Joe Nelson: Basketball's loss was wrestling's gain
Thank goodness for split seasons in modified sports.
Oxford sophomore Joe Nelson played basketball all the way through elementary school and into the seventh grade. Nelson, a talented athlete in every sport that uses a ball, compensated for his lack of size with natural instincts and talent. Once Nelson reached middle-school age, Oxford wrestling coach Craig Tefft, and the rest of the coaching staff, presented him with an opportunity.
“He was a very good athlete, and the way modified sports basically works, wrestling season does not start until after basketball season,” Tefft said. “It is nice (the way the schedule is set up) because we get some kids to come out for wrestling who had nothing else to do. I had him in modified football, and I talked to him about wrestling and being able to compete against people his own size. He decided to come out for the sport after basketball, and he was just a natural with his ability and reactions. I think he really enjoyed the one-on-one competition.”
Too small for even the lightest weight classes on the junior varsity and varsity teams, Nelson toiled on the Oxford modified wrestling team for two years. Tefft remembers watching Nelson from his earliest days of practice, and how quickly his budding mat star picked up new techniques. “He definitely stood out,” Tefft said. “In certain situations, he was doing things that some of the varsity guys were not doing. It just came natural to him.”
Nelson grew into a varsity-sized wrestler last year, and in his first-ever varsity wrestling matches, he produced a stunning performance winning the 96-pound title in the Oxford-hosted Clyde Cole Tournament.
Nelson went on to finish with a 32-5 record and a runner-up finish in the Section IV Division II Tournament. He was also just one criteria point away from earning a wild-card berth in the New York State Wrestling Tournament.
Wrestling didn’t end for Nelson at the conclusion of the 2011 winter season. He has continued to wrestle almost non-stop, and the pay-off is in his vast improvement over last year.
Nelson is dominating the 99-pound competition this year, and has even stepped up a weight class to find the best competition. He is 22-1 on the season a 54-6 for his career. He has three tournament titles under his belt thus far, and his championship last weekend at Minisink Valley has garnered him our honor as Smith Ford Supercenter/Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.
Nelson plowed his way into the Gene Bingham Invitational finals (at Minisink Valley) with a pair of pins where he earned a berth against Section IX’s number one ranked 99-pounder, Gerard Daly of Minisink Valley. Nelson won the match on his feet and on the mat with a decisive 9-1 victory. “We knew coming in that Daly was Section IX’s top guy,” Tefft said. “Kevin Gallagher (former Oxford coach and current Mininsink Valley head coach) told me that Daly was legit. (Daly) had nearly 30 wins and was sixth at the Eastern States Classic. The final score looks like a blowout, but the kid was tough.”
Nelson was just a little bit tougher, and his improvement this season is overtly clear for all to see. Among his five losses last year, three were to eventual state champion Luke Malmberg of Marathon. Another one of those setbacks came to Baldwinsville’s Kevin Paul. Paul routed Nelson 10-0 a season ago in the finals of the Cazenovia Tournament. Less than two weeks ago, Nelson ran into Paul again in the Cazenovia semifinals, and avenged that loss – at 106 pounds no less – winning 7-4. Nelson would suffer his first loss in the finals, a 5-2 decision to 2011 state place finisher Cody Carbery, but he gained valuable experience.
“We want to find the competition that will make us better, and seek out those types of matches,” Tefft said of Nelson’s approach this year. “We want those matches where you put your unblemished record on the line. Joe is excited and looking for those challenges. That’s what champions do; they don’t look for the easy path.”
Nelson is already well down the path toward his goals of becoming a sectional champion, and perhaps, a state champion. It’s now safe to say that Nelson made the right choice in changing sports.
Basketball’s loss was wrestling’s gain.
Oxford sophomore Joe Nelson played basketball all the way through elementary school and into the seventh grade. Nelson, a talented athlete in every sport that uses a ball, compensated for his lack of size with natural instincts and talent. Once Nelson reached middle-school age, Oxford wrestling coach Craig Tefft, and the rest of the coaching staff, presented him with an opportunity.
“He was a very good athlete, and the way modified sports basically works, wrestling season does not start until after basketball season,” Tefft said. “It is nice (the way the schedule is set up) because we get some kids to come out for wrestling who had nothing else to do. I had him in modified football, and I talked to him about wrestling and being able to compete against people his own size. He decided to come out for the sport after basketball, and he was just a natural with his ability and reactions. I think he really enjoyed the one-on-one competition.”
Too small for even the lightest weight classes on the junior varsity and varsity teams, Nelson toiled on the Oxford modified wrestling team for two years. Tefft remembers watching Nelson from his earliest days of practice, and how quickly his budding mat star picked up new techniques. “He definitely stood out,” Tefft said. “In certain situations, he was doing things that some of the varsity guys were not doing. It just came natural to him.”
Nelson grew into a varsity-sized wrestler last year, and in his first-ever varsity wrestling matches, he produced a stunning performance winning the 96-pound title in the Oxford-hosted Clyde Cole Tournament.
Nelson went on to finish with a 32-5 record and a runner-up finish in the Section IV Division II Tournament. He was also just one criteria point away from earning a wild-card berth in the New York State Wrestling Tournament.
Wrestling didn’t end for Nelson at the conclusion of the 2011 winter season. He has continued to wrestle almost non-stop, and the pay-off is in his vast improvement over last year.
Nelson is dominating the 99-pound competition this year, and has even stepped up a weight class to find the best competition. He is 22-1 on the season a 54-6 for his career. He has three tournament titles under his belt thus far, and his championship last weekend at Minisink Valley has garnered him our honor as Smith Ford Supercenter/Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.
Nelson plowed his way into the Gene Bingham Invitational finals (at Minisink Valley) with a pair of pins where he earned a berth against Section IX’s number one ranked 99-pounder, Gerard Daly of Minisink Valley. Nelson won the match on his feet and on the mat with a decisive 9-1 victory. “We knew coming in that Daly was Section IX’s top guy,” Tefft said. “Kevin Gallagher (former Oxford coach and current Mininsink Valley head coach) told me that Daly was legit. (Daly) had nearly 30 wins and was sixth at the Eastern States Classic. The final score looks like a blowout, but the kid was tough.”
Nelson was just a little bit tougher, and his improvement this season is overtly clear for all to see. Among his five losses last year, three were to eventual state champion Luke Malmberg of Marathon. Another one of those setbacks came to Baldwinsville’s Kevin Paul. Paul routed Nelson 10-0 a season ago in the finals of the Cazenovia Tournament. Less than two weeks ago, Nelson ran into Paul again in the Cazenovia semifinals, and avenged that loss – at 106 pounds no less – winning 7-4. Nelson would suffer his first loss in the finals, a 5-2 decision to 2011 state place finisher Cody Carbery, but he gained valuable experience.
“We want to find the competition that will make us better, and seek out those types of matches,” Tefft said of Nelson’s approach this year. “We want those matches where you put your unblemished record on the line. Joe is excited and looking for those challenges. That’s what champions do; they don’t look for the easy path.”
Nelson is already well down the path toward his goals of becoming a sectional champion, and perhaps, a state champion. It’s now safe to say that Nelson made the right choice in changing sports.
Basketball’s loss was wrestling’s gain.
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