Inspiring for coaches and wrestlers...

[Sommers]

Region 7

 

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2015/01/22/coyotes-hawks-eliminated-state-dual-tourney-spots/22199277/

 

Coyotes, Hawks eliminated from state dual tourney spots

George Robinson, The Leaf-Chronicle 11:38 p.m. CST January 22, 2015

 

 

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – What began as a quest to earn a Class AAA State Dual tournament berth quickly turned into a desire to maintain high region seeds when the region individual tournament begins in two weeks.

 

West Creek and Rossview both were looking for state dual tournament spots as it prepared to face Beech and Wilson Central in the Region 7 Dual Tournament Thursday night, but the Wildcats and Bucs made quick work of the Coyotes and Hawks.

 

Rossview got out to a quick start against Wilson Central, but fell behind after the sixth match of the night and eventually lost 52-15. Meanwhile, West Creek could never gain momentum as it dropped its first five matches before falling to Beech 58-12.

 

West Creek's Diego Martinez gets filpped by Beech's Jherian Maddox durin gtheir 152-pound match in the Region 7 Dual Tournament Thursday night.  (Photo: , THE LEAF-CHRONICLE/ROBERT SMITH)

Buy Photo Fullscreen

 

Next Slide

"It was a snowball effect," West Creek coach Zach Suggs said. "We've wrestled like that all year. We're a momentum team and we can win our first two or three in a row, the team rallies around that momentum. When we lose a few, it can go the other way. (Thursday) night it went the other way."

 

Suggs said that by the time he knew his team could not make up ground against Beech, he shifted his tactics by holding out several starters in various weight classes to keep high region individual tournament seeds for those wrestlers.

 

"Once we knew we couldn't win the dual meet, what's the point when our focus has to shift anyway," Suggs said. "There was nothing to gain from keeping some of the guys in there. We probably could have earned a few more team points but I didn't want to risk it with region individuals on the way."

 

Rossview coach Daniel Cozine applied the same logic as his team found itself up 9-6 after a Wilson Central forfeit at 132 pounds. The Wildcats responded with victories in the next 10 weight classes to cruise to the victory.

 

"It was going to be a major uphill battle against Wilson Central," Cozine said. "We knew that coming in and I thought we could steal a few matches here and there. We actually did steal a couple, but Wilson Central is a power and they overwhelmed us."

 

Cozine said his 120-pounder, Anthony Cole, who lost in overtime to Central's Nick King, was a bright spot as well as Rickey Gonzales' 6-4 victory against Caleb Berta at 126.

 

"Our effort was there," Cozine said. "Wilson Central's effort was there too and they are a very good team. But I was proud of how hard we fought on that mat. We had a few close matches and there was a few spots where we had a hard time competing but we also had a couple of kids out with illness and injuries. But we'll regroup and get ready for the region individuals because I think we can get a lot of our kids to state that way."

 

This is the second straight year that a wrestling team from Clarksville has failed to advance to the state duals. Clarksville High's 16 consecutive state dual appearance streak ended last year at the hands of Beech.

 

Wilson Central would go on to capture the Region 7 Dual title after Beech forfeited the entire match. The Wildcats have already beaten the Bucs three times this year and both, by advancing to the region title match, had already wrapped up state dual tournament berths so Beech conceded the match.

 

George Robinson. Prep writer. 245-0747. georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com. Follow on Facebook and Twitter: @Cville_Sports.

[Sommers]

Fairly Interesting Evening I wish I could have attended...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/1/22/292590/Cleveland-Rallies-To-Win-Region-4-AAA.aspx

 

 

 

Cleveland Rallies To Win Region 4-AAA Duals Over Bradley

 

Aaron Oliver's Pin Clinches Match As Blue Raiders Prevail, 37-31

 

Thursday, January 22, 2015 - by John Hunt

 

ATHENS, Tenn. -- If you wanted to see a possible preview of next weekend's champioiship match in the AAA State Duals, maybe you should have been here at McMinn County High School Thursday night.

 

The Cleveland Blue Raiders are the two-time defending state duals champs and they will be in the thick of the battle for first place next Friday and Saturday in Franklin, but they had to rally to beat Bradley for the Region 4-AAA Duals title.

 

It all came down to the final match of the evening, but it was Cleveland's Aaron Oliver who turned out to be the hero as it was his third-period pin that secured the win by a 37-31 final against the ever-battling Bears.

 

Cleveland had beaten Soddy Daisy by a 44-23 final in one semifinal match while Bradley had taken care of Walker Valley by a 48-24 final.  Neither of those matches was close as Cleveland built a 44-5 lead before forfeiting the final three weights.  Bradley's lead over Walker Valley was 48-6 before doing the same in the last three weights.

 

The championship match was a dandy and certainly worth the drive and the price of admission.

 

Starting at 182 pounds, Ed Elkins gave Bradley its first lead with a 5-1 decision while teammate Brett

 

Brown followed with a 34-second pin to make it 9-0.

 

John Gaither and Koran Kennedy both earned pins as Cleveland grabbed the lead at 12-9, but four straight wins by the Bears -- including pins from T.J. Hicks and Toribio Navaro -- stretched Bradley's lead to 16 points at 28-12.

 

Things were beginning to look a little bleak for the Blue Raiders, but Colton Landers got the comeback started with a 12-1 major decision at 132 before Chris Debien made it 28-22 with a first-period pin at 138.

 

Bradley's Donnie Beyer, who beat defending state champ Tucker Russo of Soddy Daisy last week, shocked state runner-up Ezra Taylor by a 10-5 final as the lead stretched to 31-22, but Cleveland then won the final three matches to clinch the biggest win of the season so far for the Blue Raiders.

 

Jack Hicks earned a pin at 152  before Jonathan Martin's 3-0 decision at 160 knotted the score at 31-all. 

 

With all the pressure on Cleveland's Oliver and Bradley's Corey Gatlin, Oliver got the pin call with 32 seconds left in the match to clinch the win for his team.

 

 Needless to say, Cleveland coach Jake Yost was most happy after everything ended.

