Inspiring for coaches and wrestlers...

Sommers · February 8, 2016

More from the Tennessean in mid-tn grapplers...

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2016/02/06/father-ryan-captures-eighth-state-duals-title/79766798/

Father Ryan captures eighth state duals title

Sam Brown, sdbrown@tennessean.com1 day agoFacebookTwitterGoogle Plusmore

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Dave Cardaciotto / For The Tennessean

L-R Baylor's Trevor Milling and Father Ryan's Trey Chalifoux make a good human pretzel in a 120 class match at the DII state duals finals Saturday.

FRANKLIN â€“ The third time was the charm against rival Baylor for the Father Ryan wrestling team in the championship match of the Division II state duals competition.

After losing to Baylor in the state title match each of the last two years â€” including losing by two points last year â€” the Irish finally got over the hump with a 36-22 win over the Chattanooga wrestling state powerhouse Saturday at the Williamson County Agriculture Center to claim their first state title since 2010.

Father Ryan has won eight state dual titles overall.

â€œWe had 11 starters back so it felt like we could put 14 really good kids on the mat,â€ Father Ryan coach Pat Simpson said. â€œIf you do that, then youâ€™ve got a chance to win.â€

Father Ryan earned its chance to wrestle for the DII team state title with wins over Briarcrest and McCallie in Fridayâ€™s action behind a combined match score of 122-30.

The Irish kept that momentum rolling into Saturdayâ€™s title match.

They jumped ahead 36-0, winning the first eight matches on a 17-9 major decision by Ben Stacey (195), a pair of pins by Jeremy Darvin (285) and Jim Killiam (106), a technical fall for Christian Simpson (113), a 12-3 major decision for Trey Chalifoux (120), an 8-3 decision for Ray Eason (126), a 5-0 decision for Kirby Simpson (132) and a technical fall for Eli King (138) before Baylor was finally able to get on the board with a win in the 145-pound class.

Pat Simpson said the win was extra special for his group of seniors.

â€œThey all started wrestling together when they weâ€™re probably 5,â€ he said. â€œNone of them had ever won the duals. To finally win itâ€¦ Thatâ€™s why you start wrestling; to win championships.â€

The 145-pound class win sparked a stretch of six straight wins for the Red Raiders, as they won the remainder of the matches, but it wasnâ€™t nearly enough to offset the early Irish onslaught.

FRA and MBA both won their opening matches of the Division II consolation bracket, but the consolation semifinals was as far as either team would make it.

FRA ran into a tough Christian Brothers team that toppled the Panthers 64-9 and went on to finish third, and MBA didnâ€™t fare much better with a 45-16 loss to McCallie, which took home fourth.

In Class AAA action, Wilson Central came up just short against Soddy-Daisy, losing 39-35 in the semifinals, but the Wildcats werenâ€™t done there.

They went on to beat Gibbs with a 43-30 win that earned them the chance to wrestle for the third place.

In the third-place match the Wildcats jumped ahead 33-30, but Tennessee High secured a pin and an 8-2 decision in the last two weight classes to take home third with a 39-33 win.

â€œWe didnâ€™t show up to wrestle,â€ Wilson Central coach John Kramer said. â€œAt this level, if you donâ€™t have it, youâ€™re going to lose, and thatâ€™s what happened to us.â€

Independence and Centennial won their opening matches of the Class AAA consolation bracket, while Siegel and Blackman lost in the first round.

Independence and Centennial lost their next matches, with Centennial losing to Tennessee High and Independence falling to Beech.

Beech almost earned the right to wrestle Wilson Central, but Gibbs escaped with a 35-33 win.

Page and Greenbrier were the only Midstate teams wrestling in Class A/AA Saturday, and both went down in their first matches of the consolation bracket.

Greenbrier lost 45-33 to Alcoa, which went on to take third place with a 41-33 win over Greeneville.

Greeneville earned the right to wrestle Alcoa for third after a tight 39-36 win that sent Page home.

Bradley Central (Class AAA) and Red Bank (Class A/AA) were the other two teams to win state titles on Saturday.

Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.

Sommers · February 9, 2016

So you're not ranked in the top ten and you are facing Defending Champ, The Unbeatable and #1 Ranked 184 lb Brawly Beast...

The Cowboys grabbed five bonus-point wins, but No. 6 Joe Smith (157) falls by decision.

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Nolan Boyd upset No. 1 and defending champion Gabe Dean at 184 pounds, and Oklahoma State's fourth-ranked wrestling team defeated No. 15 Cornell 32-12 on Sunday afternoon at Itaca, N.Y.

It is the eighth straight dual victory for the Cowboys, who improve to 10-2 overall and 6-0 in Big 12.

Cornell gave the Cowboys the lead with a forfeit to No. 5 Eddie Klimara at 125 and the OSU never looked back. The Cowboys picked up five bonus-point wins, but their biggest win came at 184.

Boyd was the aggressor from the first whistle with two failed shot attempts in the first period to put him down 4-2. The second period was a different story. Boyd escaped from bottom and grabbed a takedown before getting four-point near fall to jump out to an 11-5 lead after the second. Dean escaped 15 seconds into the third, but Boyd grabbed a low single to secure the win.

Top-ranked Dean Heil (141), No. 13 Anthony Collica (149), No. 1 Alex Dieringer (165) and No. 5 Austin Marsden (285) each earned bonus-point victories. Klimara and Marsden continue to close in on the 100-win club. Kilmara boasts 98 wins, while Marsden holds 97.

Heil put the Cowboys back on the board after Gary Wayne Harding fell by technical fall to top-ranked Nashon Garrett at 133. Heil had four takedowns and added a riding time point for a 9-1 major decision. Anthony Collica kept things rolling with a fall with 12 seconds left over Joey Galasso.

The Cowboys and Big Red exchanged victories for the next four bouts.

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Sixth-ranked Joe Smith fell to No. 12 Dylan Palacio by 7-4 decision. Smith trailed 2-0 after the first and gave up an escape to start the second, then Smith grabbed single leg takedown but Palacio earned a reversal. Smith nearly turned the tables with a reserval, but Palacio hung on for the win.

Top-ranked Alex Dieringer made quick work of George Pickett with a 1:18 fall for his 70th straight victory. With No. 5 Kyle Crutchmer sitting out with a leg injury he suffered during the Oklahoma dual, Chandler Rogers got the start against sixth-ranked Brian Realbuto, who was the national runner-up at 157 pounds last season. Realbuto cut the Cowboys lead to 22-12 with a 13-2 major decision.

The Cowboys closed out the dual with three straight wins by Boyd, Preston Weigel and Marsden. Weigel escaped to start the second period and rode out Owen Scott for a 2-0 decision, while Marsden held a 10-0 lead heading into the third before adding two more takedowns, a penalty point and riding time for a 16-3 major decision.

The Cowboys return to Stillwater to face Army and Stanford on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

RESULTS

125: No. 5 Eddie Klimara (OSU), FF

133: No. 18 Gary Wayne Harding (OSU) vs. No. 1 Nashon Garrett, 16-1 TF

141: No. 1 Dean Heil (OSU) vs. Mark Grey, 9-1 major dec.

149: No. 13 Anthony Collica (OSU) vs. Joey Galasso, 6:47 fall

157: No. 6 Joe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 12 Dylan Palacio, 7-4 dec.

165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) vs. George Pickett, 1:18 fall

174: Charles Rogers (OSU) vs. No. 6 Brian Realbuto, 13-2 major dec.

184: No. 16 Nolan Boyd (OSU) vs. No. 1 Gabe Dean, 14-9 dec.

197: Preston Weigel (OSU) vs. Owen Scott, 2-0 dec.

285: No. 5 Austin Marsden (OSU) vs. Jeramy Sweany, 16-3 major dec.

*OSU wins are bolded

**CU wins are in italic

Edited February 9, 2016 by Sommers

Sommers · February 9, 2016

More Wrestling at the Next Level in Tennessee...

http://m.utdailybeacon.com/sports/article_82ef02ac-ce24-11e5-b3b4-4f9e00b28753.html?mode=jqm

Wrestling gives opportunity to continue athletic pursuits

Cherie Smith, Contributor | Posted Yesterday

Tennessee might have officially cut wrestling in 1984 but studentsâ€™ interest in the sport never vanished.

In 1998, those students received a lifeline.

That year signaled the start of the Tennessee wresting club, giving wrestling enthusiasts a chance to continue their passion.

â€œI found out about the wrestling team in high school and saw it as an option to continue my wrestling career,â€ Drew Welch, sophomore, said.

Wrestling, along with other club sports and intramural teams at Tennessee, offers students an avenue to stay in shape, the chance to continue their athletics pursuits and the opportunity to forge friendships with others who share similar interests.

The club also gives students an avenue to stay in shape in college.

Athletic programs donâ€™t offer every sport and very few students can play on official college teams. Thatâ€™s why there are clubs. Clubs and recreational sports on campus offer competition, but they also are relaxed and enjoyable.

â€œThe tournament atmosphere is pretty laid back generally,â€ Tanner Reynolds, team captain, said. â€œWe try not to take ourselves too seriously as far out as getting with the team and practicing.â€

However, the laid-back environment doesnâ€™t prevent students from working hard to accomplish the goals they want to achieve.

Reynolds said he wants to reach the Nationals once again â€” as he has for the past two years. He was also ranked 5th overall at 157 lbs. in the preseason for the the National Collegiate Wrestling Association.

UT will be competing in some upcoming tournaments such as the Classic City Championship in Athens, Georgia this weekend, the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championships on Feb. 27 and the Nationals during March for wrestlers that qualify.

If the team can show how competitive they can be, it can perhaps lead to the sport being considered on varsity level once again.

