Sommers

Senior at UNI I believe or Northern illinois is what I understand. ____________ Whitworth coverage... Dalton native Whitworth won 5 straight high school wrestling state titles. Now, he's headed for ... Yahoo News https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://news.yahoo.com/dalton-native-whitworth-won-5-221900190.html&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoUMTEyNTA5NjcyMzU0MzExMTA5NzQyGjI4Mjk4OGI0MDg3OTdiYTY6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNGoFOBOC9Rq50s2yDLucklnHoN-mg ______________________ Tri-Cities television coverage... https://www.wjhl.com/sports/local-sports/local-wrestler-training-young-kids-while-keeping-an-eye-on-the-olympics/ _______________ Wrestling families are blessed to be in Tennessee... See this NY story on a wrestler that came down 13 hours to find freedom to compete down here... SHARE THIS Warrensburg's McKenna took different route to wrestle this season Warrensburg's Hunter McKenna hugs his father, assistant coach Scott McKenna, following his win in the 152-pound final of the Section II wrestling championships last year. Jenn March File Photo, Special to The Post-Star Hunter McKenna might never have wrestled at all in high school were it not for some miracles of modern medicine. He might never have wrestled in his senior year if it weren’t for a phone call from a former teammate around Christmas time, inviting him to Tennessee for the opportunity. McKenna, Warrensburg’s all-time leader in career victories, was diagnosed at age 12 with juvenile arthritis, a rheumatic disease that causes inflammation in the joints. In McKenna’s case, it could have been severely debilitating. “I always thought it was an older person disease,” he said. “At 12 years old, it’s weird to tell somebody that you have arthritis. At 18, it’s still weird. I have the body of a 60-year-old. “I wouldn’t be able to walk, I’d be wheeling myself around,” added McKenna, who plans to wrestle at Division III Augsburg University in Minneapolis next year. “Wrestling keeps me moving, it helps me a lot keeping me loose.” “It affects every joint in his body except his jaw,” said Scott McKenna, Hunter’s father and a longtime assistant wrestling coach with Mark Trapasso at Warrensburg. McKenna’s wrestling career had appeared all but over in December, as the state delayed the start of “high-risk” winter sports, including wrestling and basketball. Time appeared to be running out for wrestlers in New York state. Warrensburg's Hunter McKenna, left, wrestles Hadley-Luzerne's Justin Hoffman during the 152-pound final of the Section II wrestling championships last year. McKenna, a two-time state qualifier in New York, moved to Tennessee this winter to compete in wrestling during the pandemic. Jenn March File Photo, Special to The Post-Star “I had posted something on Instagram saying how I didn’t think wrestling was going to happen,” said Hunter McKenna, a Section II champ and Most Outstanding Wrestler in the small schools last year. “At the time, I didn’t see myself wrestling my senior year. It wasn’t looking good.” Then came the phone call from former Warrensburg teammate Dylan Winchell, who had moved in with his aunt and uncle in Newport, Tennessee, over the summer to play football and wrestle at Cocke County High School. Tennessee, like many other states, was far more open than New York during the pandemic. While New York had shut down “high-risk” sports and enforced mask-wearing and social distancing, other states continued to play sports like football and wrestling through the pandemic. “I was sitting home in December, during Christmas break, and I get a call from Dylan Winchell,” McKenna said. “He calls me up and says, ‘We’re looking for a 152-pounder. If you’re interested, we’ve got a spot for you.’” The opportunity to wrestle his senior season was too good to pass up — despite the fact that he would have to move 860-odd miles and 13 hours from home. First he had to talk his parents into it. “At first, it was a no-brainer, but when I told my family what I wanted to do, I started feeling a little nervous,” Hunter McKenna said. “It was hard getting in that car the next weekend.” “The last thing I wanted to do was bring my kid to Tennessee to wrestle,” Scott McKenna said. “He’s been a Warrensburg kid forever. I coached there for 20-plus years. But I knew he would kick himself if he didn’t do it.” Warrensburg's Hunter McKenna reacts to his win against Hadley-Luzerne's Justin Hoffman in the 152-pound final of the Section II wrestling championships last year. McKenna, a two-time state qualifier in New York, moved to Tennessee this winter to compete in wrestling during the pandemic. Jenn March File Photo, Special to The Post-Star So at the beginning of the new year, the McKennas brought their oldest boy down to Tennessee for the final two months of high school wrestling season. McKenna and Winchell were not the only area athletes to leave New York to pursue opportunities in less-restrictive states. Queensbury’s Dylan Erickson moved to Texas to play football. Corinth’s Devlin Blanchard moved to Colorado to wrestle. “When I said I was moving out of state to wrestle, I got quite a few text messages saying they did the same thing,” Hunter McKenna said. “Every school we talked to about wrestling — the top three were Springfield, Norwich and Augsburg — said, ‘If you have the opportunity, do it,’” Scott McKenna said. In Tennessee, Hunter McKenna said athletes did not have to wear masks and masks were optional even for fans. “No masks, full spectators, everything looked normal, like nothing’s going on,” he said. Already Warrensburg’s record-holder with 173 career wins, McKenna went 19-4 in Tennessee in January and February, and qualified for the state Class AAA meet at 152 pounds, where he knocked off the third seed before losing in the quarterfinals. Winchell also made the state meet, at 126. The best part about the state meet was having his parents coming down to watch him — and his father coaching him from the corner. “That was awesome,” said Hunter McKenna, who is playing baseball this spring. “He’s been in my corner since I was 4 years old. “I had two months of wrestling, but it was great,” he added. “There was a sense of normalcy. I was blessed to have a season.” The fact that he’s able to wrestle at all is a triumph of medicine. A wrestler since he was old enough to be on the mat, McKenna remembers coming home one day when he was 12 with what he thought was a tweaked ankle. “But it went on for a few days, then it was my other ankle and my knees,” he said. “A few days later, I fell out of bed and I couldn’t move. I called out to my dad. It was a really scary situation.” Scott McKenna had to carry his son into the emergency room. Then it was on to Burlington for further analysis — and a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis. His doctors found the right combination of drugs to keep his joints limber and functioning. “I was in a lot of pain for a few weeks. It was weird and scary,” Hunter McKenna said. “I’ve been on a few drugs for it. I used to go to Albany for 3 1/2 hours with an IV once a month. Then I got approved to do it at Glens Falls Hospital. “Now I do a weekly injection myself and I live my life,” he added. After consulting with his doctors last summer, McKenna tried an experiment by going off his meds. “About a month in, I was back to square one,” he said. “That next day, we went right back to Albany. I got prednisone to get to walk, and the next day I was at Glens Falls for an IV.” McKenna said he loosens up throughout the course of the day, just keeping himself moving. “In the mornings I’m a little stiff, I can’t squeeze my hand to grab a pencil,” he said. “By the end of the night, I can squeeze a pencil. I’m not like a normal teen where I can run a mile and feel fine. I’ve got to take my breaks.” Last month, McKenna committed to Augsburg, a small college in Minneapolis with one of the best Division III wrestling programs in the country. He’s planning to major in business. “I miss my parents but it certainly was a good experience to come down to Tennessee,” he said. “It gets me ready for college, being away from home.” Although he will graduate from high school in Tennessee, McKenna plans to be back in town to watch his former teammates graduate in June. “I grew up with them — they’re my best friends,” he said. “All of the stuff we did in the wrestling room, all of the bonding that we had — it was one heck of a time. We wrestled every weekend, we worked for that high school level, and when we got there, we rocked it out of the park.” https://poststar.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/warrensburgs-mckenna-took-different-route-to-wrestle-this-season/article_a158c5f0-19ec-5286-8d63-2da0eadd6b96.html

Did you wonder what happened to UNI senior Taylor Lujan of Georgia? JUNIOR (2018-19): Automatically qualified for his third trip to the NCAAs with a second-place finish at Big 12 Championships ... took second at Midlands ... finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite at 174 pounds ... named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week Dec. 17 and Feb. 5 ... won the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open ... named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team ... led team for second consecutive year in dual scoring. Top-20 wins: No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) 5-4 - Feb. 1, dual No. 9 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) 10-5 - Jan. 12, dual No. 14 Brandon Womack (Cornell) 14-6 MD - Dec. 16, dual No. 16 Brandon Womack (Cornell) 16-9 - Nov. 30, Cliff Keen Invite No. 12 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) 3-1, Big 12 Championships No. 8 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota) 3:22 F, NCAA Championships SOPHOMORE (2017-18): Won second conference championship (1x MAC / 1x Big 12) to earn second trip to NCAA tournament ... was first Panther in UNI history to win Big 12 Wrestler of the Week ... notched two top-20 wins (No. 18 Forrest Przybysz of Appalachian State and No. 12 Keaton Subjeck of Stanford) to take third at Southern Scuffle ... fourth at Cliff Keen, where he pinned No. 9 Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) in 52 seconds ... opened season with titles at Harold Nichols and Grand View opens at 174 pounds ... knocked off No. 6 Brandon Womack of Cornell in first dual of the year. Other top-20 wins: No. 9 and No. 10 David Kocer (South Dakota State), No. 12 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), No. 13 Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2016-17): Won the MAC Championships to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament ... seventh at Southern Scuffle ... as an unranked wrestler, knocked off No. 8 Zac Brunson of Illinois to win the UNI Open Dec. 3, 2016 ... won the Grand View Open at 174 pounds. FRESHMAN (2015-16): Won the Pat Flanagan Open ... tied with teammate Jacob Holschlag for Buena Vista Open title at 174 pounds ... fourth at Harold Nichols Cyclone Open ... finished 6th at the UNI Open ... opened with a tech fall and major decision wrestling unattached at the Midlands Championships. HIGH SCHOOL: Four-time Georgia state champion ... lost just one match as a prep for Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia (223-1) ... won the Super 32 at 170 pounds in 2014 ... finished high school career ranked No. 4 in the nation ... four-time academic All-American ... fourth at Fila Cadet in 2013 and 2014. PERSONAL: From Carrollton, Georgia ... son of Eric and Renee Lujan ... has a twin sister and one older sister ... majoring in construction management ... volunteered with local wrestling club in Georgia ... chose UNI because it is the place that will make him a national champion and it felt like home ... credits his mom and dad as the biggest influence on his life for the sacrifices they have made for him, saying he can never thank them enough. HONORS AND AWARDS: 2019: 3x NCAA qualifier 2019: 2nd at Big 12 Championships - 174 pounds 2019: Academic All-Big 12 Second Team 2019: 2nd at Midlands - 174 pounds 2019: 3rd at Cliff Keen Invite - 174 pounds 2018: 2x NCAA qualifier - 174 pounds 2018: Won Big 12 Championships - 174 pounds 2018: 3rd at Southern Scuffle - 174 pounds 2018: 4th at the Cliff Keen Invite - 174 pounds 2017: NCAA qualifier - 174 pounds 2017: Won MAC Championships - 174 pounds 2017: 7th at Southern https://unipanthers.com/sports/wrestling/roster/taylor-lujan/4998

KY update... Union County wrestling makes history, wins 6th consecutive state title Celebratory Parade thru Morganfield at 3:00, Sunday By Aaron Hancock | March 27, 2021 at 11:46 PM CDT - Updated March 27 at 11:46 PM WINCHESTER, KY (WFIE) - Union County has had a headlock, on high school wrestling, in Kentucky. The Braves have won an incredible, 12 state championships, and Saturday, they were going for lucky number 13, in the state finals, at Winchester, Kentucky. Well, the Braves got the job done. The 2021 Union County wrestling squad won the program’s 13th state championship, and it marked their sixth consecutive state title! Their final team score of 244, was 28 better than Ryle, who finished with 216. Johnson Central was the next closest team, with 189.5. Along the way, the Braves also had three wrestlers win individual state titles. 7th-grader Jordyn Raney got first place at 106 pounds. Senior Payne Carr won the championship at 152, and senior Stephen Little won the title, at 182. Also, Ohio County’s Andrew Pottle took home 2nd place at 285. He was the only other wrestler from the Tri-State area, not from Union County. The Braves will have a welcome home parade, tomorrow at 3:00, through Morganfield, which will end at the high school, with an outdoor celebration in front of the school. Below, are the final results, by weight class and by team scores: --106 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Jordyn Raney of Union County 2nd Place - Breyden Whorton of LaRue County 3rd Place - Miller Brown of Oldham County 4th Place - James Morris of Johnson Central --113 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Matthew Meyer of St. Xavier 2nd Place - Adam Williams of Johnson Central 3rd Place - Hunter Jenkins of Union County 4th Place - Leland Reeves of Taylor County --120 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Spencer Moore of Walton-Verona 2nd Place - Trayce Eckman of Union County 3rd Place - Joseph Sander of Ryle 4th Place - Timothy Nichols of Caldwell County --126 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Cole Thomas of Ryle 2nd Place - George Ferree of Trinity (Louisville) 3rd Place - Braedon Herron of North Hardin 4th Place - Jayden Frazier of Paducah Tilghman --132 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Isaac Thornton of Walton-Verona 2nd Place - Eli Peyton of Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Thomas Hoppes of LaRue County 4th Place - Jonah Bowers of Campbell County --138 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Devon Herron of North Hardin 2nd Place - Austin Grant-Hall of Christian County 3rd Place - Bryant Beane of Trinity (Louisville) 4th Place - Scotty Vilums of Male --145 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Zac Cowan of Madison Central 2nd Place - Malachi Rider of Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Samuel Grandstaff of Conner 4th Place - Reece Goss of Johnson Central --152 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Payne Carr of Union County 2nd Place - Carter Messerly of Ryle 3rd Place - Ty Lehman of Trinity (Louisville) 4th Place - Jeffrey Kinley of Madison Central --160 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Thomas Ketchen-Carter of Campbell County 2nd Place - Cole Nance of Anderson County 3rd Place - Zack McCourt of Johnson Central 4th Place - Quinten Cox of Union County --170 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Noah Duke of Ryle 2nd Place - Dalton Russelburg of Union County 3rd Place - Lane Kiser of Trinity (Louisville) 4th Place - Dylan Walls of Caldwell County --182 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Stephen Little of Union County 2nd Place - Everett Marret of St. Xavier 3rd Place - chase price of Johnson Central 4th Place - Jackson Geilear of Woodford County --195 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Oscar (J.T.) Adams of Christian County 2nd Place - Jerry Simpson of Fairdale 3rd Place - Levid Rodriguez of Johnson Central 4th Place - Dyllan Davis of Anderson County --220 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Dakota Brooksbank of Simon Kenton 2nd Place - Gabe Savage of Ryle 3rd Place - Darius Moore of Union County 4th Place - Zaine Christian of Ashland Blazer --285 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Branson Smith of Martin County 2nd Place - Andrew Pottle of Ohio County 3rd Place - TyDarius Kelly of Christian County 4th Place - Ian Hughes of Simon Kenton --FINAL TEAM SCORES-- 1. Union County -- 244 2. Ryle -- 216 3. Johnson Central -- 189.5 4. Trinity (Louisville) -- 170 5. Paducah Tilghman -- 139 6. Lou. St. Xavier -- 134.5 7. Campbell County -- 113.5 8. Christian County -- 94 9. Walton-Verona -- 92 10. Fairdale -- 83 11. Simon Kenton -- 82 12. LaRue County -- 76 13. Madison Central -- 72.5 14. Martin County -- 66 15. Woodford County -- 64 16. Anderson County -- 61.5 17. North Hardin -- 58.5 18. Caldwell County -- 58 19. Male -- 53.5 20. Bullitt East -- 52 21. McCreary Central -- 51 22. Conner -- 50.0 23. Wayne County -- 48 24. Ashland Blazer -- 46.5 25. Fern Creek -- 45 26. Lafayette -- 44.5 27. Oldham County -- 41 28. Madison Southern -- 33 29. Ohio County -- 30 30. Taylor County -- 25 https://www.14news.com/2021/03/28/union-county-wrestling-makes-history-wins-th-consecutive-state-title/

Congrats... Next level begins!!

