cowcatcher

Oceansize, thanks for looking into this! So many great wrestlers and matches to look forward to this year. I suspect this is the most talent there has ever been in Single A.

A few things... 1. I have been told that Jojo and Carson wrestled a few years ago with Uhorchuk winning. Don't know if that is true? Regardless, I know that was a few years ago. 2. I should have clarified that I believe there isn't a clear advantage for either from the neutral position. I've only seen each wrestle a few matches this year though. It sounds like cbg and oceansize have seen both guys wrestle more than I have so you two might have a better idea than I do. 3. Carson has earned his national ranking as G'ville has traveled the country and he has had spectacular results at all of these big named tournaments. 4. I would still consider Jojo elite. I remember that he won VA Beach last year. Jojo's lack of a national ranking is simply due to SM not attending any tournaments outside of TN. 5. My post was simply a prediction in response to Mitch. I did not mean to offend anyone. Carson can easily win this match and I won't be surprised one bit if he does. I'm just excited to see two guys of this caliber go at it! Thank you for adding your thoughts oceansize and cbj. I always value your opinions!

I usually agree with most all of your posts, but no way, oceansize! Carson is elite and Jojo is elite. This will be a close match. True toss up.

Mitch24, I'm not positive how they will seed the duals this year under the new format, but I see Greeneville as the clear favorite. Signal Mtn. likely has the best chance to knock them off from all of the other teams in the field for both duals and traditionals, but we can't count Foreman's boys out either. If PF has everyone healthy, they could give Signal Mtn. a run for their money. I like both SM and PF as my 2 and 3 teams with defending champ Fairview just slightly behind. One of those 3 will make the finals to wrestle G'ville. Someone outside of those making the finals would be a big surprise. A LOT would need to go wrong for G'ville not to win though. So I have my state dual finals between the star-studded Devils and Uhorchuk Mountain playing out something like this... 106 -- Jojo Uhorchuk dec. Carson Dupill (3-0 SM), MATCH OF THE YEAR IN ANY DIVISION!!! I plan to make the drive just to watch this match. Could go either way, but Jojo steals a close one due to his advantage on the mat. 113 -- E. Uhorchuk pins R. Johnson (9-0 SM) 120 -- C. Uhorchuk maj. dec. L. Dabney (13-0 SM), State finals rematch, could be interesting if Dabney can get that opening TD 126 -- N. Shriner pins C. Johnson (19-0 SM) 132 -- Owens dec. E. Dabney (22-0 SM) 138 -- Bryant dec. Jennings (25-0 SM), honestly don't know much about these two, just making the pick based off results this year 145 -- Mason pins Davis (25-6 SM) 152 -- Colin Dupill pins Jenkins (25-12 SM) 160 -- Murray pins Eden Shriner (25-18 SM) 170 -- Kodiak pins Qualls (25-24 SM) 182 -- Lowery pins Williams (30-25 G'ville) 195 -- Cornelius pins Clifford (36-25 G'ville) 220 -- Chrisman pins Winchester (42-25 G'ville) 285 -- Odom pins Chapman (42-31 G'ville) SM is extremely talented in the lower weights but looks pretty weak from about 160 up outside of their 285. I'm confidently taking the Devils v. the field next week in Franklin. What are other's predictions?

Completely agree. With Pigeon Forge, for example, I suspect Foreman would be the only one on their team with even a chance to win if they were to wrestle Cleveland or Baylor. Very impressive run for the small schools though.

The past few years, Cleveland and Baylor are night and day above everyone in the state as far as "dominance" goes, and the next best is not even close. Since 2000, here are the facts: State Titles (not including duals) 1. Baylor (12) 2. Bradley Central (10) T3. Cleveland (8) T3. Father Ryan (8) 5. Pigeon Forge (6) - A/AA 6. Soddy Daisy (3) 7. CBHS (2) T8. Clarksville (1) T8. Hixson (1) - A/AA T8. Gibbs (1) - A/AA McCallie has won 2 dual titles ('03 and '06), but I don't think they have even beaten Baylor in a dual since '06 when they had Gordon Connell coaching. Have they even beat Cleveland in the past 10 years? I would expect better results from the state's "most dominant" team with all that DI talent. LOL. McCallie's dominance came with Gordon Connell and ended when he stepped down. That aside though, 6 DI wrestlers is impressive.