 

"That was fun, wasn't it?" he began after his team had improved to 14-4 with a win that was a turnaround from Bradley's 39-27 win a couple of weeks ago.

 

"This is a stepping stone for us, but this isn't the end by any stretch.  Things just went our way tonight.  We had a lot of kids step up tonight, but we're looking forward to next week.  It will be hard for anyone to beat that team and I'm just happy that we'll be in the bracket opposite Bradley and Wilson Central.

 

"Aaron loves situations like the one he was in and I was comfortable with it as I have all the confidence in the world when he's out there.  I never really felt like we were out of it and I wasn't expecting Ezra Taylor to get beat, but kudos to the Beyer kid as he beat Russo last week and he's a stud," Yost added.

 

Bradley coach Ben Smith is just happy that his Bears will be going back to the state after a three-year stretch when they didn't qualify.

 

"That was a fun match, but the best thing is that we're both heading to Franklin next week with everyone healthy.  That was my biggest concern.  We both won seven matches, but they got more bonus points.  But our main goal was to get back to the state and I think we've proven that we can go with them," Smith said with a smile.

 

"I think that we're one of the top two teams in the state, but we answered the call.  I thought that Beyer's win at 145 was huge as it kept us in it, but the best team won tonight.  We're just hoping that we'll get to have round three next Saturday night," Smith nodded.

 

Bradley is now 19-3.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

 

CLEVELAND 37, BRADLEY 31

 

(Match began at 182 Pounds)

 

106 -- T.J Hicks (Brad) pinned Cody Mathews, :36;

 

113 -- Toribio Navarro (Brad) pinned Jayce Mullin, :44;

 

120 -- Ryan McElhaney (Brad) dec. Tristan Blansit, 4-2;

 

126 -- Knox Fuller (Brad) major dec. Victor Barbosa, 19-6;

 

132 -- Colton Landers (Clev) major dec. Joshua LaCoe, 12-1;

 

138 -- Chris Debien (Clev) pinned Stephen Scott, 1:38;

 

145 -- Donnie Beyer (Brad) dec. Ezra Taylor, 10-5;

 

152 -- Jack Hicks (Clev) pinned Caleb Adkins, 2:55;

 

160 -- Jonathan Martin (Clev) dec. Jack Bandy, 3-0;

 

170 -- Aaron Oliver (Clev) pinned Corey Gatlin, 5:28;

 

182 -- Ed Elkins (Brad) dec. Riley Stevison, 5-1;

 

195 -- Brett Brown (Brad) pinned Samuel Garcia, :34;

 

220 -- John Gaither (Clev) pinned Timothy Lawson, 1:00;

 

285 -- Koran Kennedy (Clev) pinned David Adams, 5:52.

 

SEMIFINAL RESULTS

 

CLEVELAND 44, SODDY DAISY 23

 

(Match began at 170 Pounds)

 

106 -- Lance Wheaton (SD) won by technical fall over Cody Mathews;

 

113 -- Jayce Mullin (Clev) dec. Jacob Kilgore,k 4-0;

 

120 -- Tristan Blansit (Clev) pinned Chase Payne, 3:18;

 

126 -- Colton Landers (Clev) pinned Jacob McClure, 3:22;

 

132 -- Chris Debien (Clev) won by technical fall over Austin Houser;

 

138 -- Emory Holcomb (SD) won by forfeit;

 

145 -- Tucker Russo (SD) won by forfeit;

 

152 -- Joshua Stiles (SD) won by forfeit;

 

160 -- Double forfeit;

 

170 -- Jonathan Martin (Clev) won by forfeit;

 

182 -- Samuel Garcia (Clev) dec. Gavin Hubbard, 3-2;

 

195 -- Riley Stevison (Clev) dec. Jared Fowler, 4-3;

 

220 -- John Gaither (Clev) pinned Elijah Cartwright, 1:19;

 

285 -- Koran Kennedy (Clev) pinned Jesse McNew, 2:29.

 

BRADLEY 48, WALKER VALLEY 24

 

(Match began at 170 Pounds)

 

106 -- T.J. Hicks (Brad) pinned Chandler Davis, :40;

 

113 -- Toribio Navarro (Brad) pinned Gitapun Jur, :57;

 

120 -- Ryan McElhaney (Brad) pinned Zane Smith, 1:35;

 

126 -- Knox Fuller (Brad) pinned Edward Johnson, 2:36;

 

132 -- Joshua LaCoe (Brad) dec. Joseph Munoz, 10-5;

 

138 -- Austin Gregory (WV) won by forfeit;

 

145 -- Mikel Gregory (WV) won by forfeit;

 

152 -- Dionte Richardson (WV) won by forfeit;

 

160 -- Double forfeit;

 

170 -- Corey Gatlin (Brad) pinned Justin Rowland, 1:02;

 

182 -- Brett Brown (Brad) pinned Matt Pankey, :28;

 

195 -- Ed Elkins (Brad) dec. Jaylon Martin, 9-4;

 

220 -- Ric Kennett (WV) pinned Timothy Lawson, 1:56;

 

285 -- David Adams (Brad) pinned Clay Pankey, :31.

 

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@Comcast.net)

[Sommers]

Region 1 Update...

 

http://m.tricities.com/sports/article_93de368e-a2bd-11e4-b2c4-6ffefa296983.html?mode=jqm

 

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – With a state tournament berth in his grasp, Kenneth Hagerman wasn’t about to let go.

 

 

Tennessee High’s 220-pounder grabbed a point with a second-period escape and held on for a 1-0 victory over John Latham in the decisive match of the Region 1-AAA semifinals Thursday to deliver the Vikings a 36-34 victory over Jefferson County and the program’s first spot in the state wrestling duals since 1994.

 

“I had to wrestle my match and just come out with my hand raised,†Hagerman said. “There was no way I was going to let that go for anything.â€

 

Tennessee High’s strong middleweights set up Hagerman’s dramatic triumph as the Vikings earned five consecutive victories starting at 132 pounds to take a 33-18 advantage into the final four bouts.