The Tennessee wrestling team was cut for a variety of reasons but the biggest was that the team wasnâ€™t drawing enough revenue.

â€œSome people say it was Title IX, but wrestling in general has never been a money maker,â€ wrestling coach Marcus Burgin said. â€œBut itâ€™s not an expensive sport.â€

Burgin, however, didnâ€™t rule out the possibility that wrestling could return to Tennessee as an official sport.

Itâ€™s going to be a combination of support of the community and growth from this team,â€ Burgin said. â€œWrestling is the cheapest sport a college could ever have. If you get enough support, it can completely self-fund. Itâ€™s about having a team that can be competitive in the NCAA, thatâ€™s consistently growing, consistently funding itself and growing with support.â€

The only SEC school that has a varsity wrestling team in the D1 division is Missouri, but it technically plays under the MAC in this instance. Support from the other SEC members will have to grow for wrestling to become popularized and televised. Unfortunately, many D1 schools have been dropping their wrestling programs, with opportunities and scholarships lost for potential student-athletes.

Like the community that team sports help build, sometimes these teams need support from their community in return.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Sommers

Sommers · February 9, 2016

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2016/feb/08/state-duals-titles-hand-bradley-central-red-b/348961/

State duals titles in hand, Bradley Central, Red Bank wrestlers return to work

State duals champs Bradley Central, Red Bank prep for traditional time

February 8th, 2016by Ward Gossett in Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

Pic

First year wrestling head coach Shane Turner yells as his players practice at Red Bank High School on Thursday.

Photo by C.B. Schmelter

Gallery: State duals titles in hand, Bradley Central, Red Bank wrestlers return to work

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more photos

There were distinct celebrations for two area prep wrestling teams this weekend.

As Red Bank coach Shane Turner leaned his head back Sunday afternoon with the idea of catching up on sleep, the Bradley Central Bears were rolling through Cleveland with a police escort.

For Bradley, the bus drive through town was perhaps another affirmation that the program was back atop Tennessee's elite. It was the extension of a celebration that began Saturday night following a Class AAA state duals championship victory over Soddy-Daisy and continued at a gathering for the team and its supporters at their hotel.

They actually ate pizza.

"We had a little gathering, ate a little and patted everybody on the back," Bears coach Ben Smith said. "But everybody was tired, and we all went to bed relatively early."

Red Bank's celebration of its Class A/AA championship was much less extensive, the Lions' coach said.

"We celebrated while we were in the arena and then headed for home," Turner said. "I did give them today off, so I guess you could say that was part of the celebration."

When asked if he was worried about getting his team back down to earth, Turner chuckled.

"Not today," he replied. "These kids deserve to be as close to cloud nine as they can get. That's for sure."

The Lions had to overcome two stiff challenges at the state duals in Franklin â€” against Alcoa in the semifinals and defending champion Pigeon Forge in the championship match.

"It's almost like it's a dream," Turner said. "I know we won, and I'm happy, but I'm happy more for the kids than for me. That's who this is all about."

Although plans were still in the works, Red Bank wrestlers may get to revisit their championship later this week with a schoolwide pep rally.

Turner's plan, though, was to get back to work this afternoon, because there is precious little time for celebration or even reflection. The Lions will be the favorite when the two-day Region 4-A/AA traditional tournament begins Friday at Hixson Middle School.

Likewise, Bradley Central will go back to work today with its eye on the Region 4-AAA tournament at Ocoee Middle on Saturday.

"To me the traditional tournaments are a little more relaxing," Smith said. "You're not dealing with strategy and bumping and moving kids in and out of the lineup. We'll tailor practices toward these guys individually and get them critiqued and fine-tuned mentally, physically and nutritionally."

But the season continues. The top four finishers in each weight class at region advance to the state tournament Feb. 18-20 in Franklin.

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

Sommers · February 10, 2016

Bradley Early Favorite In Region 4-AAA Wrestling

Defending Champ Bears Have Six Top Seeds; Cleveland, Soddy Daisy Three Each

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2016/2/9/317681/Bradley-Early-Favorite-In-Region-4-AAA.aspx

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 - by John Hunt

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- We're getting down to the fun part of the high school wrestling season.

All of the dual meets have been held and the State Duals are complete as well.

Now it's time to see how many individuals each team can qualify for next week's traditional state tournament and that's the purpose of this weekend's regional action.

The Bradley Bears, who breezed to the State Duals title, is the early favorite to win the Region 4-AAA tournament, which will be held at Cleveland Middle School on Saturday.

Teams from Cleveland and Soddy Daisy would like to have a say in the matter, but with the Bears earning six number-one seeds, it appears that the remaining seven teams in the field will be battling for second place.

Those earning top seeds for Bradley include T.J. Hicks at 113, Ryan McElhaney at 120, Knox Fuller at 138, Donnie Beyer at 152, Brett Brown at 195 and D.J. Adams at 285.

Cleveland and Soddy Daisy both have three top seeds with Ooltewah having the other two. The remaining teams include Walker Valley, East Hamilton, Rhea County and McMinn County.

Cleveland's picks to win include Tristan Blansit at 126, Colton Landers at 132 and Jack Hicks at 170 while Soddy Daisy's trio includes Landon Wheaton at 106, Tucker Russo at 160 and Ty Boeck at 182.

Ooltewah's two include Jordan Massengill at 145 and Victor Bednarski at 220.

"We did okay during the dual-meet season. Cleveland and Soddy Daisy are both traditionally strong teams, but I felt like we're stronger in the traditional tournaments," said Bradley coach Ben Smith, who earned his first state title last Saturday night for the Bears.

"I feel like we're in a good spot and this is the fun part of the season for us as our guys get to see the fruits of their labor pay off. It's good to already have one (state title) in the bag and we just want to avoid a letdown at all costs.

"Our goal is like everyone else this weekend and that's to advance as many individuals as possible," Smith said before eating lunch Tuesday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Express on Paul Huff Parkway.

Cleveland's Blue Raiders got nipped by Bradley in last year's region, but bounced back the next weekend to claim their third-straight AAA traditional state title. The Blue Raiders, who also win three straight state duals titles, got beat in the region semis by Soddy Daisy and didn't qualify for last weekend's event, but that doesn't mean at Cleveland coach Jake Yost is ready to concede anything to anybody.

"It went about the way we expected, but we hope to qualify as many as we can," Yost expressed.

"We lost a lot of really good wrestlers from last year's team and we knew we'd be battling all year to be one of the top teams. We have a good group who are capable of scoring a lot of points, so we'll just wait and see what happens," he added.

The Soddy Daisy Trojans regained some respectability last Saturday by finishing runner-up to Bradley. The Trojans have come a long way since the start of the season and appear to be hitting their stride at just the right time.

Coach Jim Higgins feels pretty good about the upcoming tournament for his team.

"I'm excited about this tournament as this is what we'll all work for," Higgins suggested.

"Nobody pays much attention to what we do until the last month. It appears that this tournament is pretty cut and dry, but we'll go after it and see what happens. Just like everyone else, our main goal is to get 14 of our guys back to Franklin next week as we want to bring the match to our opponents," he nodded.

While Bradley had the most top picks with six, Walker Valley had the most second seeds with four while Bradley and Soddy Daisy had two each and Cleveland two. Ooltewah and East Hamilton both had one apiece.

Their are two wrestlers who bring perfect records to the mat on Saturday and both are defending state champs.

Bradley's Hicks is 37-0 while Soddy Daisy's Russo, a two-time defending champ, is 34-0. Bradley's Fuller is also a defending state champ, but he's not undefeated this year.

Saturday's action begins with the ever-important weigh-ins at 9 a.m. with action set to begin at 10. The consolation and championship finals are tentatively set for 3 p.m.

The top four individuals in every weight class advance to the state tournament, which will be held at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park in Franklin next Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

Sommers · February 11, 2016

Mr Hunt covering Chattanooga's area favorites...

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2016/2/10/317776/Red-Bank-Picked-To-Win-Region-2-AAA.aspx

Red Bank Picked To Win Region 2-A/AA Wrestling

Reigning State Duals Champs Lead With Six Top-Seeded Individuals

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - by John Hunt

It appears that the Red Bank Lions will be the target for teams involved in the Region 2-A/AA wrestling tournament being held at Hixson Middle School this weekend.

The Lions, fresh off Saturday's A-AA State Duals title, are the early favorites for the upcoming tournament after claiming six number-one seeds in the 14 weight classes during the seeding meeting held Wednesday at Amigo's in Hixson.

Notre Dame and Hixson have two apiece while East Ridge, Signal Mountain, Central and Boyd-Buchanan have one each.

Other teams competing include Chattanooga Christian, Brainerd, Howard, Whitwell, Sale Creek, Sequatchie County and Tyner.

Those Red Bank individuals expected to win include Blake Reichel at 113, Gabe McDuffie at 145, David Johnson at 170, Devin Crawl at 195, Devon Suddeth at 220 and Anthony Ottinger at 285.

The top picks for Hixson include Isaac Yates at 132 and Dylan Bargerstock at 182 while Notre Dame had top seeds for Cade Holloway at 106 and Luke Mullin at 126.

The remaining top seeds included Kashawn Cosey of East Ridge at 120, Signal Mountain's Daniel Dawson at 138, Central's Alonzo Heyward at 152 and Boyd-Buchanan's Zane Williams at 160.

The goal for every team is to place as many individuals in the top four of their respective weight classes so they can advance to the TSSAA Traditional State Tournament, which will be held next week at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park in Franklin.

"It looks that way based on the seeds, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything as there is no cakewalk in this region," said Red Bank coach Shane Turner after the seeding process had concluded and coaches began to disperse.

