wvmat.com

In your opinion, which is harder to win? AAA State or WSAZ?

I feel WSAZ is harder due to having to compete with AA and A as well as out of state teams. Is there a list of WSAZ champions by school somewhere?

Good question. I’m sure I will think of examples that contradict this one but one example that state may be more difficult at the AAA level: Logan Grass won WSAZ every year he wrestled while he did not win the aaa state title every year.

maninblack wrote:In your opinion, which is harder to win? AAA State or WSAZ?

I feel WSAZ is harder due to having to compete with AA and A as well as out of state teams. Is there a list of WSAZ champions by school somewhere?

This years WSAZ is “ harder”.

I believe the WSAZ is harder but that could vary depending from year to year and weight class to weight class. The hardest thing for a high school wrestler to accomplish is to become an 8 time state champion. WV has only two in the history of wrestling. Potential two more will join this elite group this year. Can you name them?

WSAZ - larger brackets, out of state schools, only two long days so more matches in less time.

PS Logan lost on penalty points in the last few seconds on a disputed call so it’s not like he got dominated.

All of the wrestlers I have talked to say WSAZ is harder to win.

Panther_coach wrote:WSAZ - larger brackets, out of state schools, only two long days so more matches in less time.

PS Logan lost on penalty points in the last few seconds on a disputed call so it’s not like he got dominated.

The State tournament has larger brackets after you add the 3 to 6 rounds of regionals to the 4 rounds at State. I don't think you can use that argument. But you can lose at regionals and still win a state title.

I think you have to look at competition level and as someone pointed out, that varies from weight class to weight class.

I did overhear a mom saying her son (who is a senior and ranked in the top six of his weight class) said "that this year's WSAZ was the first tournament he did not place at since starting high school."
She replied, "No, it is the first tournament you have not placed at since you started middle school."
His dad responded, "No, it's the first tournament you haven't placed at since you were 5 years old."

It just determines what teams are there, there have been years where WSAZ was tougher than states, and Winners Choice, but there have also been years where Winners Choice was tougher than states as well as WSAZs. I can say this year WSAZ's was tougher than states and WC. However, If OVAC doesn't happen during the same week of Winners Choice, University and Wheeling Park would've been at WC, and also add Waynesburg (covid held them from coming this year) to the mold and I think WC would've been tougher than WSAZ's. But either way I can confidentially say that WSAZ's and Winners Choice are normally tougher than states.

I'll throw another piece of trivia out there, the ONLY four time Winners Choice Champion I can think of was Mitch Smith, Seth Easter was a 3-timer but didn't wrestle at it his freshman year. Studs like Andy Thomas(although it was a controversial DQ loss), Dylan Cottrell, Tory Bennet, Jordan Noland, Adam Bicak all took L's at Winners Choice.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Although I was an out of stater, we wrestled in WV a lot and at both the Winner’s Choice and WSAZ. My senior year, the Winner’s Choice was definitely stronger.

Speaking of some of those guys who were 4x Winner’s Choice champs and those who weren’t, how do you think they’d compare to today’s best in WV? How would Mitch Smith, Matt Easter, Brandon Rader, Matt Stevens, and others like that compare to kids today?

Regarding the 2022 WSAZ:

1. WV had only 5 WSAZ Champions while the out of state schools had 9.

2. We saw a 3x HS WSAZ / 3 x WV State Champion finish 4th.

3. The 182lb weight class contained two returning WV state champions that finished 2nd and 4th.

4. The 3rd place matches at both 138 and 145 are high probability WV state finals matches on March 5th.

5. It was stated that this was the first year that schools were turned down for WSAZ entry.

There are plenty of others examples. This was the toughest WSAZ I have ever attended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bearhugger wrote:Regarding the 2022 WSAZ:

1. WV had only 5 WSAZ Champions while the out of state schools had 9.

2. We saw a 3x HS WSAZ / 3 x WV State Champion finish 4th.

3. The 182lb weight class contained two returning WV state champions that finished 2nd and 4th.

4. The 3rd place matches at both 138 and 145 are high probability WV state finals matches on March 5th.

5. It was stated that this was the first year that schools were turned down for WSAZ entry.

There are plenty of others examples. This was the toughest WSAZ I have ever attended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agree! This was pretty much the consensus among coaches, wrestlers and fans!

Campion wrote:

Bearhugger wrote:Regarding the 2022 WSAZ:

1. WV had only 5 WSAZ Champions while the out of state schools had 9.

2. We saw a 3x HS WSAZ / 3 x WV State Champion finish 4th.

3. The 182lb weight class contained two returning WV state champions that finished 2nd and 4th.

4. The 3rd place matches at both 138 and 145 are high probability WV state finals matches on March 5th.

5. It was stated that this was the first year that schools were turned down for WSAZ entry.

There are plenty of others examples. This was the toughest WSAZ I have ever attended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agree! This was pretty much the consensus among coaches, wrestlers and fans!

In addition, we had many wrestlers default out.

Gator125 wrote:Long time lurker, first time poster. Although I was an out of stater, we wrestled in WV a lot and at both the Winner’s Choice and WSAZ. My senior year, the Winner’s Choice was definitely stronger.

Speaking of some of those guys who were 4x Winner’s Choice champs and those who weren’t, how do you think they’d compare to today’s best in WV? How would Mitch Smith, Matt Easter, Brandon Rader, Matt Stevens, and others like that compare to kids today?

Just my opinion, but I believe those guys you mentioned were all the real deal and would be just as good as the best of today.

KDunbar wrote:

Gator125 wrote:Long time lurker, first time poster. Although I was an out of stater, we wrestled in WV a lot and at both the Winner’s Choice and WSAZ. My senior year, the Winner’s Choice was definitely stronger.

Speaking of some of those guys who were 4x Winner’s Choice champs and those who weren’t, how do you think they’d compare to today’s best in WV? How would Mitch Smith, Matt Easter, Brandon Rader, Matt Stevens, and others like that compare to kids today?

Just my opinion, but I believe those guys you mentioned were all the real deal and would be just as good as the best of today.

I agree. I do feel that wrestling is deeper, as in there are more good wrestlers, but the best of that era would be every bit as good today.

Gator125 wrote:

KDunbar wrote:

Gator125 wrote:Long time lurker, first time poster. Although I was an out of stater, we wrestled in WV a lot and at both the Winner’s Choice and WSAZ. My senior year, the Winner’s Choice was definitely stronger.

Speaking of some of those guys who were 4x Winner’s Choice champs and those who weren’t, how do you think they’d compare to today’s best in WV? How would Mitch Smith, Matt Easter, Brandon Rader, Matt Stevens, and others like that compare to kids today?

Just my opinion, but I believe those guys you mentioned were all the real deal and would be just as good as the best of today.

I agree. I do feel that wrestling is deeper, as in there are more good wrestlers, but the best of that era would be every bit as good today.

I agree as well.