Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Maryville (Tennessee)

Of all of my Gone, Lost & Forgotten stories, this is one the most interesting.  What I have been able to gather of Maryville Wrestling is that the program started sometime in the early 1950's & was then discontinued after the 1979-1980 season.   What makes it most interesting, is that after they dropped the program one of their wrestlers who was going to be a senior that season, petitioned to be able to represent the University for the 1980-1981 season.  The school allowed him to do so.   Below is his story. 

Ed Davalos 

Davalos wrestled for the Scots as a freshman and sophomore in 1977 & 1978. In 1979, he decided to try something new and transferred to Carson-Newman.

Missing friends, his professors and life in Maryville, he transferred back to Maryville College in 1980 as a senior.

Only tragedy would strike. A short time after starting classes at Maryville it was announced due to the pressure of Title IX, the school would be dropping wrestling.

He had no team, no coach and no place to practice.

He petitioned to the school administrators to allow him to represent Maryville College. They agreed.

The coaching staff at Carson-Newman invited him over to Bristol to train with them and their wrestlers.

As the last wrestler who would ever wear the Orange and Garnett MC singlet of Maryville College, without a coach in his corner, Davalos won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title and qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament.

At the tournament he drew #1 Seed Tom Elcott of Allegheny. In the third period he threw Elcott to his back and almost pinned him. He lost 12-10. Elcott went on to win the NCAA title.