"Every one of these teams has capable wrestlers, but we have a good team and have a legitimate shot to win this region for the first time in more than 20 years. My guys have put the work in, so we'll see what happens. It always helps to win a region title (for individuals) because that automatically puts you against a fourth-place finisher from another region at the state.

"I keep telling my guys that we can't live on what we did yesterday, but I'm hoping they will respond in a positive fashion. They have a chance to bring something back to Red Bank High School that is special.

"If we do what we're capable of doing, we should be hard to beat. We were the definite underdogs at the duals, but we found a way to win. We have already accomplished half of our season goals. Winning the region this weekend is next on the list," Turner nodded.

The Hixson Wildcats are the defending region winners, but this hasn't been the kind of season coach Garrick Hall had in mind when it all started back in early December. The Wildcats did not qualify for the state duals, so there are several questions to be answered this weekend.

"I'm anxious to see how we respond after having such a long layoff between matches," said Hall, who presided over the coaches meeting on Wednesday.

"This seeding process went about as expected and it appears that we'll be fighting for second place. It looks like Red Bank's tournament to lose, but we're healthy for the first time in a while. We know we have to wrestle hard and to bring the Hixson style to the mat and not leave it in the practice room," Hall added.

Hixson's Landon Goforth is the only individual unbeaten at 25-0, but he was seeded second behind Red Bank's McDuffie, who comes in at 33-2. McDuffie was a state champ two years ago and that's why he's seeded in first.

Four others enter the competition with only one loss, including Notre Dame's Mullin (32-1), Boyd-Buchanan's Williams (26-1), and Red Bank teammates Crawl (35-1) and Ottinger (31-1).

The tournament action begins on Friday at 6 p.m. and will proceed through the championship quartrerfinals and one round of consolations. Saturday's championship semifinals are set for 9:30 a.m. with the medal rounds slated to begin around 3.

Admission for the tournament is $7 per person.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

Sommers · February 13, 2016

Value of feeders in region 5...

Looking like Stewart's Creek going into semis with 11-12 and Blackman with 8-9...

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/02/11/12-rutherford-county-wrestlers-top-seeds-region/80248028/

12 Rutherford County wrestlers top seeds in region

Tom Kreager/DNJ

Riverdale's Nick Boykin is the top seed in the Region 5-AAA wrestling tournament held Friday-Saturday at Cookeville High.

MURFREESBORO â€” Rutherford County wrestlers earned 12 of the 14 top seeds in the Region 5-AAA individual wrestling tournament set to begin at 6 p.m. Friday at Cookeville High School.

The top four places in Class AAA advance to the TSSAA individual state tournament scheduled Feb. 18-20 at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.

Five Stewarts Creek wrestlers earned top seeds, including Lucas Gaines (106 pounds), Jaylen James (113), Carson Helton (132), John Olivieri (170) and Tyler Barber at 220 pounds.

Barber, a senior, placed sixth at state at 220 pounds a year ago. He is 29-3 this season.

Three Blackman wrestler have top seeds. The list includes Landon Fowler (145), Matthew Sells (160) and Andre Bravo (195).

Sells, a junior, finished fourth at 152 pounds a year ago. He is 37-2. Fowler, a freshman, finished fifth at 132 pounds in Class A/AA a year ago as an eighth-grader at Eagleville.

Two Siegel wrestlers enter as top seeds, including Michael Moultry (120) and Christian Salter (152).

Oakland's Garrett Richards is the top seed at 182 pounds.

Defending state champion Nick Boykin is the top seed at 285 pounds. The Riverdale junior is currently 32-0 and hasn't been beaten in two seasons.

Eagleville will compete at the Region 3-A/AA tournament Friday-Saturday at Montgomery Central. The top four finishers in each Class A/AA region qualify for the state tournament.

State swim meet: Siegel senior Chase Van Patten, a Washington-St. Louis signee, enters this weekend's Tennessee state swim meet as the fifth seed in both the 100-yard free style and the 200 freestyle.

Van Patten has a fast time of 46.18 in the 100 free and 1:41.73 in the 200 free.

He is one of several Rutherford County swimmers who could reach the finals of the meet, which runs Friday-Saturday at Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville.

Other high seeds in the meet include Oakland's Patrick Kelly and Rachel Massaro.

Kelly, a Colgate signee, is the fifth seed in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.48. Kelly is the 15th-seed in the 100 butterfly (53.03).

Massaro is the sixth seed in the 100 backstroke (58.29).

Oakland's girls 200 medley relay is the ninth seed with a time of 1:53.27. The Lady Patriots' 400 free relay is the eighth seed (3:44.01). Oakland's boys 400 free relay is the 11th seed (3:32.60).

Other potential finalists include Siegel's Meg Tomayko, a Rider signee, in the 1-meter dive; Riverdale's Kevin Newton in the 50 freestyle; and Eagleville's Katherine Minatra in the 100 backstroke and the 500 freestyle.

First day: Monday marks the first day of practice for all TSSAA spring sports â€” baseball, boys soccer, softball, tennis and track and field.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Sommers · February 13, 2016

And for some of our strongest Smaller Schools, which could win vs several larger schools...

Near-Perfect Red Bank Leads Region 2-A/AA Wrestling

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2016/2/12/317950/Red-Bank-Leads-Region-2-AAA-Wrestling.aspx

Hixson In Second With Notre Dame, East Ridge, Central Still Chasing

Friday, February 12, 2016 - by John Hunt

ï¿¼

Red Bank's Robert Perry (bottom) lifts Sale Creek's Dylan Lamar high in the air during a takedown in their 182-pound bout Friday night in the Region 2-A/AA wrestling tournament. Perry, who won on an injury, was one of 14 Lion wrestlers to advance to Saturday morning's semi-final round at Hixson Middle School.

- photo by Dennis Norwood

High school wrestling coaches are always looking for perfection and Red Bank's Shane Turner almost got it Friday night in the opening day of the Region 2-A/AA tournament at Hixson Middle School.

The Lions advanced all 14 of their wrestlers to Saturday morning's championship semifinal round and lead the 14-team field with 52 points.

Hixson advanced 10 to the semis and hold second place with 39 points while Notre Dame is third with 28. East Ridge and Central round out the top five teams with 24 and 19 points, respectively.

The rest of the team scores have Whitwell sixth with 18, Boyd-Buchanan seventh with 16, Signal Mountain eighth with 15 and Sequatchie County and Chattanooga Christian tied for ninth with 11. Tyner is 11th with 9.5 and Howard 12th with 9. Brainerd and Sale Creek failed to score.

Friday's matches were over in a hurry as there were only 11 matches in the round of 16 before the quarterfinals. There were 34 pins in the quarters, in addition to 14 byes, four regular decisions, three major decisions and one technical fall.

There were no major upsets as all of the first and second-seeded wrestlers advanced with no problems.

But in a tournament where the number of state qualifiers count more than team standings, Red Bank looks like a giant locomotive rolling on down the tracks, picking up more momentum with each passing match.

Turner was pretty happy about getting his kids home for a solid night's sleep, but he was just as pleased when all 14 of his guys advanced, including nine of 10 who wrestled with the maximum bonus points following pins.

Freshman Jackson Hash had to go the distance before beating Notre Dame's Daniel Hodges by a 5-4 decision, but that may have been a question mark for Turner and he was thrilled with the results.

"We got all 14 in the semifinals and that was the plan and we got bonus points in all but one. Jackson Hash is a freshman and for him to advance to that round is huge for us. I have no idea what the team score is, but if we keep doing what we're supposed to do, we'll win this tournament," the energetic Lion leader suggested.

"We all know the important round is tomorrow morning, but I think we're in pretty good shape at this point. We had a good day today," he concluded.

While Red Bank is currently in first place and looking to stay there, defending champ Hixson is second. Wildcat coach Garrick Hall echoed similar feelings to what Turner said.

"I'm not worried about the team standings at this point. I just want all of my guys to go to the state next week and that's our number-one goal. We came out and wrestled hard today and that was important. And we'll all healthy, so that's good too," he expressed.

Zack Gee, Blake Reichel, Gabe McDuffie and Devon Suddeth all advanced with byes for Red Bank while Gage Evans (120), Trent Comeaux (126), Jonah Bird (132), Cody Slatton (138), Kaine Kell (152), David Johnson (170), Robert Perry (182), Devin Crawl (195) and Anthony Ottinger (285) all advanced with pins.

Hixson almost maxed out in the quarterfinal round with seven pins in the eight matches wrestled.

Rylie Hart and Jacob Newman both advanced with byes while Jonas Shackleford had a major decision at 138.

Getting pins for the Wildcats were Jordan Lewis at 120, Konner Zeigler at 126, Isaac Yates at 132, Landon Goforth at 145, Mason Smelser at 170, Dylan Bargerstock at 182 and Guillano Palacio at 285.

Notre Dame's five semifinalists include Cade Holloway at 106, Grant Speer at 113, Camden Dickens at 120, Luke Mullin at 126 and Ned Warwick at 132.

Signal Mountain's five include Isaac Tate at 106, Daniel Dawson at 138, Hunt Drennan at 145, Christian White at 152 and Seth Petarra at 182.

Boyd-Buchanan's four semifinalists include Scott Weaver at 113, Zane Williams at 160, Kell Stott at 195 and Will Watkins at 220 while East Ridge's four include Kashawn Cosey at 120, Logan McDonald at 132, Darian Smith at 170 and Christian Castro at 285.

Tyner's four include Chaysen Patrick at 152, Kevin Cortes at 195, Deontae Tyson at 220 and Keith Thomas at 285 while Central will have Isaac Coffman at 138, Alonzo Heyward at 152 and Brian Sledge at 195.

Whitwell's trio includes Avery Shrum at 160, Daniel Mikel at 170 and William Carter at 182.

