Oberebo, Tognetti, ...

[Orangebomber]

This comment was made on the mat forum.

"Not as big a cut as Smith wanting Wildeson at 118 some years back. Joey Wildeson was HUGE."

Are they talking about John? If yes, what is the story?

 

[mike tognetti]

It was John in 1994 and Joey Wildasin did cut to make the lineup from 134 to 118. He was also blessed to be on a National Championship team that year (also he is a Pa boy so some people want to put a bad light on it). It was John's third year as a head coach. The mat forum, sure has went to the way side the last few years. Not much to read over there anymore.
This post was edited on 9/17 6:28 PM by mike tognetti

 

[oberebo]

I am going to defer to Micco on this and BTW the name was Joey Wildasin. He was Micco's room-mate that year at OSU and Micco was his assistant coach at Garden City. Joey was a legend in Pennsylvania wrestling. He was undefeated in his career in Highschool and then went to Garden City where he was a two time national Juco champion at 126. He not only was undefeated his two years in Junior College he was never taken down. I know a lot about his career at Oklahoma State but Micco was his former coach and room-mate that year and he should comment on the situation. Joey is a successful roofing contractor in Pennsylvania, a great guy and a friend of Micco.

 

[MiccoMacey]

Oberebo is mostly right, although I'm not sure I can do much better.

Joey was one of the toughest guys I've ever known. He was, I believe, 130-1 or so in high school in PA, losing only in the state finals his freshman year. He broke his ankle in the finals match his senior year, and still majored the kid. He was as big a legend as any wrestler to come out of Pennsylvania not named Kolat. Still is.

While at Garden City, he was an undefeated 2x National Champion, with a win over Shawn Harrison at the St Louis Open in 1990. Like all but one of his opponents Joey faced, Shawn never scored an offensive point on Joey (Wildasin cut him twice in a 7-2 win). The only points any one scored on Joey were from a takedown as the whistle blew to start the match while Joey was talking to Coach Mark Leen. And then Jowy pummeled the kid like he stole something.

Joey came to OSU and had to have back surgery his first year there. He went back to early, and immediately re-injured his back, causing a second surgery, this one with plates and screws. The following year, the year I roomed with Joey, Joey starts at 118, although his "walk around" weight before the season was around 150. But early in the season, the weight allowances are so huge he can make the cut. He beats Shawn Nelson of Penn State early on, and Shawn was ranked somewhere in the top five at that time.

But as the season progresses, the cut became too much. Joey had some "mental snaps" from the weight cutting, the first one came as Iowa came to town. That was the 1993-94 season, and Joey just goes AWOL. Buy me a drink sometime and I'll tell you about how Pat Smith and Alan Freid broke into my house looking for him because he didn't show up for weigh-ins. By the end of the year, he went AWOL for a week during the Big Eight tournament. I'm sure John et al didn't believe me at the time, but hand to God I swear I had no idea where he was, or that he was going to ever run away.

I would find Joey wrapped up in every coat he owned, laying on our floor heater in our house with it cranked up as hot as it would go trying to get warm. He just wasn't meant to wrestle at 118. But Nick Purler was a fifth year senior at 126, with a good shot at a National Championship, like his brother Tony the year before for Nebraska. So it was 118 or nothing that year.

He was as aggressive and ferocious a kid on the mat as you'll ever find, and he was just as soft off it. Super nice guy all the way around.

 

[Needanap]

Oberebo -- The attached link is from an article that was published in 2011 in a local PA paper that touches on Wildasin's roofing business, his high school career and the injuries he suffered at OSU. Wildasin was a 3 time PA state champ and had only one loss in the state finals of his freshman year. Wildasin was from York County and the article refers to another dominant young wrestler from Kenard-Dale HS. Although they do not mention him by name it is clear they are referring to Chance Marsteller. Marsteller would have been a HS freshman when the article was written.

http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_19421995

 

[MiccoMacey]

For the record, Joey was 17-4 in 1994, albeit without wrestling in either the Big Eight or NCAA tournament.

But he did have wins over All-Americans Shawn Nelson, Danny Felix, Mike Mena, and Scott Gonyo, as well as Ty Moore, a 4x State Champ from Pennsylvania. He lost to Sammy Henson, Shawn Nelson in a rematch, Shawn Harrison of OU at 134, and Scott Gonyo from Nebraska, who he'd beaten twice earlier in the season.

 

[oberebo]

Thanks, for the article needanap and to Micco for the corrections and information. I usually manage to bungle some of the information thus the deference to Micco.

 

[Orangebomber]

Thanks guys. I figured you would know but had no idea how well you would know.

 

[BDB57]

I didn't know that John was the coach at that time........tough cut for a kid that wrestled 119 as a sophmore and 132 his Sr year in HS and at 5'8" was 2" taller than Chance

What was JO cutting from when he wrestled 133 here??
This post was edited on 9/18 3:28 PM by BDB57

 

[MiccoMacey]

I never knew Joey's exact height. If you say it's 5'8", I guess I have to believe you. But he seemed awfully shorter than that.

By about a foot.

 

[BDB57]

I saw the 5'8" in one of the articles I have recently read about him. Admit I never measured him myself...lol.

 

[Honduee]

I don't know anything about the question but I do know The Mat sucks. What they allowed to be said about OSU's wrestlers during the Johnny Thompson/Johny Hendricks years was complete BS. $&%^ those guys.

 

[MiccoMacey]

Originally posted by BDB57:
I saw the 5'8" in one of the articles I have recently read about him. Admit I never measured him myself...lol.

It's all good. It's been a fun topic.

 

[BDB57]

I'm sure you're enjoying talking about a team mate you obviously had a great relationship with. Likewise we are all ears listening and following along !! Everything I have read on hime points that he was more than a quality wrestler.

 

[okstatefan]

As good as Joey was, I never lost a match to him!!!!!

 

[MiccoMacey]

You just CAN'T argue with sound logic like that!

 

[BDB57]

okstatefan.....since I am undefeated against him also, should we be matched in Flo's "Who's #1" event next month??