Tater... Cleveland Wrestling Official Honored For Distinguished Service Thursday, March 25, 2021 - by John Brice, TSSAA Walt Vineyard has worked over 55 state events as an official Walt Vineyard more or less was minding his own business, walking the halls of then-Bradley Junior High School in between classes. Bill Curtis, the school's longtime wrestling coach, had something in mind for Vineyard, affectionately dubbed “Tater.” “I didn't have any inkling about wrestling until I was in junior high,” said Vineyard, a Knoxville native and University of Tennessee graduate who spent most of his youth in the Cleveland area. “I got plucked out of the hallway by the wrestling coach, Bill Curtis, to fill a weight class (87 pounds). “I wrestled the following day, was somehow able to win a JV match, and I've been hooked since then. That's been 40-plus years ago.” Bradley Junior High is now Ocoee Middle School; the Cleveland/Bradley community just might be the high school wrestling capital of the Volunteer State; and Vineyard, among the most tenured prep wrestling officials in the country, is the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association's Distinguished Service Award winner for March. “It's awesome; it's humbling to be honored,” Vineyard said. “I'm just excited.” After wrestling under Turner Jackson at Bradley Central High School and heading to UT-Knoxville, Vineyard still had interest in the sport. Living near Karns High School just outside of Knoxville, Vineyard ambled to a prep football game on a random Friday night. Like the walk down the hallway, this moment also changed his life. “I got plucked out of the bleachers by the wrestling coach at Karns, Dan Dugger, and he asked me what I was doing,” Vineyard recalled. “He told me, 'Maybe you ought to officiate. You ever thought about it?' “Two weeks later, I did my first tournament, and I've done it ever since. Then it was the Karns Invitational/Beaver Classic, and now it's morphed into the Knox Catholic tournament. I've done it for 35 years.” In the sport, there is little Vineyard has not done through his decades of competition and service, including 31 consecutive selections to work the state's traditional wrestling championships and another 25 times on the mat for the state duals championships. After finishing his electrical engineering degree at UT, Vineyard returned to work for Cleveland Utilities. There, he met his wife, Lesley, and they have since raised two daughters, MacKenzie and Emma. The trio of ladies have provided Vineyard a priceless support system for his calling to give back to youth and the sport that taught him so much. “They're incredibly supportive,” Vineyard, a three-time region champion wrestler for the Bears, said. “They know from November through February, I'm going to be gone a lot of nights and weekends. “I think that the camaraderie, giving back to the sport, the self-discipline the sport requires and teaches, all the things you hear other long-term officials say, keeps me involved. I don't really care about the compensation at all. It's the camaraderie with the coaches. I've got the best seat in the house and I know the score before anybody else does.” Vineyard also has duties beyond competition; he's spent the past couple years as the assigning officer for the Chattanooga-region's officials' association. Yet with nearly five decades in the sport, he doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. “It's just so fun,” he said. “I'm always looking forward to the start of the wrestling season, and I am glad when it's over. But as long as I'm physically able to do it and I know that I've not lost a step, I'll keep doing it. “I'll know when it's time. I might not get out of the bed on Sunday as easily as 20 years ago after working a tournament all weekend, but I still feel like I'm able to contribute at a high level and enjoy it.” TSSAA is proud to recognize Walt Vineyard for his numerous contributions to high school athletics in Tennessee. _______________________ KY traditional update... Trinity seeks first KHSAA state wrestling title since 2010 as Union County, others in hunt Jason Frakes Louisville Courier Journal His team holds a slim lead in the standings entering Saturday’s final rounds of the State Wrestling Championships, but Trinity High School coach Patrick Fleming knows plenty of talented teams will be shooting for the Shamrocks. “There’s a lot of wrestling left to be done,” Fleming said. “Even though we do have a lead going in there … it’s a relatively small lead. The guys are going to have to come in there and wrestle. They can’t go in there and assume we can sit on this lead.” Saturday’s finals will begin at 9 a.m. at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Ky. The top two finishers in each of four semistates held last weekend advanced. The semistates were a one-time addition by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association this year in order to limit participants – for COVID-19-related purposes – at the state finals. accumulated points during the semistates and carried them over to this weekend’s finals. Trinity, which had eight wrestlers qualify for the weekend, is in first place with 100 points. Union County, winner of five straight state titles, is second with 93.5 points and is followed by Johnson Central (91.5), Ryle (87), St. Xavier (76.5) and Paducah Tilghman (73.5). “Union is definitely the team to beat,” Fleming said. “They’re always tough.” Several wresters from Louisville will have chances to bring home individual state championships. Trinity senior Ty Lehman won the state title at 145 pounds last year and is ranked No. 1 at 152 this season. He joins teammates George Ferree (126 pounds), Bryant Beane (138) and Lane Kiser (170) as top contenders Saturday. “Lane Kiser is only a freshman, but he’s an exciting wrestler to watch,” Fleming said. “He has an uphill climb in his bracket, but he’s an energetic wrestler with a motor that doesn’t stop.” Earlier:Trinity, Fairdale, Woodford County win regional wrestling championships Trinity is seeking its first team title since 2010. St. X had six wrestlers qualify and is led by seniors Matthew Meyer (No. 1 at 113) and Everett Marret (No. 2 at 182). Fairdale qualified five wrestlers, led by senior Jerry Simpson (No. 3 at 195). Here’s a look at Louisville-area qualifiers in each weight class and their state rankings according to KentuckyWrestling.com: 106 pounds – Miller Brown (Oldham County, No. 6), Morgan Frederick (Trinity, No. 20), Jack Willard (Bullitt East, unranked) 113 – Matthew Meyer (St. Xavier, No. 1), Hunter Luttrell (Fairdale, No. 15) 120 – Max Speaker (St. Xavier, No. 7), Joe Lampe (Male, No. 11) 126 – George Ferree (Trinity, No. 5), Bryant Faucett (Bullitt East, No. 20) 132 – Ayden Lehman (Trinity, No. 19), Caeleb Jarvis (Fairdale, No. 20) 138 – Bryant Beane (Trinity, No. 5), Scotty Villums (Male, No. 14) 145 – Justin Krebs (St. Xavier, No. 7), Johnathan Bennem (Atherton, No. 12) 152 – Ty Lehman (Trinity, No. 1), Jude Powell (Fairdale, No. 9) 160 – Matthew Hendricks (Bullitt East, No. 8), Brandon Burchett (Fairdale, No. 15) 170 – Lane Kiser (Trinity, No. 6), Jack McCubbin (South Oldham, No. 12), Kashiku Hutcheson (St. Xavier, No. 16) 182 – Everett Marret (St. Xavier, No. 2), Jacob Mann (Manual, unranked) 195 – Jerry Simpson (Fairdale, No. 3), Joel Hatchett (Fern Creek, No. 9) 220 – Ryan Martin (Trinity, No. 10), Carter Guillaume (St. Xavier, No. 23) 285 – LaQuann Williams (Trinity, No. 6), Alex Martin (Fern Creek, unranked) Here are the current team standings in Saturday’s action (top 10, plus other Louisville-area schools): 1. Trinity 100, 2. Union County 93.5, 3. Johnson Central 91.5, 4 Ryle 87, 5. St. Xavier 76.5, 6. Paducah Tilghman 73.5, 7. Campbell County 64, 8. Fairdale 50, 9. Woodford County 44, 10. Lafayette 42.5, 16. Fern Creek 37, 19. Bullitt East 36, 22. Male 32.5, 26. Oldham County 25, 29. Manual 19, 32. (tie) Atherton, South Oldham 12. Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs. iew Comment

Since 1980, only seven #8 seeds have won NCAA titles. Shane Griffith’s (Stanford) win at 165 lbs marks back-to-back tournaments where this has occurred. Interestingly enough, it was also at 165 with Mekhi Lewis. Before Lewis, Jordan Leen (Cornell/Baylor HS) has most recently accomplished the feat in 2008. Despite the school administrators’ decision to eliminate Stanford wrestling, Shane Griffith became only the second Cardinal wrestler to claim a national title, joining Matt Gentry from 2004. Sam Latona’s sixth-place finish made him the first DI All-American from Alabama since Brandon Womack (Cornell) in 2017. NC State’s sixth-place finish was the second-best in school history. Their four All-Americans also tied a program-high. Hayden Hidlay’s fifth-place showing made him the first four-time All-American in NC State history. (5th, 1st team, 4th, 2nd). O’Connor is also the first NCAA champion for North Carolina since TJ Jaworsky won his third for the Tar Heels in 1995. A pair of ex-Old Dominion wrestlers, Killian Cardinale and Michael McGee, made the podium in 2021. These two accounted for 18.5 points themselves, which would have been good enough to tie Wisconsin for 23rd place. Utah Valley had a pair of All-Americans (Taylor LaMont and Demetrius Romero) for the first time in program history. West Virginia’s Killian Cardinale finished seventh at the 125 lb weight class. He becomes the first wrestler in the Tim Flynn-era to get onto the podium for the Mountaineers. https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/2021-post-ncaa-championships-facts-stats-and-trends/80302?utm_source=Open+Mat+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ca85cd8386-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_30_03_22_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0b256fb8bf-ca85cd8386-36350889

Latest on Paducah (Bo N) Kentucky wrestling along with Union county and 28 schools within the 2020-21 substate. Top 2 only... ____________________ Union County wrestling in 2nd place heading into KHSAA state finals Union County wrestling in 2nd place heading into KHSAA state finals By Aaron Hancock and Keaton Eberly | March 20, 2021 at 11:16 PM CDT - Updated March 20 at 11:16 PM OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - Union County has long had one of the most dominant wrestling programs in the Bluegrass State. The Braves have won 12 total state championships, including the last five consecutively. On Saturday, Union County began its quest for a sixth straight title in the semistate round, which was created this year to help cut down the crowd sizes at state. [READ MORE: Union County wrestling hopes to continue dominant legacy] As a team, the Braves finished with 92.5 points and will head into next week’s state finals in second place behind Trinity (Louisville), which scored 102 points. The next closest local team was Ohio County, which finished in 12th place with 12 points. The final individual standings for each weight class are outlined in the following (Only the TOP TWO will advance to the state finals at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky): 106 POUNDS 1st Place - Jordyn Raney of Union County 2nd Place - Breyden Whorton of LaRue County 3rd Place - Amari Hardin of John Hardin 4th Place - Jacob McDonald of Taylor County 5th Place - Logan Brown of Caldwell County 6th Place - JaRi Campbell of Christian County 7th Place - Trushaun Matt of Hopkinsville 8th Place - Payton Durbin of Meade County 113 POUNDS 1st Place - Leland Reeves of Taylor County 2nd Place - Hunter Jenkins of Union County 3rd Place - Colin Teutsch of Caldwell County 4th Place - David Griffith of Meade County 5th Place - Maximus Beltran of Central Hardin 6th Place - Holden Schneider of Hopkinsville 7th Place - Brock Gross of LaRue County 8th Place - Barrett Fulton of Ohio County 120 POUNDS 1st Place - Trayce Eckman of Union County 2nd Place - Timothy Nichols of Caldwell County 3rd Place - Tyler Lattin of Meade County 4th Place - Ryan Portwood of North Hardin 5th Place - Deameion Leavell of Christian County 6th Place - Parker McKee of McCracken County 7th Place - Connor Metcalf of LaRue County 8th Place - Derrick Beckley of Taylor County 126 POUNDS 1st Place - Jayden Frazier of Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Braedon Herron of North Hardin 3rd Place - Lucas Ricketts of Union County 4th Place - Charlie Tucker of John Hardin 5th Place - David Gerkin of Apollo 6th Place - Devavion Armstard of Central Hardin 7th Place - Forfeit Forfeit of Unattached 8th Place - Gage Fowler of Christian County 8th Place - Cofy Walls of Caldwell County 132 POUNDS 1st Place - Eli Peyton of Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Thomas Hoppes of LaRue County 3rd Place - Riley Johnson of Caldwell County 4th Place - Glenn Mayes of Union County 5th Place - Jacob Fulkerson of Central Hardin 6th Place - Hunter Hawthorne of McCracken County 7th Place - Mason Raines of Meade County 8th Place - Caleb Tolson of Daviess County 138 POUNDS 1st Place - Devon Herron of North Hardin 2nd Place - Austin Grant-Hall of Christian County 3rd Place - Gavin Ricketts of Union County 4th Place - Jack James of Paducah Tilghman 5th Place - Keaton Elliott of Calloway County 6th Place - Levi Stull of Meade County 7th Place - Mason Polston of Central Hardin 8th Place - Westin Brown of LaRue County 145 POUNDS 1st Place - Malachi Rider of Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Gabe Fortier of LaRue County 3rd Place - Caige Clark of Ohio County 4th Place - Caden Rodriguez of Meade County 5th Place - Forfeit Forfeit of Unattached 6th Place - Ronald McGee of Hopkinsville 6th Place - Mason Kellett of Christian County 7th Place - JT King of Bardstown 8th Place - Trayton Stargill of Taylor County 152 POUNDS 1st Place - Payne Carr of Union County 2nd Place - David Conner of Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Colton Smallwood of McCracken County 4th Place - Nick Avery of Owensboro 5th Place - Ethan Futrell of Calloway County 6th Place - Caleb Baumgardner of Central Hardin 7th Place - Matthew Ball of LaRue County 8th Place - Austin Head of Bardstown 160 POUNDS 1st Place - Seth Slayton of Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Quinten Cox of Union County 3rd Place - Conner Geise of Meade County 4th Place - Jybari Springs of John Hardin 5th Place - Austin Shaffer of LaRue County 6th Place - Jacob Newby of Christian County 7th Place - John Jarvis of Central Hardin 8th Place - Jermaine Poynter of Henderson County 170 POUNDS 1st Place - Dalton Russelburg of Union County 2nd Place - Dylan Walls of Caldwell County 3rd Place - Cameron Baker of Apollo 4th Place - Benicio Mariscal Carter of John Hardin 5th Place - Caileb Hills of Meade County 6th Place - Alex Schlei of McCracken County 7th Place - Chistopher Mooney of Paducah Tilghman 8th Place - Landon Barnes of Central Hardin 182 POUNDS 1st Place - Stephen Little of Union County 2nd Place - Spencer Redwine of Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Colin Walls of Caldwell County 4th Place - Conner Tolson of Daviess County 5th Place - Nick Watters of Calloway County 6th Place - Gabriel Ramirez of Central Hardin 7th Place - DJ Riggins of Taylor County 8th Place - Tony Logalbo of John Hardin 195 POUNDS 1st Place - Oscar (J.T.) Adams of Christian County 2nd Place - Conner Lambert of LaRue County 3rd Place - Jimmy Mooney of Paducah Tilghman 4th Place - Timarian Bledsoe of Calloway County 5th Place - Paxton Ervin of Union County 6th Place - Marcus James of Taylor County 7th Place - Seth Serra of Central Hardin 8th Place - Austin Ellis of Meade County 220 POUNDS 1st Place - Uriah Virzi of Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Darius Moore of Union County 3rd Place - Thomas Boone of LaRue County 4th Place - Austin Silva of John Hardin 5th Place - Anthony (A.J.) Harvey of Christian County 6th Place - Zach Leonard of Meade County 7th Place - Clayton Hockman of Central Hardin 8th Place - Rance Hawkins of Henderson County 285 POUNDS 1st Place - TyDarius Kelly of Christian County 2nd Place - Andrew Pottle of Ohio County 3rd Place - Matthew Mooney of Paducah Tilghman 4th Place - Davis Pike of Union County 5th Place - Say Moe of Daviess County 6th Place - Che Smith of Meade County 7th Place - Levi Talbert of North Hardin 8th Place - Blaize Cart of Apollo __________________ Also, from the next level representing GA... Daniel Bullard....from Archer....finished 7th at 174......becoming the 4th DI All-American from Gwinnett County. The other 3 are Ryan Milhof (Collins Hill), Sean Russel (Collins Hill), and 2 timer Chip Ness (Buford). Bullard is a redshirt senior

Griffin English Griffin English age 21 of Jefferson City, TN, passed away on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Griffin earned a Karate first degree black belt prior to beginning his wrestling career at age 7-8. Griffin was a fierce grappler earning numerous accolades during competition in over 300 matches and was honored by his peers when selected as one of the Wrestling Team’s Captains his senior year. During 2017, Griffin graduated Magna Cum Laude (4.0+ GPA) from Jefferson County High School, Dandridge,TN. In 2019 he graduated Summa Cum Laude (4.0+ GPA) from Walter State Community College earning an Associate Degree. He was pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Tennessee.

Like how GA is right there with MI, MO, IN, Iowa and others. Now GA has watered it down in my opinion, but so has Alabama in a major way, and TN ties AL in national rankings

Amen!!