Chattanooga Christian's two include Justin Wheeler at 145 and Michael Nelson at 220, while Sequatchie County has Jay Brock at 126 and Howard has Niejel Billingsley at 160.

Saturday's action begins with the championship semifinals at 9:30 with consolations to follow. The championship and consolation finals are tentatively set to begin around 3 p.m.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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Hixson's Martin Smelcer (rear) works to gain control over his opponent, Thomas Martin of Notre Dame. Smelcer won the 170-pound bout by a fall at 2:51.

- Photo2 by Dennis Norwood

Sommers · February 14, 2016

More Kreager Coverage for Region 5...

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/02/13/stewarts-creek-wrestling-wins-region-title/80311108/

Stewarts Creek wrestling wins region title

Tom Kreager, tkreager@dnj.com17 hours agoFacebookTwitterGoogle Plusmore

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Tom Kreager/DNJ

Stewarts Creek's John Olivieri prepares to throw Siegel's John Williams during the Region 5-AAA 170-pound championship match. Olivieri won the region title.

COOKEVILLE â€” Tyler Barber knew he needed to pin his opponent to give Stewarts Creek its first traditional Region 5-AAA championship in the schoolâ€™s three-year history.

Barber pinned Siegelâ€™s Dylan Bargatze in 3:02 to claim the 220-pound region title and gave Stewarts Creek a 1.5-point victory over Blackman.

The Red Hawks finished with 217 points. Blackman was second with 215.5, and Siegel was third with 212.5.

â€œI knew I had to get that pin,â€ Barber said. â€œComing into the match, weâ€™d been watching the scores.â€

Stewarts Creekâ€™s traditional region championship came despite not reaching the Region 5-AAA duals tournament two weeks ago. Blackman beat Siegel in the region duals championship. That came after Siegel won the district championship.

Side note: SC won a regular season match vs Siegel, but lost to Blackman.

"It just shows how strong Rutherford County wrestling is," Stewarts Creek coach Mark Gonyea said. "We're stoked beyond belief. It's great for us to break that glass ceiling so early. I think good things will come in the future because now they believe they can do it."

Forty Rutherford County wrestlers qualified for next weekâ€™s TSSAA Class AAA individual state championships to be held at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class qualified for the state tournament, which will run Thursday-Saturday. County wrestlers won 11 of 14 weight classes.

Blackman sent 11 â€” most in the county â€” to the state tournament. That included three region champions in Landon Fowler at 145 pounds, Matthew Sells at 160 pounds and Andre Bravo at 195 pounds.

It marks the third straight region title for Sells, who finished fourth last year at state.

Sells won all four of his matches by pin. All lasted 1:10 or less.

"There is no reason to just go out and play with them if you can get over quick," Sells said of his quick work. "I just wanted to do it quick and get out of here."

(Arm chair QB note: Bond Davis...

...at Franklin HS, Pinned the majority of his oponents in the first and second period, rarely if ever went OT until the finals, Finalist three times, went 204-6. TSSAA records show no gold)

...Stewarts Creek sent 10 and also had three region champions in Jaylen James (113), John Olivieri (170) and Barber.

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Tom Kreager/DNJ

Siegel's Michael Moultry defeated Stewarts Creek's Dylan Coggins in overtime. The match was named the best one of the Region 5-AAA tournament.

Siegelâ€™s eight state qualifiers included region champions Michael Moultry (120) and Christian Salter (152). Moultryâ€™s overtime win over Stewarts Creekâ€™s Dylan Coggins in the championship round was named the best match of the tournament.

â€œHeâ€™s a tough opponent,â€ Moultry said of Coggins. â€œWe both just give it our all.â€

Oakland had one region champion in Garrett Richards at 182 pounds. Smyrnaâ€™s Carl Templeton won the 132-pound title. Riverdale junior Nick Boykin, the defending state champion at 285 pounds, repeated as region champion.

â€œIt felt like their team just asked him to stall out,â€ said Boykin of his 6-3 win over Siegelâ€™s Landen Patterson. â€œAll he did was keep backing up.

â€œIt gets harder and harder ever time when you wrestle them more times.â€

Region 5-AAA superlatives: Tullahoma wrestler Cleveland Cyree (126) was named the top wrestler in the lower weights (106-145). Blackman's Matthew Sells (160) was named the top wrestler of the upper weights (152-285).

Blackman's Landon Fowler (160) was named the region's freshman of the year.

Blackman's Ronnie Bray was named the Region 5-AAA coach of the year. Oakland's William Richie was named the assistant coach of the year.

Region 3-A/AA: Eaglenville qualified two wrestlers for next week's Class A/AA individual state championships. Blaine Fussell qualified at 106 pounds after finishing third. Drew Gill (160) finished fourth to qualify for state.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

TSSAA State Qualifiers

Blackman: Treâ€™von Thomas (120), Clayton Apland (126), Jalen Brown (132), Elijah Cox (138), Landon Fowler (145), Cole Tillman (152), Matthew Sells (160), Vincent Cross (170), Hunter Winters (182), Andre Bravo (195), Sam Luker (220)

Eagleville: Blaine Fussell (106), Drew Gill (160)

Oakland: Ryder Gebhardt (152), Garrett Richards (182), Branson Boone (195)

Riverdale: Nathan Potter (132), Nick Boykin (285)

Siegel: Joshua Rodela (113), Michael Moultry (120), Daniel Bradford (126), Christian Salter (152), Matthew Callahan (160), John Williams (170), Dylan Bargatze (220), Landen Patterson (285)

Smyrna: Kevin Rogers (113), Cameron Henderson (120), Carl Templeton (132), Tyrone Johnson (160), Jaxton Wallace (182), Chester Peden (220)

Stewarts Creek: Lucas Gaines (106), Jaylen James (113), Dylan Coggins (120), Gabe Rogers (126); Carson Helton (132), Eric Souksavong (138), Treavor South (145), John Olivieri (170), Dre Trotter (195), Tyler Barber (220)

Sommers · February 14, 2016

Tennessean Coverage...

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/02/15/county-sends-19-wrestlers-state/80393740/

HIGH-SCHOOL

County sends 19 wrestlers to state

From Staff Reports8 hours agoFacebookTwitterGoogle Plusmore

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Chris Brooks/Hendersonville Star News

Beech High junior Jherian Maddox was one of 11 Buccaneers to earn berths in the more

Nineteen Sumner County wrestlers earned berths in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) State Individual Wrestling Championships with top finishes in their recent respective region tournaments.

White House High is sending seven wrestlers â€“ four boys and three girls â€“ to the state tournament.

Junior Tanner Pharris finished second in the Region 3 A-AA Tournament â€“ which was held on Friday and Saturday at Montgomery Central High School â€“ in the 120-pound weight class, suffering a pinfall loss to Harpethâ€™s Braxton Hunter in the championship match.

Senior Austin Grissom placed fourth in the 195-pound division. Junior Dylan Grissom claimed fourth at 170 pounds, and freshman Ethan Rainey finished in fourth place at 182 pounds.

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Submitted photo

Four White House High boys wrestlers qualified for the TSSAA State Tournament more

The Blue Devils placed seventh as a team.

Forrest won the team title by one point over Page (173.5-172.5).

Lady Devil junior Sky DeWeese finished fourth at the West Regional Tournament â€“ which was held on Jan. 30 at Ravenwood â€“ in the 130-pound division, while freshman Darian Chapman placed third in the 138-pound bracket. Sophomore Kaylee Diehl finished fifth at 155 pounds (all six wrestlers in that division advanced to the state tournament).

One Hendersonville representative â€“ sophomore Jessica Mumaw â€“ advanced in the 112-pound division through a runner-up finish, suffering a pinfall loss to Sycamoreâ€™s Nena Chrestnain in the championship bout.

Beech had 11 wrestlers to qualify with top-four finishes in the Region 7-AAA Tournament, which was held on Friday and Saturday at Clarksville Northeast.

The Buccaneers won the team title by 1.5 points over Wilson Central (218.5-217).

Freshman Brayden Palmer (106 pounds), freshman Jeremiah Herron (126), sophomore Trevor Rippy (145), senior Kaleb Rippy (182) and senior Peyton Reinert (220) all won the region title in their respective weight classes.

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Brayden Palmer

Palmer defeated Northwestâ€™s Jordan Burgess by a technical fall in his championship match.

Herron pinned Northeastâ€™s DeQwendrick Whiters.

Trevor Rippy pinned Lebanonâ€™s Ryan Brown.

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File

Trevor Rippy

Kaleb Rippy won by a forfeit over Mt. Julietâ€™s Nathan Walling, and Reinert defeated Northwestâ€™s Craig Barbour by a decision.

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File

Kaleb Rippy

Senior Wyatt Sipe (113), junior Kyle Smith (170) and senior David Dowell (285) all had runner-up finishes, and junior Jherian Maddox (160) earned a third-place finish.

Juniors William Downing (132) and Joseph Garrett (152) qualified thanks to fourth-place showings in their respective weight classes.

The Williamson County Agricultural Expo Center in Franklin hosts the state tournament beginning on Thursday, with the round of 32 matches for Class AAA set for 3 p.m. They will be followed immediately by the round of 16 and also the first two rounds of the consolation bracket.

Class A-AA and girls action, along with the Division II Tournaments, begin at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Championship matches are slated for 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Opening matches for local qualifiers in the TSSAA State Individual Wrestling Championships

Class AAA round of 32

106: Brayden Palmer (Beech, Fr.) vs. Cal Rogers (Tullahoma, Fr.)

113: Wyatt Sipe (Beech, Sr.) vs. Corbin Bumgarner (Dobyns-Bennett, Soph.)

126: Jeremiah Herron (Beech, Fr.) vs. Nathan Porter (Summit, Soph.)

