rapids

[statman]

I've been in MN for the last four years and I come home and the biggest surprise is rapids... What happened? They used to be untouchable and this past weekend they finished behind green bay united.

[bulldog]

My opinion...rebuilding. One thing Rapids knows how to do is build a wrestling team. They may be down right now but I got a feeling there are some solid young wrestlers in Rapids that will be bringing Rapids back up in the coming years. Just my opinion.

[Handles II]

That is probably Statsman's shock, that they even have to consider "rebuilding". It never seemed needed, just reloading.

[bulldog]

Yeah...I can see that. Rapids has been so dominate for so long to see them down is hard to figure. I look at the strength of that conference between Rapids, Wausau West, SPASH and Merrill and wonder what has changed. Don't get me wrong...there are many GREAT wrestlers in that conference and Marshfield has a strong looking team this year. But overall I remember the strength of that Rapids team with 7 wrestlers in the finals at State or the Wausau West group of Umlauf, Baine, Monk, Lor etc. Or Merrill that had a group that all should have been state qualifiers. Maybe it was a result of a crazy group of parents who had kids born between 1992 and 1999 and lived the world of wrestling when their kid was old enough to put on shoes.

Again...my opinion...but I think we have seen a building of more strong programs in the state...Stoughton and Kaukauna currently come to mind....and the strength is spread around a little. I don't see an end to the Kaukauna dominance. Even when they are "down" they still win meets. And I am guessing Stoughton has a strong youth program to continue what they have going. What has Rapids "down"? I think it just a rebuilding year...maybe two

[Jimmy]

Everything in life goes in cycles

[Houndhead]

Everything in life goes in cycles

Except Ellsworth.

[woody53]

Everything in life goes in cycles

Except Ellsworth.

Wait for it !

[npope]

Wait for it !

Well, that's just it - both Rapids and Ellsworth have experienced unprecedented runs lasting not just years, but decades. Simply incredible. Interestingly, the Rapids dynasty would seem to have been predicated on Lewie's presence at the helm while Ellsworth's experience has come with a handful of different coaches. Hard to put one's finger on it, but there certainly is/was some wrestling magic in those two programs.

[Jeff Farrell]

Rapids
Wausau West
Merrill

All 3 coaches retired.... that is what happened.

Everything revolves around the figure head.

[couldhavebeen]

Ellsworth is tradition......

[ramjet]

Rapids
Wausau West
Merrill

All 3 coaches retired.... that is what happened.

Everything revolves around the figure head.

With a cloud of controversy I think that really hurt the program for the long haul.

[FinalWord]

Ellsworth is tradition......

It's the cheese!!

[Houndhead]

Everything in life goes in cycles

Except Ellsworth.

Wait for it !

I have been waiting for 40 years.

[MNbadger]

43 years........

[Houndhead]

43 years........

Nope, I didnt start waiting until I was 10. . 

For me, some of the highlights of high school wrestling were beating Ellsworth as a team at the 1983 sectional and winning the sectional final in 1984 with a pin of an Ellsworth wrestler. Not an Ellsworth fan by any means, but I do have great respect for their program.