 

In order, Corbin Hurley (decision), Dewey Pendley (decision), Bryson Henley (pin), Harold Johnson (pin) and Jeremy Spangler (decision) prevailed to give the Vikings the 15-point advantage.

 

“It’s mostly just drill partners, just going in there every day and having that guy to work with,†Pendley said.

 

Jefferson Country responded with a major decision at 170, then got a forfeit and a pin to take the one-point edge into the concluding match.

 

Vikings coach Tim Marshall said he wasn’t concerned about having his squad’s fate in Hagerman’s hands.

 

“We saw that it probably would come down to that and I was completely fine with that,†he said.

 

Pendley said the team believed in Hagerman as well.

 

“Full confidence,†he said. “No doubt in our minds that he was going to win.â€

 

Hagerman controlled the final period after nabbing his lead, keeping his opponent’s belly on the mat for nearly all of the last two minutes.

 

Despite the long drought since their last state duals appearance, Hagerman said the Vikings believed all along this could be the breakthrough year, especially after knocking off perennial district and regional bully Science Hill last week.

 

“On forms every coach in the region has been saying it was going to be Jeff County, Dobyns-Bennett or Science Hill,†Hagerman said. “We weren’t even in the picture. When we beat Science Hill, we knew we had a good shot at this.â€

 

In a measure of the progress of the program, however, the Vikings weren’t totally thrilled with the results of the evening.

 

After securing their state berth with the semifinal win over Jefferson County, the Vikings fell 37-25 to Dobyns-Bennett in the regional final, losing by the same score of their clash Tuesday with the Indians that determined the district championship.

 

“It’s bittersweet,†Marshall said. “Definitely proud of the kids. They’ve accomplished a whole lot more than anyone else around here expected them to this year. Definitely a big accomplishment, proud of what we’ve done, but it’ll feel better tomorrow. It still stings right now.â€

 

Dobyns-Bennett will be in the state duals for the fifth time in seven years – including three straight appearances – but Thursday’s victory gave the Indians their first-ever regional title.

 

“It’s the first time we’ve ever hosted [regionals], first time we’ve won,†said D-B coach Buzzy Mann. “Those are two really big things for us. They’ve done a great job, Tennessee High, and I know they’ll continue to do a great job – Tim will do a great job over there. It was a tough match again just like Tuesday night. A couple things go a different way and we don’t win.â€

 

Trent Nelson recorded a 15-0 technical fall at 106 pounds and Judson McCray followed with a 4-2 decision to give the Vikings a quick 8-0 edge against the Indians.

 

The three middleweights-ley – Hurley, Pendley, Henley – all then won again in the D-B match to stake the Vikings to an early 22-12 advantage. D-B, though, claimed the next five matches and 19 points to take a 31-22 lead into the final two bouts.

 

Hagerman pulled out a narrow 2-1 decision at 220 pounds to give heavyweight Marquze Thompson a chance to even the match for Tennessee High with a pin, but overwhelming favorite Jonathan Ruth clinched the regional championship for D-B with a pin in 2:44.

 

“I guess it’s a stepping stone,†Marshall said. “You’ve got to take that first step. We made that first step and we’re no long under the radar. People are going to be looking for us and those kids are going to know how to step up and win those big matches come next year.â€

 

Hagerman said the Vikings will look to accelerate the program’s steady upward climb again next weekend when the state duals commence in Franklin, Tennessee.

 

“I’m glad everything worked out the way it did,†Hagerman said. “I’m glad we’re going to Franklin next weekend. We’ve all been together since fifth, sixth grade wrestling together.

 

“We just went up through the ranks together and we knew last year that we were going to have something special this year and the years following.â€

 

nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543

[Sommers]

Well Written and Drives Home the Historic Impact on Region 1...

 

http://www.timesnews.net/article/9084419/tribe-grapplers-claim-region-1-aaa-title

 

Tribe grapplers claim Region 1-AAA title

 

January 22nd, 2015 11:25 pm by DAVE ONGIE

 

 

KINGSPORT — It's awfully hard to argue that the past week hasn't been the best seven-day span in the history of Dobyns-Bennett's wrestling program.

 

After watching his team knock off Morristown East and Tennessee High on Thursday night inside the Buck Van Huss Dome to seal up the program's first Region 1-AAA dual meet championship, D-B coach Buzzy Mann and his squad certainly seemed to be on top of the world.

 

"Yeah, we've done really well, so we're excited about it," said Mann, who also recorded his 400th career coaching victory in the championship match to cap off an historic night.

 

D-B's big week started last Thursday night with a win over Science Hill, continued with a win over Tennessee High on Tuesday to wrap up the district title and concluded on Thursday with a 54-24 win over Morristown East in the semifinals and a 37-25 triumph over the Vikings in the finals.

 

Now the Tribe is bound for the state tournament, and they'll be bringing a busload of momentum with them to Franklin on Jan. 30. The Vikings also qualified for the state meet thanks to their runner-up finish.

 

"Our kids wrestled their hearts out," Mann said. "They were intense and they got after it. It started at 106 and went all the way through."

 

The difference between victory and defeat was narrow for D-B, and the key matches came in the 182-pound and 195-pound divisions. After losing a pair of 1-point decisions to Tennessee High at 182 and 195 on Tuesday, the Indians flipped the script on Thursday and took control of the regional title match as a result.

 

D-B's Zach Ratliff pulled out a 4-3 decision in the final seconds of his match with Jeremy Spangler in the 182 class, and Peyton Laughlin gutted out a 3-1 decision over Nathan Scott at 195 to put the Indians up 31-22.

 

Blake Ruth sealed the deal by pinning Tennessee High's Marquez Thompson in the heavyweight match.

 

"A couple things go a different way, and we don't win," Mann said.

 

A week after winning by forfeit and missing out on a chance to wrestle against Science Hill on senior night, D-B senior standout Palmer Begley made up for it by pinning a pair of opponents in front of the home crowd.

