By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Indiana high school wrestling will have a more-subdued atmosphere now that Mike Goebel has retired as head coach at Evansville Mater Dei. The wrestling legend, who continues as head football coach, won a record 12 state championships - including nine in a row - and tutored individuals who won 22 state titles. He was named National Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003.
Among his greatest wrestlers were four-time state champion Blake Maurer and national champion Matt Coughlin.
Referees will notice an immediate change.
"He's pretty well known as a very fierce, fiery competitor," his former JV coach, Randy Helfrich, told MaxPreps. "I've seen him scold a number of officials over the years. The way he says, `Mr. Referee' - sarcasm drips off. It's pretty funny."
Of course, the Mater Dei wrestlers will see a marked change. Helfrich points out, "Most of the recipients of his wrath will tell you about the bulging vein in his forehead. They don't want to see that."
In 29 years, Goebel coached the Wildcats to an amazing 533-14-2 dual-meet record. One consecutive victory streak reached 135 matches, another 117. His incredible .974 winning percentage is a national record. Helfrich also set a record of his own by coaching the JV team to a mind-boggling 450-0 record in 27 years. The streak ended the year after he retired.
Is Goebel the greatest wrestling coach in Hoosier prep history?
"He would have to be right at the top because he pretty much has surpassed all the accomplishments of those before him," Helfrich said.
Evansville Retiz Memorial wrestling coach Larry Mattingly says, "Any discussion of high school wrestling in Indiana, you'd have to start with him. His record is simply incredible. He works so hard, he has a great feeder system and he has invested a lot of himself in that program. His dual-meet record is gaudy. They didn't run from anybody. To me he's not only competitive, but he's combative - in a good way. And it shows in his kids."
"I was really fortunate to have great assistant coaches," Goebel said humbly of his unprecedented success. "Any honor reflects on the kids I was lucky enough to coach. The mentality of our kids to do their very best - it seems like we do rise to the occasion. When things don't go well, given the opportunity they do bounce back.
"I feel like I've had a bit of fight in me and I tried to instill that in my athletes. I've been amazed and blessed by so many athletes who did have the same fight. Sometimes they stepped outside of themselves."
Evansville has a population of around 120,000, but Mater Dei is one of its smallest schools with 565 students in grades 9-12. However, there is a very strong family influence which binds athletes and coaches together. Last year, for example, all but one of the starting wrestlers was the son of a Mater Dei graduate.
The wrestling feeder system includes up to 250 boys - beginning in kindergarten - participating at eight elementary schools each year. The competition in practice is intense, to say the least. Goebel says that at the varsity level he had many substitutes who could have been No. 1 at other schools.
Goebel also is a proud graduate of Mater Dei. He was a running back and middle linebacker in football, served as defensive captain and led the team in tackles.
His debut as a freshman wrestler was memorable for several reasons.
"My first match was the first I ever witnessed," he pointed out. "I didn't know much and my coach didn't know much. The coach yelled for me to turn the other way, the buzzer went off and the referee's hand went down. That was the only time I ever got pinned in my career."
He was a lanky 6-foot-2 and wrestled at between 138 and 145 pounds during his career. In football he played at 165 pounds.
"It was hard losing weight - not much fun," he admitted. "That practical experience gave me empathy for what my future wrestlers went through later. I don't think there's anything tougher. I have had more who had to gain weight than lose weight."
While in high school, Goebel decided he wanted to become a coach.
"It became a driving force in my life," he noted. "I wanted to be involved. I was a marginal player. Successful coaches sometimes are frustrated athletes."
Even today, at age 55, however, Goebel still second guesses himself for not at least trying a college sport following his graduation from Mater Dei in 1970. Unfortunately he had to work the second shift at a factory to help pay his way through Indiana State University at Evansville. He graduated in three and one-half years, at Christmas of 1973, and began teaching social studies at Christ the King Elementary School in Evansville.
In the fall of 1974 he was hired at Mater Dei as freshman football coach and varsity assistant in wrestling. After three years he went to Newburgh Castle as head wrestling and freshman football coach.