132: William Downing (Beech, Jr.) vs. Brady Ingram (Independence, Jr.)

145: Trevor Rippy (Beech, Soph.) vs. Jesse Saunders (Cookeville, Jr.)

152: Joseph Garrett (Beech, Jr.) vs. Donnie Beyer (Bradley Central, Sr.)

160: Jherian Maddox (Beech, Jr.) vs. Matthew Callahan (Siegel, Sr.)

170: Kyle Smith (Beech, Jr.) vs. Vincent Cross (Blackman, Sr.)

182: Kaleb Rippy (Beech, Sr.) vs. Brandon Fortune (South Doyle, Jr.)

220: Peyton Reinert (Beech, Sr.) vs. Cameron Vogt (Franklin, Jr.)

285: David Dowell (Beech, Sr.) vs. Mustafa Garmavi (Cane Ridge, Sr.)

Class A-AA round of 16

120: Tanner Pharris (White House, Jr.) vs. Gage Evans (Red Bank, Soph.)

170: Dylan Grissom (White House, Jr.) vs. Darian Smith (East Ridge, Soph.)

182: Ethan Rainey (White House, Fr.) vs. Dylan Bargerstock (Hixson, Sr.)

195: Kenneth Grissom (White House, Sr.) vs. Brian Sledge (Chattanooga Central, Sr.)

Girlsâ€™ quarterfinals

112: Jessica Mumaw (Hendersonville, Soph.) vs. Kelsi Broyles (West Greene, Fr.)

130: Sky DeWeese (White House, Jr.) vs. Kyah St. Marie (Stone Memorial, Jr.)

138: Darian Chapman (White House, Fr.) vs. Alexis Jaynes (Happy Valley, Jr.)

155: Kaylee Diehl (White House, Soph.) vs. Becka Stallard (Volunteer)

Bradley Wrestlers Win Region 4-AAA With 7 Champions

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2016/2/13/318022/Bradley-Wrestlers-Win-Region-4-AAA-With.aspx

Soddy Daisy, Cleveland, Walker Valley Follow In Eight-Team Field

Saturday, February 13, 2016 - by John Hunt

CLEVELAND, Tenn. â€“ There was never much doubt about which team would walk away from the Region 4-AAA wrestling tournament with the most individual champs and the overall team title.

The Bradley Bears, ranked second in the state all year, have had a great season to this point and it just got a little bit better early Saturday evening at Cleveland Middle School.

By claiming seven individual titles and qualifying 13 of 14 individuals for next weekâ€™s traditional state tournament, the Bears were never seriously challenged as they rolled to the team title with 233.

5 points.

The Soddy Daisy Trojans, who finished second to the Bears at last weekendâ€™s State Duals, finished second again this weekend as they claimed three individual winners while advancing a dozen to next weekâ€™s tussle at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park in Franklin.

The Cleveland Blue Raiders, who finished second to Bradley at the region last year before winning the state for the third straight year, was third with 126 points. Cleveland earned two titles while sending eight to next weekendâ€™s event.

Walker Valley and East Hamilton rounded out the top five teams with 105 and 101.5 points, respectively.

Bradleyâ€™s Knox Fuller was the champ at 138 while Soddy Daisyâ€™s Tucker Russo won at 160 and were honored as the Outstanding Wrestlers for the lower and upper weights, respectively.

Bradleyâ€™s other six winners included T.J. Hicks at 113, Ryan McElhaney at 120, Austin Mathews at 145, Donnie Beyer at 152, Brett Brown at 195 and D.J. Adams at 285 while Soddy Daisyâ€™s other champions included Landon Wheaton at 106 and Ty Boeck at 182.

The remaining individual champs included Clevelandâ€™s duo of Triston Blansit at 126 and Jack Hicks at 170, Walker Valleyâ€™s Joseph Munoz at 132 and Ooltewahâ€™s Victor Bednarski at 220.

â€œThe competition is always tough in this region as weâ€™ve dominated the state in recent years, but we had an overall good team effort today,â€ said Bradley coach Ben Smith after the final match ended.

â€œWe just tried to fine tune and stay healthy this week and to be relaxed because we seem to wrestle better when weâ€™re relaxed. We faced some of the toughest kids in the state here today, but I just wanted to see strong effort and good fight.

â€œWe had three young men wrestle above their seeds and we won nine of 13 in that last round, so Iâ€™m pretty happy,â€ Smith said.

Soddy Daisy coach Jim Higgins was booted from the gym after getting two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during the 138-pound championship and he was still somewhat upset when all the wrestling had concluded.

â€œI really thought we were capable of qualifying all 14 individuals, but we made some mistakes in those other weights that ultimately cost us. Iâ€™m overall happy for those 12 who advanced, but I really expected us to be better today. We had a few who didnâ€™t wrestle well at the start,â€ Higgins suggested.

Brad Laxton, a Soddy Daisy assistant coach, had similar thoughts.

â€œI thought our guys fought hard for every second, but we always want to do just a little bit better. Guys like Tucker Russo bring the others up to another level and I can never say enough good things about him,â€ Laxton concluded with a smile.

Bradley and Soddy Daisy led the qualifying with 13 and 12, respectively, and Cleveland advanced eight.

East Hamilton didnâ€™t have any finalists, but they had nine winners in the consolation finals to finish on a strong note. Walker Valley has seven qualifiers while Ooltewah will be sending five and Rhea County two.

LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Bradley (Brad) 233.5; 2. Soddy Daisy (SD) 168; 3. Cleveland (Cle) 126; 4. Walker Valley (WV) 105; 5. East Hamilton (EH) 101.5; 6. Ooltewah (O) 82; 7. Rhea County (RC) 30; 8. McMinn County (MC) 0.

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

106 â€“ Landon Wheaton (SD) pinned Bryce Pond (Cle), 2:39;

113 â€“ T.J. Hicks (Brad) pinned Chase Payne (SD), 3:33;

120 â€“ Ryan McElhaney (Brad) dec. Logan Whiteside (Cle), 4-0;

126 â€“ Triston Blansit (Cle) dec. Joshua LaCoe (Brad), 12-5;

132 â€“ Joseph Munoz (WV) dec. Colton Landers (Cle), 6-5;

138 â€“ Knox Fuller (Brad) dec. Emory Holcomb (SD), 8-1;

145 â€“ Austin Mathews (Brad) dec. Jordan Massengill (O), 3-1;

152 â€“ Donnie Beyer (Brad) dec. Mikel Gregory (WV), 8-4;

160 â€“ Tucker Russo (SD) major dec. Jordan Chafi (O), 18-8;

170 â€“ Jack Hicks (Cle) major dec. Ed Elkins (Brad), 12-3;

182 â€“ Ty Boeck (SD) pinned Jaylon Martin (WV), 3:18;

195 â€“ Brett Brown (Brad) dec. Tyler Reid (O), 5-0;

220 â€“ Victor Bednarski (O) dec. D.J. Gibson (Brad), 8-2;

285 â€“ D.J. Adams (Brad) pinned Trace McNew (SD), 1:05.

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE

106 â€“ Chandler Davis (WV) major dec. Bryson Bishop (Brad), 12-2;

113 â€“ Cade Meeks (EH) pinned Gatapun Jur (WV), 4:23;

120 â€“ Briar Potter (EH) pinned Jacob Kilgore (SD), 2:36;

126 â€“ Grant Lundy (EH) dec. Zane Smith (WV), 12-8;

132 â€“ Hunter Parker (Brad) won by technical fall over Tony Wilson (SD), 4:48;

138 â€“ Matt Meeks (EH) pinned Cody Matthews (Cle), 3:35;

145 â€“ Austin Sweeney (Cle) dec. Conner Stiles (SD), 7-4;

152 â€“ Jay Graham (RC) dec. Andrew Sturdivant (EH), 4-2;

160 â€“ Henley Headrick (Brad) dec. Greg Wilson (Cle), 6-3;

170 â€“ Kirby Sailors (EH) dec. Chase Rogers (SD), 6-4;

182 â€“ Nick Lett (O) pinned Kevin Siniard (EH), 2:46;

195 â€“ Dylan Aslinger (SD) dec. Huichan Yun (EH), 10-4;

220 â€“ Dakota Ables (SD) dec. Garret Smith (RC), 10-8 in overtime;

285 â€“ C.J. Schwark (WV) pinned Blake Cason (EH), :51.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

SCIENCE HILL WRESTLING

'Toppers second at Region 1-AAA wrestling

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Sports/2016/02/13/Region-1-wrestling.html?ci=stream&lp=2&p=

JOHNSON CITY PRESS â€¢ UPDATED YESTERDAY AT 9:06 PM

MORRISTOWN â€” Science Hill had four individual champions on its way to posting a second-place finish at Saturdayâ€™s Region 1-AAA wrestling championships at Morristown East High School.

Hunter Bagley captured his third individual crown for the Hilltoppers, needing just 59 seconds to pin Tennessee Highâ€™s Kenneth Hagerman in the 220-pound class final.

On the other end of the spectrum, Denzel Medina gutted out a 1-0 win over Elijah Morley of Cocke County to win the 170 crown.

Arthur James at 145 and Luke Story at 126 also scored final-round wins over Tennessee High wrestlers, although the Vikings edged out the Hilltoppers 188.5 to 170.5 for the team championship.

â€œWe had a good day, seven wrestlers in the finals and weâ€™re taking 11 to the state tournament,â€ Science Hill coach Jimmy Miller said. â€œWe went in with no expectations. We asked our kids to wrestle hard and do the best they could. We threw the kitchen sink at it today and came home with a region runner-up against a really good Tennessee High team.

