10/29/2025
Stucker Stories
Written by Hall of Fame Coach Mike Henry
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AND THEN MY MATH TEACHER ASKED, " WHEN IS A HALF OF A POINT WORTH MORE THAN JUST A HALF OF A POINT ? "
Somewhere in your past, a math teacher taught you about fractions, which begs the question, " What is one half ? "
It's actually pretty simple, it is 50% of the object that is in question.
But when is a half worth more than just 50% ? And no, this is not a trick question.
It is a part of history which took place on Saturday February 27, 1988.
It's 2025 and, by now, everyone has heard the stories of how Shawnee won the 1988 State Championship by a scant half point. But one question still lingers after 37 years, whose individual win provided that final margin of victory for SHS ?
In this episode, the Stucker Stories presents the candidates and our readers can make their choices in the comments section. Keep in mind that back then, the state tourney was a three-day event.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25
* Richard Wilsie - That year's tournament opened with a bang on the first night as unheralded 141 pounder Richard Wilsie wasted no time in becoming the headliner of the opening round taking on defending state champion Kurt Stephens of Sallisaw. After scoring an early takedown, the Black Diamond standout chose down to start the second period leading 2-0 before making a calamitous error.
As he attempted to escape using a stand-up, Stephens kept his head near a knee providing the opening for the Wolves' honor student. Wilsie shifted his hips locking up the champ in his favorite maneuver, known as the 'Straddle Cradle', for a fall and bonus points (4) at 52 seconds into the second period as fans inside the historic arena erupted.
" I thought that I had the fall when I got his feet elevated," said the victorious junior.
It was a major upset and Wilsie's only victory of the tournament but one year later, he returned to the scene of his huge victory and won the state title !
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26
The Wolves entered day two in third place with 22 1/2 points trailing Tulsa Webster (24) and Bixby (23½). They had seven semifinalists.
* Dusty Mauldin - One week earlier, freshman 101 pounder Dusty Mauldin lost a close 4-3 decision to Carl Albert's sophomore standout Danny Breeden at the regional finals. The two met again in the state semi-finals and the score was once again 4-3 but this time the SHS competitor was the winner and advanced to the finals. With that win, Dusty became the first Shawnee freshman to place at a high school state tournament and earned 12 team points for the victory.
* Joe Smith - At 136, senior Joe Smith scored an important win in a head-to-head matchup with Webster's Shawn Jones, the son of the head coach. He decisioned his Warrior opponent, 5-2, and followed Mauldin into the finals with another 12 team points.
* Darrien Gordon - Darrien Gordon's win at 157 over James Ely of Sallisaw was by technical fall which meant one bonus team point for the Wolves in addition to the 12 for advancement. Juan York (123) and Jeff Chamblin (168) rounded out the team's finalists with 12 points each.
* Larry James - In the Consolation Quarters, Shawnee won one of their two matches as 148 pounder Larry James, a senior, defeated Claremore's Shane Ray, 6-4. It was his last win in a Shawnee uniform as he was eliminated in the next round but his final victory was worth an important 1 team point !
SATURDAY NIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS - FEBRUARY 27
As the dawn broke over the OSU campus on Saturday and the competition's final day was just hours away, Shawnee led Bixby 85 ½ - 76 with Webster trailing in third at 65 points.
* Brett Wood - In the consolation rounds on Saturday, Shawnee claimed two placers and both proved their value. Brett Wood (115) defeated rugged Nate Carter of OKC Southeast, 6-3, to advance to the consolation finals where he placed fourth and picked up 4 team points. "Woody" had been inserted into the lineup the previous week as a late replacement.
* Jason Palmer - Meanwhile, in his consolation finals match, heavyweight Jason Palmer was locked in a 2-2 battle with Tulsa Edison's Barnell Lacy before taking the Eagles' standout to his back for a fall and a third place finish that included 2 valuable bonus points. The wins by Wood and Palmer would prove to be critical as the evening wore on.
As the finals began, Shawnee led Webster 102 ½-102. The Tulsans won titles at 101 and 108 to move into a 110-102½ lead.
* Juan Q. York - At 123, Juan York squared off against an old nemesis, Carl Belford of Western Heights. Trailing 6-5 with time running out in the third period, York, a state runnerup in '86, took Belford down at the edge of the mat for a 7-6 win and an individual state title. Webster's lead in the team race dropped to 110-106 ½.
Belford had beaten Juan 6-3 at Jr. High State in '85 before being defeated by the Wolves' senior in the 1987 Regional Consolation Finals, 5-4.
Belford remains Oklahoma's leader in career victories with more than 1000 wins (including freestyle and Greco). However, two years earlier, he was stung by another Shawnee lightweight as Brett Wood defeated him in the finals at the Edmond Tournament.
* Jeff Chamblin - Shawnee's last opportunity to score points came down to 168 pound team captain Jeff Chamblin who faced off with the eastern regional champ Curt Hodges of Pryor. While the match was important, the outcome was never in doubt as the sturdy senior lead the bout from start to finish en route to an 8-5 win. Ironically, years later, the two competitors would become the head coaches of their former high school teams.
That final match pushed the Wolves across the finish line and a 110 ½-110 point victory.
Feel free to offer any comments. By the way, in 1972, three years before Shawnee had a high school wrestling team, Oklahoma City Southeast edged Blackwell, Mark Leen's alma mater, for the Class 3A state title by...wait for it...½ of a point.
Below: 48 hours after winning their second title in three years, the team posed for their State Championship photo at Shawnee Lake. Just Win, Baby !
88 state champions
