SCMAT Exclusive Wrestling Article 8-28-21
For everything there is a season ...
... and a time for every matter ... (Ecc. 3)
Mark Nathan "Nate" Day
Among U.S. adults, 70's and 80's music were the best decades for music with 21% and 22% of the vote respectively.
So, I queued up the 1985 soundtrack from the movie Vision Quest and let the decade of 80's music roll.
Then, I reflected on where the friendship all began ... with the 1981 S.C. 4A State Wrestling Tournament.
1981 4A State Individuals - brackets/program
When the highest you finish at a State Tournament is 4th, and in your senior year, you might think the desire wains to stay in wrestling.
At least two senior wrestlers from that 1981 State Tournament experienced the crossroads of being only 4th best - Mark Nathan "Nate" Day (138 lbs.) and Mark Warren Ernst Buford (126 lbs.)
SCMAT shares a Tribute today, a celebration of life, for a truly great friend of 40 years, Coach Nathan Day.
In 2021, Coach Day and I had plenty of the normal communications - with phone calls, emails and catching up at the State Tournament. Coach Day wanted to cover strategy prior to State Duals or talk about his Liberty wrestlers or tell me more about Coach Tom Borrelli and his memories of his former high school coach or chuckle about his 1981 Semi-Finals loss at State to Coach Chris Brock (Fort Mill) after SCMAT finally obtained a copy of the 1981 brackets this past year.
All those conversations have rumbled through my head the last two days ... his inspiration and enthusiasm for wrestling will always be with each of us.
When Nathan Day wrestled at Goose Creek H.S., his first wrestling coach was Coach Jim Bonneville. Coach Bonneville would make the move to Spring Valley H.S. And, a young wrestling coach recently graduated from The Citadel and Goose Creek alumnus, Tom Borrelli, would coach Nathan Day to wrap up Day's high school wrestling career. As most know, Coach Tom Borrelli has built a dynasty in the last 30+ years as the Central Michigan University wrestling coach. Borrelli is the second-winningest active Division I wrestling coach behind John Smith at Oklahoma State.
Day wrestled for two years in junior college before returning home to graduate from Baptist College.
Day had the opportunity to gain wrestling coaching experience for two years at Summerville H.S. under coach Steve LaPrad. Day credited LaPrad for taking the time to show him how to run a wrestling program.
Coach Day would share, "I really think working for Steve [LaPrad] those two years while I finished college were better for me than wrestling two more years. I learned a lot more from Steve than I could have wrestling. He taught me all about organization and administration, and that's the thing that really helped me when I got the job at Battery Creek."
Day would start his wrestling coaching career with the 1986-1987 season at Battery Creek. After the 1998 season, Day would step back to focus on family and be an assistant wrestling coach. With the 2011-2012 season, Day would return as head wrestling coach at Battery Creek before taking over the Liberty H.S. wrestling program in the 2017-2018 season.
Coach Day's resume of wrestling success is remarkable, especially considering he paused in the middle of his head coaching career and focused on family for a dozen years.
Day compiled a career record of 475-122-2, winning six Team State Championships and coaching 34 Individual State Champions. Several of his former wrestlers, such as Anthony Brooker and DeAndre' Johnson, would go on to great wrestling achievements at the next levels.
Coach Day was always one of the most innovative wrestling coaches during State Duals with his lineup shifts and crafty coaching savvy. He strategized every possible match-up and developed a wrestling following of athletes and fans that intimidated teams with a relentless determination to win. As James Island coach Martin Williams would once say during their heated rivalries, "Nathan Day has an army down there!"
One of my favorite descriptions of Coach Day came from the 1996 article in the Post and Courier after Battery Creek won a 3rd straight team title - Battery Creek coach Nathan Day's formula is a simple one - everybody do their job. "Before the match I got everyone together and told them that every year in this match, certain people on the team have certain jobs to do for the team to win," Day said. "Everybody did their jobs well tonight."
In 2010, Coach Day was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame through the S.C. Chapter, with the "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Award
2010 NWHOF Banquet with photos
Here are the six Team State Championships for Coach Nathan Day, with team photos:
2015 State Champions - Battery Creek
2014 State Champions - Battery Creek
1996 State Champions - Battery Creek
1995 State Champions - Battery Creek
1994 State Champions - Battery Creek
1991 State Champions - Battery Creek
Here are the 34 Individual State Champions for Coach Nathan Day:
Team Year Wrestler Wt. Tournament Coach ------------------------ ---- -------------------- --- ----------- ----------------- Liberty 2021 Blake Chandler 113 2A-1A Nathan Day Liberty 2021 Trent Burdette 120 2A-1A Nathan Day Liberty 2018 Jacob Rogers 132 2A-1A Nathan Day Liberty 2018 Cole Murphy 152 2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2017 Omar Daniels 138 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2017 Turhon White 170 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2017 Khalil Chisolm 195 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2017 Cooper Kaminsky 220 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2016 Omar Daniels 126 2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2016 Cooper Kaminsky 195 2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2015 Joseph Sanchez 106 2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 2013 Isaiah Sloan 195 2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1998 David Lance 112 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1998 Eric Skipper 160 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1997 Kenton Richardson 119 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1997 Chuck Bourke 130 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1997 Thomas Anderson 145 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1996 Shaun Richardson 103 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1996 Kenton Richardson 112 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1996 Anthony Brooker 119 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1996 Thomas Anderson 140 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1996 Andrew Andrews 152 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1995 William Spann 125 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1995 David Smith 171 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1994 Shane Knapp 130 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1994 David Smith 152 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1994 Felix Richardson 275 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1993 Jeff Eugene 119 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1993 Felix Richardson 189 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1992 Felix Richardson 189 3A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1991 John Medeiros 130 3A-2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1991 Mark Mohr 135 3A-2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1991 Max Palmer 140 3A-2A-1A Nathan Day Battery Creek 1991 Tyrone Melancon UNL 3A-2A-1A Nathan Day
South Carolina wrestling will truly miss one of our all time greats, Coach Nathan Day. We all have heard there is "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." Like you, I feel all of these emotions this weekend as I reflect on the loss in our community and yet celebrate every great memory I have of Nate. Shalom, unto you peace. August 30, 1963 - August 27, 2021 ... the little line, the dash between two dates, is the life and story we have to share with the world that covers every season, "Live Your Dash".
These historical articles at SCMAT will hopefully provide accurate facts though we may always have missed some data at some point. If you notice a correction, addition or just want to comment please send a reply to scmat@hotmail.com
thanks,
Mark Buford
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