 

Begley said he wasn't mad about the circumstances that kept him from grappling last week, but said he enjoyed being a part of history on Thursday.

 

"It's insane," Begley said. "I told (coach Mann) earlier today that we had the chance to make history. There's never been 400 wins (by a coach) in wrestling at Dobyns-Bennett, and there's never been a region title.

 

"Hopefully we can go get the individual region title next week." 

[Sommers]

Region 5 Coverage,,, Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, in Ramsey who gives credit to his (108 lb) freshman's huge upset at 113....

 

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/01/22/siegel-wins-region-wrestling-title/22200273/

 

Siegel wrestling wins region, headed to state duals

 

Tom Kreager, DNJ 10:11 p.m. CST January 22, 2015

 

(Photo: Tom Kreager/DNJ)

 

MURFREESBORO – A year of firsts continued for Siegel's wrestling program Thursday night.

 

A week after winning the 12-year-old program's first district title, the Stars clinched another first — their first region championship.

 

Siegel defeated Tullahoma 40-33 at Oakland High's Randy King Gymnasium to clinch the Region 5-AAA title. Siegel will also compete in its first TSSAA Class AAA state duals next week.

 

"We wanted to be the ones to start a legacy," Siegel senior wrestler Dustin Holmes said. "The seniors wanted to be the first senior class to win the region. And the freshmen wanted to be the first freshmen.

 

"That's all we've been talking about is wanting to start our legacy in this program. We just went out and got the job done."

 

Siegel's win over the Wildcats came after a slim loss in the regular season to Tullahoma. Siegel, the District 10-AAA champion, whipped Coffee County 66-3 in its region semifinal.

 

Trailing 21-15 in the region final, Siegel rattled off five straight wins, including three consecutive pins to clinch the match and allow Siegel coach Lee Ramsey to forfeit the final two weight classes.

 

Dylan Bargatze (220 pounds), Landon Patterson (285) and Tyler Grant (106) all pinned their opponents. Freshman Michael Moultry (113) then got a major decision over Will Moran to make it 37-21. Freshman Daniel Bradford (120) then sealed the win with a 5-2 win over Jovahny Sanchez.

 

"The win at 113 really put us in a good spot," Ramsey said. "Michael weighed in at 108 so we bumped him up from 106. Then he went out and beat a region runner-up at 113."

 

Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.

 

 

 

Note: Tullahoma apparently had a few set backs since their impressive showing at the Walker Valley Duals. Hopefully they'll be back to form by individuals

[Sommers]

Baylor remains undefeated verses TN Schools...

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2015/jan/24/red-raiders-top-mccallie-rise-22-1/284362/

 

Red Raiders top McCallie, rise to 22-1

 

January 24th, 2015by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

 

 

 

McCallie's Jay Roberts hops free from Baylor's Jon Schmissrauter Friday at Baylor. Photo by Angela Lewis Foster/Times Free Press.

 

The McCallie-Baylor wrestling battle Friday started at 132 pounds, and the visiting Blue Tornado's Brock Herring opened with a major decision.

 

It was the Big Blue's lone lead of the night, though, as the Red Raiders' Michael Murphy followed at 138 pounds with a technical fall and Baylor rolled to a 41-16 Division II East-Middle win.

 

It was the Raiders' 11th straight victory in the longstanding duel and increased their overall series lead to 51-40.

 

"We had several matches where we're going to work on new things. The guys' effort is there and everybody is focusing at the right time," Baylor coach Ben Nelson said. "We're really happy with where the team is mentally; now we have things to tweak at a few weight classes so we can compete a little bit better."

 

The Red Raiders are pretty much healthy although some who have been out of the lineup for a while -- Jack Reynolds at 120 pounds and Caleb Canada at 152 -- still are working their way back into shape.

 

McCallie coach Mike Newman only wishes his team was healthy. Another one was added to the injury list last weekend when 113-pound Alec Earp hyperextended his elbow at the Halls Invitational.

 

"We're still waiting to get guys 100 percent," Newman said. "This is a big dual meet and we had a lot of guys that wanted to wrestle tonight, but we have to look at what's best for them and that's the postseason."

 

The Tornado injured list also includes Addison Cornell (120), Ethan Dendy (138), James Westbrooks (126) and Anders Heald (152)

 

Newman wasn't making excuses.

 

"Once again, Baylor has a really good team," he said. "They're solid up and down the lineup."

 

One of the McCallie highlights was the coming-out party -- his first varsity appearance -- for eighth-grader Thomas Sell, who posted an 11-5 victory.

 

"He's very competitive. He has a lot to learn, but one of the things you can't coach is fight, and he has that," Newman said.

 

In addition to Herring and Sell, Ryan Ward (120), Will Patton (152) and Jay Roberts (220) won for the Blue Tornado.

 

Baylor had two technical falls, by Murphy and Blake Sutherland (160), and pins by Mason Reiniche (126) and Cayman Seagraves (170). Other Baylor victors were Trev Milling (113), Caleb Powell (145), Cole Holloway (182), Ryan Parker (195) and Cooper Reiniche (285).

 

The two teams will participate in the Division II state duals at Franklin next week, joining AAA representatives Cleveland and Bradley Central and A/AA representative Hixson. The other area A/AA qualifier will be determined tonight at Central as the host Purple Pounders, East Ridge and Notre Dame wrestle their way out of a regular-season three-way championship tie.

 

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

[Sommers]

Outstanding Coffee County Coverage...

 

http://www.tullahomanews.com/?p=29002

 

Wildcats headed to state

 

Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 1:02 pm

 

The Tullahoma High School wrestling team celebrates with the District 9-AAA and Region 5-AAA Runner-Up Title on Thursday. –Staff Photo by Zach Birdsong

Tullahoma finishes as runner-up at Region Duals

 

By ZACH BIRDSONG

 

Sports Editor

 

Heading into Thursday night, Tullahoma’s top priority was to knock off Cookeville in the semifinals of the Region 5-AAA Duals held at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro.

