Part 2: HOF event celebrates a shared love of wrestling

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series recapping the second annual Nodaway Valley Wrestling Hall of Fame Banquet, held Nov. 22 at Sixteen Oaks in Fontanelle.

The second annual banquet honoring the history of Nodaway Valley wrestling was held Saturday, Nov. 22. This season marks the program’s 73rd.

Inductees were Jon Lambi, Coach Larry Riley, the Benton family and the 1971 Greenfield Tigers.

By many accounts, Hall of Fame board members Tim Baier, Mike Beaman, Steve McClelland, Logan Queck and consultant Brad Honnold raised the bar for what an honors banquet should be, bringing back memories of past teammates, coaches and supporters.

A special Board of Directors Award was presented to Barb Riley for her contributions to the sport.

Two of the program’s three recent scholarship winners — Trent Warner and Eli Harris — attended and spoke. The third, Kasen Hansen, is wrestling for North Iowa Area Community College and was unable to attend.

One of the most moving moments of the evening came when three former wrestlers who lost everything in the Greenfield tornado — including their state medals and podium photos — were presented with replacement medals and photos, underscoring wrestling’s deep community ties long after a final match.

1971 Greenfield Tigers

The 1971 team had a historic season, rewriting the program record books and cementing its status as one of the best teams to come out of southwest Iowa. Led by Coach Larry Riley and team captain Tom Swoyer, the Tigers went 10-0 in duals, including wins over 3A powerhouse West Des Moines Valley and 2A contenders Harlan and Creston.

They also set a program record by going undefeated to win six tournament championships: Greenfield, Creston, Corning, Tall Corn Conference, sectionals and districts.

Riley introduced the team, many of whom returned for the banquet. The word “brotherhood” came up repeatedly.

“The ’71 team grew up together. Tom was the leader of the group and more or less led the group, including me,” Riley said. “They all knew, especially the senior leadership, what they wanted to do and then went out and darn near did it.”

Riley said the team was solid across all weights.

“They drove me crazy,” he said. “They were special in the sense that when practice was over, it wasn’t over. They brought everyone together. We used to practice really hard. Teddy set the pace. When you have Teddy Wallace, who was bound and determined, the rest followed. Those were some good days.”

Six wrestlers qualified for state: Roger Estell, Don Swoyer, Dan Swoyer, Ted Wallace, Tom Swoyer and Brian Tracy, at a time when only eight individuals per weight qualified.

Led by state champions Wallace — who was not scored upon during the state tournament — and Tracey, who beat the defending champion in the finals, along with placewinners Estell and Dan Swoyer, the Tigers finished second to powerhouse Britt, which had moved down to Class 1A from 2A. The runner-up finish remains tied for the program’s highest state team finish. The two state champions match the most in a single season.

More than 40 wrestlers were out for the sport that year, creating competition in the room from 98 pounds to heavyweight. Wrestle-offs were a weekly occurrence, and several backups could have started on many other teams.

Members of the ’71 team accounted for 19 state qualifications, 13 state medals and six state titles over their careers. State qualifiers included Baier, Roger Estell, Ron Lillie, Lyle Schwartz, Dan Smith, Dennis Stowell, Dan Swoyer (2), Don Swoyer (3), Randy Swoyer (3), Tom Swoyer (2), Tracy (2) and Wallace.

Several went on to wrestle in college and pursue successful careers in fields including medicine, dentistry, education and real estate development.

Coach Larry Riley

Mike Beaman introduced Coach Larry Riley and shared a number of Riley’s well-known sayings, including, “You need to improve each day,” “If you fall down, get up and don’t you ever give up,” and “Don’t set your sights too low.”

“He taught me that sometimes you communicate without saying anything,” Beaman said. He recalled walking off the mat after losing in the state semifinals and knowing, without a word spoken, that Riley was just as torn up as he was.

Another Rileyism: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” which Beaman remembered from middle school football coaching.

Beaman listed Riley’s attributes: enthusiastic, organized, prepared, a strong technician and a coach who cared deeply about the program. Riley was a tremendous motivator who pushed athletes beyond what they thought possible.

Riley’s coaching career began in 1965 as an assistant football coach under Hall of Fame coach Lonnie Timmerman. When offered the assistant wrestling coach position, Riley said he didn’t know anything about wrestling. He was told that was fine — he just needed to work hard. The job paid $50, so he took it.

Riley learned quickly under Timmerman and soon began carving out his own Hall of Fame résumé. For more than 50 years, he has been a constant force in supporting the program as a head coach, assistant, junior high coach, volunteer, official and fan.

Riley became head coach for the 1967-68 season. In 10 seasons, he compiled a 76-24-4 dual record, often facing larger schools. His teams beat West Des Moines Valley, Harlan, Creston and Winterset, among others, and won 25 tournament titles, including 10 sectional and district championships.

But the state tournament is where Riley’s teams excelled most. Seven of his teams finished in the top six at state, including 1971 and 1972, which were runners-up. He coached 43 state qualifiers, 24 medalists, 12 finalists and nine state champions.

Riley demanded hard work, respect, discipline, commitment and persistence. He considered himself a teacher first, emphasizing character and integrity. He was widely respected in the wrestling community as a leader who developed students into men. He is a member of both the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Riley often credits his wife, Barb, for her support. The couple regularly attends Nodaway Valley events as well as the Big Ten and NCAA championships. They are parents of three: Allison, Maureen and Frank.

Last year’s inductees were the Swoyer family, Darry Chiles, Rex Hight, Lonnie Timmerman and the undefeated 1964 team.