Who was the best KY high school wrestler in the past decade?

[119Rider 61]

Funny how we have to think about putting a 2 timer on the list over the last decade. 

[old140 4]

Not trying to stir things up but wouldn't you have to blame yourself if your grades were not good enough at the end of the semester?From what I read, (correct me if I am wrong)  he could of possibly came back from the injury if he would of done some school work?  If this is true it is a sad way to end your career, but really only your own fault. 

[Zeus 117]

I agree, the fact that it wasn't solely an injury definitely diminishes his status when compared to the past decade.  If it had been only an injury I might consider him but when you're considering the best wrestler from the past decade I think you have to consider the whole package, not just how he performed his junior year athletically, which I will admit was at a high level.

[possumdaddy 23]

My opinion Jonny is near the top on the list.I watched the kid for many years and no way his name shouldnt be on the list.

[pioneer_pride 1]

Not trying to stir things up but wouldn't you have to blame yourself if your grades were not good enough at the end of the semester?From what I read, (correct me if I am wrong)  he could of possibly came back from the injury if he would of done some school work?  If this is true it is a sad way to end your career, but really only your own fault. 

I think that's what eville dad more or less said when he said:

"There's noone to blame and no excuses."

[Zeus 117]

What did Wolsifier place as a freshman?  I'm too lazy to look it up.  :-D

[ubtappin 1]

What did Wolsifier place as a freshman?  I'm too lazy to look it up.  :-D

4th

[wolfpackwrestling 0]

im gonna have to go with knable he was a great wrestler as well as an ambassador while at iu

[head_lock_nd_pro 0]

im confused why isnt travis sulivan on the list :?

[stand-up 0]

im confused why isnt travis sulivan on the list :?

I agree, how could we not mention Travis Sullivan. Isn't Travis one the the winiest wrestlers in the history of our sport? I wasn't that familiar with Travis because of geography, the only time I ever got to see him wrestle was at State.  Thanks for reminding us of one of the greatest wrestlers to ever take the mat in our State, not just in the last decade, but for all time.

[NOHS_wrestling 1]

I agree, how could we not mention Travis Sullivan. Isn't Travis one the the winiest wrestlers in the history of our sport? I wasn't that familiar with Travis because of geography, the only time I ever got to see him wrestle was at State.  Thanks for reminding us of one of the greatest wrestlers to ever take the mat in our State, not just in the last decade, but for all time.

Sullivan is top on the win list nationally, correct?

He was a fantastic wrestler, but I think many on here will down him for wrestling at the light weights.  I won't.  You wrestle where you are at, and as I recall, his only loss was to Spencer his senior yr in the state finals, in an excellent match.  After losing, he handled himself like a man, and taught a valuable lesson to every wrestler in this state on how to conduct themselves on the mat.

[grappler-of-old 44]

I would never take anything away from Sullivan.  However I am thinking pound for pound.  When I think this way I can't put him at the top. 

He accomplished a great feat and almost accomplished an amazing feat.  However his wrestling in my opinion lacked something.

[NOHS_wrestling 1]

I would never take anything away from Sullivan.  However I am thinking pound for pound.  When I think this way I can't put him at the top.  

He accomplished a great feat and almost accomplished an amazing feat.  However his wrestling in my opinion lacked something.

Ok, pound for pound... sure I can see looking to the middle/ mid upper weights 140-171 for the best, but what did Sullivan lack?

The kid was class on and off the mat.  I remember sitting at a tourney and watching bout every Wayne kid get a medal for something, but one little 8th grader.  I was sitting next to Danny Upchruch and he pointed out Sullivan and said watch this.  Lo and behold, the kid walks over the 8th grader and takes his medal off and puts it around the boys neck, smacks the boy on the shoulder and walks off.  You can't coach that.  

On the mat, the kid could throw a bull to it's back.  I remember at state duals one year me and my assistants made a joke that we hoped he didn't knock out our 112 pounder.  Lo and behold, 6 seconds into the match he hipped tossed him and KOed my kid.  No exaggeration.  6 second.  unconscious.  My 112 wasn't a fish either, wasn't great, but was a 50-50 wrestler at the time.

I'm not entirely sure what he was lacking, I for one would take a kid like that in a heartbeat on my team, and assuredly on a All time KY team, probably as the Captain.

[grappler-of-old 44]

As I said I don't want to take anything away from him.  I have argued in his favor several times in the past.  However throwing a 103/112 pounder who is probably less experienced and less mature.  Does not impress me much.  He was a bully for sure on the mat (I don't mean this in a  bad way, I like a smashmouth wrestler myself), but his technique was in question.  His set ups and attack were not always fluid, he seemed to be more of an opportunistic wrestler, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake.

This is just my observation, and like most I only got to see him at the state tourney. 

[tc125 0]

i would agree that travis more than likely wasnt mentioned before because of the fact he wrestler at lower weights. that isnt because that is what he weighed either. check his off season weigh ins. he wrestled 125 or 119 i cant remember which. im not downing him for cutting weight, but once you get to 112 the competition is mostly younger less experienced wrestlers. i would have way more respect for him if when he moved up in weight, he actually wrestled there. not that i dont respect what hes done or his accomplishments already but the fact is 119 and 125 are the two hardest weight classes with the most depth year in and year out. winning that many matches there would have definitely more of a challenge and more noteworthy.