â€What a great day for those kids who won championships, and for all of our kids. Weâ€™re slowly creeping up where we need to be.â€œ

James took a 3-1 decision over the Vikingsâ€™ Bryson Henley, a two-time region champion. Story, making it back to the region finals for a second straight year, captured a 14-6 major decision over Logan Ferguson.

All total, there were five consecutive weight classes â€” 120, 126, 132, 138 and 145 â€” which featured Science Hill versus Tennessee High in the finals.

At 120, Tennessee Highâ€™s Dominic Fields edged out Cooper Williams with a 3-2 decision.

Corbin Hurley, who was named the Northeast Tennessee wrestler of the year on Thursday, improved to 47-1 on the season with an 8-3 decision over Science Hillâ€™s William Pridemore. His Vikings teammate, Dewey Pendley, also repeated as region champion, with an 8-1 decision over the Hilltoppersâ€™ William Diehl.

Three Science Hill wrestlers posted a pair of third-place and a pair of fourth-place finishes.

Heavyweight Austin Taylor took a 2-1 decision over Dobyns-Bennettâ€™s Jeron Waye, while Weston Brown took a 6-4 decision over Randall Whitson in the 195 consolation final.

Tristan Hefner of David Crockett pinned Garrett Stiltner of Science Hill in the 106 consolation final and Dorian Butler also was fourth in the 113 class.

Crockettâ€™s efforts were highlighted by Mike Kromoff, who finished second in the 113 class, after Dillon Pendley of Tennessee High captured a sudden victory.

The Pioneersâ€™ Ryan McCrary also qualified for the state tournament with a fourth-place finish in the 120 weight division.

Daniel Boone had two state qualifiers with Shawn Ketron, who was fourth in the 182 division, and Joshua DeBord, who finished fourth at 152.

Over at the Region 1-A/AA tournament in Alcoa, Sullivan East went 6-0 in finals and consolation finals. The Patriots finished fourth overall in the team standings behind Pigeon Forge, Alcoa and Greeneville.

Elijah Hicks at 106 and Logan Chase at 126 picked up victories for the Patriots, while Ethan Arnold at 113, Dylan Chase at 138, Luke Hicks at 145 and heavyweight John Stiltner each posted third-place finishes.

Elizabethton also participated, but the Cyclones didnâ€™t have anyone advance to the state tournament.

---------------------------

More Region 4... Gossett Free Press Coverage...

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2016/feb/14/bradley-qualifies-13-wrestlers-state-while-wi/350084/

Bradley qualifies 13 wrestlers for state while winning Region 4-AAA

February 14th, 2016by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

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Soddy-Daisy's Tucker Russo drives Ooltewah's Jordan Chafi to the mat to take a 18-8 major decision in the 160-pound class at Saturday's Region 4-AAA wrestling tournament at Cleveland Middle School.

Photo by Tim Barber /Times Free Press.

Gallery: Bradley qualifies 13 wrestlers for state while winning Region 4-AAA

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CLEVELAND, Tenn. â€” At the Region 4-AAA wrestling tournament, it was Bradley Central and then the rest.

"Bradley had a pretty good day and pretty much took it to everybody else," Cleveland coach Jake Yost said.

The Bears advanced 13 to the Class AAA state tournament, which starts Thursday in Franklin, and ran up 233.5 points to capture Saturday's team championship in the high school tournament held at Cleveland Middle School.

"I don't know if anybody has been as good in a while as Bradley's been this year," Soddy-Daisy assistant coach Brad Laxton observed.

The Bears left everybody, including state duals runner-up Soddy-Daisy, in their wake. The Trojans finished second with 168 points and host Cleveland was third with 126. Walker Valley chugged to the finish with 105 points to take fourth, barely slipping past upstart East Hamilton (101.5), which qualified a school-record nine wrestlers for state.

"The previous best was four," Hurricanes coach Ryan Cooper said. "We had a good day."

Ooltewah finished with 82 points and Rhea County 30. McMinn County failed to score in what is generally regarded as one of the toughest regions in the state.

"There's Soddy-Daisy and Cleveland. Whatever they're ranked now, they're among the top five teams in the state," Bradley coach Ben Smith said. "Then you throw in a hot East Hamilton team with good Walker Valley and Ooltewah squads, it's a tough tournament.

"Yes, there are only eight teams, but there have been years when four or five of us finish in the top 10 at the state. This tournament? You're wrestling some of the top-ranked kids in the state almost every match."

The Bears notched seven individual championships and also had three runners-up.

Soddy-Daisy is taking 12 wrestlers to state, East Hamilton nine, Cleveland eight, Walker Valley seven, Ooltewah five and Rhea County two. Four of Ooltewah's five qualifiers were finalists, although only 220-pound Victor Bednarski walked away with a championship.

Bradley winners were T.J. Hicks (113), Ryan McElhaney (120), Knox Fuller (138), Austin Mathews (145), Donnie Beyer (152), Brett Brown (195) and D.J. Adams (285).

"We focused this week on staying healthy, getting our weight down, fine-tuning and keeping the mood light," Smith said. "It's one of those things if we get (to Franklin) healthy and on weight that we could do good things. Today was proof of that."

Fuller and Soddy-Daisy's Tucker Russo (160) were named the tournament's outstanding lower- and upper-weight outstanding wrestlers.

Joining Russo as champions from Soddy-Daisy were Charles Wheaton (106) and Ty Boeck (182).

Cleveland, which had five finalists, got championships from Triston Blansit (126), and Jack Hicks (170). Walker Valley's Joseph Munoz (132) was the other champion.

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

Read next article

Calhoun keeps cruising, downs Colts for region title

Private School Coverage...

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2016/feb/14/baylor-rolls-dii-eastmiddle-regiwrestling-####/350082/

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Baylor rolls to DII East/Middle region wrestling title

February 14th, 2016by Staff Reportsin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 1 min.

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Baylor wrestler Michael Murphy watches from the sidelines as he waits his turn as McCallie hosts Baylor in a wrestling match on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Photo by John Rawlston /Times Free Press.

Other than losing wrestlers before the start of the day, events went pretty much as scripted for Baylor and McCallie in the Division II East/Middle region tournament Saturday.

The host Red Raiders won it, scoring 233 points, and McCallie finished second with 213.5.

McCallie's Zachary Ward, the top-seeded 106-pounder, didn't even make it to weigh-ins due to pneumonia, and Baylor lost both of its 113-pounders: Hayden Hartline, who finished third last year, and eighth-grader Grant Slye. Hartline has been out with a broken arm and had to have it recasted this past week. Slye suffered a concussion in practice on Wednesday.

"Hayden's arm hasn't completely healed," Baylor coach Ben Nelson said. "And Grant, well, I'm just glad they're taking care of kids with concussions these days â€” unlike it used to be."

Even with the handicaps, the two local private school powerhouses easily outdistanced the field. Montgomery Bell Academy was closest but still finished 47.5 points behind the runner-up Blue Tornado. Those were the only three to top the century mark. Battle Ground Academy had 59 points, Franklin Road Academy 49, Knoxville Webb 48 and St. Andrew's-Sewanee 16.

"We had a really good day," Nelson said. "The guys were fighting and going to great lengths to do all they could in every match. I was proud of them."

The champions were Baylor's Jack Reynolds (132), Austin Atchley (138), Michael Murphy (145), Mason Reiniche (152), Caleb Powell (170), Khamari Whimper (182) and Ryan Parker (195); McCallie's Brock Herring (126) and Judah Duhm (160); MBA's Joseph Torquine (113), Gabriel Elkins (120), D'On Coofer (220) and John Kelly (285); and BGA's Ian McCullough (106).

"The guys that are supposed to be our hammers did their jobs, and then we knew there would be some rematches that were pivotal, especially from the McCallie dual, and those guys stepped up," Nelson said.

The top four in each weight class advance to the Division II state tournament â€” an eight-man bracket â€” beginning Friday in Franklin.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfree press.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett

Memphis D2 Coverage...

http://www.commercialappeal.com/sports/preps/father-ryan-wrestlers-top-cbhs-to-win-d2-west-regional-2b74df03-3175-58b8-e053-0100007f071b-368747341.html?d=mobile

Father Ryan wrestlers top CBHS to win D2 West Regional

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By Pete Wickham

Yesterday 9:23 p.m.

Father Ryan's wrestling team continued to build for the big crescendo Saturday, while rival Christian Brothers continued building for the future at the Division 2 West Regional championships at St. George.

Fresh from a win in last week's state dual meet, the Irish won eight of 11 championship-round matchups against CBHS opponents and nine titles overall to capture the team award, 260-225, over the Purple Wave. They will go for the sweep at the state individual tournament next weekend in Nashville.

"We'd lost the duals by a couple of points to Baylor the past two years and finally beat them this time," Irish coach Patrick Simpson said. "We hope we can keep it going."

Ryan got pins from Christian Simpson (113 pounds) and Raymond Eason (126), and West Point-bound Trey Chalifoux (120) and Kirby Simpson (132) improved to 33-0 each on the season by sweeping through the tournament.

Still, CBHS coach Chris Lewis was all smiles after his team got decisions in finals from freshman Robert Griggs (106) and juniors Drew Nicholson (152) and Tommy Brackett (160). The regional title was the second for Nicholson and Brackett, who earned his 40th win in this event, as did Griggs. Junior Andrew Sweatt (195), who came into the tournament seeded fifth, won gold with an injury forfeit by Charles Hollis of St. George's. Tanner Tidswell lost a 2-1 decision to Kirby Simpson and four other Wave wrestlers lost by five points or fewer.

"They're still ahead, but we're closing the gap," said Lewis, whose team was third in the state duals.

Griggs said the key to further progress "is just having a great week of practice."