KY news... In the state's stronger region with UC HS Wrestling: KHSAA Regional Tournament By Aaron Hancock | March 13, 2021 at 11:03 PM CST - Updated March 13 at 11:32 PM MORGANFIELD, Ky. (WFIE) - Union County wrestling has long been the gold standard for wrestling in Kentucky. The Braves have won 12 state championships, including the last five consecutively! On Saturday, they began what they hoped would be another deep postseason run, in the first region tournament. The Braves were joined by 12 other schools, including Ohio County and Henderson County, who were vying to advance to next Saturday’s semistate tournament, in Owensboro. Below, are the results for all the individuals, by weight class. The top four in each, advance to state, next week: --FIRST REGION WRESTLING TOURNAMENT-- --106 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Jordyn Raney -- Union County 2nd Place - JaRi Campbell -- Christian County 3rd Place - Trushaun Matt -- Hopkinsville 4th Place - Logan Brown -- Caldwell County --113 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Colin Teutsch -- Caldwell County 2nd Place - Hunter Jenkins -- Union County 3rd Place - Holden Schneider -- Hopkinsville 4th Place - Barrett Fulton -- Ohio County --120 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Trayce Eckman -- Union County 2nd Place - Parker McKee -- McCracken County 3rd Place - Timothy Nichols -- Caldwell County 4th Place - Deameion Leavell -- Christian County --126 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Gage Fowler -- Christian County 2nd Place - Jayden Frazier -- Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Lucas Ricketts -- Union County 4th Place - Cofy Walls -- Caldwell County --132 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Eli Peyton -- Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Riley Johnson -- Caldwell County 3rd Place - Glenn Mayes -- Union County 4th Place - Hunter Hawthorne -- McCracken County --138 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Austin Grant-Hall -- Christian County 2nd Place - Keaton Elliott -- Calloway County 3rd Place - Gavin Ricketts -- Union County 4th Place - Jack James -- Paducah Tilghman --145 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Malachi Rider -- Paducah Tilghman 2nd Place - Mason Kellett -- Christian County 3rd Place - Ronald McGee -- Hopkinsville 4th Place - Caige Clark -- Ohio County --152 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Payne Carr -- Union County 2nd Place - David Conner -- Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Colton Smallwood -- McCracken County 4th Place - Ethan Futrell -- Calloway County --160 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Quinten Cox -- Union County 2nd Place - Seth Slayton -- Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Jacob Newby -- Christian County 4th Place - Jermaine Poynter -- Henderson County --170 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Dalton Russelburg -- Union County 2nd Place - Dylan Walls -- Caldwell County 3rd Place - Chistopher Mooney -- Paducah Tilghman 4th Place - Alex Schlei -- McCracken County --182 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Stephen Little -- Union County 2nd Place - Colin Walls -- Caldwell County 3rd Place - Nick Watters -- Calloway County 4th Place - Spencer Redwine -- Paducah Tilghman --195 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Oscar (J.T.) Adams -- Christian County 2nd Place - Paxton Ervin -- Union County 3rd Place - Timarian Bledsoe -- Calloway County 4th Place - Jimmy Mooney -- Paducah Tilghman --220 POUNDS-- 1st Place - Darius Moore -- Union County 2nd Place - Uriah Virzi -- Paducah Tilghman 3rd Place - Anthony (A.J.) Harvey -- Christian County 4th Place - Rance Hawkins -- Henderson County --285 POUNDS-- 1st Place - TyDarius Kelly -- Christian County 2nd Place - Andrew Pottle -- Ohio County 3rd Place - Davis Pike -- Union County 4th Place - Matthew Mooney -- Paducah Tilghman --TEAM RESULTS-- 1. Union County -- 275.0 2. Paducah Tilghman -- 215.0 3. Christian County -- 183.0 4. Caldwell County -- 138.5 5. McCracken County -- 90.5 6. Calloway County -- 76.5 7. Hopkinsville -- 62.5 8. Ohio County -- 59.0 9. Henderson County -- 44.0 10. Trigg County -- 35.5 11. Fort Campbell -- 0 11. Fulton City -- 0 11. Mayfield -- 0 __________________ After three years of waiting, perseverance pays off for Union County's Quinten Cox Kevin Patton Henderson Gleaner MORGANFIELD, Ky. – Quinten Cox spent his first three years of high school watching his teammates win regional and state championships and wondering if his time would ever come. After fighting off thoughts of giving up, Cox broke into the lineup for his senior season and claimed an individual regional championship in Saturday’s First Region wrestling tournament at Union County High School. In previous years, Cox found himself behind two-time state champion Dalton Russelburg and state runner-up Trevor Pogue in the Braves' lineup. “I’ve been behind state champs or state runners-up every year,” said Cox, who pinned Paducah Tilghman’s Seth Slayton in 2:45 to win the 162-pound title. More:Union County shatters scoring record in winning fifth straight state championship He put in just as much practice as everyone else, but when time for the matches came Cox was watching from the stands. “I thought about quitting a couple of times because I was just sitting there,” he said. “Not being able to make a team that you’re working so hard for is super frustrating.” Many other athletes in Cox’s situation would have moved on. “You don’t want to sit around and watch other people, especially when you are what most people consider really good,” he said. “There was a time I was thinking, ‘I may never get to see the lineup.’” Ultimately it was the brotherhood of the team that kept Cox going, even if it meant his day would never come. “(I stayed because of) the team, the guys on the team, Coach Robert (Ervin). Everybody out there is like a brother. We’re all such good friends. That’s something I wanted to stick with through high school,” he said. “He just persevered and stayed with it,” Union County coach Robert Ervin said. “We always told him, ‘This is your shot. You’ve worked for so long and so hard to get here.’” Facing off with the better wrestlers every day in practice also helped Cox emerge as the top-ranked wrestler in the region and No. 6 in the state. “I was getting to wrestle the toughest guys in the state for three years,” he said. Ideally, Cox would be in the 152 class but is instead competing in a heavier division. “He’s really about a 152-pounder. He weighs 158 soaking wet,” Ervin said. “He’s really, really strong and an unbelievable athlete.” Even though this is his first year in the lineup, Cox’s success was not a surprise to him or the coaches. “We figured he would be our secret weapon. Not a lot of people knew him because he hadn’t had that opportunity,” Ervin said. “I did feel like (winning a region title) was a definite possibility,” Cox said. It became a reality because he didn’t give in to the thought of quitting. “He could have (quit), but he didn’t,” Ervin said. “That’s impressive.” Seven region champs Cox was one of seven individual region champions for Union County, which won its 18th straight region team title with 275 points. Paducah Tilghman was the runner-up with 215. Seventh-grader Jordyn Raney improved to 26-0 with all 26 victories by pin as he won the title at 106 pounds. Raney, who is ranked second in the state, pinned all three of his opponents Saturday, including Christian County’s JaRi Campbell in 1:07 in the final. Defending state champion Trayce Eckman remained unbeaten as he won the title at 120. Eckman, who is ranked first in the state, beat McCracken County’s Parker McGee 20-4 in the final. Payne Carr, who is ranked second in the state, won the 152-pound title by forfeit. Russelburg, who is ranked third in the state, beat No. 2 Dylan Walls of Caldwell County 8-3 in the 170-pound final. Defending state champion Stephen Little, who is ranked first in the state, won both of his matches at 182 pounds by pin, including a 10-second victory in the semifinals and a win over Caldwell County’s Colin Walls in 3:35 in the final. Darius Moore came back from a 3-0 deficit to force overtime and beat top-ranked Uriah Virzi of Paducah Tilghman 5-3 in the 220-pound final. 13 state qualifiers Union County had six other wrestler qualify for the opening round of the state tournament by finishing in the top four in the region – Hunter Jenkins, second at 113; Lucas Ricketts, third at 126; Glenn Mayes, third at 132; Gavin Ricketts, third at 138; Paxton Ervin second at 195 and Davis Pike third at 285. Jake Dowdy finished fifth at 145 pounds. More:Which teams will advance to the Second Region basketball tournaments? Cols have two qualifiers Henderson County had two wrestlers qualify for the state meet – J.J. Poynter, who finished fourth at 160 pounds; and Rance Hawkins, who was fourth at 220 pounds. Heavyweight Conner Lander and Andrew Galbraith at 106 pounds finished sixth in their classes. Because of restrictions caused by the COVID pandemic, the KHSAA has altered the state tournament format for this year and added a semi-state round. The four qualifiers from each weight class in Regions One and Two will compete March 20 at Apollo High School in Owensboro. The top two finishers from each semi-state will advance to the final round of the state tournament March 27 at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester. Points earned in the first round will carry over to the

Fairview High Wrestler Brings Home State Championship From WCS inFocus By Williamson Source - March 7, 2021 from WCS Fairview High’s Riley Bennett is ending his senior year with a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Class A-AA wrestling state championship. The TSSAA wrestling state tournament took place February 24-26 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and included Class A-AA, Class AAA, and Girls divisions. Riley, who competed in the 145-pound weight class, took down Josh Parton from Pigeon Forge High to secure his title. In addition to the first place medal, Riley was also named the division’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. “Riley has been a leader in this group of young men since the first day he walked through the gym doors,” said FVHS wrestling coach James Derrick. “His peers and teammates have grown by being around Riley the last four years. He is a man of character who is always humble and respectful in and out of the arena.” In addition to Riley’s state title, Fairview High also earned fourth place for the overall team score in the Class A-AA division. Nolensville High placed seventh overall in the same division. Summit High’s team placed fifth overall in the Class AAA division. In the Girls division, Independence High earned sixth place for team score. Dozens of other Williamson County Schools wrestlers earned individual medals during the tournament. Those student-athletes are listed below. Class A-AA Results Weight Class 106 Fourth: Sam Frank, Fairview High Sixth: Payton Bures, Nolensville High Weight Class 120 Fifth: Keegan Seaver Weight Class 126 Third: Dakota Pattee, Nolensville High Fifth: Jeffrey Anderson, Fairview High Weight Class 132 Sixth: Riley Lippincott, Nolensville High Weight Class 145 First: Riley Bennett, Fairview High Weight Class 152 Fifth: Tate Crowell, Nolensville High Weight Class 160 Second: Malachi Bennett, Fairview High Weight Class 170 Fourth: Zach Sinner, Nolensville High Weight Class 182 Second: Kendrick Curtis, Fairview High Sixth: Hayden Sinner, Nolensville High Weight Class 195 Third: Nathan Montpool, Nolensville High Fourth: Arie Donaldson, Fairview High Weight Class 285 Second: Jacob Clevenger, Fairview High Class AAA Results Weight Class 106 Third: Russell Ford, Independence High Sixth: Zach Ordonez, Brentwood High Weight Class 113 Sixth: Owen Gobel, Franklin High Weight Class 120 Third: Jackson Masters, Summit High Weight Class 126 Sixth: Jusin Noll, SHS Weight Class 132 Sixth: Landon Desselle, Summit High Weight Class 138 Fifth: Austin Noll, Summit High Weight Class 152 Sixth: Finley Jameson, Summit High Weight Class 170 Sixth: Luke Justice, Summit High Weight Class 220 Fifth: Mitchell Lambert, Page High Girls Results Weight Class 103 Third: Rylee Lent, Independence High Fifth: Nevaeh Brinson, Summit High Weight Class 112 Sixth: Livia Kelingos-Spain, Fairview High Weight Class 125 Second: Baylee Peterson, Independence High Weight Class 132 Fourth: Erica Moore, Brentwood High Weight Class 140 Third: Brooklyn Long, Independence High ....Way to go Pete Miller and crew, working those consols Soms

Or Union Co Ky

I know why it left. But centrality in the state is not worth the value and importance Chattanooga puts on the state wrestling tournament. It's a level of 'big-time event' the participants and the TSSAA can't get from Ag Expo shed that happens to be closer to Jackson. Here's more on the story from TFP preps ace Patrick MacCoon. Chattanooga Times Free Press The return of state championship high school wrestling to Chattanooga did not ... The support of the Chattanooga wrestling community as a whole was outstanding. ... for the wrestling tournament at the same time in my tenure," Reeves said. ... Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/columns/story/2021/mar/05/5--10-friday-mailbag-ut-coaching-talk-cancel-culture-and-my-case-be-college-football-czar/542743/ ____________ King College men's wrestling... Williams signed his letter of intent Thursday to wrestle at King University in the fall. Williams has four second place finishes in the Piedmont District wrestling championship, and has qualified for the VHSL Class 2 state tournament the last two seasons. He finished third in the state in the 160 pound weight class this season. King University, an NCAA Division II school in Bristol, Tennessee, is 5-4 this season and finished seventh in the NCAA Super Region Championships last weekend. “They have a really good wrestling program,” Williams said at Thursday’s ceremony. “I emailed the coach and that’s how it kind of all got started. “It’s a beautiful campus. They have a really good math and science program and it’s small. It’s very individual.” Williams said he plans to study something in math or science. “It’s just kind of making a decision for what I’m going to do for the next four years,” he said. https://martinsvillebulletin.com/area-roundup-patrick-countys-darious-williams-signs-to-king-college-wrestling-team-pcs-belcher-and/article_adb6978e-7d47-11eb-91f7-7fffcca98bad.html

Wilson Post... WRESTLING: Borders & Love win state titles Staff Reports Mar 5, 2021 Updated 12 hrs ago Wilson Central's Hunter Borders (left) and Green Hill grappler Dominic Love Tommy Bryan & Steve Wampler 14 locals earn medals - CHATTANOOGA – Two of Wilson County's 21 entrants in the 2021 TSSAA state wrestling tournament came home with championships after a long Friday, Feb 26 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Wilson Central's Hunter Borders repeated as the Class AAA state champ at 120 pounds, earning the senior a third crown in four years. Green Hill's Dominic Love pinned Beech High's Donovan Rich in 3:57 to win the 195-point championship – the inaugural state title for Wilson County's newest high school. Undefeated over the past two seasons (48-0 in 2021 and 57-0 in 2020) Borders won the 113-pound state title as a ninth grader in 2018 and 2020. He finished second in 2019. Moving up to 120 this season meant he was usually smaller than his opponents. “I just had to keep battling and training,” Borders said. “I was in the wrestling room nonstop – like five days a week all year.” He ended his prep career with a 3-2 win over Cleveland's Arlo Laxton in the 120-pound title bout – most likely the last time he will don wrestling attire. “I'm going to UT (Knoxville) to study business,” Borders said. “I talked to a few colleges, Cumberland and Campbellsville and a couple more, but I've decided I'm done.” Last season as a junior, Love finished fifth at 195 pounds while wrestling for Mt. Juliet High. He had the option to stay at MJHS but decided to move to Green Hill because he had younger sisters who were zoned to the new school. Love was greeted with a standing ovation during a Region 5-AAA playoff game at Green Hill. Twelve other locals medal A-AA 120 third place match -- Watertown senior Gregory Mech paz (24-2) decision over Signal Mountain's Noah Shriner 8-7. DII 126 fifth place match -- Friendship Christian sophomore Chase Eakes (38-6) decision over Drake Bowers of Christian Brothers 7-0. DII 132 fifth place match -- Friendship Christian freshman Tyler Wolcott decision over Carson Smith of Brentwood Academy 7-3. AAA 113 fifth place match -- Wilson Central sophomore Nicholas Mercante (45-5) decision over Franklin High's Owen Gobel Dec 6-0. AAA 132 third place match -- Rossview's Samuel Shires pin at 4:19 over Wilson Central High sophomore Riley Fort (41-7). AAA 138 third place match -- Wilson Central senior Alan Fort (41-7) over Ethan Hylton of David Crockett 6-2. AAA 145 third place match -- Wilson Central junior Steven Fisak (44-6) pinned Bradley Central's Anthony Lynn at 1:00. AAA 152 third place match -- Cleveland's Robert Laxton 4-3 decision over Lebanon's Eli Clemmons (26-2). AAA 160 fifth place match -- Wilson Central junior Brady Jarvis (41-12) scored a 4-0 decision over Lebanon senior Ryan Wood (14-4). AAA 170 third place match -- Mt. Juliet junior Anthony Pyron (31-6) a 13-8 decision over Clint Morrisette of Dobyns Bennett. AAA 220 first place match -- Cleveland's Ashton Davis pin at 5:12 over Wilson Central sophomore Noah Todd (44-5). AAA 285 fifth place match -- Oakland's Graham Keating takes a 2-1 decision over Wilson Central senior Jesse Richardson (28-5). ____________ Chattanooga Times-Free Press reports... Chattanooga's success hosting state wrestling could bring tournaments back March 4th, 2021 | by Patrick MacCoon | Copyright © 2021 Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / McCallie's Alex Whitworth, right, stares at Battle Ground Academy's Jack Revere just before the start of their 170-pound final in the TSSAA Division II state traditional tournament Feb. 25 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Whitworth won 19-3 to become a five-time individual state champion. The return of state championship high school wrestling to Chattanooga did not disappoint. Area athletes accounted for 17 individual titles, Baylor and Cleveland were the top teams in two of the three divisions — with Signal Mountain the runner-up in the other — and the TSSAA's traditional tournaments had a smooth three-day run last week at the Chattanooga Convention Center. That last point mattered as much to the rest of the state as the Scenic City and the surrounding area. "We knew from the beginning of the season it was going to be very challenging for our winter sports due to COVID-19," said Mark Reeves, a TSSAA assistant executive director who oversees wrestling. "To be able to see those kids walk off the mat with smiles on their faces was everything. It was a glorious week to be had by all who love this sport. The support of the Chattanooga wrestling community as a whole was outstanding." Tickets sold out rather quickly for all three days as nearly 2,000 people were in attendance over the course of the event, which had not been held in Chattanooga in more than a decade but, after a successful return, could be back again next season. Along with the Chattanooga Convention Center, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena and the Williamson County Ag Expo Park — which had settled into a longtime role as host but was being used as a COVID-19 testing center this winter — are all possible sites for next year's competition. "We haven't had two entities bidding for the wrestling tournament at the same time in my tenure," Reeves said. "If that's the case, then we will have to decide if we put that out for bid or do we select one. That will have to be decided pretty quickly because an event like this takes a lot of time to plan." Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / The crowd cheers after Signal Mountain's Ethan Uhorchuk, right, pinned Gibbs' Porter Finstad in the 106-pound final during the TSSAA Class A/AA state traditional tournament Feb. 24 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Local programs produced multiple highlights last week, including McCallie 170-pounder Alex Whitworth becoming the third five-time TSSAA individual champion from Chattanooga over the past decade. The future Harvard wrestler joined the exclusive club with McCallie's T.J. Duncan (2007-11) and Baylor's Zach Watson (2008-12), who went on to wrestle at Maryland and Virginia, respectively. All three five-time champs were coached by Matt Pitts, a McCallie assistant and former UTC wrestler whose first job out of college was at Baylor. "They are all different in their own way, but they all had the same drive as fierce competitors," Pitts said. "They started wrestling at a young age and were ready to go. They didn't talk about winning state all five years, but I could tell it was a goal for all of them. All three also have great families and made a lot of sacrifices for the boys. They all wanted to do it and to be the best." Whitworth has trained for 10 years with Pitts, who opened Grindhouse Wrestling School in Calhoun in 2011. Pitts said Whitworth is one of the most dominant wrestlers from the top position he has ever coached. "Alex is a load," said Pitts, who believes his coaching benefited from working with Whitworth. "He could get even bigger in college and is really going to shine with the way college wrestling points work. He is very smart, and the gears are always turning. He's a tremendous student of the sport. Like the other two, he goes out there to dominate when he wrestles. "I can't wait to watch him for the next several years. I truly believe he could be starting as just a freshman, and that's very tough to do." Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon. ________________ I wonder... ...on the venue... My vote IF I had one, WHO will ultimately put wrestling first and not allow politics, $$$$ and convenience interfere with the wrestlers having the most memorable wrestling experience in their high school career. Soms