 

After a tightly contested matchup with the Cavaliers, the Wildcats accomplished their mission, taking down Cookeville 39-27 to secure a berth into the TSSAA State Dual Wrestling Championships.

 

This is the fourth time in program history that Tullahoma has had a team reach the state level, and the first time since 2009. THS had previously been to state in 2007 and 2008.

 

The state tournament will take place in Franklin on Jan. 30-31 at the Williamson County Expo Center. A full schedule for two-day event can be found online at www.TSSAA.org.

 

Following the bout with Cookeville, the Wildcats advanced to the finals and faced Siegel, who had manhandled Coffee County 66-3 in the semis earlier that night. Down 21-15, the Stars rallied off five-straight wins over THS, including three pinfall victories, to secure the region title.

 

The Wildcats closed out the match with back-to-back forfeit wins (six points apiece) but lost 40-33.

 

Tullahoma wrestler Chris Howse faces Siegel’s Mason Loupe on Thursday at the Region 5-AAA Duals. –Staff Photo by Zach Birdsong

 

While Tullahoma head coach Al Morris was pleased his team clinched a spot in the state tournament, he felt his squad squandered opportunities on Thursday. However, the coach quickly pointed out that the Wildcats still have an opportunity to rebound next week.

 

“We are happy we are getting to go to state,†Morris said. “Obviously, it’s not on the terms that we wanted to go on. I’ll be straight-up honest with you, we were outwrestled by both teams tonight. We were fortunate to pull one out from Cookeville and it caught up to us wrestling Siegel. Both teams were really good tonight. We’ve obviously got to step up our level of wrestling. Like I said, we came out here tonight and I was disappointed in the way that we wrestled.

 

“Our motto all year has been to finish,†he added. “We’ve obviously gotten to state, that’s something that we wanted to do, that was one of our goals. Our season is not over with, we can still finish the season the way that we wanted to. That’s something that we pride ourselves on. We didn’t finish it tonight, but we have another opportunity to do that next week in Franklin.â€

 

Tullahoma never trailed against Cookeville and opened the match with back-to-back wins.

 

Aaron Kelly got the Wildcats on the board with a pinfall victory and Devan Cyree followed with a decision win (three points), to give Tullahoma a 9-0 advantage. Kelly defeated Austin quickly (0:45) in the first round of the 132-pound matchup.

 

In the 138-pound bout, Devan pulled ahead 12-5 after the second round. However, that would be all the THS grappler could score as the match ended in a tight 12-9 decision.

 

Cookeville followed with its first points of the matchup to make it a 9-3 contest. David Pierce defeated Dylan McElhaney in the 145-pound division. After one round, McElhaney held a 6-3 advantage, but was unable to keep that lead as Pierce pulled ahead in the second round, 8-6, and went on to win the match by way of a 10-6 decision.

 

Tullahoma responded with a pair of back-to-back pinfall victories to pull ahead 21-3. Andy Shahan scored a first-round fall (0:38) over Cole Gentry in the 152-pound class. Chris Howse then defeated Gary Likens in 26 seconds in the 160-pound division.

 

The Cavaliers added a win to cut their deficit to 21-9. Austin Hammons defeated Tristan Scott by way of a second-round fall (3:21) in the 170-pound class.

 

Dylan Pearson followed with a pinfall victory in the 182-pound division. Pearson came out and attacked from the get-go and took an 11-0 lead over John Chea after one period. Just 16 seconds in the second round, he scored the fall, to give the increase the Wildcats’ lead to 27-9.

 

Cookeville followed with two consecutive wins, to make it a 27-18 contest. In a close matchup during the 195-pound bout, Trenty Cumby held on to defeat Mikey Lett. After Lett trailed 5-2 after two rounds, he attempted to battle back, but Cumby escaped with the 7-6 decision win.

 

Darren Houston followed with a second-round fall over Haden Eggleston in the 220-pound class. After one round, the Cavalier grappler had built a 6-0 lead. Eggleston continued to fight, but with 15 seconds left in the second round, Houston got the pin.

 

Tullahoma wrestler Adam Rogers locks Cookeville’s Justin Rogers into a hold on Thursday. –Staff Photo by Zach Birdsong

hristian Kazmark extended Tullahoma’s advantage to 30-18 with a decision victory over Charles Partain in the 285-pound matchup. Kazmark got on the board first and never relinquished his advantage on his way to the 7-2 decision.

 

The Cavaliers narrowed the gap as James Harcum pulled out a victory over Will Moran in the 106-pound division. With the match tied at 2 after two rounds, Harcum got the 5-2 decision victory, to cut the match to 30-21.

 

Tullahoma followed with back-to-back victories to secure the win over Cookeville. Adam Rogers and Cleveland Cyree picked up to the wins that put Tullahoma in front 39-21.

 

After leading Justin Rogers 6-0 after the first round of the 113-pound class, Adam held on for the 8-5 decision victory. Cleveland followed with a first-round fall (0:57) over Bradley Houmard in the 120-pound division.

 

Tullahoma forfeited its final match and Cookeville’s Giovani Cruz was credited with a win in the 126-pound class, to make the final 39-27.

 

Against Siegel, the Wildcats took the early edge, with back-to-back pinfall victories and grabbed a 12-0 advantage.

 

Devan and McElhaney scored the two wins for the locals. After leading Christian Salter 9-3 after two rounds, Devan scored a third-round fall (4:30). McElhaney followed with a first-round pinfall win (1:10) over Zac Duncalf.

 

The Stars rallied for three-straight wins, two by pinfall, to take a 15-12 advantage. Mason Lopue, Dustin Holmes and Ryan Mitchie got the wins for Siegel.

 

In the 152-pound bout, Loupe and Howse were tied at 10 heading into the final round. During the third period, the two tied again at 11, but Loupe held notched the late 13-11 decision.

 

The next two matches resulted in pinfall victories for the Stars. Holmes picked up a first-round fall (1:16) over Shahan in the 160-pound class. After Scott built a 6-2 advantage after one round, Mitchie got the second-round fall (3:45) to put Siegel in front.