Though he stayed there just one year, he'll never forget going through the blizzard of 1978.
"It wiped out half of our (wrestling) season," he recalled. "They were calling for two inches of snow and we had 10-12-foot drifts. We were at Mount Vernon for the conference meet. All the teams were stranded for two days and we had no school for two weeks."
He returned to Mater Dei in the fall of 1978 as head wrestling coach and assistant in varsity football. He succeeded his high school coach Joe Gossman, who "had a big impact on me. He was a great motivator and a very demanding coach. It was special for me after playing sports there. I just fell in love with the school. I'm a traditionalist. We still have the same style of uniforms that we had in the 1970s and we do the same things. We start practice running 25 laps in the gym and then go to work.
"When I was younger I didn't know if we'd ever have an individual state champion. Now we have state champions coming in to help coach. We won our first state (team) championship in 1986 (dethroning Delta, which had won five straight years, at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis). It was another nine years before we won again."
The Wildcats received a major boost when the governing IHSAA changed the state-tourney to a dual-meet format. They won the last tourney under the old rules, then reeled off eight more in a row under the new rules.
"We've always been a good dual-meet team," Goebel pointed out.
Mater Dei's 2003 state champions were one of the most powerful teams in Hoosier history. Seven of their 14 wrestlers placed either first, second or third in the individual tourney, indicating they also would have won the team title handily if the old format had been in use.
"I don't think it ever had happened in the modern era," Goebel said proudly.
The summer of 2007 was the perfect time for Goebel to give up his wrestling post, because his son, Bo, an All-Stater in football and wrestling, had just graduated. Goebel also has been head football coach since 1997 (104-26 record) and won the Class 2A state title in 2000. Nine of last year's defensive starters also were wrestlers.
"It's a tough double," he readily conceded. "It's never-ending. I always felt I never got closure to either sport. It's a year-round job just doing one sport. I've been so blessed with my assistants."
Surprisingly, Goebel's first love always has been football.
"There's something about Friday night games that's special," is the way he puts it. Still, he will miss wrestling. "We sweat, laugh and cry with them," he described. "It's so much more consuming - like family."
Beyond sports, Goebel is fascinated by politics. The long-time social studies teacher says it was only natural to run for office and in 2004 he was elected to the Vanderburgh County Council.
"It's a new challenge and pretty exciting for me," he related. "I've met a lot of people that I've enjoyed being around."
Larry Mattingly calls Goebel "a pretty unselfish fella. He's very intelligent. That's a heck of a sacrifice, a lot like coaching. You don't get into local government for the money. He gets the big picture."
Asked about hobbies, Goebel quipped, "I try to take a nap once in awhile. I look forward to developing some. I love reading, movies and watching football on TV."
Goebel is a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Evansville. He calls himself "a private person, but I certainly feel I have very good roots as far as my spirituality. I feel blessed every day."
The new Keeper of the Flame is another former Mater Dei star, Greg Schaefer, who won state titles in 1995 and 1998.
"You respected him," Schaefer said of his former coach. "He was very well spoken, very motivated. He was on fire for the sport and everything he was involved in. There were times when fear was involved."
Succeeding a legend "is very humbling," he admitted. "If I looked at all of his records, I'd probably drive myself crazy. My pressure is to get the most out of my young men as possible.
"The community support is awesome. I couldn't ask for a better situation. Families are what's behind the tradition. They want their kids to grow up with the same values and morals that they were taught."
Football Notes
* Southlake Carroll tied Abilene's all-time large-school winning streak in Texas with its 49th consecutive victory, 42-10, over Dallas Lake Highlands. To set a new record, however, the nation's No. 1-ranked team will have to beat No. 2 Miami Northwestern Saturday in a nationally-televised headliner at SMU.
* Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) didn't take kindly to some pre-game taunting by rival West Charlotte because its 109-game winning streak had been severed one week earlier. Independence roared to a 28-0 lead before settling for a 49-32 victory as sophomore quarterback Anthony Carruthers passed for 231 yards and four touchdowns. West Charlotte quarterback Darius Thomas was even better with 512 passing yards and four touchdowns, but he also made four turnovers.