In case you missed this 2020-2021 finals article... Fairview wins TN dual wrestling title, finishes fourth in individual championship By Biff Curtis Special to The Fairview Observer USA TODAY NETWORK — TENNESSEE Eight years ago, a group of parents and practice-weary Fairview Titans Youth football players gathered to listen to Coach James “Bubba” Derrick explain how wrestling would make them better football players, better athletes, and better people. He had a vision to grow the Fairview High School wrestling program. Those young athletes listened to Derrick and the hard work since that day culminated with Fairview winning its first state championship. The Yellow Jackets defeated Pigeon Forge 39-36 to win the TSSAA Class A/AA Dual Championship on Feb. 6 at Nolensville High School. The following Fairview athletes were among the standouts that Derrick convinced with his message years ago: Riley Bennett, Jacob Clevenger, Blake Mitchell, Malachi Bennett, Kendrick Curtis, Sam Hammon, Brody Cox and Marco Pukl. “This is huge for our kids and our program, huge for our school and Administration, huge for our county and huge for the Fairview community. We made history today, but we also cemented the future of wrestling in our town,” Derrick said. “I love our kids. They are a mature group of young athletes who have learned that this sport prepares them for life and that when they put their toe on that red or green line, they represent more than themselves. I could not be more proud right now.” The semifinals featured the No. 2 seed Fairview against the No. 3 seed Hixson and No. 1 seed and back-to-back State Champions, Pigeon Forge, against the No. 4 seed Signal Mountain. Heavyweight The match of the dual semifinal was in the heavyweight class. The Yellow Jackets sent out Jacob Clevenger, who weighed in at 208 lbs, to battle with Landon Moore (13-1) who outweighed him by over 80 lbs. During the back-and-forth match, Moore took a 11-9 lead. Derrick immediately had Clevenger allow his opponent back to his feet knowing that his wrestler could tie it up with another takedown. However, Clevenger, exhausted, was slow to return to center and was hit with a 1-point stall call extending Moore’s lead to 3. With 1 minute left in the match, both wrestlers returned to the center of the mat in neutral. Clevenger scored a quick takedown, Moore a quick escape, and Clevenger with another quick takedown knotting the bout at 13-13 with :47 left. Clevenger now in the top position, was just too exhausted to hold his much larger opponent down and with :25 seconds left Moore recorded the escape and a 1-point lead. In desperation, Clevenger worked for a doubled leg takedown with :14 seconds left, Moore had a tight body lock around his smaller opponent and tried to flip him over his head, Clevenger landed in an advantageous position, with Moore still on his back and Clevenger facing away from his opponent's head with both arms locked up, he dug deep, squeezed tightly, and leaned back pinning Moore with just :03 left on the clock. Overall, Fairview defeated Hixson 44-31 in the first semifinal. · 132 - Caleb Miller (Hixson) over Jeffery Anderson (Fairview) Maj 15-7 · 138 - Riley Bennett (Fairview) over Cole Shackleford (Hixson) Fall 0:55 · 145 - Bradley Woodall (Hixson) over Mathew Cox (Fairview) Fall 3:34 · 152 - Blake Mitchell (Fairview) over Jonas Vandergriff (Hixson) Fall 1:55 · 160 - Malachi Bennett (Fairview) over Kobie Smith (Hixson) Dec 8-3 · 170 - Jacob Derrick (Fairview) over Barrett Seldon (Hixson) Fall 1:58 · 182 - Marco Pukl (Fairview) over Maddox Gilkey (Hixson) Fall 0:28 · 195 - Kendrick Curtis (Fairview) over Logan Woodall (Hixson) TF 18-2 · 220 - Parrish Pacetti (Hixson) over Sam Hammon (Fairview) Fall 1:40 · 285 - Jacob Clevenger (Fairview) over Landon Moore (Hixson) Fall 5:58 · 106 - JuJuan McCrary (Hixson) over Sam Frank (Fairview) Dec 7-2 · 113 - Josh Helm (Fairview) over Grant Finch (Hixson) Fall 0:36 · 120 - Jase Moses (Hixson) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf · 126 - Trevor Lewis (Hixson) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf Dual Championship vs. Pigeon Forge Pigeon Forge defeated Signal Mountain 42-33 in the other semifinal dual setting up a rematch of last year’s State Championship Dual. In the championship, Bennett was also the first to toe the line for the Jackets and made quick work of his opponent for his second pin of the day. Fellow Senior Brody Cox stepped up to the mat next to take on a well-seasoned, #2 ranked opponent. Cox battled like the true warrior he is staving off attack after attack to lose small and only give up 4 team points. The Jackets gave up 6 at 152 and Pigeon Forge took a 10-6 lead. The coaching strategy now came into play as Derrick and his staff agreed the best option for winning big and losing small was to bump all of his remaining wrestlers up a weight class. Junior standout and returning State Placer Blake Mitchell bumped up to 160 lbs and quickly pinned his opponent, explosive Sophomore Malachi Bennett bumped up to 170 lbs and majored his opponent, and Marco Pukl wrestled up to 182, narrowly losing in Sudden Victory to lose only 3 team points maintaining Fairview’s lead 16-13. Kendrick Curtis bumped up to 195 and suffered only his second loss of the season giving up the pin halfway through the third period, and the weight difference was also too much for Taz Donaldson to overcome at the 220lb weight class, getting pinned by his No. 2 ranked opponent. With these two losses, the Jackets were now down 25-16 heading into Heavyweight. Again, the Jackets Coaches asked Clevenger to toe the line, but this time against the No. 1 ranked Heavyweight in the state. This was another epic battle where Clevenger gave up nearly 80 pounds and 6 inches in height to his opponent. This match was filled with underhooks, throws, body locks and clenching from neutral. Clevenger again fought off adversity and made it to the 3rd period, taking advantage of his own conditioning and stamina he was able to overcome a throw attempt from his weary opponent, landing on top of him and finishing off the match with a pin. Freshman standout Sam Frank pinned his opponent at 106 lbs giving the Jackets a narrow lead 28-25. The Jackets gave up 6 at 113, but a celebration by the Pigeon Forge wrestler cost them a team point for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Sophomore Keegan Seaver was able to secure 5 more for the Jackets at 120. The score was now 34-31 Jackets with just two bouts left. Fairview’s Jeffery Anderson has been a solid competitor all season for the Jackets and faced a No. 1 ranked opponent. He found himself down 8-2 after the first period, but knew he had a chance to come back. However, shortly into the second period, his opponent illegally returned him to the mat with a trapped arm landing him hard on his head and shoulder. After an evaluation by trainers, he was unable to continue giving Fairview the 6 points due to the illegal slam. Fairview defeated Pigeon Forge 39-36 · 138 - Riley Bennett (Fairview) over Colin Gray (Pigeon Forge) Fall 3:00 · 145 - Josh Parton (Pigeon Forge) over Mathew Cox (Fairview) Maj 10-2 · 152 - Garrett Foreman (Pigeon Forge) over John Spicer (Fairview) Fall 2:40 · 160 - Blake Mitchell (Fairview) over Aiden Littles (Pigeon Forge) Fall 1:12 · 170 - Malachi Bennett (Fairview) over Khumovn Sattorov (Pigeon Forge) Maj 15-4 · 182 - Joseph Skidmore (Pigeon Forge) over Marco Pukl (Fairview) SV-1 7-5 · 195 - Ethan Sutton (Pigeon Forge) over Kendrick Curtis (Fairview) Fall 5:17 · 220 - Caleb Wolfe (Pigeon Forge) over Arie Donaldson (Fairview) Fall 0:16 · 285 - Jacob Clevenger (Fairview) over Mustafi Algarawi (Pigeon Forge) Fall 4:49 · 106 - Sam Frank (Fairview) over Samuel Hadder (Pigeon Forge) Fall 2:16 · 113 - Hunter Gentry (Pigeon Forge) over Josh Helm (Fairview) Fall 3:09 · 120 - Keegan Seaver (Fairview) over James Justice (Pigeon Forge) TF 25-9 · 126 - Jeffery Anderson (Fairview) over Andy Cable (Pigeon Forge) Inj 2:12 · 132 - Noah Dyer (Pigeon Forge) over Mathew Blaylock (Fairview) Fall 3:31 · Pigeon Forge's team score was adjusted by -1.0 for unsportsmanlike 113 Fairview finishes fourth in individual championships Twelve Jackets took to the mats one last time for their 2020-2021 season at the TSSAA Individual Class A/AA State Championships Feb. 24 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Riley Bennett, the senior and three-time state runner up, led five junior teammates, five sophomore teammates, and a freshman teammate into a strong field that featured two nationally ranked wrestlers and some of the best wrestlers in the state across all divisions. Sam Frank (106 lbs), the lone Yellow Jacket freshman to qualify for the state championships, won his first two matches and advancing to the semifinals where he dropped his first match to No. 1 ranked and eventual State Champion, Ethan Uhorchuk. He fought back to place fourth overall in the state. Keegan Seaver (120lbs), a Fairview sophomore, pinned his first opponent in :16, but lost a very close 8-6 decision to eventual state finalist, Spencer Reep, in the quarterfinals. He won his next two matches on the consolation side of the bracket, dropped another match by 2 points, and finished with a win by decision to place fifth. Jeffrey Anderson (126lbs), sophomore, won his first two matches to advance to the semifinals where he lost to the eventual state champion, Daniel Uhorchuk. He battled to a 5th/6th placement bout, where he was illegally returned to the mat knocking him out momentarily causing him to be wheeled out on a stretcher for further evaluation. Due to the illegal nature of the slam, Jeffrey was awarded the victory and captured a fifth place finish. Taz Donaldson (195lbs), junior, battled his way to a semifinals appearance where he met with his first defeat of the tournament. He won the consolation semifinals before dropping his last match landing him in 4th place. For the first time in Fairview High School history, the Jackets had four wrestlers earn their way to the state finals: Malachi Bennett (160lbs), sophomore, won his first three matches with a Fall and two Major Decisions to reach the finals where he squared off with a Nationally ranked hammer from Greeneville, Kodiak Cannedy. Malachi came up short in this match to finish as State Runner Up. Bennett is now a two-time State Placer after finishing 3rd last year. Kendrick Curtis (182lbs), sophomore, defeated his first three opponents with 2 wins by all and one major decision. He met returning State Champion, Noah Hill from Forrest, in the finals. Curtis jumped out to an early lead, but eventually lost by an 8-4 decision earning a 2nd place finish. Curtis is also a two-time state placer after finishing 4th last year. Jacob Clevenger (heavyweight), junior, used a combination of speed and strength to pin his first three opponents. In the finals, he had a rematch from the TSSAA State Dual Championships with Mustafi Algarawi from Pigeon Forge whom he beat with a 3rd period Fall. However, history did not repeat itself and Algarawi was able to pull ahead with a late takedown to win 5-4 landing Clevenger in 2nd place. Clevenger is a three-time State Placer after finishing 5th his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. Fairview adds another Individual State Champion to their resume: Riley Bennett (145), senior, was on a mission after being runner up the last three times in the individual state championships. He won by fall over his first opponent to advance to the quarterfinals where he met John Pittman of Gibbs. The two wrestlers matched up very well, but Bennett was up for the challenge securing a 6-3 decision in what would be his toughest match of the tournament. In the semifinals, he faced Brody Mclemore from Eagleville. Bennett won takedowns when needed while managing his effort and saving some gas in the tank for his finals match. In the finals, Bennett wrestled Josh Parton from Pigeon Forge. Bennett was able to secure a few takedowns early before he and Parton collided on a shot causing Parton’s nose to bleed. Twice the match had to be stopped to rewrap Parton’s face, which was done to hold the gauze in his nostrils, and to clean up blood. Bennett continued to wrestle hard, working an arm bar in. Just as he was about to turn Parton to his back, Parton’s father came out of the crowd and onto the mat and forfeited the match for his son. Other Fairview state qualifiers Josh Helm (113lbs), Sophomore Blake Mitchell (152lbs), Junior Marco Pukl (170lbs), Junior Sam Hammon (220lbs), Junior

In case you missed this 2020-2021 finals article... Fairview wins TN dual wrestling title, finishes fourth in individual championship By Biff Curtis Special to The Fairview Observer USA TODAY NETWORK — TENNESSEE Eight years ago, a group of parents and practice-weary Fairview Titans Youth football players gathered to listen to Coach James “Bubba” Derrick explain how wrestling would make them better football players, better athletes, and better people. He had a vision to grow the Fairview High School wrestling program. Those young athletes listened to Derrick and the hard work since that day culminated with Fairview winning its first state championship. The Yellow Jackets defeated Pigeon Forge 39-36 to win the TSSAA Class A/AA Dual Championship on Feb. 6 at Nolensville High School. The following Fairview athletes were among the standouts that Derrick convinced with his message years ago: Riley Bennett, Jacob Clevenger, Blake Mitchell, Malachi Bennett, Kendrick Curtis, Sam Hammon, Brody Cox and Marco Pukl. “This is huge for our kids and our program, huge for our school and Administration, huge for our county and huge for the Fairview community. We made history today, but we also cemented the future of wrestling in our town,” Derrick said. “I love our kids. They are a mature group of young athletes who have learned that this sport prepares them for life and that when they put their toe on that red or green line, they represent more than themselves. I could not be more proud right now.” The semifinals featured the No. 2 seed Fairview against the No. 3 seed Hixson and No. 1 seed and back-to-back State Champions, Pigeon Forge, against the No. 4 seed Signal Mountain. Heavyweight The match of the dual semifinal was in the heavyweight class. The Yellow Jackets sent out Jacob Clevenger, who weighed in at 208 lbs, to battle with Landon Moore (13-1) who outweighed him by over 80 lbs. During the back-and-forth match, Moore took a 11-9 lead. Derrick immediately had Clevenger allow his opponent back to his feet knowing that his wrestler could tie it up with another takedown. However, Clevenger, exhausted, was slow to return to center and was hit with a 1-point stall call extending Moore’s lead to 3. With 1 minute left in the match, both wrestlers returned to the center of the mat in neutral. Clevenger scored a quick takedown, Moore a quick escape, and Clevenger with another quick takedown knotting the bout at 13-13 with :47 left. Clevenger now in the top position, was just too exhausted to hold his much larger opponent down and with :25 seconds left Moore recorded the escape and a 1-point lead. In desperation, Clevenger worked for a doubled leg takedown with :14 seconds left, Moore had a tight body lock around his smaller opponent and tried to flip him over his head, Clevenger landed in an advantageous position, with Moore still on his back and Clevenger facing away from his opponent's head with both arms locked up, he dug deep, squeezed tightly, and leaned back pinning Moore with just :03 left on the clock. Overall, Fairview defeated Hixson 44-31 in the first semifinal. · 132 - Caleb Miller (Hixson) over Jeffery Anderson (Fairview) Maj 15-7 · 138 - Riley Bennett (Fairview) over Cole Shackleford (Hixson) Fall 0:55 · 145 - Bradley Woodall (Hixson) over Mathew Cox (Fairview) Fall 3:34 · 152 - Blake Mitchell (Fairview) over Jonas Vandergriff (Hixson) Fall 1:55 · 160 - Malachi Bennett (Fairview) over Kobie Smith (Hixson) Dec 8-3 · 170 - Jacob Derrick (Fairview) over Barrett Seldon (Hixson) Fall 1:58 · 182 - Marco Pukl (Fairview) over Maddox Gilkey (Hixson) Fall 0:28 · 195 - Kendrick Curtis (Fairview) over Logan Woodall (Hixson) TF 18-2 · 220 - Parrish Pacetti (Hixson) over Sam Hammon (Fairview) Fall 1:40 · 285 - Jacob Clevenger (Fairview) over Landon Moore (Hixson) Fall 5:58 · 106 - JuJuan McCrary (Hixson) over Sam Frank (Fairview) Dec 7-2 · 113 - Josh Helm (Fairview) over Grant Finch (Hixson) Fall 0:36 · 120 - Jase Moses (Hixson) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf · 126 - Trevor Lewis (Hixson) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf Dual Championship vs. Pigeon Forge Pigeon Forge defeated Signal Mountain 42-33 in the other semifinal dual setting up a rematch of last year’s State Championship Dual. In the championship, Bennett was also the first to toe the line for the Jackets and made quick work of his opponent for his second pin of the day. Fellow Senior Brody Cox stepped up to the mat next to take on a well-seasoned, #2 ranked opponent. Cox battled like the true warrior he is staving off attack after attack to lose small and only give up 4 team points. The Jackets gave up 6 at 152 and Pigeon Forge took a 10-6 lead. The coaching strategy now came into play as Derrick and his staff agreed the best option for winning big and losing small was to bump all of his remaining wrestlers up a weight class. Junior standout and returning State Placer Blake Mitchell bumped up to 160 lbs and quickly pinned his opponent, explosive Sophomore Malachi Bennett bumped up to 170 lbs and majored his opponent, and Marco Pukl wrestled up to 182, narrowly losing in Sudden Victory to lose only 3 team points maintaining Fairview’s lead 16-13. Kendrick Curtis bumped up to 195 and suffered only his second loss of the season giving up the pin halfway through the third period, and the weight difference was also too much for Taz Donaldson to overcome at the 220lb weight class, getting pinned by his No. 2 ranked opponent. With these two losses, the Jackets were now down 25-16 heading into Heavyweight. Again, the Jackets Coaches asked Clevenger to toe the line, but this time against the No. 1 ranked Heavyweight in the state. This was another epic battle where Clevenger gave up nearly 80 pounds and 6 inches in height to his opponent. This match was filled with underhooks, throws, body locks and clenching from neutral. Clevenger again fought off adversity and made it to the 3rd period, taking advantage of his own conditioning and stamina he was able to overcome a throw attempt from his weary opponent, landing on top of him and finishing off the match with a pin. Freshman standout Sam Frank pinned his opponent at 106 lbs giving the Jackets a narrow lead 28-25. The Jackets gave up 6 at 113, but a celebration by the Pigeon Forge wrestler cost them a team point for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Sophomore Keegan Seaver was able to secure 5 more for the Jackets at 120. The score was now 34-31 Jackets with just two bouts left. Fairview’s Jeffery Anderson has been a solid competitor all season for the Jackets and faced a No. 1 ranked opponent. He found himself down 8-2 after the first period, but knew he had a chance to come back. However, shortly into the second period, his opponent illegally returned him to the mat with a trapped arm landing him hard on his head and shoulder. After an evaluation by trainers, he was unable to continue giving Fairview the 6 points due to the illegal slam. Fairview defeated Pigeon Forge 39-36 · 138 - Riley Bennett (Fairview) over Colin Gray (Pigeon Forge) Fall 3:00 · 145 - Josh Parton (Pigeon Forge) over Mathew Cox (Fairview) Maj 10-2 · 152 - Garrett Foreman (Pigeon Forge) over John Spicer (Fairview) Fall 2:40 · 160 - Blake Mitchell (Fairview) over Aiden Littles (Pigeon Forge) Fall 1:12 · 170 - Malachi Bennett (Fairview) over Khumovn Sattorov (Pigeon Forge) Maj 15-4 · 182 - Joseph Skidmore (Pigeon Forge) over Marco Pukl (Fairview) SV-1 7-5 · 195 - Ethan Sutton (Pigeon Forge) over Kendrick Curtis (Fairview) Fall 5:17 · 220 - Caleb Wolfe (Pigeon Forge) over Arie Donaldson (Fairview) Fall 0:16 · 285 - Jacob Clevenger (Fairview) over Mustafi Algarawi (Pigeon Forge) Fall 4:49 · 106 - Sam Frank (Fairview) over Samuel Hadder (Pigeon Forge) Fall 2:16 · 113 - Hunter Gentry (Pigeon Forge) over Josh Helm (Fairview) Fall 3:09 · 120 - Keegan Seaver (Fairview) over James Justice (Pigeon Forge) TF 25-9 · 126 - Jeffery Anderson (Fairview) over Andy Cable (Pigeon Forge) Inj 2:12 · 132 - Noah Dyer (Pigeon Forge) over Mathew Blaylock (Fairview) Fall 3:31 · Pigeon Forge's team score was adjusted by -1.0 for unsportsmanlike 113 Fairview finishes fourth in individual championships Twelve Jackets took to the mats one last time for their 2020-2021 season at the TSSAA Individual Class A/AA State Championships Feb. 24 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Riley Bennett, the senior and three-time state runner up, led five junior teammates, five sophomore teammates, and a freshman teammate into a strong field that featured two nationally ranked wrestlers and some of the best wrestlers in the state across all divisions. Sam Frank (106 lbs), the lone Yellow Jacket freshman to qualify for the state championships, won his first two matches and advancing to the semifinals where he dropped his first match to No. 1 ranked and eventual State Champion, Ethan Uhorchuk. He fought back to place fourth overall in the state. Keegan Seaver (120lbs), a Fairview sophomore, pinned his first opponent in :16, but lost a very close 8-6 decision to eventual state finalist, Spencer Reep, in the quarterfinals. He won his next two matches on the consolation side of the bracket, dropped another match by 2 points, and finished with a win by decision to place fifth. Jeffrey Anderson (126lbs), sophomore, won his first two matches to advance to the semifinals where he lost to the eventual state champion, Daniel Uhorchuk. He battled to a 5th/6th placement bout, where he was illegally returned to the mat knocking him out momentarily causing him to be wheeled out on a stretcher for further evaluation. Due to the illegal nature of the slam, Jeffrey was awarded the victory and captured a fifth place finish. Taz Donaldson (195lbs), junior, battled his way to a semifinals appearance where he met with his first defeat of the tournament. He won the consolation semifinals before dropping his last match landing him in 4th place. For the first time in Fairview High School history, the Jackets had four wrestlers earn their way to the state finals: Malachi Bennett (160lbs), sophomore, won his first three matches with a Fall and two Major Decisions to reach the finals where he squared off with a Nationally ranked hammer from Greeneville, Kodiak Cannedy. Malachi came up short in this match to finish as State Runner Up. Bennett is now a two-time State Placer after finishing 3rd last year. Kendrick Curtis (182lbs), sophomore, defeated his first three opponents with 2 wins by all and one major decision. He met returning State Champion, Noah Hill from Forrest, in the finals. Curtis jumped out to an early lead, but eventually lost by an 8-4 decision earning a 2nd place finish. Curtis is also a two-time state placer after finishing 4th last year. Jacob Clevenger (heavyweight), junior, used a combination of speed and strength to pin his first three opponents. In the finals, he had a rematch from the TSSAA State Dual Championships with Mustafi Algarawi from Pigeon Forge whom he beat with a 3rd period Fall. However, history did not repeat itself and Algarawi was able to pull ahead with a late takedown to win 5-4 landing Clevenger in 2nd place. Clevenger is a three-time State Placer after finishing 5th his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. Fairview adds another Individual State Champion to their resume: Riley Bennett (145), senior, was on a mission after being runner up the last three times in the individual state championships. He won by fall over his first opponent to advance to the quarterfinals where he met John Pittman of Gibbs. The two wrestlers matched up very well, but Bennett was up for the challenge securing a 6-3 decision in what would be his toughest match of the tournament. In the semifinals, he faced Brody Mclemore from Eagleville. Bennett won takedowns when needed while managing his effort and saving some gas in the tank for his finals match. In the finals, Bennett wrestled Josh Parton from Pigeon Forge. Bennett was able to secure a few takedowns early before he and Parton collided on a shot causing Parton’s nose to bleed. Twice the match had to be stopped to rewrap Parton’s face, which was done to hold the gauze in his nostrils, and to clean up blood. Bennett continued to wrestle hard, working an arm bar in. Just as he was about to turn Parton to his back, Parton’s father came out of the crowd and onto the mat and forfeited the match for his son. Other Fairview state qualifiers Josh Helm (113lbs), Sophomore Blake Mitchell (152lbs), Junior Marco Pukl (170lbs), Junior Sam Hammon (220lbs), Junior _________________ Trousdale freshman places fourth at state wrestling tournament By Chris Gregory Managing Editor 1 of 2 Trousdale County’s Rob Atwood executes a lift of an opponent at the Class A/AA state wrestling tournament. Atwood, a freshman, placed fourth in the 220-pound weight class. Photo courtesy of Beverly Atwood Photo courtesy of Beverly Atwood Trousdale County freshman Rob Atwood completed his first season wrestling for the Yellow Jackets with a fourth-place finish at last week’s Class A/AA State Tournament on Feb. 24 in Chattanooga. Wrestling in the 220-pound weight class, Atwood was one of 16 statewide qualifiers and won his opening match by pinning Greenbvack’s Jeremiah Cope. Atwood lost a 3-1 decision in sudden death to three-time state champion Jonathan Morton of Elizabethton to fall into the losers’ bracket. The TCHS freshman then won three straight matches (two by decision, one by pin) to reach the third-place match, where he lost a 6-0 decision to Hixson’s Parrish Pacetti, who won the 220-pound title last year. Both Morton and Pacetti are seniors. “It was a great time,” Atwood said of his experience at the state tournament. “You learn more about what you have to work on and where to go with the rest of your high school years. “I’ll come back next year and have to succeed at being a little more aggressive; being me instead of doing what they do.” Atwood finished the season with an 18-3 record with 16 pins, one decision and one major decision. He is the first wrestler ever to compete for Trousdale County after the School Board allowed him to compete as a one-man team under the coaching of his parents, Robby and Beverly Atwood. Rob was also a two-time AAU state wrestling champion before reaching the high level. “It was cool, but sometimes you miss your friends and the team aspect of it,” Atwood said of being a one-man team. Beverly Atwood noted the difficulties of being the only Trousdale County wrestler, as it meant the team had to forfeit matches at all other weight classes for Rob to be able to compete at meets. “With Rob growing up in wrestling and building the relationships with other teams and kids, we’ve had our challenges and being a one-man team has had its disadvantages,” she said. “Wrestling in duals, they’ve been very kind to let us come to their tournaments. “It’s been a learning experience for us all; there’s a lot more detail to it.” Atwood has able to practice with wrestlers at Class AAA schools in the area and even those at Cumberland University in Lebanon. “Being in a different division, we can practice with AAA which helps Rob,” Beverly said. “It’s been a great experience and for him to be the first Trousdale County wrestler and place at state, it made it all worth his while. “He wants to continue working and knows what he needs to build on. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year is going to bring.” Reach Chris Gregory at 615-450-5756 or cgregory@hartsvillevidette.com.

