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Most all of us who work as Sports Officials do so in part because we love the game. And most of us who work as Sports Officials have spent countless hours as Coaches, League or Tournament volunteering, and more. Wrestling Commissioner CW Bailey recently reminisced about some of the memorable students he coached and refereed.
Wrestling Commissioner CW Bailey with The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
The Night the Cape Coast Conference Couldn’t Help Taking Notice.
‘90-‘91 Cocoa High
School Wrestling
Season Opener @
The Defending Cape Coast Conference Champion Satellite Scorpions.
Eight matches in, CHS Trailing 34-12 with only four bouts remaining in a loud, packed hostile gym…
You Wanna Be The Champs, You Gotta Beat The Champs.
Team Rallies round the FOUR HORSEMEN, Informing/Imploring… YOU PIN, WE WIN!
Ed “Doomsday” Johnson, "Doom" was my heavyweight. The crowd always went crazy when he came out and it sounded like they were booing but they were yelling "DOOOOOM!"
171 CHS Nunnally PINS! 34-18
189 CHS Woodberry PINS!! 34-24
220 CHS Getz PINS!!! 34-30
… HWT CHS Johnson PINS!!!!
FINAL SCORE
CHS 36 SHS 34
Lesson Learned-
It Ain’t Over
Till It’s Over!!!!
Even Satellite’s Coach Mentillo was quoted in Florida Today saying it was “A Fantastic Match, Definitely Worth the Price of Admission!”
Video from when CW Bailey was coaching at CHS and those are the FOUR HORSEMEN. The Four Horsemen reunion three years ago:
The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
During my Florida Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Nomination I was asked about…
Over the years, although there have definitely been many, one of my proudest & most memorable officiating experiences didn't occur at a National Championship Tournament. It actually occurred several years ago at Brevard County's Cape Coast Conference Championships. Prior to the Saturday evening finals, fully nineteen of the twenty-eight finalists, covering all 14 bouts, independently & personally sought me out & specifically requested I referee their finals match. In five of the bouts, both competing finalists made the same request. The realization that none made that request with an expectation of favoritism was touching, and enough to make even a crusty old long haired ref a little misty eyed.
The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
CW Bailey refereeing two future All-Americans. Who are those guys?
They went on to be teammates at Penn State with four individual NCAA Division I National Championships between them, along with four Team National Championships.
High Schoolers,
Bo Nickal (TX) vs
Mark Hall (MI)
at the USA Folk style National Championships in Iowa…
CW Bailey - One of those Actual, Real Live, Native "FLOGROWN" Floridian~
~(You Know, One Of Those Mythical Creatures Heard About But Rarely Encounter'd)~
- USAF Veteran
- Worked US Space Shuttle Program Nearly 30 Years, Until It Ended
- Been wrestling/involved in wrestling since the 6th grade, thru high school and three years wrestling in the Air Force.
- ‘80 3rd Air Force & USAFE Champion and as such named an Honorary Olympic Alternate for the ‘80 US Boycotted Moscow Olympics.
- 36 years Officiating Wrestling
- 26 years in MCOA
- 12th year as the Wrestling Commissioner
- Coached wrestling 17 years while stationed in FL, AL, UK & MA including 9 years as the Head Coach @ my Alma Mater, Cocoa High School
- To Date I Have Officiated 125 National Championship Tournaments In Folk, Free & Greco Roman Styles
- Been Nominated For Induction Florida Chapter National Wrestling Hall Of Fame
Wrestling Commissioner CW Bailey with The Four Horsemen of Cocoa High School
MCOA Sports Officials