My All-Star experience
Believe it or not, I was an All-Star…well sort of. My All-Star experience is testament to just how far and just how big the All-Star Classic or All-Star dual concept has come.
Way back in 1984 I wrestled for Skyline. I admit that I had a decent career. Nothing spectacular but I placed in state twice, fourth my senior year. Certainly, I wasn’t All-Star material compared to what will take the mat this January 9.
But I think I had one of the most interesting of All-Star experiences. Way back when last millennium, there was an All-Star meet. After the state meet the coaches association would put together an All-Star meet. My senior year it was at Layton High School.
Around 5:00 PM I left my house in Salt Lake City leaving my father and coach on the couch watching television. He had no interest in attending but somehow I felt “compelled” to go. Somehow I found the school, as today I can’t seem to find Layton HS without driving around aimlessly for an hour or two it seems. I was there just in time for the introductions of the wrestlers. I was there to see the studs like Rodney Rientjes, David Lucero, Lance Hislop, Mark Willis etc. etc. Most of these wrestlers were state champions and even multiple state champions.
This All-Star meet was different than today’s in two most important ways. First, it was held after the state meet and secondly, it was just for seniors. There were no classification divisions or teams like we use today. There was a RED team and a BLUE team and the coaches just tried to put together what they thought would be the best match-ups. Sometimes wrestlers would wrestle up a weight and be from the same classification.
Besides some passing interest I have no idea why I would drive up on a Friday night to watch this event. It was an hour drive. I guess I was dateless, but that’s no surprise for those who knew me way back when. Like when Clark Kent (Superman) had that feeling to find that lighted stick or whatever in his barn, I was “called” to drive to Layton to see this thing.
I bought some food at the concessions and settled in to see some of my friends from other schools grapple. When they came to my weight, which was 145—don’t laugh—David Harris of Delta was to square off against Steve Geisler of West Jordan. Harris was a state champion and finalist from the year before. Geisler placed third as a senior and was a finalist from the year before and he was the one who I thought at the time had unceremoniously ended my wrestling career by beating me 1-0 in the consolation championship at state.
Well, Geisler was a no-show at the introductions. The matches started at 98 pounds and proceeded up to around the 126-pound weight class. Then I made eye contact with Bingham coach Russ Paulsen (who looks to me exactly the same then as he does now). He then meandered up to my spot in the stands and said those fateful words, “Brian, I need you to do me a favor.”
I had a feeling on what he was going to ask. “You wrestled 145 right…we don’t know where Geisler is and we was wondering if you would step in and wrestle for him,” he went on. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea seeing that I was downing my coke, milk duds and hot dog (my “dinner of champions”). I think that Russ could tell I wasn’t overly excited but went on to tell me how Harris and his family had drove all the way up from Delta for this match. Russ joked that I had nothing to lose (which I didn’t really, unless I barfed up some milk duds on the mat). He took me in the locker room, which looks exactly the same then as it does now, quickly put me on the scale, and deemed me “close enough” in weight to wrestle.
The rules they actually used were some hybrid rules between folk style and the freestyle rules used way back when. If you took someone down you got two points but if you weren’t turning the wrestler, they blew the whistle and started you back on your feet. The rules actually infuriated me because I was best on top and still have the all-time Skyline HS record of most near fall points earned in the season. This is my claim to fame there, as well as the surgical scrubs I wore at practice my entire senior year to my Dad’s disgust I think.
Well, to make this long story a bit shorter, I wrestled the “match of my life” and beat Harris 5-4. I remember Paul Dart (the now official then Head Coach of Tooele and close friend to my father) saying, “you’re Dad should have been here, this was the best match I’ve seen you ever wrestle.” The only bummer was that I didn’t get in the team photo, nor did I get introduced in the line-up introductions. I did get a blue All-Star singlet which I still have to this day.
My All-Star experience just goes to tell you just how far this event has come. We had a nice crowd at Layton HS that night but now the event will draw thousands of spectators. I’ve ribbed Geisler a few times over the years asking him where he was and thanking him for making me “famous” and letting me get a win in my last high school match. I even got delusional enough after this victory to try to wrestle in college. But today, these athletes circle January 9 on their calendar and it is truly big deal to be selected. Very few, if any, will turn down this ALL-STAR invitation.
There have been many All-Star ventures of the past and those who created or tried these events deserve our praise. Back in the 1970’s coaches like my father, Don Neff, Bob Kawa, and Darold Henry put together teams that traveled to places like Japan, Mexico City, and Montreal and invited a Japanese team to come to Utah. In the 1980’s the put together an All-Star experience post-season for those brave enough to go an extra week and put their egos and state championship medals on the line one last time. I have full respect for my opponent Mr. Harris that night for doing just that!
In the 1990 Chris Brown, then a coach at Payson HS, put together a post-season tournament called “The Masters” where any state placer was invited. This All-Star tournament took place in the Salt Palace Convention Center and my brother wrestled in this event.
Another effort to recognize Utah’s best wrestlers was in the mid to late 1990’s where the state champions of four different classifications were asked to compete in the All-Star Classic hosted by Southern Utah University. Dr. Lunt of SUU put together this event and it was first class. They fed the contestants, parents and coaches after the meet and truly made every effort to make the event special. I was the coach of the 4-A team in 1998 and had two wrestlers compete in that event. Unfortunately for this event, crowd support was sparse and like any “post-season” All-Star dual, many of the top wrestlers wanted to be done with their season and they thought their state title accomplishment would be lessened by participating and possibly losing in an event like this.
So in 2001, a new concept was brought to the table. The All-Star experience would take place during the actual season. The first one took place at Jordan High School with special guest Rulon Gardner and it was rousing success with a standing-room only crowd. Then the event was taken to the McKay Event Center of UVSC. The concept was to bring the best wrestler from the smaller classifications (1-A, 2-A and 3-A) and put him against the top wrestler from the 4-A/5-A divisions.
Now the 2007 edition will offer what I believe will be a new and exciting development. Four teams and 28 matches with these matches taking place on three different mats. Plenty of action in an event streamlined to get done in two hours of less and feature nearly double the amount of wrestlers of past years.
Still, I see the past All-Star experiences as leading up to this event. The concepts put forward in their implementation still impact the current All-Star meet. For example, the SUU All-Star classic brought forth the idea of multiple mats and a reception or dinner to honor the athletes and treat them first class. I think the creators of these events should be honored and praised, and certainly remembered.
I hoped you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it and thinking back to my high school days and a memorable moment in my life. I may not have got all the pats on the back the other contestants received, but I proved it pays to be in the right place at the right time. And Tuesday January 9 is the right place at the right time to see some great wrestling action, whether you are participant, coach, parent or casual wrestling fan.
Story by Brian E. Preece
Provo High Head Wrestling Coach 1994-2006
Proud Graduate of Skyline HS 1984
1984 Blue Team All-Star