So great to see for our state having someone like Hunter represent us on the national stage. Congrats to him and his family! I have loved following his career over the years and can't wait to see what his future holds.

Certainly agree with you oceansize. I definitely don't see Heckert or anyone beating Kodiak, but if the two wrestled, it'd definitely be a fun match to watch (for a period or two LOL). If someone in Single A takes Hunter out of the first period this year, I'd be shocked. Both Hunter and Kodiak are generational talents.

My Region Winners: Region 1- Greeneville Region 2- Gibbs Region 3- Pigeon Forge Region 4- Signal Mountain Region 5- White House Heritage Region 6- Page Region 7- Fairview Region 8- Millington Central Sectional Winners: 1 Greeneville over 2 Gibbs 3 Pigeon Forge over 4 Signal Mountain 6 Page over 5 White House Heritage 7 Fairview over 8 Millington Central State Duals: 1 Greeneville over 3 Pigeon Forge 7 Fairview over 6 Page Dual Champion: 1 Greenville over 7 Fairview

Wow, hate to hear that for anyone but my heart especially breaks a kid like him who has given so much to the sport and it being his senior year. Watching him over the years you can tell that people on his team, other teams, the fans, coaches, and officials all have so much respect for him and everything he stands for. To Garrett if he sees this.. know that he wrestling community is pulling for you to overcome the odds and make a speedy recover buddy. Get well soon!

Prayers be with Garrett and his family. I'll say this though, anyone who knows the type of kid Garrett is, don't be shocked to see this young man on the mat getting his hand raised in the final match of the year at his weight class.

