SPASH vs Wausau East

[oneshot]

SPASH soundly beat Wausau East last night 73-6...How do two schools the size of SPASH and Wausau East total 8 forfeits between the two of them?

Granted...this statement is misleading. East forfeited to SPASH in 7 matches. SEVEN...they had kids at the weights. Shoot...East had more kids weigh in that SPASH did. Why waste the schools money??? If you aren't going to wrestle, stay home and call in the score. I can understand that maybe you didn't want to wrestle a "green" kid against someone who placed 4 in state last year but East forfeited to a freshman at 132, two wrestlers that did not wrestle varsity last year and a wrestler that has not competed in a folkstyle match since 8th grade. I think East needs to send a check to SPASH to pay for the use of the gym that evening. I could understand it if they didn't have the kids but they had them and weighed them in then decided NOT to wrestle them. Entire dual meet took 22 minutes. The JV meet lasted longer....why would a coach not give his wrestlers a chance to compete? Is he worried about their record this early in the season?

Thanks for letting me vent...

[Ino]

You must be new to High School wrestling, it is and will keep getting worse. Rapids and Everest both had forfeits too.  The East coach isn't worried about records he is more likely just trying to keep kids on the team and the length of the dual is the least of his worries.

How is it that a school the size of SPASH can't fill a team?

Wisconsin Valley Conference
School      Enrollment
D.C. Everest    1670
Marshfield       1219
Merrill High         947
Stevens Point    2173
Wausau East    1136
Wausau West    1436
Wisconsin Rapids 1630

[oneshot]

Ino...thanks for the comment...I could see it if East had nobody to fill that spot but they did...put the kid in.  As a wrestler it would be more degrading to sit on the bench watching my team forfeit my weight class while I sit on the side and do nothing. At least give the kid a chance and maybe some experience. You learn from losses.  I am interested in how it makes any sense to load up a bus,  bring a team to Stevens Point, weigh-in and stand on the sidelines. How will that keep kids on the team? Do East kids like to ride the bus?

What does the coach bringing back to the practice room the next day? What did he see in the duals that he can work on? Nothing...

If you believe your team is not competitive don't participate in varsity duals. I believe you can claim a "rebuilding" year and only compete in JV meets. Not sure how that works for Conference meets but I assume if that happened SPASH could have scheduled a meet against a different opponent.   

SPASH at least filled 13 of the 14 weight classes last night and they have a varsity reserve of about 12 kids. Sure...it should be more considering if that enrollment number is correct. I know our sport as a problem filling weight classes. But does sitting on the sideline help fill spots? That is the great thing about wrestling...I get to participate whether I am on varsity or varsity reserves. Unlike other sports I could be the 2nd string varsity and never see playing time.  I have seen kids quit the sport because as a JV wrestler they don't get matches. I believe more matches = more competition = more participants. No competitor wants to warm benches the entire season. But that may be a topic for a different part of the forum.

BTW...nice to see Brock Benitz back on the mat