kmspv

June 21, 2009

This is a look, just a tiny little look, into three programs that will have a huge target on their backs this next wrestling season.

The teams were tapped for this report during their participation in the Kennesaw Mountain Duals on June 20, 2009. And thank God that the wrestling season happens during the winter months.

Keep in mind that this in not a comprehensive report. It is just a small taste of what we can expect this upcoming year. It is also designed to give some recognition for a lot of the good in wrestling that is all around us.

Jerome Clark

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They were the 8th best Class AAAAA team in the 67-school tournament field last February at Gwinnett. They finished ahead of traditional wrestling powers Harrison and Parkview (both tied for 11th), and they finished far ahead of storied McEachern (22nd).

In Duals, they overtook region rivals Harrison and McEachern and will go into the 09-10 season as the reigning Area 5-AAAAA Duals champion.

KM got its first ever individual state champion when Jonathan Rivera won the 145-lb. title over Al Holloway (Walton) last February.

Kennesaw Mountain has made a steady climb to the top of its area and toward the top of the state's elite. This will be the school's 10th year in existence. It will be head coach Roberto Rivera's 4th year at the wrestling helm.

He got KM wrestling where it is in just 3 years.

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The Mustangs had two state finalists last February. 130-pounder Ryan Maus finished second to Brandon Westerman (McEachern).

But that combination of returning state placement power (2 finalists) is matched by no other team in 5-AAAAA and just a handful of AAAAA teams in the entire state.

The Mustangs may have some holes to fill in their heavier weights. But they appear to have a solid core in their light to middle weights, where most of the weight classes are.

KM has already been penciled in by one Underground prognosticator as the early favorite in 5-AAAAA.

Of course, it is still only June.

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Many coaching names are mentioned in Underground thread titles such as "All Time Dream Team of Coaches."

With that and similar lists, the name "Rivera" is sure to show up sooner or later.

Mark Zimmerman is one of the state's top officials in Atlanta's internationally-recognized convention business service. His wrestler son Elliott is a 2009 graduate from KM. Mark had this to say about coach Rivera:

"He is an outstanding wrestling coach and has produced many great wrestlers. He has made great improvements in the KMHS wrestling program and has raised the bar of success.

"But his most important accomplishment is making boys to men."

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The sports playing fields at KM are positioned in an area of the schoolgrounds overlooking the vast, green richness of north Cobb County, the Kennesaw Mountain battlegrounds, and with a majestic view of Kennesaw Mountain.

Coach Rivera has already made his indelible mark on this program. And by the time he is finished, his legacy will too be just as rich.

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I remember, years ago, hearing the name of some new school being horribly pronounced during the state tournament. The name stuck with me because I thought that announcer - bless his wrestling heart - did a pretty bad job of proclaiming the few, but proud, accomplishments or victories for this new wrestling team. It sounded to me like he just wasn't sure of the pronunciation.

Well, by now this team's name is very clear. They rolled to a 42-4 duals record last season and they were the third best Class AA Duals team, behind almighty Jefferson (1st) and mighty Lovett (2nd).

They finished ahead of former Class AAAA power Henry County (4th in AA Duals last season).

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Look at the scores in some of the wins last season for the reigning Area 7-AA Duals champion:

72-12 (Sequoyah)
84-0 (Rockmart)
51-18 (Bowdon, Class A 4th)
54-12 (North Gwinnett)
68-9 (Forsyth Central)
56-16 (Gilmer)
36-31 (Kell, Class AAAAA)
42-28 (Kell again)
49-28 (Walton, Class AAAAA)
61-14 (Gilmer again)
49-24 (Woodland)
66-15 (Apalachee)
56-15 (Pauldng County)
53-16 (Starr's Mill)
70-6 (Chapel Hill, Class AAAAA)
39-24 (Henry County)
37-30 (Rome)

That is no cupcake schedule, especially for a smaller classification school.

Sonoraville's four losses were to:

LaFayette (AAA Duals state champion, 18-57)
Rome, 37-38
Henry County (AA Duals 4th place, 24-40)
Jefferson (AA Duals state champion, 18-54).

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The Parkview Panthers need no introduction to Georgia high school sports fans. Their spectacular sports history - including wrestling - speaks for itself.

However, with all due respect to the program, including new head coach Chris Hardin, this is really all about the newest and now most acclaimed member of Orange 14.

Kevin Ulmer has been well-known in the wrestling ranks since he was in middle school. Expectations of him have proved true.

Kevin was the Class AAAA 119-lb. state champion last season while at Effingham County.

In his final high school season, Ulmer faces a daunting task.

Since the competitive existence of five classifications in Georgia, there has been just one instance (out of three attempts) where a returning state champion from one of the lower classes moved up to AAAAA and repeated as state champ in the same year as the move up.

That was Candler Woods of Union Groves. He won the 145-lb. state title in 2004 (UG then in AA), and he won the 152-lb. state title in 2005 (UG then, and now, in AAAAA).

T.J. Mitchell was the AA 103-lb. state champion in 2007 (AA Wesleyan). In 2008, T.J. finished 3rd at 112-lbs. (AAAAA Collins Hill).

And in 2006, Jordan Dukes was the 171-lb. state champion (AAAA Hiram). In 2007, he finished 4th at 171-lbs. (AAAAA Hiram).

Both Dukes and Mitchell subsequently won state titles in AAAAA, as many of you well know.

Note: Two other wrestlers did win back-to-back state titles, first in a lower class and then in AAAAA.

In 2000, Chris Coleman won AAA 145 while at Starr's Mill. The next year he won AAAAA 160 (Starr's Mill).

And in 2000, Paul Stansbury won AAA 125 while at Dacula. The next year, he won AAAAA 135 (Dacula).

However, in 2000, Class AAAAA and five classifications did not exist, and this analysis only took into consideration what was previously stated above.

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The move to Parkview (or to a similar traditional AAAAA power), with its rugged scheduling trek through Gwinnett County and the likes of Collins Hill, Peachtree Ridge, Grayson, and Brookwood, seems quite fitting for Ulmer at this time. Because the roads ahead that he hopes to hop on will only get tougher and tougher for him.

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In my wrestling travels, the Ulmer immediate family has been some of the most warm, friendly, and wrestling-loving people I have met.

Kevin's grandparents, Richard and Judy, go everywhere Kevin goes. They did the same with Kevin's older wrestling brother Keith, who is now a student at Georgia Southern University.

Kevin's father Wayne is pictured below. Wayne has been one of my biggest fans (I'm surprised I have "fans.").

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Final Words

My thanks to coach Rivera for his graciousness to me during the tournament. I want him to know that Mr. Zimmerman has always spoken very highly of him to me.

As with every wrestling program, there are some mighty fine people involved with the KM program, like the Maus's, and Mark Zimmerman.

I want to give a "Shout Out" to Grayson graduate wrestler Paul Ardila. It was Paul who actually sparked this idea in my mind in a recent conversation we had at the Militia Duals. Not this very exact idea, but he got me thinking along these lines.

I was pleased to read on the Underground that Paul is going to wrestle for darling Paula M. at Darton.

Thanks for reading. I hope to have a type of pre-season wrestling report in early August.

JoeJoe

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About Me

Ryan Maus

Jonathan Rivera

Coach Roberto Rivera

Coach Eric Elrod

Kevin with his proud father Wayne