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Based on the information that has been made public record, the following is what we have to look forward to this fine AAA 2016/2017 season:

Region 1: Hosted by Wheeling Park. WP has two returning state tournament wrestlers and then hopefully the return of John Nash (sick last season and missed the state tournament). If all returning wrestlers of all schools do indeed wrestle, I predict University High School will be the region 1 champions. New comer Buck Up should make it interesting.

Region 2: Hosted by Spring Mills. SM has ONE wrestler returning from last season's state tournament. Whereas this is a new school, I hope they get plenty of volunteers to help run the tournament. This is without a doubt the weakest region in AAA with only two returning wrestlers that made it onto the podium. With the weakness comes great opportunity. 14 weight classes x 4 state qualifiers = 56 wrestlers going to the state tournament. Region 2 has 30 wrestlers due back that qualified for last season's state tournament. 56 - 30 = 26 slots open for some new kids to get a Huntington vacation. This is a good recruiting tool to get these kids out for our great sport. They have a really good chance of qualifying for the state tournament. I am going with superior numbers and picking Sierra Powell to lead Hampshire to the AAA region 2 title. Cameron Pine of Washington will be the MOW.

Region 3: Once again hosted by Woodrow Wilson. WW has three wrestlers returning from last season's big dance. Raleigh County seems to get hit with some kid of disaster around regional time. 2015 we had a blizzard. 2016 we had the Coal City power outage that brought the AA/A region 3 finals over to the AAA region 3 hub. Region 3 has 24 state tournament wrestlers returning. 56 openings - 24 wrestlers = 32 slots for an all expense paid trip to Huntington. This region has greater opportunity for state qualification but is also has more returning podium wrestlers than region 2. In addition, this is the only AAA region with 8 teams. Team title wise, this region is a little more up for grabs. St. Albans and Greenbrier East should be the two schools slugging it out for the title.

Region 4: Based on seeing many high school students crying over the recent election results, looking at region 4 will make them have cardiac arrest. Hosted by Parkersburg South this season. South has their entire team returning. This is the toughest region in all West Virginia wrestling for 2017. BRUTAL!!!!! AAA has 46 place winners due back from the state tournament. 28 or 60.87% of these wrestlers will be dumped into region 4. This region has 56 spots for state tournament qualification. This region has 52 state tournament qualifiers due back from last season's tournament. 56 - 52 = 4 spots for some new kids. When it comes to region 4, getting 4th place really, really means something. You (the 4th placer) more than likely will be favored in the opening round of the state tournament.

Region strength summary:
1. Region 4
2. Region 3
3. Region 1
4. Region 2

Completely agree. Region 4 and Region 3 came up in the world, while region 2 is a complete joke. Facing a region 2 wrestler has been a good thing since East Fairmont went AA, but at this point it is watered down to a laughable level.

Here is a list of the AAA region 2 schools with their population and returning wrestlers from last season's state tournament:

Musselman: 1,525 students and 5 wrestlers.

Jefferson: 1,515 students and 5 wrestlers.

Martinsburg: 1,313 students and 1 wrestler.

Spring Mills: 1,252 students and 1 wrestler.

Hedgesville: 1,228 students and 6 wrestlers.

Washington: 1,172 students and 2 wrestlers.

Hampshire: 1,036 students and 10 wrestlers.

This information tells me that the "wrestling community" at each of this schools need to do a better job pulling from their large student bodies. Ironically, Hampshire has the least amount of students and the most wrestlers. Hampshire is doing a good job.

Bearhugger needs to start coaching wrestling somewhere in WV.

Sally wrote:Bearhugger needs to start coaching wrestling somewhere in WV.

Yeah, tuders has an opening

Sally wrote:Bearhugger needs to start coaching wrestling somewhere in WV.

I doubt I have what it takes to coach in this day and age. Too many lazy and weak kids and too many meddling parents. I suspect too many of our coaches have been beat down to be weak politicians rather than effective coaches.

Now that I am thinking about it, I am starting to feel sorry for many coaches that I do not even know.

Frank wrote:

Sally wrote:Bearhugger needs to start coaching wrestling somewhere in WV.

Yeah, tuders has an opening

I would gladly take over the coaching of Tuder's on the west side of Charleston. I would clean house and start over.

I would also invent some new biscuits. We would have the "Gator", the "Frank" and the following:

TrueBiscuitFanInCharleston

TrueBiscuitFanInParkersburg

TrueBiscuitFanInCoalCity

Middle school wrestling was approved this year in Berkeley County this should help make a difference at the Berkeley County schools. How many middle schools started teams? Do all the new middle school teams have a feeder program? Anything new takes time to get established.

Bearhugger wrote:

Frank wrote:

Sally wrote:Bearhugger needs to start coaching wrestling somewhere in WV.

Yeah, tuders has an opening

I would gladly take over the coaching of Tuder's on the west side of Charleston. I would clean house and start over.

I would also invent some new biscuits. We would have the "Gator", the "Frank" and the following:

TrueBiscuitFanInCharleston

TrueBiscuitFanInParkersburg

TrueBiscuitFanInCoalCity

I'd eat there!

Gator wrote:

Bearhugger wrote:

Frank wrote:Yeah, tuders has an opening

I would gladly take over the coaching of Tuder's on the west side of Charleston. I would clean house and start over.

I would also invent some new biscuits. We would have the "Gator", the "Frank" and the following:

TrueBiscuitFanInCharleston

TrueBiscuitFanInParkersburg

TrueBiscuitFanInCoalCity

I'd eat there!

The "Gator" biscuit will be a biscuit with deer meat, wrapped in red paper.

I figured the Gator biscuit would be cheezy and be served with whine.

The Bearhugger biscuit would be a biscuit with a hot dog, bologna and moving van axle grease wrapped in an onion skin.

They would have a Frank biscuit, instead they would name a lunch item The Frank Sandwich, more commonly known as a $hi! sandwich.

The Frank would be served topless wrapped in a blue and white record tying 21st state title skin. ;

.....and just so you 2 weenies know, it's spelled Tudor's, not Tuder's!

Down south we are known for our restling not speeling

Knowing Coach Bennett when he was at Berkeley Springs I am sure he can handle organizing and running a 7 team regional at Spring Mills.

Indiansfan wrote:Knowing Coach Bennett when he was at Berkeley Springs I am sure he can handle organizing and running a 7 team regional at Spring Mills.

I am sure he can. I just hope he gets plenty of volunteers with some wrestling knowledge to run the tables.