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Coach Tench commented about "inherited talent". The south fans took it as an attack on Shaun Smith. Probably was his intent but I have a different take on comment.
To suggest that Parkersburg Souths success is a result of inherited talent is certainly complementary to the feeder programs at Parkersburg South. But, I do feel that it is an unfair slap in the face to the Huntington High School feeders and their great coaching staffs. For the record I believe the coaches at HEMS, HHS, Milton, Barboursville, Hayes, and Nitro do a fantastic job of supplying talent to coach archer and Huntington High School.
Coach George Smith is a great coach and an even better person. If coach Tench was trying to suggest in a backhanded way that Point Middle does not supply enough talent for Point Pleasant to compete for a high school title ignores the success that point middle has had (look at the wsaz summary). The middle school has outperformed the high school.
If you want to vote for your bestest friend, vote for him but don't try to discredit another by attributing success to " inherited talent". You do an injustice to the south high school coach as well as your "local" (truly local in point pleasant, a little more liberally local for HHS) middle school coaches.

I seriously doubt the person that made the "Inherited talent" comment was that in depth with their thinking. I take it strictly at face value, it was simply a slap in the face to Coach Smith. Honestly it's a slap in the face to imply that to anybody period! These wrestlers and coaches train hard and give it everything they got day in and day out. To say it's inherited is ridiculous!! Everyone has the same 24 hours in their day, if you put in the work then it's going to show! I doubt very much that Shaun Smith or any other coach for that matter sign up for this job just to win a Coach of the Year Award. They do it because they love the sport and more importantly these boys!

I know of a wrestler who went undefeated and won the state title as a sophomore (high school was 10 through 12 then). A new coach "inherited this talent" the following season. The new coach had a different attitude and a different personality. The previous coach was more business like. The new coach loved cracking jokes. The culture of the room changed.

The wrestler ran and lifted in the off season. He never won another title.

Inheriting talent is never a guarantee to anything.

Employees, soldiers, etc sooner or later take on some of their leader's demeanor.

Oh yeah.............this same coach was in place for years. He never produced one state champ...................but he kept telling jokes.

What weight was his championship at?

Bearhugger wrote:I know of a wrestler who went undefeated and won the state title as a sophomore (high school was 10 through 12 then). A new coach "inherited this talent" the following season. The new coach had a different attitude and a different personality. The previous coach was more business like. The new coach loved cracking jokes. The culture of the room changed.

The wrestler ran and lifted in the off season. He never won another title.

Inheriting talent is never a guarantee to anything.

Employees, soldiers, etc sooner or later take on some of their leader's demeanor.

I do not want to cross the line, but it is a true "situation".