KY update... Union County wins small school state duals championship for 10th straight year Kevin Patton Henderson Gleaner MORGANFIELD, Ky. -- For the 10th straight year, Union County won the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association’s small school state duals championship. Union County, which hosted the small school duals, finished 5-0 on Saturday beating Harrison County 78-0, Larue County 67-6, Western Hills 84-0, Boyle County 75-3 and Martin County 77-6. Eleven of Union County’s wrestlers were undefeated including 106-pounder Jordyn Raney, who defeated second-ranked Breydan Whorton of Larue County and top-ranked 182-pounder Stephen Little, who beat No. 3 Ben Rush of Boyle County. Other undefeated Union County wrestlers were Hunter Jenkins, Trayce Eckman, Lucas Ricketts, Gavin Ricketts, Payne Carr, Quinten Cox, Dalton Russelburg, Paxton Ervin and Darius Moore. Union County will host the First Region Tournament on March 13.

Within the most controlled and regulated county in Tennessee, there hope for fans in the stands... Can sports fans catch COVID-19 in the stands? It's pretty unlikely local experts say Metro Health Department report no coronavirus clusters at Nashville sporting events — but experts say that should be taken "with a big grain of salt." Brad Schmitt Nashville Tennessean More spectators likely will be allowed in Nashville sporting events soon, Metro Health Department says Many parents in Middle Tennessee say they are comfortable going to their kids' sporting events No word yet on how many fans will be allowed in the SEC basketball tourney at Bridgestone March 10-14 Sports fans are pretty safe socially-distanced in the stands, from Nashville Predators games to high school wrestling matches, according to Nashville health experts and Metro Health Department statistics. "They should feel pretty comfortable going to (games)," said Meharry Medical College internal medicine Dr. Calvin Smith, a leading Nashville voice in the fight against COVID-19. Statistics show no coronavirus clusters traced back to the Bridgestone Arena or to any college or high school sporting event in Nashville, Metro Health Department spokesman Brian Todd said. Several parents of high school athletes told the Tennessean they feel safe watching their kids' games. David Frazier, 47, a construction company owner with two sons who attend school and wrestle at Montgomery Bell Academy, said he feels comfortable at matches. But fans? "It's not particularly dangerous as long as folks follow recommended guidelines," said Metro Health Department director Dr. Gill Wright. "They tend to be pretty safe." Outside Nashville, the picture is fuzzier for high school and college sports in surrounding counties, where data on tracing coronavirus clusters is not made public. But health experts said they aren't aware of any significant spread of the virus at those events in Middle Tennessee. Several parents of high school athletes told the Tennessean they feel safe watching their kids' games. David Frazier, 47, a construction company owner with two sons who attend school and wrestle at Montgomery Bell Academy, said he feels comfortable at matches. Frazier said nearly all parents wear masks, but they are inconsistent about social distancing in the stands. "Parents are going to sit where parents are going to sit," h Scott A. Pustuzzi, 49, a corporate executive, said he feels safe watching his two boys play hockey for Brentwood High School's club team. Pustuzzi said staffers and signage at the Ford Ice Centers and Centennial Sportsplex consistently remind parents to wear masks properly and to stay apart in the stands. "I have no fear as a spectator," he said. "And I think compliance is important. "Sports is a way for our kids to feel a level of belonging again and to stay fit and to diversify what they’re doing." No parents responded to a Tennessean social media request asking for comment from those who might feel uncomfortable to sporting events. More fans likely will be allowed into Nashville sporting events soon, Wright said. The city's transmission rate late last week was its lowest since the pandemic broke out, officials said. And as more Tennesseans get vaccinated, the number is expected to get lower, especially if people, including sports fans, continue following guidelines, experts said. "Watching sporting events can be done in a relatively safe or reduced risk way," Aronoff said. https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2021/03/01/can-sports-fans-catch-covid-19-in-stands-nashville-predators-tennessee-titans/4547972001/

EXCELLENT!!! Hamm and Miller Freshman Fowler impressive as we're so many others this year, including that insightful description of Bradford after a year off. Great to claim Soph Chittum as a product of Tennessee!!

Nearly 20 wrestlers from Middle Tennessee high schools won state titles at the TSSAA individual wrestling championships this past week. Every winner from the TSSAA wrestling championships STAFF REPORTS sports@mainstreetmediatn.com Feb 26, 2021 Updated Feb 27, 2021 Wilson Central's Thomas Borders (right) won his third state title at the TSSAA individual wrestling championships. Athletes from three classifications – A-AA, AAA and Division II – duked it out across 14 weight class brackets. There was also a girls tournament with 11 weight class brackets. The individual tournaments were moved to the Chattanooga Convention Center due to the usual venue, the Williamson County Ag Expo Center, being used as a COVID-19 testing center. Here are the first-place finishers from each weight class: A-AA 106: Ethan Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain A-AA 113: Caleb Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain A-AA 120: Andy Cable, Pigeon Forge A-AA 126: Daniel Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain A-AA 132: Logan Heckert, Sycamore A-AA 138: Hunter Mason, Greeneville A-AA 145: Riley Bennett, Fairview A-AA 152: Garrett Foreman, Pigeon Forge A-AA 160: Kodiak Cannedy, Greeneville A-AA 170: Wyatt Mclemore, Eagleville A-AA 182: Noah Hill, Forrest A-AA 195: Ethan Sutton, Pigeon Forge A-AA 220: Jonathan Morton, Elizabethton A-AA 285: Mustafi Algarawi, Pigeon Forge Girls 103: Ella`lina Gonzalez, Clarksville Girls 112: Jenna Baines, Greeneville Girls 119: Roseanna Vaughn, Northwest Girls 125: Monteria Bigsby, Riverdale Girls 132: Rontaysia Payne, Dickson Co. Girls 140: Jailynn Tindall, Carter Girls 150: Maggie Graham, Bartlett Girls 160: Brielle Bissonette, Clarksville Girls 170: Shelby Zacharias, Creek Wood Girls 190: Ella Murhpey, Hardin Valley Girls 215: Justina Nikolao, Rossview DII 106: Kade Hartline, Baylor DII 113: Nick Corday, Baylor DII 120: Keyveon Roller, Lakeway Christian DII 126: Jack Braman, McCallie DII 132: Dayne Dalrymple, Christian Brothers DII 138: Brayden Ivy, Lakeway Christian DII 145: Garrison Dendy, Baylor DII 152: Emory Taylor, McCallie DII 160: Aidan Bowers, Christian Brothers DII 170: James Whitworth, McCallie DII 182: Gunnar Garriques, Baylor DII 195: David Harper, Baylor DII 220: Gabe Fisher, Montgomery Bell DII 285: Parker Petersen, Father Ryan AAA 106: Logan Fowler, Cleveland AAA 113: Justin Bradford, Blackman AAA 120: Thomas Borders, Wilson Central AAA 126: Trey Bates, Beech AAA 132: Jackson Bradford, Cleveland AAA 138: Trae McDaniel, Cleveland AAA 145: Cody Chittum, Cleveland AAA: 152: Jackson Hurst, Dobyns-Bennett AAA 160: Tre Morrisette, Dobyns-Bennett AAA 170: Mason Smith, Beech AAA 182: Tetoe Boyd, Cleveland AAA 195: Dominic Love, Green Hill AAA 220: Ashton Davis, Cleveland AAA 285: Joshua Cummins, Anderson Next Up NEXT UP West Point is in her sights ------------------ Dobyns-Bennett's Tre Morrisette, shown here in the region tournament, earned his second straight individual state title Friday. Jeff Birchfield CHATTANOOGA — Dobyns-Bennett’s Tre Morissette and Jackson Hurt brought home the gold Friday night. Competing in the TSSAA individual wrestling tournament at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Hurst battled his way to the 152-pound state championship and Morissette walked off with the 160-pound title. It was the second straight title for both wrestlers and just the fourth and fifth in Indians history. Morissette (38-1) proved too strong for the field. He had two pins and a technical fall to reach the finals before pinning Jefferson County’s Logan Fisher in just 1 minute, 38 seconds in the championship. Hurst (38-0) capped a perfect season after capturing his championship with an impressive run. He won by technical fall, pin and a 7-2 decision to reach the title match, where he topped Clarksville’s Aidan Brenot with a 10-5 decision. D-B’s Brennan Watkins finished as state runner-up at 132. Watkins (29-2) won three straight matches before losing a 7-2 decision in the finals to Cleveland’s Jackson Bradford. Also on Friday, Tribe coach Wes Idlette was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Tennessee Coach of the Year. Here is a look at the other weight classes in which Northeast Tennessee competitors earned victories. 106 — Science Hill’s Stiles Miller won a consolation-round match. 113 — Volunteer’s Evan Glass won a consolation-round match. 120 — D-B’s Gavin Armstrong won a consolation-round match. 126 — Volunteer’s Ben Tucker won a round of 16 match and a consolation match. 132 — Science Hill’s Javelle Gillespie won a consolation-round match. 138 — David Crockett’s Ethan Hilton finished fourth. He lost in the semifinals, but won a consolation match before a third-place loss to Wilson Central’s Alan Fort. 145 — Science Hill’s Braxton Mann won a consolation-round match. 170 — D-B’s Clint Morissette took home a fourth-place finish. He lost in the quarterfinals before rallying for three consolation wins to reach the third-place match, where Mt. Juliet’s Anthony Pyron took a 13-8 decision. 182 — David Crockett’s Gabe Ferrell won a pair of consolation-round matches. 195 — D-B’s Garrett Crowder won a consolation-round match. 285 — Science Hill’s Keimel Redford won a round of 16 match.

