Joe Henson
Accomplishments: Before Gary Mayfield, there was Joe Henson in the list of storied wrestlers in Hanover history. Henson was the staple in the Nighthawks carving out a run of seven straight District 3-AA team titles. He also made his mark as an individual, posting district championship marches in 1996 and 1997 at 140 and ran through his state bracket to bring two more gold medals back to Hanover and finish his career with a 135-13 mark.
Did you know: Henson was a three-sport athlete. He excelled on the gridiron, playing quarterback and leading the Nighthawks to a pair of York-Adams Division II titles. He also played baseball. Henson's brother, Josh, also was a three-sport athlete. Josh Henson had two more mat wins than Joe but was slightly behind in winning percentage. Josh Henson captured the 160-pound state title in 1997.
Why here: There are fans that won't give respect to the Class AA guys on this list, but each of them, including Joe Henson, were hammers. He showed little emotion and was very businesslike at carrying out his task. He was a tactician and used his expertise to rack up a hefty record in a time when teams didn't stock up on dual-meet tournaments. Henson also excelled on high school wrestling's biggest stage. You can win one state title by catching a good draw or by competing in a safe weight class, but standing at the top of the podium twice is a different animal. Henson was the real deal, and he is worthy of being with District 3's elite.
What they said: “He was very smart, smarter than the average wrestler. He never made mistakes on the mat. There was nothing fancy. He was very basic and a hard worker. You couldn't tell if he was in the match, out of the match, pinned you or got beat. He was old school, a very simple hard worker.” — Former Hanover head wrestling coach Terry Conover.