For what it's worth, my vote is certainly for Brock on the all decade team. Can't beat Vogel? I think its the other way around. Just my opinion.

Brock 10-0 at Disney Duels (as I recall), with success at Fargo, 3 state titles, and the takedown record. And then the minor detail of head to head victory while injured.

I saw the Brock vs Vogel match, and I was pretty certain that was not a healthy Brock wrestling ... and yet he dominated in crunch time in that match (in my opinion).

Brock ... one of the best wrestlers from NE that I have ever seen. I would put him in the category of the Victor Wiedeman and DeVaugn Perkins and Jeremy (sp?) McCoy and Trenton Washington and Alex Bridgeford and Matt Vacanti and Todd Maneely. Guys at a different level (in my opinion), guys that you want to watch wrestle ... crowd gathers to watch them. That's what I'm talking about.

2009 Vogel vs. 2007 Smith (healthy of course) would be one heckuva match.

quote:

Originally posted by green goblin:
For what it's worth, my vote is certainly for Brock on the all decade team. Can't beat Vogel? I think its the other way around. Just my opinion.

Brock 10-0 at Disney Duels (as I recall), with success at Fargo, 3 state titles, and the takedown record. And then the minor detail of head to head victory while injured.

I saw the Brock vs Vogel match, and I was pretty certain that was not a healthy Brock wrestling ... and yet he dominated in crunch time in that match (in my opinion).

Brock ... one of the best wrestlers from NE that I have ever seen. I would put him in the category of the Victor Wiedeman and DeVaugn Perkins and Jeremy (sp?) McCoy and Trenton Washington and Alex Bridgeford and Matt Vacanti and Todd Maneely. Guys at a different level (in my opinion), guys that you want to watch wrestle ... crowd gathers to watch them. That's what I'm talking about.

The only correction I see here is that Brock never wrestled at Fargo.

He certainly has a chance to win a couple matches next month in Omaha.

Why isn't Bennington's Andy Pokory in the mix? He was ranked in the country during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and beat Sackett a few times.

quote:

Originally posted by sportsfan1980:
Why isn't Bennington's Andy Pokory in the mix? He was ranked in the country during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and beat Sackett a few times.

I may be a little bias but I would agree. I would put Andy Pokorny (2005) at 103. That season he only had 4 points scored on him the entire season. In one tournament, Boys Town Inv., he beat three state champions without being scored on, ironically did not get OW. Dalton Jenson (2-time Iowa state champion and current Iowa State starter), Tyler Sackett (4-time state champion), and Dan Pedersen (state champion).

quote:

Originally posted by Badger:

quote:

Originally posted by sportsfan1980:
Why isn't Bennington's Andy Pokory in the mix? He was ranked in the country during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and beat Sackett a few times.

I may be a little bias but I would agree. I would put Andy Pokorny (2005) at 103. That season he only had 4 points scored on him the entire season. In one tournament, Boys Town Inv., he beat three state champions without being scored on, ironically did not get OW. Dalton Jenson (2-time Iowa state champion and current Iowa State starter), Tyler Sackett (4-time state champion), and Dan Pedersen (state champion).

That's incredible! Wow!

On the collegiate level, without Andy Pokorny's points at the Big 12 Championships last year, Nebraska doesn't tie Iowa State for the title.

Pyzdek was great and super consistent his senior year. However, he almost lost to Grant Daniel (Stanton) in the semis his senior year in a barn burner 7-6. Andy completely dominated at State his sophomore year (albeit against younger competition in the finals and semis than Pyzdek faced his senior year). However, the "young kid" Andy put it on 18-0 in the finals ended up a 2 timer and 3 time finalist I believe (Zach Adams). I'd give the edge to Andy for superior technique.

Zac was a four time finalist and three time champ.

Just fyi, since Dan was mentioned ...

Dan Pedersen joined the Marines this year, is in his 7th week of boot camp in San Diego. Anyone that might like to send him a letter of encouragment ... can drop me an email at jaypedersen@yahoo.com and I can give you his snail mail address.

I do rememember that Boys Town match -- it was the Boys Town final at 103 -- and a great match. It was 0-0 going into the third. Dan's coach put him on bottom for the 3rd period. For those that remember Dan ... that was a bad decision (top or both up would have been better for him - Dan wanted both up actually). Dan got tilted to go down 2-0 and then lost 5-0 when trying some desperate moves to come back and took a near fall.

quote:

Originally posted by green goblin:
For what it's worth, my vote is certainly for Brock on the all decade team. Can't beat Vogel? I think its the other way around. Just my opinion.

Brock 10-0 at Disney Duels (as I recall), with success at Fargo, 3 state titles, and the takedown record. And then the minor detail of head to head victory while injured.

I saw the Brock vs Vogel match, and I was pretty certain that was not a healthy Brock wrestling ... and yet he dominated in crunch time in that match (in my opinion).

Brock ... one of the best wrestlers from NE that I have ever seen. I would put him in the category of the Victor Wiedeman and DeVaugn Perkins and Jeremy (sp?) McCoy and Trenton Washington and Alex Bridgeford and Matt Vacanti and Todd Maneely. Guys at a different level (in my opinion), guys that you want to watch wrestle ... crowd gathers to watch them. That's what I'm talking about.

A quote from the Scottsbluff/Gering StarHerald Newspaper, February, 2007, regarding senior Brock Smith's 5-4 win over sophomore Derek Vogel in the semi-finals of the state tournament:

"...Vogel gave the Gering senior all he could
handle. Smith didn't have the match in hand
until he earned two points with a reversal
with under a minute remaining..."

I don't doubt Brock Smith was injured, and that he wrestled that state tournament with a lot of pain and heart. But as savy wrestler, he was able to take injury timeouts to recover when needed. Remember, Smith won his other three state tournament matches by 27-12, 24-9 and 14-7 scores, the last being the finals match - the day after he wrestled Vogel - in a match he won by one point.

That was the year it was predicted that Brock Smith would blow everybody in Nebraska out of the water. I guess Vogel didn't get the memo.

Do sophomores get better their junior and senior years? Look at Wil Brown. Didn't medal his sophomore year, and won state titles both the junior and senior years, knocking off undefeated wrestlers in the finals both years.
If Nebraska had an outstanding wrestler at their state tournament, Brown would have been one of three candidates at the top in Class B.

Even though I wasn't in the Brock Smith fan club four years ago, I am today. He wrestles for a great coach at Wyoming and is one of the few Nebraska born D-1 wrestlers paying the price at that level in a starting role.

<<is one of the few Nebraska born D-1 wrestlers paying the price at that level in a starting role.>>

Amen brother. Craig Brester, Brandon Brown, Chris Oliver, Matt Vacanti, Andy Pokorny, Brock Smith -- the recent D1 starters from NE that I know about. All guys who would draw a crowd to watch them wrestle in their HS days.

Andy Totusek started for at least one year at Old Dominion (in VA I believe). I heard, but am not sure, that he isn't wrestling right now.