From Chattanooga's channel 12... Home Sports wrestling By Angela Moryan February 26 CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Cleveland Blue Raiders had a state-record nine wrestlers fighting in the first place match Friday afternoon at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Below are the full results from the match. Cleveland won the traditional state tournament title with 241 points. AAA 106 1st Place Match Logan Fowler (Cleveland) 18-4, Fr. over Bryson Terrell (Bradley Central) 25-1, So. (Dec 10-8) 3rd Place Match Russell Ford (Independence) 14-1, So. over Colby Baltz (Houston) 33-5, Fr. (Fall 1:30) 5th Place Match Trenton Houston (Cookeville) 20-3, So. over Zach Ordonez (Brentwood) 28-10, Jr. (Fall 1:00) - Advertisement - AAA 113 1st Place Match Justin Bradford (Blackman) 30-0, Jr. over Bentley Ellison (Cleveland) 21-2, So. (Dec 6-3) 3rd Place Match Ethan Lipsey (Bradley Central) 22-4, So. over Chas Stokes (Oakland) 24-5, Sr. (MD 12-2) 5th Place Match Nicholas Mercante (Wilson Central) 45-5, So. over Owen Gobel (Franklin) 27-8, Jr. (Dec 6-0) AAA 120 1st Place Match Thomas Borders (Wilson Central) 48-0, Sr. over Arlo Laxton (Cleveland) 21-6, Jr. (Dec 3-2) 3rd Place Match Jackson Masters (Summit) 40-3, Jr. over Steven Dindl (Bartlett) 37-3, Jr. (Dec 6-4) 5th Place Match Daniel James (Bradley Central) 22-8, Jr. over Jeremy Peters (Knoxville Halls) 25-10, Sr. (Fall 2:02) AAA 126 1st Place Match Trey Bates (Beech) 38-0, Sr. over Charles Randall (Cleveland) 24-6, Jr. (Dec 9-3) 3rd Place Match Easton Lipsey (Bradley Central) 21-4, Jr. over Wemawamungu Moktani (Munford) 5-3, Jr. (Dec 7-2) 5th Place Match Mason Sells (Blackman) 28-5, So. over Justin Noll (Summit) 33-7, Sr. (Dec 10-3) AAA 132 1st Place Match Jackson Bradford (Cleveland) 26-2, Sr. over Brennan Watkins (Dobyns Bennett) 29-2, Sr. (Dec 7-2) 3rd Place Match Samuel Shires (Rossview) 38-2, Jr. over Riley Fort (Wilson Central) 41-7, So. (Fall 4:19) 5th Place Match Hunter Davis (Heritage) 33-5, Sr. over Landon Desselle (Summit) 41-5, Fr. (Dec 5-3) AAA 138 1st Place Match Trae Mcdaniel (Cleveland) 26-0, Sr. over Luke Belcher (Bradley Central) 21-4, So. (Dec 10-3) 3rd Place Match Alan Fort (Wilson Central) 47-4, Sr. over Ethan Hylton (David Crockett) 34-4, Jr. (Dec 6-2) 5th Place Match Austin Noll (Summit) 28-7, Sr. over Jonathan Kiser (Knoxville Halls) 30-7, Sr. (Fall 3:20) AAA 145 1st Place Match Cody Chittum (Cleveland) 10-0, So. over Landon Fisher (Jefferson Co.) 28-5, Sr. (Fall 3:35) 3rd Place Match Steven Fisak (Wilson Central) 44-6, Jr. over Anthony Lynn (Bradley Central) 15-8, Sr. (Fall 1:00) 5th Place Match Alex Rose (Blackman) 28-5, Sr. over Cameron Cook (Collierville) 27-12, Jr. (Dec 2-1) AAA 152 1st Place Match Jackson Hurst (Dobyns Bennett) 38-0, Sr. over Aidan Brenot (Clarksville) 7-2, So. (Dec 10-5) 3rd Place Match Robert Laxton (Cleveland) 21-4, Sr. over Eli Clemmons (Lebanon) 26-2, Sr. (Dec 4-2) 5th Place Match Elijah Cowan (Tullahoma) 18-3, Sr. over Finley Jameson (Summit) 29-10, So. (Dec 4-0) AAA 160 1st Place Match Tre Morrisette (Dobyns Bennett) 38-1, Sr. over Logan Fisher (Jefferson Co.) 23-5, Sr. (Fall 1:38) 3rd Place Match Dylan Cockman (Arlington) 25-3, Jr. over Justin Brown (Blackman) 28-3, So. (Dec 6-2) 5th Place Match Brady Jarvis (Wilson Central) 41-12, Jr. over Ryan Wood (Lebanon) 14-4, Sr. (Dec 4-0) AAA 170 1st Place Match Mason Smith (Beech) 40-0, Sr. over Matheson Meade (Bearden) 18-2, Sr. (Dec 3-2) 3rd Place Match Anthony Pyron (Mt. Juliet) 8-3, Jr. over Clint Morrisette (Dobyns Bennett) 30-2, Sr. (Dec 13-8) 5th Place Match Austin Cooley (McMinn Co.) 6-2, Jr. over Luke Justice (Summit) 35-12, So. (Fall 1:39) AAA 182 1st Place Match Tetoe Boyd (Cleveland) 20-4, Jr. over Owen Zuckerman (Houston) 30-4, Sr. (Dec 7-2) 3rd Place Match Wyatt Lankford (Collierville) 36-7, Sr. over Zachary Duessler (Rossview) 40-3, Jr. (Dec 5-4) 5th Place Match Heath Tanksley (Walker Valley) 18-2, Sr. over Colby Sinclair (Maryville) 24-4, Sr. (Fall 2:03) AAA 195 1st Place Match Dominic Love (Green Hill) 25-2, Sr. over Donovan Rich (Beech) 38-3, Sr. (Fall 3:57) 3rd Place Match Thomas Stadel (Maryville) 28-3, So. over Connor Milhorn (Siegel) 24-5, Jr. (Fall 2:29) 5th Place Match Jason Brumlow (East Hamilton) 18-3, Sr. over Issac Gillentine (Warren Co.) 7-4, Sr. (MD 8-0) AAA 220 1st Place Match Ashton Davis (Cleveland) 26-0, Jr. over Noah Todd (Wilson Central) 44-5, So. (Fall 5:12) 3rd Place Match Ryver Shelton (Jefferson Co.) 22-6, Sr. over Isaac Jordan (Arlington) 6-2, Sr. (SV-1 3-1) 5th Place Match Mitchell Lambert (Page) 29-2, Sr. over Jacob King (Cocke Co.) 28-9, Sr. (Fall 0:53) AAA 285 1st Place Match Joshua Cummins (Anderson Co.) 31-0, Sr. over Jadon Langford (Walker Valley) 14-1, Sr. (SV-1 3-1) 3rd Place Match Austin Mcclure (Bradley Central) 21-6, Jr. over Samuel Harness (Cookeville) 18-4, Jr. (Dec 2-1) 5th Place Match Graham Keating (Oakland) 18-2, Sr. over Jesse Richardson (Wilson Central) 28-5, Sr. (Dec 2-1) https://wdef.com/2021/02/26/cleveland-dominates-state-wrestling/ From Tennessean... Cleveland dominates for team title Cleveland breezed through to the Class AAA traditional team championship thanks in part to six individual championships. Cleveland won with 241 points to Wilson Central's 147.5. The finish order mirrored the Class AAA state duals. "We're trying," Wilson Central coach John Kramer said. "We're trying to catch them." LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Cleveland (Clev) 241; 2. Wilson Central (WC) 147.5; 3. Bradley (Brad) 131.5; 4. Dobyns-Bennett (DB) 98.5; 5. Summit (Sum) 96; 6. Blackman (Black) 85.5; 7. Beech (Bee) 75.5; 8. Jefferson County (JC) 67; 9. Arlington (Arl) 54; 10. Halls (Halls) 41; 14. Walker Valley (WV) 35.5; 30. McMinn Co. (McCo) 21.5; 35. East Hamilton (EH) 12. --------- From the Times-Free Press... Baylor wins third straight wrestling state title; eight Chattanooga-area athletes are champs McCallie's Alex Whitworth becomes just third five-time champ in state historyFebruary 25th, 2021 | by Patrick MacCoon | Copyright © 2021 Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Baylor's Jackson Bond, left, wrestles McCallie's Jack Braman in the 126-pound final during the TSSAA Division II state traditional tournament Thursday at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Once again, a motivated bunch of Chattanooga-area athletes proved why the road to state titles in Tennessee high school wrestling runs through the Scenic City. Day two of the TSSAA traditional championships at the Chattanooga Convention Center was highlighted by 13 local wrestlers reaching Thursday evening's finals of the Division II state tournament. With one of those a head-to-head meeting of McCallie's Jack Braman and Baylor's Jackson Bond — Braman escaped for a riveting 3-2 victory in the fourth overtime of what was voted the day's best match — that meant 12 of 14 weight classes had a local athlete shooting for a title. McCallie senior 170-pounder Alex Whitworth became the third five-time state champion in Tennessee history, joining former Blue Tornado star T.J. Duncan and Baylor great Zach Watson. A future Harvard wrestler, Whitworth also was voted most outstanding wrestler for the third straight state tournament. "Every single night I think about wrestling when I am at home," said Whitworth, who had a first-round pin, a 17-0 tech fall and then a 19-3 tech fall to win the title. "I imagine myself on this mat and me winning. I also imagine myself down and having to come back and win. Being the third five-timer is a great feeling. "I walked off the mat really feeling something I had never felt before. I really enjoyed my career here and am so thankful for my coaches and teammates. I have wrestled with Emory (Taylor) since middle school, and seeing him win his fourth (title) today really meant a lot, too." Taylor kept his legs churning late as the Blue Tornado's Pittsburgh signee had a key takedown in the 152-pound final 40 seconds into what wound up being a 7-5 win over Christian Brothers' Evan Anthony. PHOTO GALLERY TSSAA Division II wrestling state traditional tournament on Feb. 25, 2021 View 50 Photos Meanwhile, Baylor's dominance of the team competition continued as the Red Raiders won their third straight traditional state title and had five individual champions. Baylor is the state's most decorated team of all time in the TSSAA traditional tournament, with 17 team title and 122 individual championships. Star juniors Nick Corday (113) and Garrison Dendy (145) and David Harper (195) won their third state titles, while Gunnar Garriques (182) and Kade Hartline (106) each earned his first for Baylor, which finished with 216.5 team points. Christian Brothers was the runner-up with 187.5 points. Dendy and Harper won all three of their matches by pin, with Harper spending a combined time of one minute and 45 seconds on the mat Thursday thanks to his quick work. Corday cruised to a 13-2 major decision in the finals, when Garriques won 7-2 and Hartline won 7-0. "Kade has fought for four years but has never been in the right weight class, really," Red Raiders coach Rex Kendle said. "As a freshman he weighed 85 pounds and wrestled 106. His sophomore year he would have been 106, but he bumped to 113 because Jackson Bond was a state champion there. As a junior he would have been 106 again, but then Nick Corday was the state champion on our team, and Kade had to bump all the way to 120, where he finished third in the state. "Kade is really an amazing team player. To see him make those sacrifices and it pay off with a state championship, it makes me emotional. His picture is going to be on the wall in our room forever, and no one will ever take that away from him." Hartline battled to earn a last-second pin in his quarterfinal match, and he won 11-7 in the semifinals before closing with the shutout to finish a 10-0 season. "To win a state title means everything," Hartline said. "I worked hard for it, and I made sure I went out there and got what I came for. I have wrestled since I was 4 years old, and this sport has really grown on me. We all have worked really hard, and today is a moment I will remember forever." Boyd Buchanan's Conor Payne was the runner-up at 132 pounds, and McCallie's Gavin Cagle (160) and Lauren McDonald (285) and Baylor's Ryan Tisdale (138) also finished second. In the Division II girls' tournament, Sale Creek's Katie McNabb (170) was a runner-up. Other local state medalists: Baylor's Judson Jarrett (120, fourth), Anthony Manella (160, fourth), Omaury Alvarez (170, third), Heath Snodgrass (220, fifth) and Matthew Smith (285, fifth); Notre Dame's Bob Deitch (106, fourth), Joshua Deitch (120, fifth), Luke Braman (126, fourth) and Francisco Palacios (138, fifth); Boyd Buchanan's Tate Williams (113, third) and Kaiden Bates (160, sixth); McCallie's Frankie Zahrobsky (182, sixth) and Carson Gentle (220, fourth); Chattanooga Christian's Ben Bumgarner (170, sixth). Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon._ More D2... https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/sports/high-school/2021/02/26/tssaa-wrestling-division-ii-state-championships-pictures/6826427002/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYAioTNDMyMDk0NTEyMjg5OTgxNTY2NTIaMzA2NWMzN2Q1NmZlOGYzMjpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNE4RpTQdyCIeRA37ywCm1g7L05frw https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/25/tssaa-wrestling-parker-petersen-wins-division-ii-championship-father-ryan/4487126001/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYBCoTNDMyMDk0NTEyMjg5OTgxNTY2NTIaMzA2NWMzN2Q1NmZlOGYzMjpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNFY7mGyHfogAvFr5R6E44X7rLygzQ ___________________ Girls.. https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/sports/high-school/2021/02/26/tssaa-wrestling-tennessee-girls-state-championships-pictures/6827018002/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoTNDMyMDk0NTEyMjg5OTgxNTY2NTIaMzA2NWMzN2Q1NmZlOGYzMjpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNGPF_QM3WviVII2EX9rluF3NS1Mfg https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://clarksvillenow.com/local/4-clarksville-girls-win-state-wrestling-championships/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYAioUMTc2NTc5ODgwMTI4NDM0NzI3NjkyGjUwNDFiNWExMDkxNTA0NWI6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNFIJ-w2zAe-erVlmC67t_n1Bqjcgw https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/26/tssaa-wrestling-riverdale-monteria-bigsby-wins-title-northwest-girls/4487159001/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYASoTNDMyMDk0NTEyMjg5OTgxNTY2NTIaMzA2NWMzN2Q1NmZlOGYzMjpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNE7hlvHRaRuF4_S1CtsZd5xt5IwFQ _________________ Eagleville... 87-0!!!! Eagleville wrestler Wyatt McLemore goes 87-0 in two seasons, wins second state championship Tom Kreager Nashville Tennessean CHATTANOOGA — Wyatt McLemore and Kaden White are close friends, who spent plenty days this season on Eagleville's wrestling mat, practicing against each other as training partners. On Wednesday, the two Region 3-A/AA wrestlers had one more time on the mat together in the TSSAA Class A/AA state championships at the Chattanooga Convention Center. McLemore represented Eagleville in the 170-pound title match. White wrestled for Moore County. TSSAA WRESTLING:Fairview wrestler sustains head injury in Class A/AA championships WRESTLING IN COVID-19:What the TSSAA individual wrestling state championships will look like during COVID-19 pandemic McLemore won the match, pinning White in 3:30 to win his second straight state championship and finish his second straight undefeated season. "He has come over and practiced with us sometimes," said McLemore, who finished 38-0 this season. "We go way back. We've known each other for a while." McLemore, who won the 160-pound class in 2020, finished the past two seasons with an 87-0 record. It marked his fifth straight season of placing at state. He was third at 152 pounds in 2019, third at 132 pounds in 2018 and second at 113 pounds in 2017 as an eighth-grader. White, who is the son of Moore County football coach Kris White, moved from Knoxville prior to the high school football season when Kris White left Knoxville Catholic to be the Raiders' coach. "We're good friends," Kaden White said. "I'm glad he's the one that beat me. I wouldn't want anyone else to do it." Beech... Bates finishes career with third title Beech senior Trey Bates finished his career like he did his freshman year, with a state championship. Bates wrapped up a 38-0 season with a 9-3 decision over Cleveland's Charles Randall in the 126-pound championship for his third state title in four year. Bates was the 106-pound state champion in 2018 and 120 champion a year ago. "I didn't really feel pressure," Bates. "I just felt like I needed to win another one. I wanted to win that third title." Bates' teammate Mason Smith beat Bearden's Matheson Meade at 170 pounds with a 3-2 decision for his second championship. Wilson Central's Thomas Borders ditches mullet for buzz cut, wins third TSSAA wrestling championship Tom Kreager Nashville Tennessean CHATTANOOGA – A year ago he donned a mullet in the TSSAA wrestling state championships. This year Wilson Central senior Thomas Borders dyed his buzzed hair blue. It was the same result with either hairdo — a state championship. Borders won his third state championship in three years and second consecutive. TSSAA WRESTLING:Riverdale girls wrestler started her career this season. She finished with a state title. TSSAA WRESTLING:Tulane football signee Parker Petersen caps Father Ryan wrestling career with championship "People are going to keep saying, 'What would I do if I didn't win,'" said Borders, quoting Kanye West. "I guess we'll never know." Borders, who went 48-0 this season, is 105-0 over the past two years. He won the 113-pound state championship in 2018 and 2020. He was second in 2019. And he capped his career with a 3-2 win over Cleveland's Arlo Laxton in the 120-pound championship. All three of his championships have come down to the final seconds. "I just have to keep fighting," Borders said. "It doesn't matter if I get injured or I'm tired, I give my all until the end because that's the last match of the season." Borders won last year by pin with 13 seconds left after he was trailing. As a freshman, he won 6-5 in the championship. "Don't let him fool you, the nerves were there," Wilson Central coach John Kramer said. "It's a lot of pressure going for No. 3. You get a lot of pressure that he puts on himself, but also pressure from everybody else. "There were nerves there." Borders said the hairdo was a senior decision. "I've got permanent so it will stay in," Borders said. "I want to have a blue-tip mullet this summer. In this year's Class AAA tournament, which was reduced from a three-day event to one day because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Borders pinned his first three opponents to reach the championship. "He spent extra time the last few weeks doing cardio in case something happened and he had to go the distance," Kramer said. "He has pinned almost everybody he's faced this year." Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessea.com and on Twitter @Kreager. Anderson County gets first title No Anderson County wrestler had ever won a TSSAA state title entering this year's championships. Joshua Cummins changed that. Cummins completed a 31-0 season with a 3-1 win over Walker Valley's Jadon Langford in the 285-pound championship match. Cummins was third a year ago while Langford had finished runner-up the past two seasons. Green Hill High gets 1st wrestling gold... https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/26/tssaa-wrestling-green-hill-dominic-love-first-school-state-title/4487162001/ Blackman Blackman's Bradford finishes with title A year ago Blackman's Justin Bradford saw his chance at a wrestling championship end with 13 seconds left when he was pinned in the TSSAA state championships despite leading the 113-pound title match. Bradford, a junior, finished the task this year. Bradford completed a 30-0 season with a 6-3 win over Cleveland's Bentley Ellison. "He was a man driven," Blackman coach Ronnie Bray said. "He had a 6-1 lead in the state finals, and then being pinned with 13 seconds left. "He's been a man possessed. He's gone to camps, gone all over the place trying to get the best practices, best competition. He knows that's what it was going to take." ________ From Mr Hunt, Chattanoogan... Dominant Cleveland Wins AAA State Wrestling Again Blue Raiders Win Fourth Straight Title With Six Champions And 10 Medalists Friday, February 26, 2021 - by John Hunt Cleveland's Trae McDaniel moves against Bradley Central's Luke Belcher. - photo by M.A. Locke The Cleveland Blue Raider wrestling team could have taken Friday night off and still won the AAA Traditional state tournament at the Chattanooga Trade & Convention Center, but they decided to show up anyway. Displaying one of the most dominant performances in recent state tournament memory, the Blue Raiders won their fourth straight AAA state crown with six champions and 241 points. The Wilson Central Wildcats finished a distant second again after trailing the Blue Raiders all day. The difference was 19 points after the quarterfinals, 77.5 after the consolation semis and 93.5 at the end as the competitors from Lebanon finished with 147.5 points. Bradley was third with 131.5 while Dobyns-Bennett and Summit were fourth and fifth with 98.5 and 96 points, respectively. Youthful Joey Knox has been the Cleveland coach for the past four years and has NEVER not won a state title, now with four in a row for the traditional gathering after claiming his fourth in the State Duals three weeks ago. Knox is a very humble gentleman and takes very little credit for his team’s success, always pointing to the job his assistant coaches do and the willingness of his kids to go the extra mile and do things the right way to achieve the highest level of success. “We had an amazing tournament today as we had nine in the finals and claimed six champions. I know that’s a record for Cleveland and may be for the state as well, but the key was doing all the right things as we prepared for this event,” Knox said with a smile on his face. “Even in the matches we lost, I thought we all wrestled hard, but we got on a roll in the finals and it just took over from there. I hate to say that one team is better than another, but this is a special group of young men. “We’ll get back to work on Monday, but I’m headed to Florida tomorrow to do some off-shore fishing and they can make it without me for a few days,” he added. Wilson Central coach John Kramer has had some outstanding teams in recent years, but they can’t seem to get over the hump when it comes to competing with Cleveland. Despite finishing second again, Kramer liked what he saw from his kids. “Not a bad day for us as we brought nine and eight are going home with medals,” he said shortly after his team’s final match at 132 pounds. “It’s hard to win when a team like Cleveland puts nine in the finals, but we did pretty good and we have a bunch of good ones coming back, so we look forward to next season,” Kramer added. Bradley coach Ben Smith was equally as proud of his Bears for finishing third. “It’s hard to compete with Cleveland when they put nine in the finals, but I want to congratulate them on another outstanding season,” Smith said right off the top. “Last year, we finished fourth and I felt like we underachieved a little bit, but I don’t feel that way today. We just ran out of bullets in the final round, but Wilson Central is just a little better than we are right now. But we did what we were supposed to do and I’m proud of that,” he nodded. Cleveland’s six champions included Logan Fowler at 106, Jackson Bradford at 132, Trae McDaniel at 138, Cody Chittum at 145, Tetoe Boyd at 182 and Ashton Davis at 220. Bentley Ellison (113), Arlo Laxton (120) and Blake Randall (120) all finished second while Cael Laxton was third at 152. Dobyns-Bennett had two champs in Jackson Hurst at 152 and Tre Morrisette at 160 while Trey Bates and Mason Smith won titles for Beech at 126 and 170, respectively. The remaining champs included Blackman’s Justin Bradford at 113, Wilson Central’s Thomas Borders at 120, Green Hill’s Dominic Love at 195 and Anderson County’s Joshua Cummins at 285. Fowler, who had lost to Bradley’s Bryson Terrell two of the three times they had wrestled this year, including by a major decision in the region final, beat Terrell for the 106-pound title and these two young men were honored with the Best Match award. The score was tied 2-2 after the first period before Fowler took a 6-3 lead with two minutes remaining. Terrell made a late rally, but Fowler was more than up for the challenge as he evened the score with the biggest win of the season. Dobyns-Bennett’s Morrisette, who won the 160-pound crown for the second straight year and won this year’s title with a first-period pin, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. Eight of Friday’s champions now have more than one state title, including Borders and McDaniel with three each. Hurst, Morrisette, Chittum, Smith, Davis and Jackson Bradford now have two apiece. While Terrell finished second for Bradley, teammate Luke Belcher was also a runner-up at 138. Other medalists for the Bears included third-place finishes for Ethan Lipsey at 113, Easton Lipsey at 126 and Austin McClure at 285. Austin Lynn was fourth at 145 while Daniel James was fifth at 120. Walker Valley's Jadon Langford wins the Almost Award after finishing second at 285 for the third straight year. Teammate Heath Tanksley was fifth at 182. McMinn County's Austin Cooley was fifth at 170 pounds while East Hamilton's Jason Brumlow was also fifth at 195. BRAD JACKSON wrestled at Tyner back in the 80s and had a best finish of third in 1984 for the Rams. He later coached at Tyner for four years before leading East Ridge for 16 years. He’s now the Campus Support Specialist for Hamilton County schools, which means he does a little bit of everything involving prep sports. He served as the Master of Ceremonies for the three state tournaments this week and did an outstanding job keeping everyone abreast of what was happening next. LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Cleveland (Clev) 241; 2. Wilson Central (WC) 147.5; 3. Bradley (Brad) 131.5; 4. Dobyns-Bennett (DB) 98.5; 5. Summit (Sum) 96; 6. Blackman (Black) 85.5; 7. Beech (Bee) 75.5; 8. Jefferson County (JC) 67; 9. Arlington (Arl) 54; 10. Halls (Halls) 41; 14. Walker Valley (WV) 35.5; 30. McMinn Co. (McCo) 21.5; 35. East Hamilton (EH) 12. CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS 106 – Logan Fowler (Clev) dec. Bryson Terrell (Brad), 10-8; 113 – Justin Bradford (Black) dec. Bentley Ellison (Clev), 6-3; 120 – Thomas Borders (WC) dec. Arlo Laxton (Clev), 3-2; 126 – Trey Bates (Bee) dec. Blake Randall (Clev), 9-3; 132 – Jackson Bradford (Clev) dec. Brennan Watkins (DB), 7-2; 138 – Trae McDaniel (Clev) dec. Luke Belcher (Brad), 10-3; 145 – Cody Chittum (Clev) pinned Landon Fisher (JC), 3:34; 152 – Jackson Hurst (DB) dec. Aidan Brenot (Clarksville), 10-5; 160 – Tre Morrisette (DB) pinned Logan Fisher (JC), 1:38; 170 – Mason Smith (Bee) dec. Matheson Meade (Bearden), 3-2; 182 – Tetoe Boyd (Clev) dec. Owen Zuckerman (Houston), 7-2; 195 – Dominic Love (Green Hill) pinned Donovan Rich (Bee), 3:57; 220 – Ashton Davis (Clev) pinned Noah Todd (WC), 5:12; 285 – Joshua Cummins (Anderson Co.) dec. Jadon Langford (WV), 3-1 in overtime. CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE 106 – Russell Ford (Independence) pinned Colby Baltz (Houston), 1:30; 113 – Ethan Lipsey (Brad) major dec. Chas Stokes (Oakland), 12-2; 120 – Jackson Masters (Sum) dec. Steven Dindl (Bartlett), 6-4; 126 – Easton Lipsey (Brad) dec. Wemawamungu Moktani (Munford), 7-2; 132 – Samuel Shires (Rossview) pinned Riley Fort (WC), 4:19; 138 – Alan Fort (WC) dec. Ethan Hylton (David Crockett), 6-2; 145 – Steven Fisak (WC) pinned Austin Lynn (Brad), 1:00; 152 – Cael Laxton (Clev) dec. Eli Clemmons (Lebanon), 4-2; 160 – Dylan Cockman (Arl) dec. Justin Brown (Black), 6-2; 170 – Anthony Pyron (Mt. Juliet) dec. Clint Morrisette (DB), 13-8; 182 – Wyatt Lankford (Collierville) dec. Zachary Duessler (Rossview), 5-4; 195 – Thomas Stadel (Maryville) pinned Connor Milhorn (Siegel), 2:29; 220 – Ryver Shelton (JC) dec. Isaac Jordan (Arl), 3-1 in overtime; 285 – Austin McClure (Brad) dec. Samuel Harness (Cookeville), 2-1. CONSOLATION FINALS FOR FIFTH PLACE 106 – Trenton Houston (Cookeville) pinned Zach Ordonez (Brentwood), 1:00; 113 – Nicholas Mercante (WC) dec. Owen Gobel (Franklin), 6-0; 120 – Daniel James (Brad) pinned Jeremy Peters (Halls), 2:02; 126 – Mason Sells (Black) dec. Justin Noll (Sum), 10-3; 132 – Hunter Davis (Heritage) dec. Landon Desselle (Sum), 5-3; 138 – Austin Noll (Sum) pinned Jonathan Kiser (Halls), 3:20; 145 – Alex Rose (Black) dec. Cameron Cook (Collierville), 2-1; 152 – Elijah Cowan (Tullahoma) dec. Finley Jameson (Sum), 4-0; 160 – Brady Jarvis (WC) dec. Ryan Wood (Lebanon), 4-0; 170 – Austin Cooley (McCo) pinned Luke Justice (Sum), 1:39; 182 – Heath Tanksley (WV) pinned Colby Sinclair (Maryville), 2:03; 195 – Jason Brumlow (EH) major dec. Issac Gillentine (Warren Co.), 8-0; 220 – Mitchell Lambert (Page) pinned Jacob King (Cocke Co.), :53; 285 – Graham Keating (Oakland) dec. Jesse Richardson (WC), 2-1. (Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com) ____________ Williamson Herald State Wrestling: WillCo led by pair of 3rd-place finishers as Summit sends 6 to podium By Charles Pulliam • Multimedia Reporter Feb 26, 2021 Updated 6 hrs ago 0 3 min to read Buy Now Jackson Masters of Summit was one of two Williamson County wrestlers to place third at the Class AAA State Wrestling Championships on Friday in Chattanooga. Be sure to check back for loaded photo gallery from the tournament! Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Save CHATTANOOGA – Junior Jackson Masters couldn’t help but extend his arms in celebration after the final whistle Thursday. The Summit High School 120-pounder clinched third place – and avenged a pair of losses in the process – at the Class AAA State Wrestling Championships at the Chattanooga Convention Center. “It feels really nice because I’ve worked so hard to get here,” said Masters, who claimed a 6-4 decision over now three-time state medalist Steven Dindl of Bartlett. “He’s tough and he’s strong, but I felt like I just battled.” The Spartan junior – one of six medalists from the Spring Hill school – was quick to point out how he’s not satisfied. “Oh yeah, the goal is always to go for the gold,” he said. “It’ll be my senior year next year and I don’t think any of us will be satisfied unless we are standing on the first place on the podium.” Wrestling: Willett’s absence from the state tournament felt by all That kind of thinking has been a long building process for Summit coach Pete Miller, but this season has really shown how his team is hungry for success and beginning to find it as well. The Spartans pushed longtime state powerhouse Cleveland – where Miller graduated from – in the state duals earlier this month and captured a third place finish overall in the state’s biggest classification. Despite some tough draws from a few heavy hitters, Summit still managed to place six and finish fifth overall in the team standings Friday, just 2.5 points behind fourth-place Dobyns Bennett. “We brought in 9 and placed 6 and that’s the best we’ve ever done as a school,” Miller said. “I’m really proud. We want to compete and show we can hang with big dogs on top. “Not just qualifying for state, but placing at state – that’s the new expectation for us.” Senior Austin Noll added a fifth-place finish to cap his career as a Spartan. The 138-pounder rallied to pin Jonathan Kiser of Knox Halls 20 seconds into the third period after trailing 12-5. “I looked over and I knew I was down, so I needed to pull out something to get the pin,” he said. “I just went to my cradle and took him over the top of his head and got the fall. I’m pretty proud and even though I'm leaving, Summit wrestling is only going to get bigger.” Noll’s brother Justin at 126 pounds dropped a 10-3 decision against Blackman’s Mason Sells in his fifth-place match. Sophomores Finley Jameson (152), Luke Justice (170) and freshman Landon Desselle (132) also finished sixth overall. The county’s other third-place finisher was Russell Ford of Independence. The sophomore 106-pounder pinned Houston’s Colby Baltz late in the first period. Ford was the only county grappler to reach the semifinals after a tough quarterfinal round for the locals. Sophomore Bryson Terrell of Bradley Central scored a 4-0 decision over Ford in a tight match to reach the final where Cleveland freshman Logan Fowler held on for a 10-8 championship win. “I really came into this year just looking to have fun,” said Ford, who pinned Brentwood’s Zach Ordonez in the consolation quarterfinals to bounce back. “I feel like I could’ve done a lot better, especially in the match I lost. I’ll just keep working and pushing myself to go out there and get first next time.” Page senior and two-time Region 7-AAA champ Mitchell Lambert added a fifth-place showing with a quick pin of Cocke County’s Jacob King. Lambert dropped a tough 6-3 decision to Ryver Shelton of Jefferson County in the consolation semifinals. He reached the quarterfinal round but ran into Cleveland junior Ashton Davis, who went on to repeat as champion in the division. “It’s been my goal since freshman year to place at state, I wish I would have placed a little higher, but I went out with a win in my senior year and placed,” Lambert said. “It just shows how a lot of hard work pays off. I’ve been wrestling since the sixth grade.” Franklin junior Owen Gobel (113) and Brentwood’s Ordonez both placed sixth as the other county medalists. Gobel, who placed fifth at 106 last year, fell 6-0 against Wilson Central’s Nicholas Mercante in the fifth-place match. Ordonez had a tough break in his fifth-place showing when the officials ruled a pin just as time expired in the opening round in a battle with Cookeville’s Trenton Houston. Gobel placed second in the Region 7-AAA tournament and his counterpart and region champ Jarvis Little of Summit was one of three Spartans who missed the medal rounds by a single match. Both Gobel and Little ran into eventual finalists after opening round wins Friday. +8 Wrestling: For state tourney, Class AAA area qualifiers embrace one-big-family attitude   Blackman’s Justin Bradford scored a technical fall over Gobel in the quarterfinals and went on to defeat Cleveland’s Bentley Ellison for the title. Ellison stopped Little with an 11-2 major decision in the quarters. Summit juniors Maddox Reed (195) and Ryan Smith (285) both fell in their consolation quarterfinal matches to miss the medal rounds as well. Franklin’s Fisher Anderson (285) and Rylan Schroeder (160), Page’s Collins Fiscus (145) and Grant Hawkinson (132) along with Centennial’s Alex Ables – a returning medalist – also fell just shy of medaling in consolation wrestlebacks. The county qualified 26 for Thursday’s championships and produced 10 medalists.

