Though we’ve still been under the weather, Satchel gutted it out and competed in two tournaments this weekend, the first the Grappling Gobbler in Johnstown CO Saturday, the second the Hall of Fame Classic in Broomfield on Sunday. As some of you in the past have (incomprehensibly to me) noted that you have no interest in this kind of stuff — and would prefer I just post things of interest to you — I respectfully ask that you try to refrain from making public your complaints of how I’m using my site (when clearly what I should be doing is servicing your needs and your needs only).
In the Johnstown tournament Satchle took first in his weight class at 50, then wrestled up at 56 and finished fifth in the 8 man bracket. Kids on the tournament circle tend to be more evenly matched than kids who wrestle just duals; consequently, Satchel’s having to give up 8 lbs in the 56 bracket really hurt him, particularly against the eventual second place winner, who cut weight to move to the 56 bracket and was likely closer to 58 when wrestling began (Satch weighed in at a whopping 48.4!). Satch took a nice shot on him off the whistle but was unable to turn the corner and lift — not because of technique but because the bigger kid was able to simply overpower him and drive him back, pancaking him and getting a head and arm pin.
There’s a reason, after all, that weight classes exist, and this was a clear example of why that is. That being said, I don’t mind Satchel wrestling up against bigger kids, because it toughens him up and makes going against kids his own weight that much less grueling — and he’s routinely beaten a number of kids in the low 60s and even the 70s. But this particular 56 lber was very skilled — and had it not been for a freakish kid (one who my guess is will be the eventual state champion in the 55 or 60 class this) — Satch’s 56 lb opponent would have won the tournament outright.
Wrestling continued on Sunday at a Hall of Fame tournament in Broomfield, this one sanctioned by a different body and requiring the use of headgear (Satchel almost never wrestles in headgear, though I bought him a nice Cliff Keen Tornado this weekend, which he didn’t mind wearing — a good sign).
Satch took first in the 55 division — though he only had to face a single opponent — 3 times — and whom he beat in all 3 matches with 3 quick pins. She was tenacious and had a very nice bridge, but Satch was too quick and strong for her, though they were evenly matched in weight (a benefit, as I noted earlier, of spending so much practice and dual time wrestling kids that significantly outweigh you).
My wife wasn’t around for the first match, but it looks remarkably like the other two, the videos for which we do have:
Here’s to all the tender hearts the lad will be breaking, if he hasn’t already.
What a looker!
Congrats to him!
And good for you to support him.
Dimples and muscles. Yup, you better have that talk with him, Dad.
But hey, at least he’ll have maternity coverage! Congrats, Master Satch…
Posting pictures of your pride and joy kicking ass and taking names? What’s next — cat pictures?
(P.S. I hope you’re teaching him to use his superpowers only for Good.)
Satch has to know he’s already an exceptional athlete; he even has a Protein Wisdom online fan club. As for those losses, while I don’t advise that anyone should be complacent about losing, it’s part of a practical education. Knowing its sting and learning to cope with it helps build character. A lot of maturity and empathy for others comes from personally experiencing loss and dealing with it in a positive way. It’s good to be competent and confident, but those qualities should be balanced with ample measures of humility and compassion — after doing your best to win the match at hand, of course.
In brief, what Squid said.
Satch rocks, and for what it’s worth, I enjoy reading about his exploits. It’s your site and you can post what you bloody well please.
Wow. This takes me back. It forces the examination an alternate reality, what an awesome little shit I would have been with proper training, as it was I had only an older brother who enjoyed pounding me. And laugh as as he pinned me. And then he’d allow spit to dribble directly above my face then slurp it back in right before it touched. Bastard. And that laughing.
So that’s what I did. I laughed as I pounded him, laughed and laughed and got the best of him, finally pinned him and when I did finally pin him I worked up a big honking slobber, I will never forget that victory, and let it slip out all the way down to his face and then slurped it back up.
And that was the end of that. Forever.
I meant to say, CONGRATULATIONS!
Moochelle’s advice notwithstanding, fatten that boy up! Way to so, Satch!
It’s been done. (Now missing: the cat.)
I make exceptions for proud dads.
Just don’t push too hard.
By the time she was thirteen my youngest daughter never wanted to see another piano. She is now 21 and hasn’t touched one since.
Almost forgot.
Good job Satch!
Jeff has every right to be proud of Satchel. He is an exceptional young man with a healthy respect for his ass-kicking abilities.
He’s got that “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet” look in his eye.
I see these kind of posts as a gentle reminder of what we’re fighting for.
Congratulations, Master Satchel.
Egggggcellent!