* Matthews Butler now is ranked No. 1 in the Charlotte area and it apparently wants to retain the lofty position. The Bulldogs routed Charlotte Berry, 55-0, as senior quarterback Jacob Charest completed 16-of-24 passes for 281 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns.
* DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) also bounced back in a big way after its 22-game winning streak was snapped by St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio). The Stags routed perennial Baltimore, Md., power Gilman, 42-0, and gave up only 83 total yards. After DeMatha ran up a 35-0 lead, a running clock was used for the remainder of the game. It was the worst loss in the 11 years that Biff Poggi has been Gilman's head coach.
* Batesville South Panola crushed Clarksdale, 42-0, in a clash of Mississippi's No. 1 and 2 teams before a crowd of 8,000. South Panola extended its state-record winning streak to 62 games, which now is the longest in the nation. Senior tailback Darius "Tig" Barksdale led the four-time defending Class 5A state champs by rushing for 203 yards and four touchdowns and passing for a fifth touchdown.
* The Brown brothers put on a show for a national-TV audience as East (Wichita, Kan.) held Dodge City to 64 yards en route to a 21-0 triumph. Arthur, a senior linebacker, was all over the field and was the tackle leader. Bryce, a junior running back, carried 22 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Dodge City had to play without standout quarterback Kale Pick, an Arkansas pledge, who broke his thumb the previous week.
* Kevin Harper kicked an Ohio state-record 61-yard field goal as Mentor blanked Solon, 27-0. He also booted field goals of 44, 29 and 20 yards.In Iowa Muscatine edged Pleasant Valley, 30-27, as junior Edwin Arceo kicked field goals of 52, 34 and 26 yards.
* Turning to Nevada, Las Vegas Clark fans probably still are celebrating after ending a 42-game losing streak with a 28-18 victory over Legacy.In North Carolina, Franklinton snapped a 34-game losing streak with a 32-14 victory over North Raleigh Christian.
* Keokuk (Iowa) quarterback James Vandenberg was about as efficient as any coach could ask for when he completed 19-of-21 passes for 315 yards and six touchdowns during a 63-14 rout of Central Lee.
* In California, Capistrano Valley Christian crushed Liberty Christian, 92-6, but still fell far short of the Orange County scoring record, which is 114 points by Fullerton in 1921 . In Arizona, Goodyear Millennium defeated Phoenix Shadow Mountain, 26-20, even though it had more penalties (20 for 181 yards) than it gained passing or running.
* Prairie Ridge (Crystal Lake, Ill.) has the unusual distinction of two grandfathers serving as assistant coaches for grandsons. Bill Mack, age 70, and Bob Bradshaw, 68, both also are members of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Bill Mack, the offensive coordinator, works with Bryan Bradshaw, a junior quarterback, while Bob Bradshaw, the secondary coach, works with Will Mack, a junior free safety.
Football Recruiting
* Senior cornerback Johnny Adams has made a commitment to Michigan State. The 5-11, 160-pounder had six interceptions as a junior and caught 14 touchdown passes for Buchtel (Akron, Ohio).
* Syracuse has received a commitment from Nick Lepak, a 6-5, 317-pound offensive tackle from Auburn, N.Y. He has picked up some quickness this year by cutting 35 pounds.Lee (Tyler, Texas) defensive tackle Ralston Dews (6-0, 343) says he will attend Southern Methodist.
Basketball Notes
* Legendary Howard Garfinkel has ended his association with the Five Star Basketball Camp. The camp now is owned by his former partner, Will Klein, and Will's son, Leigh. "I don't know what I'm going to do," the 78-year-old Garfinkel told MaxPreps. "I'm a free agent. Have you got a job?" He said his health is "fair" and he could do some writing, perhaps even an autobiography.
Garfinkel's longtime friend, Tom Konchalski, noted, "The character of the camp WAS Howie Garfinkel. He was what made it unique. The camp certainly will miss the face and voice of Five Star. It has been the premier teaching camp in the country and has meant a lot in development of the game - not only players but also coaches."