The lone title not won by Father Ryan or CBHS went to St. Benedict senior Kevin Pease (170), who won by pin in the final seconds of his match with Andrew Wesnofske of Father Ryan. Teammate Noah Kurtz (182), back after missing a month with shoulder problems, fell to 36-1 on the season with a 6-1 loss to George Hooker of Ryan.

Division 1 West Regional

After a 2-2 performance in last week's Division 1 state duals meet, Arlington rolled past Bartlett 270-198 for the team title in the West Regional individual event at Collierville, with seven Tigers claiming championships and all 14 starters qualifying for next weekend's state meet in Nashville.

"It's the first time a team from our region has qualified all 14 starters for state," said Arlington coach Jonathan Simpson, whose team has swept the regional dual and individual meet titles two straight years. "We didn't wrestle up to our standards last week, and I hope the kids remember that bitter taste when we go back, and wrestle harder."

Reed Cannon (106), Caleb Morgan (113), Harrison Phillips (132), Michael Mowery (138), Aaron Moore (170), Ray Hardin (195) and Alan Roaten (220) won individual titles for the Tigers. Cannon, Mowery and Hardin scored pins. Hardin, Morgan and Mowery repeated as regional champs.

Bartlett got wins from Dalton Cockman (120), David Thomas (126), the meet's outstanding wrestler, and Trey Hawkins (285). Other wins went to Kris Bledsoe (152) and Jaterius Graham (182) of Bolton, Houston's Grayson Young (145) and East's Cedric Lynn (160).

Gossett-Free Press - North Ga Coverage...

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Gilmer wins wrestling state title again; Ringgold, Trion runners-up

February 14th, 2016by Lindsey Youngin SportsRead Time: 5 mins.

DULUTH, Ga. â€” Matthew Waddell didn't do it on purpose, but one might get the feeling he enjoyed making his coaches sweat a bit during the finals of the GHSA state wrestling tournament.

The Gilmer 182-pounder gave up four points in the final period in his Class AAAA championship match against North Hall's Isaiah Hale to force an overtime period. Gilmer's Bobcats just happened to be holding a slim lead over the Trojans in the team title race, so the outcome could have been disastrous.

Waddell, a 170-pound champion a year ago, ended the drama in 12 seconds as he took Hale down to win, 6-4, clinching the Ellijay team's fourth consecutive state team title.

"It was a fun experience," Waddell smiled. "Individually, I didn't want to give up any stupid points, but I got tired late and had to go overtime to win. You've got to have some guts to go into overtime like that."

Gilmer went a perfect 6-for-6 Saturday, including four individual titles in edging North Hall 152.5 to 141. Alberto Perez (120 pounds), Lucas Patterson (132) and heavyweight Levi Seabolt joined Waddell as champions, while Keegan Sharpe took third at 145 and Keegan Sharpe finished fifth at 138.

"We were a little nervous," Gilmer coach Joshua Snider said of Waddell's overtime session, "but Matthew pulled out the reserve tank and came on strong. He usually pins them very quickly, but he's got the lungs to go the distance. Their guy did a good job of pushing him, but he had enough left to get it done."

Gilmer wasn't the only north Georgia team to fare well. Ringgold, fresh off a third-place finish in the state duals, finished second to Jefferson in Class AAA. David Moss's team had six medalists, led by 145-pound champion Griffin Green.

"The kids worked hard all tournament long," Moss said. "There were a few teams close to us, and we didn't know we were going to get second until the finals started.

"Griffin dominated his bracket and capped off a great season. To win it all as a sophomore is phenomenal. I hope they all grew up a bit. As the tournament approached you could see they were improving. There were a lot of matches they were behind in and kept battling to win. That made a huge difference for us."

Trion, despite going 0-for-3 in the championship round, finished second to runaway winner Commerce in Class A, the Bulldogs' highest-ever finish. Trion placed eight wrestlers, led by runners-up Cole Luallen (132), Scott Frazier (160) and Logan Blevins (182).

"We had a judgment call against Cole Luallen that might have cost him the title at 132," Brock said. "He had a cradle lock on the kid and had him on his hip, but the official said it wasn't a reversal. That was a heartbreaker because the kid has been working his tail off all year. The kids did all we could ask for."

Heritage, led by 126-pound champion Chuckie Thurman, finished sixth in Class AAAA, while Sonoraville finished seventh in Class AAA and had two individual champions in Trevor Burdick (106) and Tyler Hunt (113).

More Info

GHSA Traditional Championships Results

Class AAAA

Final Team Standings

1. Gilmer 152.5; 2. North Hall 141; 3. Buford 124.5; 4. West Laurens 100.5; 5. Marist 92; 6. Heritage 85; 7. Locust Grove 80.5; 8. Chestatee 77; 9. Carrollton 76.5; St. Pius X 63; 11. Northwest Whitfield 59; 14. Ridgeland 47; 22. LaFayette 20; 32. Southeast Whitfield 10.

Championship round

120 â€” Alberto Perez (Gilmer) dec. Cody Bond (Madison), 5-4; 126 â€” Chuckie Thurman (Heritage) dec. Grady Pastor (Woodward Academy), 6-0; 132 â€” Lucas Patterson (Gilmer) dec. Jacob Mariakis (Ridgeland), 4-3; 160 â€” Michael Carew (North Hall) pinned Cole Ingram (LaFayette), 3:07; 182 â€” Matthew Waddell (Gilmer) OT dec. Isaiah Hale (North Hall), 6-4; 220 â€” Chris Henderson (Ridgeland) dec. Lazavier Moore (Upson-Lee), 5-3; 285 â€” Levi Seabolt (Gilmer) dec. Hudson Newton (Troup), 4-0.

Third-place round

120 â€” Chase Seals (Troup) dec. Bryan Gembe (NW Whitfield), 3-2; 132 â€” Daniel Jernagin (Heritage) dec. Blake Beasley (W. Laurens), 5-4; 138 â€” Trent Ferguson (Buford) dec. Dylan Jernagin (Heritage), 3-0; 145 â€” Keegan Sharpe (Gilmer) pinned Tucker Sippolla (Carrollton), 2:27; 160 â€” Cameron Butler (W. Laurens) dec. Henson Gibbs (NW Whitfield), 10-7; 195 â€” Jordan Lewis (NW Whitfield) dec. James Teague (Whitewater), 7-5; 285 â€” Tanner Nance (Heritage) dec. Matez Hudson (Carrollton), 3-2.

Fifth-place round

138 â€” Ethan Teague (Gilmer) dec. Matthew Sewell (North Hall), 3-2.

Class AAA

Final Team Standings

1. Jefferson 273; 2. Ringgold 119; 3. Morgan County 107; 4. Banks County 84; 5. Rockmart 72; 6. Oconee County 70; 7. Sonoraville 67.5; 8. Elbert County 62; 9. Jackson County 58; 10. Calhoun 55; 18. Murray County 37.5; 24. Coahulla Creek 25; 39. Gordon Central 1.

Championship round

106 â€” Trevor Burdick (Sonoraville) major dec. Ian Statia (Jefferson), 8-0; 113 â€” Tyler Hunt (Sonoraville) dec. Dawson Bates (Jefferson), 3-0; 126 â€” Marcelino Lopez (Murray) dec. Noah Hile (Blessed Trinity), 3-2; 145 â€” Griffin Green (Ringgold) dec. Jacob Lindenmeyer (East Jackson), 5-2; 220 â€” Zach Matthews (Lumpkin) pinned Jesse Wade (Ringgold), 3:01; 285 â€” Nick Holman (Jefferson), 4-3.

Third-place round

106 â€” Tanner Stone (Ringgold) dec. Cruz Arrendondo (Toombs), 6-3; 120 â€” Luke Gonzalez (Jackson) OT dec. Aaron Aguirre (Calhoun), 10-8; 138 â€” Vincent Baker (Blessed Trinity) dec. Jacob Callahan (Calhoun), 4-0; 170 â€” Caleb Johnson (Appling) pinned Tielor Johnson (Murray), 1:58; 195 â€” Nu Usey (Westminster) pinned Brice Craig (Calhoun), 1:26.

Fifth-place round

120 â€” Jamarcus Allen (Elbert) dec. Levi Kinsey (Coahulla Creek), 3-1; 126 â€” Will Broom (Ringgold) pinned Christian Grauberger (Dodge), 0:59; 132 â€” Holden Moss (Ringgold) pinned Dawson Hunt (Central-Carroll), 3:23; 160 â€” Mason Corbett (Jefferson) pinned Christian East (Calhoun), 2:57; 285 â€” Jeremy Wilson (Islands) won by forfeit over Kenny Cooper (Sonoraville).

Class AA

Final Team Standings

1. Social Circle 235; 2. Bremen 184; 3. Lovett 97.5; 4. Darlington 90; 5. GAC 54; 6. Model 49; 7. Fitzgerald 48; 8. Pace 38; 9. Armuchee 34; 9. Gordon Lee 34; 9. Wesleyan 34; 18. Dade County 12; 19. Chattooga 11.

Championship round

152 â€” Joseph Stroud (Bremen) dec. Braden Jarvis (Gordon Lee), 3-1.

Third-place round

138 â€” Zach Murdock (Gordon Lee) pinned Payton McKie (Fitzgerald), 4:01; 285 â€” Trenton Mathis (Jeff-Davis) OT dec. Keith Jones (Dade), 7-3.

Fifth-place round

195 â€” Austin Jones (Chattooga) pinned Donterious Millsap (Fitzgerald), 3:06.

Class A

Final Team Standings

1. Commerce 322; 2. Trion 109; 3. Mt. Zion 106; 4. Turner County 88; 5. Treutlen County 83; 6. St. Francis 60.5; 7. Eagles Landing 56; 8. Irwin County 46; 9. Mt. Vernon 34.5; 10. Mt. Pisgah 29.

