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SATURDAY January 24, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 22, 2003 It shouldn't have died I remember my wrestling career at Ashland High School. It was a launching pad for me. I know for a fact that I am the person I am because of my years of experience devoted to the sport. After graduating from Ashland High School in 1979, I started my college career. When I was in high school there were many Southern Oregon wrestlers that took me under their wing so I could develop. In turn it's only natural to give back... There was a young man by the name of Tony Champion; I took him under my wing. That's easy with anyone who desires to succeed, and because he was from Ashland that made it even better. But after football season at Ashland, the new football coach/athletic director told Tony basically, we don't wrestle here, we want you to lift weights for football. The wrestling room was dismantled and turned into a weight room. The wrestling program was sent upstairs to a little piece of the balcony. That in my opinion was the beginning of the end. Tony said goodbye, his parents picked up and moved to Eagle Point. Tony became a two-time triple crown winner for the Eagles and a two-time national champion for Portland State. I don't know Mr. Nagle. I know he built a powerful football team and is a good football coach. But as an athletic director it was obvious where his interests were. That was a difficult thing for me to understand up here in West Linn. Whenever I asked about my alma mater, it was not good. The program was falling apart. As a matter of fact this letter is several years late. My athletic director throughout those years was a man by the name of Pete Russo. Mr. Russo is recognized as the best A.D. in the northwest. All of the sports at West Linn were successful. There was no favoritism, or bias toward any one sport. All the coaches at West Linn were supported. All the sports flourished. Wait! I have an honest question. Isn't it the job of the athletic director to have successful sports programs all around? Seeing Ashland's wrestling die is not because of culture, the times or the other winter sports offered. It's because it wasn't a priority. I remember right before Mr. Nagle came to be. I was once approached about coaching in Ashland, except there was no teaching position offered. Why leave West Linn? You see the point is if you want a successful program, coaches need to be in the building and allowed to build a program. Instead Ashland just filled the position from outside. The beginning of the end. Was it important? Is it important? I say YES! Wrestling teaches young men discipline, work ethic, overcoming adversity, courage, perseverance, things that most of us would agree is lacking in our culture today. - Doug Samarron Ashland graduate 1979 2X district champion, state place winner. Southern Oregon State 2X All American Wrestling coach/teacher West Linn High School DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams