redbrian
02-17-2006, 05:52 PM
High school wrestling is heating up in Columbia, Oak Park representing the KC are (ranked 5th in the nation) and Fort Zumwalt West representing the St. Louis area both sent all 14 wrestlers to state.
Oak Park sent 12 of 14 to the qtr finals while ZW sent 8 out of 14.
To add interest to this story it seems the Bland brothers (who’s dad was the wrestling coach at Oak Park) are assistant coaches on the two teams.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13892493.htm
COLUMBIA — Beneath the budding wrestling rivalry between Oak Park and Fort Zumwalt West are two brothers looking to one-up the other.
When Rob Bland, an Oak Park assistant coach, and Derek Bland, a Fort Zumwalt West assistant, compare numbers from Thursday’s Class 4 Round 1 at Mizzou Arena, they’ll see things shaping up just as they did last year.
Oak Park sent 12 of its 14 wrestlers to the quarterfinals, while Fort Zumwalt West kept eight of 14 alive.
The brothers both graduated from Oak Park, where their father, Darrel Bland, was the head wrestling coach during 1978-85. Derek (Class of 1994) won two state titles, and Rob (’96) took home one.
That’s why it’s crucial for Rob that the Northmen keep it up the next two days.
“Last year,” Darrel Bland remembered, “Rob said to Derek, ‘You may have won more individual titles, but we’re going to win more team titles.’ ”
Fort Zumwalt West, near St. Louis, is a young program that has established itself as the eastern part of the state’s best. There is pressure for the Jaguars to get St. Louis back on top of Kansas City.
“Kansas City has kind of dominated,” Fort Zumwalt West coach Dan Hayes said. “We’re anxious to get St. Louis back on top.”
Both schools have great feeder programs, which leads the elder Bland to believe that the Oak Park-Fort Zumwalt West rivalry is just beginning, including the smack talk between his two boys.
“I’ll be surprised if both don’t stay strong for years,” Darrel Bland says. “I’ve never seen two teams in the same class qualify 14 wrestlers. It’s very unusual.”
Oak Park sent 12 of 14 to the qtr finals while ZW sent 8 out of 14.
To add interest to this story it seems the Bland brothers (who’s dad was the wrestling coach at Oak Park) are assistant coaches on the two teams.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13892493.htm
COLUMBIA — Beneath the budding wrestling rivalry between Oak Park and Fort Zumwalt West are two brothers looking to one-up the other.
When Rob Bland, an Oak Park assistant coach, and Derek Bland, a Fort Zumwalt West assistant, compare numbers from Thursday’s Class 4 Round 1 at Mizzou Arena, they’ll see things shaping up just as they did last year.
Oak Park sent 12 of its 14 wrestlers to the quarterfinals, while Fort Zumwalt West kept eight of 14 alive.
The brothers both graduated from Oak Park, where their father, Darrel Bland, was the head wrestling coach during 1978-85. Derek (Class of 1994) won two state titles, and Rob (’96) took home one.
That’s why it’s crucial for Rob that the Northmen keep it up the next two days.
“Last year,” Darrel Bland remembered, “Rob said to Derek, ‘You may have won more individual titles, but we’re going to win more team titles.’ ”
Fort Zumwalt West, near St. Louis, is a young program that has established itself as the eastern part of the state’s best. There is pressure for the Jaguars to get St. Louis back on top of Kansas City.
“Kansas City has kind of dominated,” Fort Zumwalt West coach Dan Hayes said. “We’re anxious to get St. Louis back on top.”
Both schools have great feeder programs, which leads the elder Bland to believe that the Oak Park-Fort Zumwalt West rivalry is just beginning, including the smack talk between his two boys.
“I’ll be surprised if both don’t stay strong for years,” Darrel Bland says. “I’ve never seen two teams in the same class qualify 14 wrestlers. It’s very unusual.”