LkwdSteve

It was distressing that controversy arose in the Eds-AV dual in the 1999-2000 season. I have heard that AV has refused to return as a direct result. Anyone (especially Jacob) have any insight on this?

Schlottke

I've never heard that Coach Jackson would not return to St. Eds, but I'm not sure he would ever voice it publicly- even if he was set off by everything. I vaguely remember the whole deal, but I remember him being pretty riled up.

I'd say it would be a pretty weak reason never to wrestle a team again, just bring your own referees, or have NCAA refs manage the dual. That would probably make everyone more easy about continuing a dual meet that should really happen every year.

Personally, I don't think Coach Jackson would ever take one situation and allow it to effect a relationship that should benefit both teams, and the sport. For example, when I was in 8th grade, we wrestled Wisconsin Rapids, and because I was not in HS, they did not want me to wrestle. They were very against the idea of an 8th grader wrestling them. The situation ended up getting resolved, and Apple Valley has wrestled Rapids a half dozen times since.

LkwdSteve

That's one dual meet that I lost my notes to so I don't have the lineup/results anymore. That was Eds last (mythical) national championship year, before this year, and AV finished ranked number two behind Eds. They had a great team.

They day started with a very impressive dismantling of a pretty good Walsh Jesuit team by AV. In the Eds match AV got off to a roaring start with Matt Shankey win over Mason Leonard being the key to building the momentum.

While it's true that Eds won in the end, the controversial match represented a nine point swing, and, while the final margin was greater than nine points, it's impossible to say what effect it would have been on the "psychology or momentum". It seemed to me that the "wind" was taken out of the AV sails and it was distinctly an uncomfortable moment for this observor. I was sitting on the AV side of the gym and could only commiserate with some followers that I chatted with.

LkwdSteve

I'll see if I can recontruct the controversy from memory:

Weight class was 130 or 135. I don't remember which wrestlers. AV wrestler had a one point lead but had some false starts. Somewhere in the final 10 to 15 seconds the AV wrestler had a false start and apparently a penalty point was to be awarded. It was not right away. I think it came to light either right at match end or just before. Time was added back onto the clock and the match was restarted. The seconds that were spent wrestling, that got wiped out, were considered "dead time" or something like that I guess.

I've never seen that before or since. In OT the Eds wrestler got a TD to backs for a pin, hence, the 9 point swing. Some Eds fans say the letter of the law was followed. Perhaps. Maybe even probably. But the "appearance" of homerism was inescapable.