[head_lock_nd_pro 0]

yea i would have to say sulivan was one of the best if not the best in the past decade because how such of an amazing feat it is to win all of your match's then lose your last and walk of the mat like a man

[Buddhabomb528 0]

But sullivan didn't win by large margins if i recall he got somewhat lucky against DC Evans two yrs ago..... Fahy would handle sullivan in my eyes..... And Kyle Ruschell didnt have all those wins as sullivan but look at where he is now.

[wrestlejoe 1]

I would suggest however that Rushell walked through his Junior and Senior year... no one challenged him to any extent.  I recently saw a video on YouTube where a Woodford Co. kid got a take down and you would have thought he just won the match and the dual for them. 

[grappler-of-old 44]

yea i would have to say sulivan was one of the best if not the best in the past decade because how such of an amazing feat it is to win all of your match's then lose your last and walk of the mat like a man

I still refer to Brad Cooper as the in the past decade.

Sullivan may have won every high school match until his senior year finals match. 

I am not sure of Brad's high school win loss record.

I do know this though.

1.  He competed in extremely dificult tourneys in Ohio

2.  He won all but one state tourney match in his high school career.  (he lost in the finals of his freshman year)

3.  I know the 4 timers won all their matches but I think pound for pound Brad was the better wrestler.

[pioneer_pride 1]

yea i would have to say sulivan was one of the best if not the best in the past decade because how such of an amazing feat it is to win all of your match's then lose your last and walk of the mat like a man

I agree with you on that, I was very impressed with Sullivan after that.  Classy kid.  The pressure that kid probably felt his senior year must have been pretty bad.

[PD 2]

I think the issue with Sullivan is that he never challenged himself outside the state of KY.  He never wrestled at a single high level national tournament like the Beast or Fargo, etc.  Then at Senior Nationals he went 0-2.  Even toward the end of his HS career it became obvious that he was a one dimensional wrestler.  As soon as his opponent took away his throws he had no answer.  Despite all of his wins he never got any recognition in national polls because he never beat any top national caliber opponents.  It has nothing to do with his weight class.

That is where Murton and Ruschelle have the edge.  Even over Courtney, Knable, Wolseffer, etc.  All were great but I think Murton probably did the most outside of KY.  The young talent coming up it seems has even more of an edge in this area.  Wrestlers like Fahy and Ervin don't seem to be afraid to lose a few matches at the national level.

This is a tough question because I really don't think there is a clear winner.  Unlike the decade before where the best is obvious.

[Kentucky10 0]

Ill say this about travis, he more than once threw me on my head and made me see stars, but i keep him OFF the list because, if u followed him to summer tournys he was always wrestling 125, 130 etc. and then during season he would cut to 103, 2 times in a row then to 112 twice. why go so low if you are what was he 300 sumthin and 0? why no go 125 and show your a real beast. imo strickly.  And exactly what PD said that if you took away the kids first move, the throw, the only way you could loose is to stalling calls (shane parks vs travis sullivan 112 semifinal match) but hey like i said he made me dazzed and confused just about ever time i saw him over the summer.

[#1fan 0]

Sullivan was a great wrestler no doubt but he shouldn't be on this list. He was great against Kentucky 103's and 112's but he never beat anyone at a higher level. I know that he had some success in aau freestyle stuff, but he never beat any tough competition in folk style. All of the others in the discussion have done so. Courtney placed in multiple national tournaments and is an All-American, Cooper constantly took on tougher opponents in Ohio, Murton was an Ohio state placer as a freshman and had wins over nationally ranked opponents, Ruschelle placed 3rd at senior nationals...wow, Wolsiefer also took on tough competition and has wins over state champs and placers from elsewhere. John Fayhe as a freshman is nationally ranked and has already made a name for himself on the big stage, Fayhe would major or pin sullivan if they met in highschool. Sullivan never showed that he could hang with the big boys.

[Charger Coach 14]

I tend to agree with NOHS on this one.  I would have to agree that pound-for-pound, you would probably have to look to someone in the middle weights to find the best in the past decade.  However, I don't see why Travis shouldn't at least get mentioned in the discussion somewhere.  Having 200+ wins over the course of your career is something that shouldn't be overlooked whether the person wrestled 103, 112 or whatever weight class.  If I'm not mistaken, Wayne Co. did attend some pretty decent tournaments in Tennessee & West Virginia while Sullivan was there and I don't believe he ever lost at those so you can't say he only beat 103s & 112s from Kentucky in folkstyle.  As far as his non-wrestling attributes (i.e. character, leadership, etc.), I definitely agree with NOHS that you can't coach that.  Kids either have it or they don't, it's as simple as that.  The real test of a person's character doesn't show when times are good, it shows when someone faces adversity.  Judging by the way Travis handled himself after the state finals a few years ago, the kid has more character than a lot of adults I know.  How many times do we see kids lose at the state tournament and run off the mat pouting, stomping and in general, acting like an a$$?  And that's not when they lose in the state finals of their senior year while trying to accomplish something as amazing as becoming a 4x state champ regardless of what class it is.  Is Travis Sullivan the best KY wrestler in the past decade?  I think almost everyone would answer no.  However, he has more than earned the right to at least be mentioned in the conversation.

[ringworm 0]

Who do you think?

David Liberman...  jk...  I crack me up