If you haven’t read SEWrestle’s “State of the Program” articles they’ve been doing over the off season, you should! Very insightful, they do a great job. 1. Pigeon Forge - https://www.southeastwrestling.com/blog/2021/8/8/st-john-paul-ii-lny22-pkd9d-83hll-mt35x-xbta2-9ea35-swrne-e7d2m-6ah3b-hbfzl-n8rh6-zjba4-k9rrf-hdyah-w3ydj-j8r3k-c9wrm-8chyh-eatgj-nadhh-t8j6l-4f6c4-lkzck-7nzmd Since the A/AA and AAA Division I split in the 2013-2014 season, PF has won the traditional championship 6 of 8 years and placed in the top 3 7 of 8 years. Coach Foreman has become the Nick Saban of this classification and their dynasty is right up there with Crimson Tide (Roll Tide!) and doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon. I’ll put my money on them making it 4 in a row winning it all again this year. I hadn’t heard anything about Garrett Foreman being out for the year until oceansize42’s post yesterday. If there’s any truth to that, that obviously makes PF path to another title more difficult. Even if he's out, I still think they're the best team but that makes things a lot closer. Until that’s confirmed, give me the Tiger’s as they essentially return everyone again this year except Mustafi at HWT. If PF makes it 4 in a row, I think Coach Foreman has a legit argument to be considered the GOAT in terms of best coach in TN history. 2. Greeneville - https://www.southeastwrestling.com/blog/6tnzwfsrbah84xr-fpg9c-x9c89-64zd3-z6zy9-tnx79-ppgnl-pm5rm-cmljy-s4kc7-lf6rn-mts9x-n798b-mr5g6-hpnar-yldwt-hjslg-w637c-k3ede-tl77l-btwaf-s3a42-pfn9a-5b44f-wd2bs-3hcb7-rrmg9 Coach Shelton’s team’s been headed in the right direction for a while it seems with 3 consecutive 3rd place finishes in the traditional tournament. If there’s ever been a year for the Devils to finally break through and win it all, it’s this year. They’ll go into the year with 2 essential locks for individual titles with Hunter (ranked #6 in the nation at 132lbs on Flo) and Kodiak (ranked #18 in the nation at 160lbs on Flo). They'll probably be at 138/145lbs and 170lbs though for the school season. I think they’re still on the outside looking in but if Foreman’s out, it’s wide open and you can easily argue the Devils would be the pick to win it. 3. Fairview - https://www.southeastwrestling.com/blog/2021/8/8/st-john-paul-ii-lny22-pkd9d-83hll-mt35x-xbta2-9ea35-swrne-e7d2m-6ah3b-hbfzl-n8rh6-zjba4-k9rrf-ztnpd While the defending Dual Champions lose their leader and the state tournament’s OW, Riley Bennet, the Jackets return 7 of 8 of their returning placers from last year’s team. If Malachi Bennett (160, would need to be in a different weight than Kodiak), Kendrick Curtis (182), and Jacob Clevenger (HWT) who all finished 2nd last year can take the next step and win titles, Fairview would have a great crack at it… IF Mr. Garrett Foreman is actually out. Big IF! 4. Signal Mountain - https://www.southeastwrestling.com/blog/nsl6ap2pc9ay4m6-3z3r8-xtmx7-hnlkt-nsx3w-sz4dk-gkbwa-2r7hg-bttpa-2jmck-2xb4x-k4m39-f8ghp-j3tb4-me4f9-j4ph7 After graduating 9 seniors from a team that finished 2nd last year, you gotta think Signal takes a big step back, right? Well, they still got 3 Uhorchuk’s which likely means 3 champions. There’s a lot of unknowns with Signal and a lot of guys mentioned in the article I’ve never heard of but when I saw they added Quails and Winchester as transfers, I’m going to have Signal as my dark horse to potentially win it (again..only IF Foreman is truly out). They would have to have some of those other kids I don't know much about step up too though. If you don’t know Quails and Winchester, you will. I remember watching them dominate in middle school, they’re studs. My Chatt source tells me they didn’t wrestle the last 2 years because their old high school didn’t have a wrestling team. Signal getting Houston and his dad as their new coaches helps too. They did a lot with a little last year at Whitwell, interested to see what they do with a program like Signal. 5. Sycamore – maybe I missed an article on these guys? Just going off paper, I like what Sycamore returns. They’ll have Logan Heckert back who waltzed his way to the 132lb title in dominant fashion last year. I hear Heckert has really bulked up over the summer and had to cut to make 160lbs at the Super 32 qualifier in Atlanta a few weeks ago. Could Heckert challenge Kodiak this year? I’d love to see that one. They also return a very good Luke London who took 2nd at 138lbs last year. If he stays out of Hunter's weight, he should have a great shot at winning a championship this year. Coach Hamblin’s team really seems to be on the rise. They won’t win it this year, but the way he’s got this program trending, they’ll be a legit title contender in a year or two.. heard it here first. Anyone else have any big off season news or thoughts or predictions for the season? Any insight on the teams that are coming down to our class? My final thought—I just want to say I think (despite my bias), the A classification is the most entertaining division in TN this year. Big school state and DII.. already foregone conclusions with Cleveland and Baylor. Class A is where the true rivalries and fun is at. Might I add that the big school/small school split for wrestling has been one of the best decisions the TSSAA has ever made. Wrestling is growing rapidly at schools not traditionally known for their wrestling and as a result, you’ve got a Single A classification in a southern state with nationally ranked talent like Kodiak, Hunter, the Uhorchuk brothers, Garrett Foreman, and plenty of impressive others representing the great state of Tennessee! Looking forward to it!

First, I want it to be known that I have zero connection to the Cleveland wrestling program. These posts coming from grown adults complaining over what weight a kid wrestled at a national tournament is absolutely pathetic. I mean come on folks... are we really that jealous of Cleveland that we have to start attacking a kid who simply wanted to go the extra mile to help give himself the best chance he could to succeed and represent OUR state on the national scene?? Please... If anything, I think it's commendable. Best of luck to Mr. Bradford on the rest of his career!

Congratulations to Jackson and the entire Bradford family! So special seeing a young man's countless hours of hard work and dedication to such a difficult sport pay off and afford an opportunity to compete at the colligate level.

Good stuff! Looking forward to the additions of Tullahoma, East Hamilton, Soddy Daisy, and Crockett. Of the new comers, who does everyone think's the best?

