“Tom Knotts was the first person to put a big emphasis on weight training around here,″ Wertz said. “At one time, Tommy could never beat Richmond. In 1997, Independence went to Richmond and lost a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. Well, Tommy and (then-Richmond coach) Daryl Barnes were good friends, and Daryl had really adopted the weight-training stuff there. The next summer Tommy went to Richmond and spent time with Daryl, and he adopted the same system.
“That's when Independence got on its roll, and everyone here started chasing Tommy — and sort of followed his blueprint for success.″