this in 2020. I am sure it will all work out in seasons to come.

I’m not sure how one gauges the measurement of “less physically prepared”. But hey, it’s your logic. I rarely understand it and today is no exception.

I’m just gonna nod and say...sure.

Thanks Tench!!!!!!!

[Studcradle]

Several years ago a coach belittled a high school’s accomplishments by saying that it won with “inherited talent”. I didn’t think it was right then and I don’t think it is true about Point now either.

[Gator]

“The man on top of the mountain didn’t just fall there”

[Bearhugger]

Behind the majority of great wrestlers are great parents. There are great wrestlers and great parents associated with all teams.

[mscoach23]

Point has a great program, top to bottom. The bonecutters and other coaches have done a great job of building this. They have several youth teams that feed into their middle school. If you’ve watched middle school wrestling over the past few years you wouldn’t be surprised with all of the success that they’ve had. This group of kids has been together since little league. George Smith did a great job with the middle school when he was there, I’m sure the HS coaches oversee what’s going on with the middle school to an extent. This is what happens when you keep a great group of kids wrestling together all the way up, then you add kids like short, Sansom, some of their bigger guys, etc. The community support is huge too, you can tell the area really cares and takes pride in the team. They bring a huge pack of fans everywhere they go. This has been years in the making thanks to the work the point coaching staff, parents, and wrestlers have put in.

[wv16refgk]

For those of us in the know who knew the former coaches Jack Cullen, Dave Darst, JoAnn Cullen and all of the present staff the commitment to the program started years ago !!!! They implemented a peewee program, developed a middle school program and then it blossomed into a dominant high school program. It took years of volunteers, businesses buying in, their own Jason Eades Tourney, and the Point Pleasant open tournament to put the name on the map!!!! I remember when my birthday was on the date of the Jason Eades and they prepared a cake and showcased this old ref for a few minutes showing their appreciation!! The people in POINT not only support the wrestling program but also the football program, and all of the other school athletic programs. The people there are special and will always be some of my fondest officiating experiences11 They have dedicated themselves to be the best they can be and it shows by the first three people listed in this post are inthe WV Chapter of the National Wrestling HOF!! It takes a few to get it started but it takes an army to keep it going. Congrats to the fine people of Point for a job well done!!!!!!!GK

[Heath]

My explanation would have to be the mothman?

Their fb announcer is crazy annoying tho.

Congrats to them tho.

How much of their success and parkersburg too for that matter is talent coming from across the river?

Get these boys to WVU!!!

[Panther_coach]

Well said, GK! Way back when I was coaching and competing against Point when Coach Darst was there it was always there we would find the best organized and run events. There was a small army of parents who would work tirelessly to make sure everything came off without a hitch. The community support was really something to see! Every business had a wrestling quote on their marquee, nearly every yard held a wrestling related sign. Oh, and the food was great too! Lol - I ate my share! The Tri State Middle School Championships, Olympic Pool tournament, the Jason Eades were all great to go to. To be 100 percent honest, I owe much of our success at Milton to patterning our program after Coach Darst’s. His advice was worth it’s weight in gold. The folks up there were as helpful as can be, they even not only loaned us mats for our tournament but actually hauled them down to Milton for us. Dave, Jack and JoAnn set the course and the coaches who came after followed it. They have not built just a team but a program. Hat’s off to Point - they worked very hard to get where they are and deserve their success.