 

That lead was short-lived as Tullahoma scored back-to-back wins, to regain control 21-15. Pearson tied the matchup with a 9-6 decision over John Williams. Lett then scored a second-round fall (2:38) over Jeremy Price to put THS back in front.

 

Siegel then put the match away with five-straight victories. Dylan Bargatze, Landen Patterson, Tyler Grant, Michael Moultry and Daniel Bradford scored wins to lead the Stars to the victory.

 

After taking a 7-1 advantage into the third round, Bargatze notched a pinfall win (4:24) over Eggleston. Patterson followed with a first-round fall (1:42) over Kazmark and Grant defeated Moran by pinfall in the second round (3:50).

 

 

Tullahoma’s Mikey Lett flips Siegel’s Jeremy Price on Thursday night. Lett notched a win with a second-round fall over Price in the 195-pound bout.

Moultry and Adam battled to the end during the pair’s matchup. After Moultry took an 8-6 edge into the third round, Adam tied the contest up at 8 with close to a minute left in the match. However, a reversal and two near pinfalls allowed Moultry to pick up the 16-8 major decision (four points).

 

Bradford closed the door on Tullahoma with a victory over Jovahny Sanchez in the 120-pound class. Bradford scored a 5-2 decision victory.

 

Siegel forfeited its next two matches as Cleveland got credited for a win in the 126-pound division and Kelly received one in the 132-pound class.

 

In a team huddle after the Siegel match, Morris told his squad to forget the Siegel result and look ahead toward the state competition.

 

However, the Wildcats’ coach did note his grapplers cannot afford to lose by pinfall if they hope to remain in contention for the state title.

 

“That’s been our downfall all year,†Morris said. “You can’t give up six points in close dual matches like this against good teams and it caught up to us tonight. We were winning matches and then we get pinned. We are losing a close match with less than a minute left and we get pinned. Those are the things that beat you. That’s what keeps you from being a state top-tier team. With this senior group we’ve gotten better at that, but it did catch up to us tonight and hopefully we can improve on that next week.â€

 

At press time, a bracket for the Class AAA Tournament had not been released. That bracket is scheduled to be released on Sunday and can be viewed online at www.tssaa.org.

[Sommers]

Chattanooga Metro GA Team Staying Competitive...

 

http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/prep_central/high_school/schools/ringgold/wrestling-ringgold-third-at-murray-county/article_b95493a0-a410-11e4-b2fd-6b82f7b9e1f5.html.

 

The Ringgold wrestling team is on a roll.

The Tigers, who defeated rival Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 47-21 on Thursday, finished third overall on Saturday in the Murray County tournament with three champions.

Sam Crumblis won the 106-pound weight class, while Nathan Bellow was first at 152 and Jesse Wade won at 220.

The Tigers, led by head coach David Moss, scored 134 total points behind champion Gordon Lee with 225 points and runners-up Calhoun, 206.

The Blue and White also had two grapplers to finish runners-up including Joey Collins (126) and and Griffin Green (138).

Brett Scott was fourth at 113.

[Sommers]

Female College Wrestling in Tri-cities ...

 

http://www.tricities.com/sports/article_c1eb7644-a44e-11e4-b2d2-2393b6ac7f0c.html

 

WOMEN’S WRESTLING: Four Tornado wrestlers win

 

Posted: Saturday, January 24, 2015 10:15 pm

BHC Sports Desk

King University had four wrestlers earn championships on Saturday at the Bearcat Open in Lebanon, Illinois.

Marina Doi and Regina Doi were co-champs in the 101-pound weight class, while Forrest Molinari (136) and Lorrie-Ann Ramos (170) took titles for the Tornado as well.

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

 

And in Shelbyville HS...

 

Kaitlin Kiser wins her region to become her school's first female state qualifier in an extra division, girls, created for good reasons.

[Sommers]

Region 8 also adds to TSSAA history wit a 20-1 Arlington Championship...

 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/sports/high-school/prep-insider-arlington-wins-region-8-wrestling-duals

 

Prep Insider: Arlington wins Region 8 wrestling duals

 

John Varlas

 

10:52 PM, Jan 24, 2015

 

Arlington is headed to the state duals tournament after capturing the Region 8 championship Friday.

 

After defeating Cordova in the semis, the Tigers (26-5) took on a Houston team they had defeated earlier in the season.

 

Jonathan Metcalf (285) and Taylor Morgan (106) gave Arlington a great start with pins, while Reid Cacaro’s victory over Colin Jones at 126 put the Tigers in the driver’s seat for their second region title in school history and first in seven years.

 

Arlington will enter the state duals with a 20-1 mark against in-state competition. Houston will also represent Shelby County at the tournament, which takes place Friday and Saturday in Franklin.

 

 

Region 8 duals final at Arlington

 

Arlington 43, Houston 27

 

285: Jonathan Metcalf (Arlington) pinned Chris Madlinger (Houston), 3:44

106: Caleb Morgan (Arlington) pinned Mason Bowden (Houston), 5:43

113: Jack Treas (Houston) by forfeit

120: Travis Arthur (Houston) defeated Bryce Dodson (Arlington), 5-0

126: Reid Carcaro (Arlington) defeated Colin Jones (Houston), 6-5

132: Andrew Zarshenas (Arlington) defeated Keaton Jones (Houston) by technical fall, 18-1

138: John Craft (Arlington) defeated Brian Ensell (Houston) by major decision, 15-3

145: Bailey Hulley (Arlington) pinned Masam Akhavan (Houston), 1:52

152: Michael Mowery (Arlington) defeated Matthew Dale (Houston), 9-5

160: Nathan Enzor (Arlington) pinned Cameron Murphy (Houston), 2:27

170: Aaron Moore (Arlington) defeated Luke Flemming (Houston) by major decision, 11-2

182: Jordan Kelfer (Houston) by forfeit

195: Sam Meagher (Houston) by forfeit

220: Justin Jones (Houston) by forfeit

[Sommers]

John Mullins and Chattanooga 's Irishman add to their trophy case...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/1/24/292720/Notre-Dame-Earns-State-Duals-Berth-With.aspx

 

Notre Dame Earns State Duals Berth With 45-33 Win

 

East Ridge Downs Central Before Falling To Fighting Irish

 

Saturday, January 24, 2015 - by John Hunt

 

The Notre Dame wrestling team is peaking at the right time.