Kinda like ESPN does for college football and basketball in the off season, I thought it might be cool to do the same to start some chatter! Let me know what you think! Way too early top 5 Pigeon Forge—7 returning medalists (including Noah Dyer who placed 4th at 126 in 2020). The reigning state team champs return 3 state champs (Andy Cable [120], Josh Parton [132 in 2020], and Garrett Foreman [152]) and another finalist, Caleb Wolfe (220). It’s gonna be tough for anyone to stop this dynasty Coach Foreman has going. Greeneville—7 returning medalists led by Mr. Hunter Mason who is ranked in the top 15 in the country right now. Stud Kodiak Cannedy returns as the defending champ at 160, and Leandre Dabney Jr. is back as a state finalist. Leandre will be a favorite to win it if he avoids the Uhorchuck kids. He showed in the finals he has what it takes to pull an upset on one of those kids though. 170 appears wide open so watch out for Morgan Lowery too who took 3rd last year. Fairview—they don’t return a champ, but return an incredibly solid lineup with 7 medalists back including 3 finalists (Malachi Bennett [160], Kendrick Curtis [182], Jacob Clevenger [285]). Watch out for these guys. They know how to win as they proved that taking home the duals title last year. Signal Mountain—the guys lose a lot and only return 3 placers, but they still have 2 Uhorchuck kids back and they get another one coming up this year who is supposed to be a stud. A Chatt friend told me they are also getting the Baylor kid Houston Clements as their new coach who really turned the Whitwell program around this year. I bet they’ll be a contender again in a few years. Sycamore—4 returning placers including the defending champ at 132 Logan Heckert and Luke London who got 2nd at 138. If London isn’t in Mason’s weight class again, he’ll have a great chance to win it. Others to watch Gibbs—return 3 medalists including 2 finalists (Finstad at 106, Reep at 120). I was impressed watching this program at states this year. Soddy Daisy, Tullahoma, and East Hamilton Chattanooga—all coming down a division. Ulric Winesberg looks to have Soddy trending in the right direction. And I keep hearing that East Hamilton has some good young stud. Do you Chatt folks have any info on these guys? Don’t know much about them. Whitwell—4 returning medalists but losing their coach Hixson—only one returning medalist but I feel like these guys always reload and have a good team.

I'll be honest, I don't follow AAA as much as I do A/AA and DII, so I can't really argue you on the McDaniel point as I haven't watched or followed him. I'm just a fan of the sport, so can you educate me on the young man please? I know a multi-time state champ, but has he accomplished anything on the national scene? Please excuse my ignorance, I honestly just don't know. Thank you!

Thanks for the info everyone!

Sorry for the confusion. I was simply saying that, "...one could argue (that Hunter) might be the best P4P in any of the divisions." Obviously, Chittum just slipped my mind. Hence, my follow up post suggesting he's simply in a different league than everyone else. My apologies! Hunter IS definitely one of the best P4P guys in any of the divisions and his top 20 ranking nationally justifies that opinion. No, he's definitely not Cody Chittum though LOL!

LOL! I didn't even think about Chittum. For the sake of discussion, we'll say he doesn't even count. He's in a league of his own!

How can anyone even argue that Hunter Mason is not the pound for pound king? What you could argue is he might be the best pound for pound in any of the divisions and the kid's only in 10th grade! Someone said it already, but I think they're spot on... you have to look at what these guys have done outside of TN. For instance, the top guys in most of the weight classes rarely even wrestle a full 3 periods unless it's in the state semis or state finals, so just looking at their results in TN lends a shortsighted view. Hunter has an impressive resume on the national scene and is nationally ranked, which says it all for me. I find it hard to imagine even someone like Daniel Uhorchuk could keep it close with Hunter Mason if they were in the same weight. I would trade my Auburn-Alabama tix next year to see a Hunter Mason v. Garrison Dendy (DII, Baylor) match though!

