Tennessee High wins Ed Cressel Classic

[tmarshall7]

As THS wins Cressel Classic, East's Hicks gets some redemption

 

Allen Gregory | Bristol Herald Courier | Updated 8 hours ago

 

BRISTOL, Va. – Sullivan East senior wrestler Luke Hicks took time for a quick celebration Saturday after winning in the finals of the Ed Cressel Classic.

 

 

Considering his early season gauntlet, Hicks deserved a party.

 

“I actually cut about 15 pounds in two weeks so I could wrestle in the 145-pound weight class,†Hicks said.

 

In addition to intensive training and steam room sessions, the Hicks method to weight loss featured a diet of egg whites, broccoli, water and tuna.

 

“Yes, I ate a lot of tuna from packages,†Hicks said. “It was a tough experience that I don’t want to go through again, but I definitely feel that I have a better shot wrestling at 145 than I did in the 152-pound class.â€

 

Hicks, who made his 145-pound tournament debut last weekend, posted a 6-3 decision over Tennessee High’s Harold Johnson in Saturday’s finals. Hicks fended off repeated takedown attempts in the final period.

 

After losing to Ty Boyd (Rural Retreat) and Corbin Hurley of THS in the finals of the Cressel Classic the past two years, Hicks felt a sense of redemption Saturday.

 

“It’s great to finally be at the top here,†he said.

 

The heroics of Hicks were not enough to keep Tennessee High from the team title. The Vikings won six weight classes en route to a total of 298 points. Sullivan East (183.5 points), Galax (181.5) and Virginia High (175) were next in line.

 

As usual, junior Trent Nelson ignited THS by grabbing the 106-pound crown and improving his record to 28-1.

 

Surviving an early takedown from Elijah Hicks of Sullivan East, Nelson went to work with a reversal before recording a pin at the 45-second mark.

 

“I always try for a pin to set the tone for the guys ahead of me,†Nelson said. “That [takedown] made me a little mad and helped with my motivation.â€

 

Nelson is a two-time regional champion who has over 100 career wins and is currently ranked second in the state. His story of sacrifice and success is illustrative of the THS program.

 

“I’ve been wrestling for a long time, and the experience helps,†Nelson said.

 

Nelson learned the basics of wrestling with the Viking Wrestling Club which later morphed into the Bristol Wrestling Club.

 

“Our program is really strong and we push each other every day in practice,†Nelson said.

 

Tennessee High freshman Dillon Pendley recorded a 6-4 win at 113 pounds, and then the spotlight turned to the 132-pound Battle of Bristol clash between Tennessee High senior Corbin Hurley and junior Roger Miller of Virginia High.

 

Miller paced up and down the adjoining mats with a mask of intensity and displayed all sorts of quickness, but Hurley relied on his flawless technique and conditioning to record a 6-1 decision.

 

“It’s always nice to wrestle skilled guys and Roger is one of the toughest guys I’ve faced this season,†Hurley said.

 

With his flexibility and strength, Hurley countered every move from Miller and finished strong.

 

“Our team approach is to wrestle hard for all six minutes,†Hurley said. “By the third period, we feel that we’re in better condition and that’s usually where we win our matches.â€

 

Hurley has a 30-1 record, including a 6-2 decision over Miller last week at THS. After compiling 135 career wins and grabbing a second-place finish in the state tournament last year, Hurley hopes to become the first four-time regional champion in school history this season.

 

“I’ve been wrestling since the third grade and a lot of guys on our team started around the same time,†he said. “We learn the fundamentals early and go from there.â€

 

Miller briefly trained with the Bristol Wrestling Club after moving with his family from the Chicago area in the fifth grade.

 

“It was a tough adjustment to a new area, but wrestling has really helped,†said Miller, who finished fourth in the state meet last year and has a 20-3 record this season.

 

Hurley and Miller wished each other good luck before Saturday’s match, then Hurley excited the fans in the opening seconds when he executed a deft single-leg move and then slammed Miller to the mat.