Kevin Boyle, who turns out top-10 teams every year at St. Patrick's (Elizabeth, N.J.), calls Garfinkel "an innovator in the camp business. He got college guys involved, too. It was a great place for young coaches to try to become college assistants. As a camper, I can remember Benny Goodman at six in the morning. When you're 15, you wake up in a heart beat."
Danny Hurley, now a very successful coach at St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.), also has known "Garf" as a camper and coach. "He has this aura about him," Hurley said. "I`ll probably see him at five or six high school games this year. I still get a little nervous when I see him."
* Division I college coaches are scrambling for maps to find out where in the world Killdeer, N.D., is located. Killdeer High School, you see, has a 6-8 "sleeper" named Austin Dufault. A pickup game this summer in the town of 700 drew coaches from Arizona State, Washington State and Montana State.
Basketball Recruiting
* The University of Kentucky has received a commitment from Darius Miller, a leading candidate for the state's Mr. Basketball award this year. The 6-6, 215-pound Maysville Mason County standout averaged 19 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a junior. He also had 73 steals and 64 blocks.
* Boston College is finding Colorado a fertile recruiting ground. BC has received recent commitments from 6-5 Dallas Elmore of Fort Collins Poudre and 6-3 Reggie Jackson of Colorado Springs Palmer. Jackson averaged 22.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals as a junior, while Elmore averaged 23.5 points.
* Anthony Jones, a 6-9, 185-pound senior at Yates (Houston, Texas), has made a commitment to Baylor. He also considered Texas A&M and Texas.
Gymnastics Notes
* You can call the USA women's gymnastics team youthful, but you better first call the members World Champions. They won the gold medal on the last event - floor exercise - to nip defending champion China, 184.400-183.450, at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. It marked only the second title ever for the USA women and the first on foreign soil.
The Americans also captured the coveted all-around title in the person of 4-foot-8 marvel Shawn Johnson, a 15-year-old sophomore at Valley Southwoods (West Des Moines, Iowa). Johnson scored 61.875 points to become only the fourth American woman to win a world all-around crown.
Cross Country Notes
* Ben Johnson won the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., in 15:22 - 25 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. One of the favorites to win the Foot Locker Nationals this year, Johnson also led his Albuquerque Academy team to the title with 50 points. In the girls division Albuquerque Eldorado won with 38 points, paced by standout individual champion Rachel Velarde, who won in 18:21 - 49 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
* Fishers, ranked No. 1 in Indiana, won the boys division of the Midwest Meet of Champions in Hilliard, Ohio, with 67 points. The individual title went to Brian Himelright of Woodridge (Peninsula, Ohio), who won in 15:35.22. Magnificat (Rocky River,Ohio) won the girls title with 83 points. Emily Pritt of Jackson (Massillon, Ohio) captured the girls title in a time of 18:19.12.
Volleyball Notes
* The nation's No. 1-ranked team, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) was upset by city foe Mercy, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 27-25. Assumption had won the last three state titles and 70 consecutive matches against Kentucky teams. Alli O'Connor led Mercy with 17 kills.
* Two of Arizona's premier teams tangled in the finals of the 16th annual Tournament of Champions at Mesa Westwood. Phoenix Desert Vista, 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, defeated Class 4A No. 1 Scottsdale Chaparral, 19-25, 25-17, 16-14, for the title.
Potpourri
* Holy Cross (Louisville, Ky.) senior Lindsey Goad scored a career-high 10 goals during an 11-1 soccer victory over Louisville Southern. She holds school career records with 112 goals and 57 assists. The state - and national - record for one game is 18 goals by Jennifer Brelage of Bardstown in 2002.
* Morgan Hoffmann won the Junior Players Golf Championship with a 54-hole total of 209 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. He went 29 holes without a bogey, finishing with one eagle, 11 birdies, 38 pars, three bogeys and one triple bogey. Hoffmann, an Oklahoma State commitment who has moved to No. 2 in the Polo Golf Rankings, is a senior at Heritage Academy and also attends the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, S.C.
