WEST VIRGINIA MAT THOUGHTS

2010 MR. MAT -- JEFF CARROLL

Coach Jeff Carroll began his wrestling career at Avella High School (Avella, Pennsylvania), where he was an outstanding mat competitor. After graduating from high school in 1973, he decided to matriculate at West Liberty State College (now West Liberty University). As a "Hilltopper" wrestler, Jeff Carroll was under the tutelage of ultra-successful WLSC Coach Vince Monseau. Carroll had an outstanding stint as a wrestler at WLSC. In fact, Jeff Carroll earned runner-up status at the NAIA national wrestling tournament at Washington State College (Washington) at the 142-pound weight class his senior year in 1977. Jeff Carroll began his teaching and coaching career under another outstanding mat mentor, Coach John Stephenson at Cadiz High School in 1977. In 1980, Jeff Carroll began his head coaching tenure with the Cambridge High School "Bobcat" wrestling program and never looked back. In 1981, Coach Carroll produced his first OVAC champion in Brian Duff. He also had two place winners: Allen Stocker 5th and Jamie Price 6th. The 1982 season was another banner for Coach Carroll's "Bobcats." They won the OVAC AAAA Dual Meet Title. Placing third over-all in the Ron Mauck OVAC Wrestling Tournament, they were the AAAA Team Champs in the prestigious competition.

The 1984 mat campaign was another exciting year for Coach Carroll. At the Ron Mauck OVAC Wrestling Tournament, Coach Carroll produced a rare "Hat Trick" by producing three OVAC champions in a row - Dennis Daugherty (119), Heath Beardmore (126), and Tim Pontius (132), with Jeff Booth receiving runner-up laurels.

To make the season even more rewarding, Heath Beardmore was named the tournament's Dave Bierkortte Award winner as the most outstanding wrestler. Furthermore, the "Bobcats" had three District champions in Dennis Daugherty, Heath Beardmore, and Jeff Booth.

His final season (1988) as Cambridge High School's mat mentor was a "happy ever after" storybook ending for Jeff Carroll. His "Bobcat" squad went undefeated in dual meet competition with a record of 16-0. His heavyweight Tom "Tank" Moore won the Ron Mauck OVAC championship, along with Mark Bartlett placing 3rd. Tom Moore went on to place 3rd at the Ohio State Championships, finishing his senior year with a record of 36-1.

It seems that Jeff Carroll had the "magic touch" no matter what sport he coached. In 1989, Coach Carroll took over the reigns of the school's golf team, and 1994 the "Bobcats" were the Ohio State Links Champion. In fact, Jeff's golf team is the only Cambridge High School squad to ever win a state championship. Coach Carroll ended his golf coaching career with an amazing meet record of 111-1.

Jeff Carroll is now a guidance counselor at Cambridge Middle School. He and his devoted wife Leslie have two children - Jeff, who is a pre-law student at OSU and Madison, who attends Cambridge High School.

Congratulations to Coach Jeff Carroll, the 2010 OVAC Mr. Mat Award recipient.

Mat Message
"Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability."
-- Roy L. Smith