A few final thoughts of mine heading into the big dance… Matches I’m Most Excited For 182lb Finals - #1 Noah Hill (Forrest) v. #7 Kevin Muschel (Signal Mtn.)—From what I heard, Muschel jumped out to an early lead over Hill in the Regionals before getting caught on his back. I get the feel that Muschel is more than just muscle and seems like an intelligent kid. I’m sure he stay off his back this time. If he does, I see him taking down the defending state champ to walk away with the title in a high scoring 12-10 battle. Would he be the lowest seed to ever win one in any of the divisions? Assuming both men get there, this has the potential to be an instant all-time classic. 126lb Finals – #1 Daniel Uhorchuk (Signal Mtn.) v. #2 Trevor Lewis (Hixson)—a rematch of last year’s 120lb championship where Daniel won 3-0. Both are state champions with Trevor taking home a title the year before (not in same weight as Daniel). Can he reverse last year’s outcome? I’m going to say no and pick Div. 1 Army commit by a score of 6-2, but I love watching both of these warriors. Can’t wait for this one! 182lb Quarter Finals - #2 Joseph Skidmore (Pigeon Forge) v. #7 Kevin Muschel (Signal Mtn.)—I can’t believe we are going to get to see this one in the Semis…get’s my heart racing just thinking about it. Both guys have finished 2nd in the state twice, hate that one of them won’t get another shot at a title, but I’m saying Muschel flexes his muscle in this one and comes away with a 3 point victory. He’ll have an easier time in the Semis with Kendrick Curtis of Fairview before getting a rematch with Mr. Noah Hill in the finals. 4a. 132lb Semi Finals – #1 Hunter Johnson (Greeneville) v. #5 Riley Lippincott (Nolensville)— I do think Johnson is the better wrestler, but Riley has also wrestled at 138lbs this year some too, so the strength advantage shouldn’t be as big of a factor for Johnson here. I’m calling a 6-4 upset for Lippincott in what may be the best match of the tournament. 4b. 132lb Finals – #5 Riley Lippincott (Nolensville) v. #3 Brice Barton (Whitwell)—I continue to hear great things about the Barton kid and know he’s pinned Riley twice this year, but I also heard Riley pinned Barton once last year, so if Riley pulls an upset over Johnson in the semis, I expect this to be a wild one. Still going to stick with my original pick though and go Barton in a close one, 3-2. I’ve watched Lippincott for several years though and know what he’s capable of. He’s the only guy in this weight to wrestle for a title, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him win this wide open weight class. 5. 138lb Quarter Finals - #2 Kale Albritton (Signal Mtn.) v. #7 Noah Dyer (Pigeon Forge)—Two really exciting wrestlers. I’ve been a fan of Kale’s but the better wrestler Is the lower ranked guy in this one. Kale keeps it close early, but Noah prevails in the end by a score of 10-6 to really give PF a jolt in the team race. OTHERS TO WATCH: 145lb Quarter Finals - #2 Riley Bennett (Fairview) v. John Pittman (Gibbs) 145lb Finals – Bennett/Pittman winner v. #1 Josh Parton (Pigeon Forge) 220lb Finals – #1 Parrish Pacetti (Hixson) v. #2 Jonathan Morton (Elizabethton)—I know Morton has 2 titles already to his name and Pacetti only has 1, but I really like Pacetti to get his hand raised in this one. 285lb Semi Finals – #2 Jacob Clevenger (Fairview) v. #3 Kaymon Overton (East Nashville) 285lb Finals – Clevenger/Overton winner v. #1 Mustafi Algarawi (Pigeon Forge) Going to be some great matches all day starting in the Quarter Finals! 2 of my top 5, and 3 of the 11 matches I have on my list all come in that round of 8. Anybody see any big ones that I missed? Also, does anyone know how I can stream the event online and know what it costs? Thanks!

106 1. Kade Hartline (Baylor) 2. Cole Gumlick (Lakeway) 113 1. Nick Corday (Baylor) 2. Tate Williams (Boyd Buchanan) 120 1. Keveyon Roller (Lakeway) 2. Wills Bronson (CBHS) 126 1. Jackson Bond (Baylor) 2. Jack Braman (McCallie) 132 1. Dayne Dalrymple (CBHS) 2. Conor Payne (Boyd Buchanan) 138 1. Brayden Ivy (Lakeway) 2. Micah Tisdale (Baylor) 145 1. Garrison Dendy (Baylor) 2. Ben Stigamier (Father Ryan) 152 1. Emory Taylor (McCallie) 2. Evan Anthony (CBHS) 160 1. Gavin Cagle (McCallie) 2. Aiden Bowers (CBHS) 170 1. Alex Whitworth (McCallie) 2. Omaury Alvarez (Baylor) 182 1. Gunnar Garriques (Baylor) 2. Gevacio Gonzales (CBHS) 195 1. David Harper (Baylor) 2. Theo Sewell (CBHS) 220 1. Gabe Fisher (MBA) 2. Jackson Wells (Brentwood Academy) 285 1. Parker Petersen (Father Ryan) 2. Max Fisher (MBA) Team 1. Baylor 2. CBHS 3. Father Ryan 4. McCallie

Sorry, I didn't know much about the guys at 106 other than the ones I had as my top 3 TBH. Hamblin, what are your predictions for the tournament this year?