 

It's been an up and down season for the Fighting Irish and for the first time all year, they have a full lineup.

 

And now they can start making plans for next weekend's State Duals in Franklin after beating East Ridge for the second time in three days.

 

The Irish beat East Ridge by eight points on Thursday night at East Ridge, forcing a three-way tie between those two and Central.  Because the A-AA teams don't have a Region Duals, they had to have a wrestle-off at Central Saturday night.

 

East Ridge improved to 22-7 with an impressive 44-25 win over Central in the first match, but the Fighting Irish were just a bit too strong as Notre Dame prevailed in the main event by a 45-33 final.

 

 "It seems like we've been working all season to get our team assembled, but with football, academics and injuries, it's been a struggle, but we're finally putting it all together," said Notre Dame coach John Mullin once the excitement had ended.

 

"We came in here with a lot of confidence as these guys are wrestling for each other, but we're getting it all together just in the nick of time," Mullin added.

 

Notre Dame knows what it's like to compete at the State Duals, but it's been several years since they finished as the runner-up in 2009.  However, they were the A-AA champions for the three years prior, so they appear ready to compete at the Williamson County Expo Center next weekend.

 

Tabrin Walker's pin in the first match at 138 pounds gave East Ridge a 6-0 lead, but Notre Dame came back with pins from Casey Brock and Noah Bankston sandwiched around a forfeit to Packy Mullin and the Irish had the upper hand at 18-6.

 

Just as quickly, the Pioneers reeled off three straight wins, including an overtime decision from Matthew Mapp at 170, a pin from DeAngelo Johnson at 182 and a win by disqualification for Andrew Mapp, who was on the receiving end of an illegal slam in the 195-pound match.

 

That 21-18 East Ridge lead didn't last long as Patrick Johnson's pin gave Notre Dame the lead for the last time as the Irish won five of the next six matches.

 

Heavyweight Hunter Whiting received a forfeit while Tucker Gill was a 10-3 winner at 106.  Luke Mullin and Ned Warwick then had pins at 120 and 126 with Warwick's second-period fall clinching the win for the Irish.

 

Hunter Owens had a second-period pin for East Ridge at 113 to draw the Pioneers to within 33-27, but those next two pins put the match out of reach before Notre Dame forfeited to Spencer Griffey at 132 to finalize the deal.

 

East Ridge coach Chris Bird certainly had no complaints about the effort his team put forth.  Bird kept thinking about long-time East Ridge assistant coach Charlie Goss, who died 13 days ago.

 

"Charlie was all about battling and competing and that's what we did tonight," Bird explained.

 

"This was a wonderful thing and my hat's off to Notre Dame because they had the better team tonight.  We just got out-manned, but we're peaking at the right time.  We have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of as nobody on my team laid down.  We gave it everything we had," Bird nodded.

 

The Pioneers were indeed impressive in their first match against Central when they had four pins, two technical falls and a major decision to go along with one disqualification.

 

Darian Smith, Kashawn Cosey, Hunter Owens and Logan McDonald all had pins while Griffy and Johnson both had technical falls.  Walker had the major decision while Jalyn Allen won by disqualification when his Central opponent was charged with an illegal slam.

 

Central countered with a pin from Kaleb Cook, a major decision from Bryson Lemons, a forfeit to Sam Stephenson and decisions to Xavier Norwood, Brian Sledge and Curtis Noiseaux.

 

Central coach John Lennon didn't appear to be unhappy with the way his team competed.

 

"We fought as hard as we could, but I got out-coached in a couple of places.  It came down to the coin toss and things didn't go well for us as we just didn't match up well with them.  But they whipped us fair and square and I think they got most of the bonus points.

 

"But we're just thrilled to be able to host an evening like this and I think everyone benefitted from it," Lennon concuded.

 

While Central and East Ridge can resume preparation for the upcoming Region tournament in a couple of weeks, Notre Dame will join Hixson as the other A-AA team in Franklin next weekend.

 

EAST RIDGE 44, CENTRAL 25

 

(Match began at 132 Pounds)

 

106 -- Kashawn Cosey (ER) pinned Austin Biddy, :27;

 

113 -- Hunter Owens (ER) pinned Jimmy Herrera, 1:58;

 

120 -- Logan McDonald (ER) pinned Manuel Bernal, 2:44;

 

126 -- Bryson Lemons (Cen) major dec. over Josh Williams, 10-2;

 

132 -- Spencer Griffy (ER) won by technical fall over Hans Casseus, 2:09;

 

138 -- Tabrin Walker (ER) major dec. over Isaac Coffman, 13-5;

 

145 -- Jalyn Allen (ER) won by disqualication over Alonso Heyward;

 

152 -- Kaleb Cook (Cen) pinned Tyler Bell, 3:59;

 

160 -- Xavier Norwood (Cen) dec. Matthew Mappk, 2-0;

 

170 -- Darian Smith (ER) pinned Terry Blackburn, 1:51;

 

182 -- DeAngelo Johnson (ER) won by technical fall over Skylar Sivley, 5:20;

 

195 -- Brian Sledge (Cen) dec. Andrew Mapp, 9-7 in overtime;

 

220 -- Curtis Noiseaux (Cen) dec. Doug Salvador, 2-0;

 

285 -- Sam Stephenson (Cen) won by forfeit.