 

“[Hurley] pushed the pace a lot more in this match,†Miller said. “I tried to use my quickness and strength, but he’s such a smart kid. You have to keep your composure, and I didn’t do a good job of that.â€

 

The highlight for Virginia High came when Adam Lauman won at 195 pounds. After nearly pinning Sam McCoy of Sullivan East early in the match with a cradle, Lauman executed a screw pin at the 3:03 mark.

 

“Those have been my two favorite moves since eighth grade,†Lauman said. “You have to be aggressive and show them your strength.â€

 

Lauman can relate to the travails of Hicks after he failed to meet weight Saturday morning.

 

“I normally wrestle in the 182-pound weight class, but I weighed in at 184 pounds and four ounces and I just decided to wrestle at 195,†Lauman said. “Each opponent today probably had six or seven pounds on me, but it’s a mental thing and you just have to wrestle your best. I finished second in the regional last year, and I’ve improved a lot since last year.â€

 

VHS coach Josh Shuler was pleased with how Lauman responded to the challenge Saturday.

 

“He adjusted well to the weight change and we knew he would,†Shuler said. “We plan to move Adam back to 182 pounds because that’s where he’s most comfortable.â€

 

The Bearcats will compete in the Southwest District Duals Tuesday at Abingdon before hosting the Best of Bristol on Wednesday.

 

Wise County Central freshman Casey Bush was named outstanding wrestler after capturing the 170-pound title with a 6-1 decision. Bush is the son of Lee Bush, who coached Castlewood to a state championship after a record-setting wrestling career at the same school.

 

“I was surprised to win the award today,†Casey Bush said. “I just wrestled hard.â€

 

Casey Bush earned his victory the hard way Saturday, battling through shoulder pain for more than half the match.

 

“My shoulder got jerked around,†he said. “It didn’t come all the way out of the socket, but I could feel it moving around. It hurt a little.â€

 

Senior Caleb Spurlin, who played a key role in the Division 1 state football title for Galax, displayed his other talent Saturday by storming to the 220-pound title. A two-time state champion, Spurlin needed only 1:10 to win by pin in the finals.

 

The list of Saturday’s champions also included Bryson Henley, Jeremy Spangler and Dewey Pendley of THS along with Logan Chase and John Stiltner of Sullivan East.

 

No wrestler was happier than Hicks of East.

 

“I don’t want to see any more tuna until after the season,†he said. “I feel a lot better in my current weight class.â€

 

agregory@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Greg_BHCSports | (276) 645-2544

 

 

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/as-ths-wins-cressel-classic-east-s-hicks-gets-some/article_4a95bef8-b751-11e5-a1f2-9b142a5c10fd.html?mode=jqm

Edited January 10, 2016 by tmarshall7

[tmarshall7]

Tournament Results

 

106 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Trent Nelson of Tennessee High

2nd Place - Elijah Hicks of Sullivan East

3rd Place - Ta Strother of Robert E. Lee

4th Place - Nate Bemis of Galax

5th Place - Ben Maxwell of Rockbridge

6th Place - Andrew Robinette of Virginia High

 

113 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Dillon Pendley of Tennessee High

2nd Place - Will Anders of Grayson County

3rd Place - Auden Cook of Tennessee High B

4th Place - James Akers of Galax

5th Place - Austin Yeary of Central

6th Place - Asa Smith of Rockbridge

7th Place - Alyssa Shamay of George Wythe

8th Place - Jamin Richardson of Elizabethton

 

120 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Brant Cummins of Grayson County

2nd Place - Dominic Fields of Tennessee High

3rd Place - Judson McCray of Tennessee High B

4th Place - Dalton Jessee of Virginia High

5th Place - Grayson Mullins of Central

6th Place - Kaden Wagner of Rockbridge

7th Place - Jacob Stearns of Rockbridge B

8th Place - Christian Vance of Blacksburg

1st Place Match

 

126 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Logan Chase of Sullivan East

2nd Place - Alex Williams of Robert E. Lee

3rd Place - Joshua Spurlin of Galax

4th Place - Ryan Tomlin of Rockbridge

5th Place - Logan Ferguson of Tennessee High

6th Place - Brandon Talley of Morristown East

7th Place - Alex Adkins of Virginia High

8th Place - Noah Maxfield of Castlewood

 