I wanted to create a thread to give our A/AA boys some love. Let's get the predictions going! I'm interested to hear everyone's take, individually and team score. Here's how I have it playing out: 106 1. Ethan Uhorchuk (Signal Mtn.) 2. Porter Finstad (Gibbs) 3. Sam Frank (Fairview) 4. Landon Turner (Harpeth) 113 1. Caleb Uhorchuk (Signal Mtn.) 2. Leandre Dabney (Greeneville) 3. Greg Gomez (MLK) 4. Hunter Gentry (Pigeon Forge) I expect Leandre to give Caleb a better match than most think. I wouldn't be totally shocked to see an upset here. This will be a big one in terms of the team score. Whoever loses this one, their team essentially can't catch PF in my opinion. 120 1. Andy Cable (Pigeon Forge) 2. Keegan Seaver (Fairview) 3. Noah Shriner (Signal Mtn.) 4. Gordon Mccall (Alcoa) 126 1. Daniel Uhorchuk (Signal Mtn.) 2. Trevor Lewis (Hixson) 3. Charles Dabney (Greeneville) 4. Dylan Davenport (Sycamore) Daniel v. Trevor will be the match of the tournament. I'm stoked for this one! 132 1. Brice Barton (Whitwell) 2. Riley Lippincott (Nolensville) 3. Hunter Johnson (Greeneville) 4. Caleb Miller (Hixson) Lippincott is my sleeper pick for the tournament. I saw where Barton pinned him at the regionals but if he's on, Lippincott can win this weight. Johnson has to win for Greeneville to have a crack at the team title. 138 1. Hunter Mason (Greeneville) 2. Noah Dyer (Pigeon Forge) 3. Kale Albritton (Signal Mtn.) 4. Seth McCoy (Forrest) Mason is my pick for OW. Dyer will beat Albritton in the quarters despite being the #7 seed and this will be a major factor in lifting PF to the team title. 145 1. Josh Parton (Pigeon Forge) 2. John Pittman (Gibbs) 3. Riley Bennett (Fairview) 4. Brody Mclemore (Eagleville) Pittman's a senior vet wrestling his best at the end of his career. Almost knocked off Parton at the regionals. I'm calling an upset over Bennett in the quarters before he drops another close match to Parton in the finals. 152 1. Garrett Foreman (Pigeon Forge) 2. Alex Overbay (Sullivan South) 3. Dalen Kimble (Sycamore) 4. Blake Mitchell (Fairview) 160 1. Kodiak Cannedy (Greeneville) 2. Malachi Bennett (Fairview) 3. Kobie Smith (Hixson) 4. Donnovin Darnell (Eagleville) 170 1. Wyatt Mclemore (Eagleville) 2. Cooper Edwards (Harpeth) 3. Marco Pukl (Pigeon Forge) 4. Morgan Lowery (Greeneville) 182 1. Kevin Muschel (Signal Mtn.) 2. Noah Hill (Forrest) 3. Joseph Skidmore (Pigeon Forge) 4. Kendrick Curtis (Fairview) Probably the deepest weight class, going to fun to watch this one! I have Muschel being the lowest seed (#7) to win a championship. Kevin v. Joseph in the quarters will be a good one. We'll see some great quarterfinal action in a lot of these weights. 195 1. Ethan Sutton (Pigeon Forge) 2. Preston Worley (Signal Mtn.) 3. Nathan Montpool (Nolensville) 4. Logan Woodall (Hixson) 220 1. Jonathan Morton (Elizabethton) 2. Parrish Pacetti (Hixson) 3. Caleb Wolfe (Pigeon Forge) 4. Rob Atwood (Trousdale County) 285 1. Kaymon Overton (East Nashville) 2. Mustafi Algarawi (Pigeon Forge) 3. Jacob Clevenger (Fairview) 4. Seth Vaughn (Fulton) Team 1. Pigeon Forge 2. Signal Mtn. 3. Greeneville 4. Fairview