 

 NOTRE DAME 45, EAST RIDGE 33

 

(Match began at 138 Pounds)

 

106 -- Tucker Gill (ND) dec. Kashawn Cosey, 10-3;

 

113 -- Hunter Owens (ER) pinned Grant Speer,m 3:24;

 

120 -- Luke Mullin (ND) pinned Logan McDonald, 1:02;

 

126 -- Ned Warwick (ND) pinned Josh Williams, 2:12;

 

132 -- Spencer Griffy (ER) won by forfeit;

 

138 -- Tabrin Walker (ER) pinned William Nelson, 1:59;

 

145 -- Casey Brock (ND) pinned Tyler Bell, 1:41;

 

152 -- Packy Mullin (ND) won by forfeit;

 

160 -- Noah Bankston (ND) pinned Darian Smith, 2:53;

 

170 -- Matthew Mapp (ER) dec. Michael Quatrano, 3-1 in overtime;

 

182 -- DeAngelo Johnson (ER) pinned James Boyd, 2:52;

 

195 -- Andrew Mapp (ER) won by disqualification over Chris Hornsby;

 

220 -- Patrick Johnson (ND) pinned Doug Salvador, 3:28;

 

285 -- Hunter Whiting (ND) won by forfeit.

 

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@Comcast.net)

[Sommers]

More Region 6 History, making 2014-15 one of the most unique years ever...

 

How long has it been since a (at least one of) Brentwood, Franklin, Ravenwood, Independence, Overton, or a Centennial team didn't make it to state duals?

 

http://m.williamsonherald.com/mobile/communities/spring_hill/article_cf733782-a31f-11e4-9581-3f82cf4bbd45.html

 

An old old powerhouse, who is it... Paul Davis or actually Douglas I believe + a brand new one qualifying with AL Miller's Boy, Pete, sneaking up on everybody ...

 

 

Wrestling: Summit earns state berth

 

Herald Sports | Posted: Friday, January 23, 2015 8:30 am

 

 

The Summit wrestling team punched its ticket to the state tournament Thursday night during the Region 6-AAA duals at Independence.

 

 

The Spartans notched a 45-24 win over Antioch in the semifinals to earn one of the two state berths from the region. Summit fell to McGavock, 36-33, in the championship.

 

McGavock topped host Independence 39-32 in the semifinals to eliminate the Eagles.

 

The state wrestling dual championships hold weigh-ins Jan. 30th with matches later that day. The tournament will be held at the Williamson County Expo Center.

 

Region 6-AAA Wrestling at Independence

 

Dual Results

 

McGavock def. Summit, 36-33, Championship

 

285 - Hunter Hancock, SHS, pinned Akram Mikhail, MHS, 3:35; 106 - DeCarlos Allen, MHS, pinned Zach Thomas, SHS, 0:32; 113 - Brady Woodward, SHS, dec. Colton Briney, MHS, 9-2; 120 - Benjamin Briney, MHS, dec. Sean Butler, SHS, 6-4; 126 - Esteban Remillard, SHS, pinned Ethan Ross, SHS, 1:11; 132 - Mason Dobbs, MHS, pinned Kyle Kish, SHS, 0:30; 138 - Sawyer Knott, SHS, dec. Jason Jackson, MHS, 8-7; 145 - Matthew Smith, MHS, pinned Kobey Desselle, SHS, 1:53; 152 - Darius Rutland, MHS, dec. Mark Sweeney, SHS, 6-2; 160 - Chris Bartol, SHS, dec. Andrew Carlisle, MHS, 9-2; 170 - Erik Moreno, MHS, pinned Ryan McDaniel, SHS, 3:16; 182 - William Stokes, MHS, pinned, Zack Carney, SHS, 1:42; 195 - Dylan Wingerter, SHS, wins by forfeit.

 

McGavock def. Independence, 39-32, Semifinal

 

220 - Lawrence Shelton, MHS, dec. Chris Keller, IHS, 7-3; 285 - Isaiah Demello, IHS, maj. dec. Zachery Day, MHS, 11-2; 106 - DeCarlos Allen, MHS, pinned Ezekiel Demello, IHS, 0:20; 113 - Daniel Fowler, IHS, pinned Colton Briney, MHS, 3:21; 120 - Owen Schnedler, IHS, maj. dec. Benjamin Briney, MHS, 12-4; 126 - Aaron Furbush, MHS, dec. Jackson Twaddle, IHS, 4-2; 132 - Mason Dobbs, MHS, pinned Collin Lynn, IHS, 0:36; 138 - Chaz Savage, IHS, pinned Jason Jackson, MHS, 2:49; 145 - Matthew Smith, MHS, pinned Cody Johnson, IHS, 1:44; 152 - Abraham Garcia, MHS, pinned Logan Roberts, IHS, 4:36; 160 - Darius Rutland, MHS, pinned Zac Little, IHS, 1:11; 170 - Erik Moreno, MHS, dec. Austin Ryan, IHS, 14-7; 182 - Ian Grau, IHS, wins by forfeit; 195 - Jack Manning, IHS, wins by forfeit.

 

Summit def. Antioch, 45-24, Semifinal

 

220 - Tobias Roberts, AHS, pinned, Ruben Ladron, SHS, 3:14; 285 - Bryce Bush, AHS, def. Hunter Hancock, SHS, 0:43; 106 - Nathan Manivong, AHS, pinned Zach Thomas, SHS, 3:05; 113 - Brady Woodward, SHS, dec. Miguel Ruiz, AHS, 10-7; 120 - Sean Butler, SHS, pinned Anthony Pivacek, AHS, 3:30; 126 - Esteban Remillard, SHS, tech. fall Isaiah Waggoner, AHS, 15-0; 132 - Sawyer Knott, SHS, dec. Jerome Dooley, AHS, 12-5; 138 - Kobey Desselle, SHS, pinned Jermal Mathis, AHS, 3:49; 145 - Mark Sweeney, SHS, dec. Phillip Tyler, AHS, 6-3; 152 - Dylan Vongsa, AHS, pinned Steven Tierney, SHS, 3:25; 160 - Chris Bartol, SHS, maj. dec. Edward McCay, 11-0; 170 - Ryan McDaniel, SHS, dec. Ishmael Arnold, AHS, 11-7; 182 - Zack Carney, SHS, pinned, Yadiel Hernandez, AHS, 1:08; 195 - Dylan Wingerter, SHS, wins by forfeit.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Sommers