132 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Corbin Hurley of Tennessee High

2nd Place - Roger Miller of Virginia High

3rd Place - Dylan Chase of Sullivan East

4th Place - Smith Hintry of Rockbridge

5th Place - Dominick Plumley of Castlewood

6th Place - Richard Owens of Central

7th Place - Will Poore of Tennessee High B

8th Place - Andrew Owens of Ridgeview

 

138 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Dewey Pendley of Tennessee High

2nd Place - Logan Mills of George Wythe

3rd Place - Brandon Combs of Virginia High

4th Place - Kilroy Hill of Elizabethton

5th Place - Sage Duncan of Blacksburg

6th Place - Christian Grimes of Grayson County

7th Place - Matt Ferguson of Robert E. Lee

8th Place - Trevor Shupe of Central

 

145 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Luke Hicks of Sullivan East

2nd Place - Harold Johnson of Tennessee High

3rd Place - Kage Tomlin of Rockbridge

4th Place - Matthew Dean of Virginia High

5th Place - Ethan Jackson of Grayson County

6th Place - Teion Brown of George Wythe

7th Place - Iain Wiseman of Robert E. Lee

8th Place - Brandon Kern of Central

 

152 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Bryson Henley of Tennessee High

2nd Place - Anderson Huger of Rockbridge

3rd Place - Brandon Davis of Castlewood

4th Place - Caspian Driscoll of Blacksburg

5th Place - Elijah Harrison of Galax

6th Place - Ethan Eaton of Virginia High B

7th Place - Jordan Anderson of Morristown East C

8th Place - Jacob Fayler of Virginia High

 

160 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Banner Robson of Robert E. Lee

2nd Place - Jason Frederick of Blacksburg

3rd Place - Daryal Glover of Galax

4th Place - Logan Fields of Tennessee High

5th Place - Jake Snyder of Galax B

6th Place - Finn Stewart of Rockbridge

7th Place - Alex Fayler of Virginia High

 

170 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Casey Bush of Central

2nd Place - Jack Vaughan of Galax

3rd Place - Taylor Fix of Robert E. Lee

4th Place - Josh Fugate of Blacksburg

5th Place - Dougie Peoples of Galax B

6th Place - Any Yancey of George Wythe

7th Place - Tony McCracken of Virginia High

8th Place - Tommy Kostelni of Rockbridge B

 

182 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Jeremy Spangler of Tennessee High

2nd Place - Tyler Moore of Rockbridge

3rd Place - Mark Jones of Blacksburg

4th Place - Acie McCoy of Sullivan East

5th Place - Angel Solis of Galax

6th Place - Terrance Adams of Central

7th Place - Dallas Ingle of Castlewood

8th Place - Paul Alba of Galax B

 

 

195 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Adam Lauman of Virginia High

2nd Place - Sam McCoy of Sullivan East

3rd Place - Gunnar Jessee of Castlewood

4th Place - Jacob Torrens of Blacksburg B

5th Place - Daniel Keith of Blacksburg

6th Place - Josh Rice of Elizabethton

7th Place - Quynton Brakens of Galax

8th Place - Tyler Lopez of Sullivan East B

 

220 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - Caleb Spurlin of Galax

2nd Place - Austin Hagerman of Tennessee High

3rd Place - Mark Frank of Virginia High

4th Place - Matthew Elliott of Blacksburg

5th Place - Casey Turner of Ridgeview

6th Place - Jordan Hearl of Robert E. Lee

7th Place - Adam Puckett of Castlewood

8th Place - Donovan Kintner of George Wythe

 

285 Results

Guaranteed Places

1st Place - John Stiltner of Sullivan East

2nd Place - Jake Davis of Blacksburg

3rd Place - Kyler Pulliam of Robert E. Lee

4th Place - Corey Parsons of Castlewood

5th Place - Wyatt Short of Morristown East

6th Place - Jesse Parsons of Blacksburg B

7th Place - Giovanni Bahena of Robert E Lee B

8th Place - Matt Criner of Galax

[BoroRef]

nice article

Edited January 12, 2016 by BoroRef

[humorwrestling]

What happened to your original post BoroRef?  Why edit?