Lots of time and thought put forth!!! Outstanding Soms

Williamson Herald... FEATURED High School Wrestling http://www.williamsonherald.com/sports/wrestling-for-state-tourney-class-aaa-area-qualifiers-embrace-one-big-family-attitude/article_5591cb82-77a7-11eb-8722-ef3e61c09752.html Wrestling: For state tourney, Class AAA area qualifiers embrace one-big-family attitude   By Charles Pulliam • Multimedia Reporter  Feb 25, 2021 Updated 8 hrs 1 of 8 Buy Now Alex Ables of Centennial Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Tanner Willett of Independence Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Ryan Smith Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Pete Miller of Summit Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Drew Dodson Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Owen Gobel of Franklin vs. Jarvis Little of Summit Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Jackson Masters Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Buy Now Arash Yazdani of Brentwood vs. Timothy Ford of Independence Photo by Charles Pulliam @cspulliam Alex Ables is one of more than two dozen Williamson County wrestlers set to compete on Friday in the Class AAA state tournament in Chattanooga. However, he’s the only Centennial High School qualifier.  Fortunately for the senior, there have been some friendly rivals ready to roll around with in preparation.  “Being the only wrestler to make it from my school, it’s a bummer, but I needed to practice, so I’ve been working a bit with Page and Summit guys,” said Ables, who placed third at 145 last year and sixth the year before at 126. He’s among the favorites at 152 this year.  “I’m feeling pretty good,” Ables added. “I’ve been wrestling since like the third grade, so most of my life really, but I’m not wrestling in college, so this will be it. Winning the state tournament has been a goal I’ve had since I was little, so, hopefully, on Friday I can get it done.”  For coaches Pete Miller of Summit and Benji Gray of Page, why not add a two-time returning state medalist to the mix? Miller has nine state qualifiers. Gray is sending five Patriots to the state meet.  “We have a pretty close-knit group of kids and they all know each other,” said Miller, whose team placed third at the state duals earlier this month. “Yeah, some of the guys we have been working with might have Independence on their chest or Centennial, but we are all a wrestling family in Williamson County in a way.”  Miller expects Ables as well as the trio of Independence qualifiers and others may even warm up with his Spartans on Friday.  “They are a part of our wrestling family, too,” he said. “I’m just excited for all of us. Magical things happen at tournament time.”  The tournament is in the Chattanooga Convention Center this year after more than a decade at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center, which is not available because it is being used as a COVID-19 testing site and vaccination center. “It will be different, but at least we are having a state tournament,” Ables said.  The senior will be joined by Region 6-AAA runner-up Finley Jamison of Summit at 152. The Spartans are sending seven region winners, including freshmen Jarvis Little (113) and Landon Desselle (132). Both will have tall tasks if they get past their openers, with Little most likely to face Cleveland’s 106-pound state champion Bentley Ellison and Desselle potentially running into two-time medalist Brennan Watkins, a Dobyns-Bennett senior who placed second at 126 last year. The 132-pound division, which includes Page sophomore Grant Hawkinson, features five returning medalists.  “No matter what, our guys are mostly just excited,” Miller said. “It’s kind of like March Madness brackets now, so after the first round, everything tends to go out the window. We have been telling all our guys, the only bad draw is whoever drew us.  “Our guys aren’t scared of anybody.”  Juniors Jackson Masters (120) and Ryan Smith (285) are among the returning state qualifiers for Summit and both are expected to make some noise. Maddox Reed (195), Luke Justice (170), Austin Noll (138) and Justin Noll (126) are the other qualifiers.  Gray said that his team probably hasn’t popped up on many scouting reports.  “Our advantage is these guys probably don’t know much about us,” Gray said. “We kind of fly under the radar but have some familiar opponents and have had success.”  Two-time region champion Mitchell Lambert (220) is seeking some hardware this year but will most likely have to get past Cleveland junior Ashton Davis to reach the semifinals. Davis won the division in 2020. Similarly, 145-pound Page senior Collins Fiscus will open against Wilson Central’s Steven Fisak, a two-time medalist. Junior Will Parcel (170) and Jack Mundt (195) are the other Patriot qualifiers.  The 195-pound division, which includes Summit’s Reed and Page’s Mundt, features four of the six returning state medalists in the weight class, led by last year’s runner-up, Jason Brumlow of East Hamilton, who opens against Mundt.  +3 Franklin’s Anderson preps for senior football season by pushing himself on the wrestling mats Franklin is sending four, including returning medalist Owen Gobel at 113, while Independence and Brentwood have three state qualifiers.  Independence senior Tanner Willett is among the favorites at 160 and one of three returning medalists in the division. Like Ables, Willett won’t be pursuing wrestling at the collegiate level, but he wants to end his career on the podium, especially after a fifth-place showing last year at 138.  “It means a lot to get back to state,” Willett said after winning the Region 6-AAA title. “It’s a tough bracket, but I plan to contend.”  Dobyns-Bennett senior Tre Morrisette returns in the division to defend his title and sits on the opposite side of the bracket.  The trio of Brentwood qualifiers all finished in second place in the regional with a pair of freshmen in Arash Yazdani (126) and Clark Vaughn (138) joining junior 106-pounder Zach Ordonez.  Ravenwood also is sending one region champ in 145-pounder Drew Dodson, a junior.  “Everybody has been working on the details,” Gray said. “It’s a mental game now.” The Class AAA tournament will begin at 9 a.m. _________________ Signal Mountain Second In A-AA State Wrestling Uhorchuk Brothers All Win Titles As Eagles Finish Runner-Up To Pigeon Forge Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - by John Hunt It’s safe to say that the Pigeon Forge Tigers have been the most dominant Class A-AA wrestling team in Tennessee in recent years, but they got upset by the Fairview Yellow Jackets at the State Duals on Feb. 6. The Tigers came to Chattanooga on Wednesday for the A-AA Traditional state tournament with a chip on their shoulders and a point to prove. They did just that at the Hamilton County Convention & Trade Center after winning four individual titles and scoring 193 points while nine of their 13 entries earned medals. The Signal Mountain Eagles finished as the runner-up with 174.5 points after winning three of four championship matches and taking eight of nine participants home with medals. The Greeneville Green Devils were a close third with 172 points while Fairview and Hixson rounded out the top five teams with 169 and 110 points, respectively. Greg Foreman has been the head man at Pigeon Forge for the past 18 years, during which time his teams have won six state traditional titles, including the last three. The loss to Fairview in the State Duals just added fuel to their fire as they came to Chattanooga with a point to prove. “Every one of my guys fought hard and contributed, but Fairview winning the Duals just added gas to the fire as we were intent on proving a point today. We came here on a mission and we accomplished it. “I work with the little ones from the time they learn how to tie their shoes until they come back after graduating from college and I get to see them grow up and become successful young men. That’s the reward I get for being their coach, but winning state titles never gets old,” he nodded before the team awards were presented. Signal Mountain coach Joe Jellison had high hopes for his team, but they simply didn’t have enough entries to challenge for the top spot, but someone forgot to send that message to the Eagles. Jellison was all smiles when the final match had ended. “We brought nine and eight of them placed, so that’s not so bad,” he said with a smile on his face. “Most of the matches went the way they expected, but you always have to win a few you aren’t supposed to win to be a state champion, but what a great way to end our season. We can’t be content with finishing second as there’s still work to be done, but I couldn’t be more proud,” he added. Most folks were talking about Pigeon Forge, Fairview and Signal Mountain as the overall favorites before the action began, but nobody mentioned Greeneville. Pigeon Forge exited with four champs while Signal Mountain had three. The Greene Devils finished the day with two. Coach Randy Shelton was hoping they could catch the Eagles and finish second, but it just wasn’t to be. “It was a good day for us as we leave here with eight medalists,” he said at the end of the night. “We’re a bit disappointed to finish third. We had two state champs and I’m happy about that, but we came here feeling like we could challenge for the championship as we’ve been neck-and-neck with Pigeon Forge all season,” Shelton said matter of factly. Fairview only trailed Pigeon Forge by seven points before the medal matches began, but the Yellow Jackets could only win one title after placing four in the championship round. They too finished with eight medalists. “It’s nice to medal eight guys, but we had our sights set on first place before we got started,” said Fairview coach Bubba Derrick after all was said and done. “All of our AAU work has paid off, but we just couldn’t put enough points together today,” he added. The four champs for Pigeon Forge included Andy Cable at 120, Garrett Foreman at 152, Ethan Sutton at 195 and Mustafi Algarawim at 285 while Josh Parton was second at 145 and Caleb Wolfe the runner-up at 220. The Uhorchuk brothers made quite an impression as all won state titles for Signal Mountain, including senior Daniel at 126, who won his fourth straight state title, eighth-grader Ethan at 106 and sophomore Caleb at 113. Preston Worley was second at 195. Greeneville’s two champs included Hunter Mason at 138 and Kodiak Cannedy at 160. Five other teams had one champion each, including Sycamore’s Logan Heckert at 132, Fairview’s Riley Bennett at 145, Eagleville’s Wyatt Mclemore at 170, Noah Hill of Forrest at 182 and Elizabethton’s Jonathan Morton at 220. Fairview’s Bennett was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler after winning by injury default over Pigeon Forge’s Josh Parton. Bennett had finished as a state runner-up for the past three years, so he got a big monkey off his back with Wednesday’s win. Sutton and Worley earned the Best Match award after Sutton scored late to pull out a heart-stopping 7-6 decision at 195 pounds. Hixson’s Trevor Lewis had to be the most disappointed wrestler in the building. He suffered a severely-sprained ankle – and possibly even broken -- during warmups and was unable to challenge the oldest Uhorchuk in what most thought could have been the best match of the day. Thursday will be the day for Division II and the girls tournaments. A-AA FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Pigeon Forge 193; 2. Signal Mountain 174.5; 3. Greeneville 172; 4. Fairview 169; 5. Hixson 110; 6. Gibbs 109; 7. Nolensville 102; 8. Sycamore 87; 9. Eagleville 74; 10. Harpeth 64.5. OTHER CHATTANOOGA-AREA TEAMS: 11. Whitwell 60.5; 18. East Ridge 26; 19. Polk Co. 22; 26. Red Bank 12.5; 30. Central 9, 33. Tyner 8; 34. Sale Creek 7; 39. Howard 2; 40. Sequatchie Co. 1. CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS 106 – Ethan Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain) pinned Porter Finstad (Gibbs), 1:34; 113 – Caleb Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain) dec. Leandre Dabney Jr. (Greeneville), 9-4; 120 – Andy Cable (Pigeon Forge) major dec. Spencer Reep (Gibbs), 12-4; 126 – Daniel Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain) won by injury default over Trevor Lewis (Hixson); 132 – Logan Heckert (Sycamore) won by technical fall over Hunter Johnson (Greeneville), 5:03; 138 – Hunter Mason (Greeneville) pinned Luke London (Sycamore), 1:33; 145 – Riley Bennett (Fairview) won by injury default over Josh Parton (Pigeon Forge); 152 – Garrett Foreman (Pigeon Forge) pinned Lucas Taylor (White House Heritage), 1:14; 160 – Kodiak Cannedy (Greeneville) pinned Malachi Bennett (Fairview), 1:34; 170 – Wyatt Mclemore (Eagleville) pinned Kaden White (Moore Co), 3:30; 182 – Noah Hill (Forrest) dec. Kendrick Curtis (Fairview), 8-4; 195 – Ethan Sutton (Pigeon Forge) dec. Preston Worley (Signal Mountain), 7-6; 220 – Jonathan Morton (Elizabethton) pinned Caleb Wolfe (Pigeon Forge), 5:15; 285 – Mustafi Algarawi (Pigeon Forge) dec. Jacob Clevenger (Fairview), 5-4. CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE 106 – Taylor Turner (Harpeth) pinned Sam Frank (Fairview), 2:03; 113 – Gregory Gomez (Martin Luther King) dec. Malik Wooten (Millington Central), 10-3; 120 – Gregory Mech paz (Watertown) dec. Noah Shriner (Signal Mountain), 8-7; 126 – Dakota Pattee (Nolensville) major dec. Dylan Davenport (Sycamore), 9-0; 132 – Brice Barton (Whitwell) won by technical fall over Perrin Clark (East Ridge), 4:31; 138 – Gaberial Pennington (Eagleville) dec. Kale Albritton (Signal Mountain), 16-14; 145 – John Pittman (Gibbs) major dec. Brody Mclemore (Eagleville), 8-0; 152 – Dalen Kimble (Sycamore) dec. Daniel White (Cheatham Co.), 7-3; 160 – Carson Reep (Gibbs) dec. Kobie Smith (Hixson), 8-7; 170 – Morgan Lowery (Greeneville) pinned Zach Sinner (Nolensville), 3:46; 182 – Kevin Muschel (Signal Mountain) dec. Kirk Parsons (Gibbs), 4-0; 195 – Nathan Montpool (Nolensville) pinned Arie Donaldson (Fairview), 4:34; 220 – Parrish Pacetti (Hixson) dec. Rob Atwood (Trousdale Co.), 6-0; 285 – Kaymon Overton (East Nashville) dec. Landon Moore (Hixson), 6-1. CONSOLATION FINALS FOR FIFTH PLACE 106 – Cooper Johnson (Greeneville) pinned Payton Bures (Nolensville), 4:32; 113 – Hunter Gentry (Pigeon Forge) pinned Kyle Harper (Red Bank), 4:29; 120 – Keegan Seaver (Fairview) dec. Payton Boyde (Harpeth), 8-3; 126 – Jeffery Anderson (Fairview) won by disqualification over Charles Dabney (Greeneville); 132 – Caleb Miller (Hixson) won by forfeit over Riley Lippincott (Nolensville); 138 – Benton Magouirk (Whitwell) dec. Seth McCoy (Forrest), 6-1; 145 – Thomas Magness (Harpeth) dec. Brock Shipley (Signal Mountain), 2-0; 152 – Tate Crowell (Nolensville) dec. Dawson Jones (Sullivan East), 14-7; 160 – Aiden Littles (Pigeon Forge) pinned Eli Roberts (Millington Central), 2:19; 170 – Kyle Watts (White House Heritage) dec. Cooper Edwards (Harpeth), 1-0; 182 – Joseph Skidmore (Pigeon Forge) dec. Hayden Sinner (Nolensville), 7-2; 195 – John Geist (Livingston Academy) dec. Sean Clare (Sullivan South), 3-2; 220 – Mason Keel (Whitwell) dec. Zac Chrisman (Greeneville), 4-2; 285 – Keanun Cummings (Whitwell) dec. Benjamin Stone (Polk Co.), 4-3. (Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

In all, more than 40 nationally-ranked competitors are set to take the mat this weekend in state tournaments streamed on Trackwrestling. Here’s a look at some more of the stars and storylines to follow: — This week’s eight-state lineup showcases two of the nation’s top-ranked individuals — Picklo and 145-pounder Cody Chittum. Both solidified spots atop their respective weight classes last fall with victories at Who’s No. 1. Chittum is bidding for another state title in Tennessee. He won his first as a seventh grader in 2018 when he pinned his way through the DII 120-pound bracket. The heavy-handed sophomore is an even different animal this time around after spending last year testing his skills against a Blair Academy schedule. Chittum won the Beast of the East last year, placed second to Beau Bartlett at National Preps and put on a dominant display against two-time Oklahoma state champ Jordan Williams as part of the Jordan Burroughs-David Taylor card. — Tennessee’s rising talent tide will be on display this week in Chattanooga. In addition to Chittum, five more nationally-ranked competitors are in the Tennessee state tournament field, including three from Baylor Academy: Returning state champs Nick Corday, Garrison Dendy and David Harper. Baylor had 13 state medalists last year, all of whom placed fourth or better. — Rylan Rogers wrestled alongside Chittum last year at Blair Academy before the COVID-19 pandemic put the Buccaneers’ season in limbo and spurred Rogers to return to the Inland Northwest. The second-ranked 182-pounder will vie for an Idaho state title this weekend for Coeur d’Alene, where teamed up with fourth-ranked 145-pounder Drew Roberts. Rogers takes a 7-0 record into the state tournament. He’s competing at 195. — Kyle Rice is chasing his third Idaho state title this year as a junior, putting him on track to match his brother Joe, who won four championships. But Kyle’s quest to match his brother nearly ended before it began — in shop class of all places. You might recall Rice’s story from this Writing Time piece two years ago. He suffered a severe hand injury during a shop class accident roughly a month before the state tournament. Doctors advised Rice not to wrestle, telling him he’d have to deal with excruciating pain. He wrestled anyway and pinned his way through the postseason. Rice breezed through his bracket last year as a sophomore and enters this year’s tournament 33-0. https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6898326-stars-storylines-for-high-school-state-tournaments-on-trackwrestling ________________ Hunter Johnson - Greenville featured... https://www.wjhl.com/video/high-school-standout-hunter-johnson-learns-valuable-life-lessons-through-greeneville-wrestling/6320096/ _________________ From the Tennessean regarding venue with Mark Reeves... What the TSSAA individual wrestling state championships will look like during COVID-19 pandemic Tom Kreager Nashville Tennessean There remains one question entering with what will be a significant new look to the TSSAA individual wrestling state championships held Wednesday-Friday at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Will the limited spectators be able to see the wrestling action? "I don't know," said TSSAA assistant director Mark Reeves, who oversees wrestling and is a former high school wrestling coach. "We don't know how it's going to work. We've never had a wrestling tournament in a convention center. "It's going to have to work. Because we don't have any other options." There will be seating for about 1,000, Reeves said. Each state qualifier received two tickets for the event. Those at the event will have temperature checks. They will be required to wear masks. However, all seats will be at floor level and not elevated like previous years at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin. The TSSAA was forced to change venues because the expo center is being used as a COVID-19 testing center. Reeves said the TSSAA has faced "too many obstacles to count" in trying to pull off the event during the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest was simply finding a venue that would permit fans, albeit limited. WATCH LIST:30 Tennessee high school wrestlers to watch during the TSSAA individual wrestling state championships WRESTLING DURING COVID-19:How Tennessee high school wrestling programs are getting through a COVID-19 season SNOWBOUND:TSSAA postpones Tennessee high school wrestling individual championships "We had no arenas that we could secure confidently to accommodate the number of coaches and competitors," Reeves said. "You are right at 500 before you bring in the first fan. "After that, it's the challenge of having just two tickets per competitor. That's an enormous challenge. And the other challenges very well could come with how people are able to see all these things that quite frankly we won't know until it's actually rolling." The format of the three-day event also is drastically different. Previously, the state championships started with opening rounds on one day and culminated with state champions being crowned in the four classifications and divisions on the third day. That will not happen this year. The TSSAA will hold Class A/AA on Wednesday, Division II and girls on Thursday and Class AAA on Friday. The event was pushed back from a week ago after snow and ice blanketed Middle and West Tennessee. The tournament will use eight mats, down from 12 previous years. There isn't a warmup area due to the limited space available. Wrestling starts at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and Friday with the finals at 6 p.m. for Division I boys. Competition begins at 10 a.m. Thursday with finals at 4:30 p.m. With each tournament finishing in one day, the TSSAA received permission from the NFHS to allow wrestlers to compete in six matches in a day if needed. Previously, wrestlers could only compete in five a day. "We've got to report back (to the NFHS) with some findings and how many wrestlers it actually impacted," Reeves said. "We plan to submit that as a proposal for a national rule change to be implemented in the postseason only. "That's what allows us to do that." Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager -------------- Also from Mr. Reeves... While the governor has lifted the restrictions on the general public attending contests, the TSSAA guidelines that were developed in consultation with the governor regarding masks, temperature checks, social distancing and recommended capacities remain in effect. Long before the governor's latest Executive Order we began exploring a number of options for the state wrestling championships. Unfortunately, we were not able to secure a venue that could accommodate the number of competitors (872) and coaches (500+) that would enable all divisions to compete under one roof at the same time. An arena would be the only type of venue that would be big enough for us to make it work with current capacity restrictions, but we were not able to find an arena that was available or willing to host an event of this nature. Farming each division out to schools was not a realistic option as we have found that the most school systems are very hesitant to bring multiple teams into their facilities. Fortunately, we were able to secure the Chattanooga Convention Center for this event. However, in order to accommodate all 4 divisions over the 3 day window we have the facility, each division must complete its tournament in one day. (Division II and Girls will compete on the same day since they only have 8 person brackets). It is not possible to complete a tournament with more than 16 wrestlers in one weight class without having some wrestlers exceed the maximum number of matches (6) a wrestler is permitted to have in one day. As a result, we had to cut the 32 man bracket down to 16. Thanks, Mark mreeves@tssaa.org ________________ No. GA News... Meanwhile, across town at Dalton High, a wrestler who is no stranger to winning state championships added another accomplishment in his final wrestling campaign. Hunter Noland won his third consecutive individual state title at the state meet on Feb. 12, taking home Class 6A's 145-pound division. After faltering in the state meet as a freshman, Noland set his sights on winning in each of his remaining years. He did just that. "Losing as a freshman was tough, but I think it gave me the drive to move forward," Noland said. "I said then that I was going to win the rest of them." Noland takes his winning streak into college, where he'll wrestle at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Leon and Webb both say they hope to wrestle in college, but haven't yet decided where. https://news.yahoo.com/wrestling-winners-southeast-wrestlers-set-131600999.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABLoIKY0goYYmSIh4lVF4d68l4iKgNH1M6qZiWrQl5MQ7U2vdewFDSzAFfcFg0pOkI4joVR3WeJx6iOEOwVlR0wF5wUTzfsuvMr5M96wyuQ9KKlApPj_vrcp9q-rPpZQiC2yQA4ZzmvH_6kg0775k747oPz4cDc-X_aRt_nvkTUS