Championship round

132 â€” Dalton Flint (Commerce) dec. Cole Luallen (Trion), 2-1; 160 â€” Chase Forrester (Commerce) dec. Scott Frazier (Trion), 13-6; 182 â€” Cole Chancey (Commerce) pinned Logan Blevins (Trion), 3:23.

Third-place round

120 â€” Jamey Floyd (Trion) pinned Jack Kirkpatrick (St. Francis), 4:32; 285 â€” Zyon Ross (Irwin County) OT dec. Seth Cox (Trion), 3-1.

Fifth-place round

106 â€” Bolen Stricklin (Trion) pinned Phillip Farabow (Irwin), 1:42; 152 â€” Andrew McGuire (Trion) pinned Tanner Hall (STAP), 3:16; 170 â€” Deontae Crockett (Turner) dec. Jake Wells (Trion), 9-3.

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22

Edited February 15, 2016 by Sommers

Sommers · February 15, 2016

UTC Shows Resilience vs #19, after Appy State...

Boykin is no stranger to taking down tough talent, so that did not factor in his approach today. He already had four wins in his career over ranked opponents, and looked to add another to keep the team alive.

After a scoreless first period, Nye chose down and escaped in the second for a 1-0 lead. That set up a furious third frame that started with Boykin tying it up with an escape. He then went on the attack, posting three takedowns in the final 90 seconds for the 7-3 decision.

â€œNot only was it a big win for Scottie today, but it was a big weekend for him,â€ said Eslinger. â€œHe knocked off two guys who had beaten him before.

â€œI kept saying that Scottie hasnâ€™t gotten hot this year and we need him to be hot at the right time. Hopefully, this is the right time.â€

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2016/2/14/318052/Mocs-Rally-To-Beat-No.-19-Virginia.aspx

Mocs Rally To Beat No. 19 Virginia

Sunday, February 14, 2016

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team posted a huge comeback win at No. 19 Virginia this afternoon. The Mocs were down 18-7 before winning the last three matches, including a pin at heavyweight, to cap a furious charge in Charlottesville, Va.

Action was only tied once and the Mocs did not lead until the final whistle, but UTC still managed to improve to 12-4 overall. The Cavaliers fell to 6-6 with the loss.

â€œThese are the days you train for,â€ stated head coach Heath Eslinger.

â€œThere are highs and lows throughout the year, and then something like this happens. Our backs were against the wall and most everyone had counted us out, but once again the guys found a way to get it done.â€

This one felt a lot like last yearâ€™s win over Oklahoma, with the Mocs needing three wins late to secure the victory. UVA went up 18-7 after Tyler Askey beat junior Sean Mappes 7-3 at 174.

UTC knew it would need a bit of a miracle in the last three matches to make a comeback, and senior John Lampe got them started. He posted a 5-2 decision over Will Schanya to cut the team deficit to 18-10.

â€œLampe just went out and does what he does,â€ added Eslinger. â€œHe wrestles hard and good things happen to him because of that.â€

That set up a tough 197 match between junior Scottie Boykin and No. 11 Zachary Nye. These two had met once before, with Nye posting a 7-1 win in the 2014 Virginia Duals.

Boykin is no stranger to taking down tough talent, so that did not factor in his approach today. He already had four wins in his career over ranked opponents, and looked to add another to keep the team alive.

After a scoreless first period, Nye chose down and escaped in the second for a 1-0 lead. That set up a furious third frame that started with Boykin tying it up with an escape. He then went on the attack, posting three takedowns in the final 90 seconds for the 7-3 decision.

â€œNot only was it a big win for Scottie today, but it was a big weekend for him,â€ said Eslinger. â€œHe knocked off two guys who had beaten him before.

â€œI kept saying that Scottie hasnâ€™t gotten hot this year and we need him to be hot at the right time. Hopefully, this is the right time.â€

The two wins by the Mocs were strong, but since both were without bonus points, the team score still stood 18-13 in favor of the Cavs. Junior Jared Johnson needed at least a tech fall to tie the match.

He got that, plus one more, with his second period pin over Patrick Gillen. Following a scoreless first, Gillen chose down. Johnson turned him once for four points before pinning him at the 4:38 mark.

â€œJared has weapons and his weapons are on top,â€ explained Eslinger. â€œThey chose down and capitalized on the opportunity.

â€œJared just keeps being Jared. Just like last year against Oklahoma, he put the team on his back and carried us to the win.â€

Although the excitement was definitely at the end of the meet, there was a lot of drama early on. Chattanooga got in a hole, dropping a major decision at 125 and losing at 133. Freshman Alonzo Allen was down just 4-3 at the end of the second at 125 before losing in the third.

Junior Michael Pongracz struck back with a 10-0 shutout at 141. That drew UTC to within 7-4 in the team score. Sophomore Chase Zemenak tied it with an 8-5 win at 149.

â€œThose were huge wins for those guys and they were not easy wins,â€ said Eslinger. â€œEach one had to work for them, but it did breathe some life back into us and put us back into a spot where we had some hope.â€

UVA followed with a three-match run, beginning with a tech fall at 157. Andrew Webb was in the lineup for starter Kamaal Shakur, who was out with an injury from Fridayâ€™s match. Freshman Dominic Lampe dropped a high-scoring 19-13 affair with Garrett Peppelman at 165.

â€œThe thing I am proud of most is that we did not hang our heads after we lost to Appalachian State,â€ said Eslinger. â€œWe got back in the room and worked hard. We are just very consistent and that paid off today.â€

The Mocs already had a win over Arizona State at the Virginia Duals, making it three years in a row with a victory against a team from a Power 5 conference. It is also the second time in three years UTC has knocked off two teams from a Power 5 Conference in one season.

Chattanooga now waits to hear if it makes the 16-team field for the NWCA National Duals next weekend. If not, the next action is the Southern Conference Tournament on Saturday, March 5, in Asheville, N.C. Be sure to check back to GoMocs.com for complete details.

Chattanooga 19 â€“ No. 19 Virginia 18

Charlottesville, Va.

125: Nick Herrmann (UVA) â€“ MD 11-3 - Alonzo Allen (UTC) â€“ UVA 4-0

133: Joseph Martinez (UVA) â€“ Dec. 7-0 - Cody Hill (UTC) â€“ UVA 7-0

141: Michael Pongracz (UTC) â€“ MD 10-0 - Emilio Martinez (UVA) â€“ UVA 7-4

149: Chase Zemenak (UTC) â€“ Dec. 8-5 - Christopher Yankowich (UVA) â€“ Tied 7-7

157: Andrew Atkinson (UVA) â€“ TF 18-2 (4:32) - Andrew Webb (UTC) â€“ UVA 12-7

165: Garrett Peppelman (UVA) â€“ Dec. 19-13 - Dominic Lampe (UTC) â€“ UVA 15-7

174: Tyler Askey (UVA) â€“ Dec. 7-3 - Sean Mappes (UTC) â€“ UVA 18-7

184: John Lampe (UTC) â€“ Dec. 5-2 - Will Schany (UVA) â€“ UVA 18-10

197: Scottie Boykin (UTC) â€“ Dec. 7-3 â€“ No. 11 Zachary Nye (UVA) â€“ UVA 18-13

285: No. 11 Jared Johnson (UTC) â€“ Fall 4:38) - Patrick Gillen (UVA) â€“ UTC 19-18

Sommers · February 15, 2016

Coach Scott Cook said... â€œWe have several guys that, really, this is their first year in the varsity lineup as sophomores, and theyâ€™re qualifying and going to the state tournament. It shows theyâ€™ve been working hard, getting better, and pushing to get tougher on the mat, and I think thatâ€™s happening.â€

http://herald-citizen.com/stories/chs-sending-six-wrestlers-to-state,13507

CHS sending six wrestlers to state

Pic

Posing after placing in the Region 5-AAA tournament in Cookeville on Saturday are: (from left) Hunter Harcum, Justin Rogers, Derrick Christensen, Dyllan Houser, Ben Bos and Jesse Saunders.

BEN CRAVEN | HERALD-CITIZEN

Posted Sunday, February 14, 2016

BY BEN CRAVEN

COOKEVILLE â€” The Cavaliers will be sending six young men to Williamson County on Thursday for the individual wrestling state championship tournament after placing in the top four of their respective weight classes at the Region 5-AAA tournament at Cookeville High School on Saturday.

The tournament started Friday night and continued all day Saturday before announcing the qualifiers for the state tournament.

And with such a young team, the Cavs were able to send two sophomores and a freshman to the state tournament.

â€œItâ€™s phenomenal,â€ commented CHS head coach Scott Cook. â€œWe have several guys that, really, this is their first year in the varsity lineup as sophomores, and theyâ€™re qualifying and going to the state tournament. It shows theyâ€™ve been working hard, getting better, and pushing to get tougher on the mat, and I think thatâ€™s happening.â€

The Cavaliers were led by Hunter Harcum (106), Justin Rogers (113), and Derrick Christensen (138), who all made it to the championship match but lost and settled for second place.

Jesse Saunders (145) and Dyllan Houser (170) fought back after tough losses to reach consolation matches but came up short for fourth place finishes, while Ben Bos (152) was forced to forfeit his consolation match due to a knee injury sustained in the previous match.

Christensen was the closest to first place as his championship match came own to the wire.

After receiving a bye in the first round, pinning his opponent with eight seconds left in the quarterfinal, and winning a 5-4 decision in the semifinal, Christensen was looking good in his championship match, winning by two points going into the final seconds. Unfortunately, with one second remaining in the match, Tullahomaâ€™s Dylan McElhaney reversed their positions and pinned Christensen as the whistle sounded.

â€œGetting there feels really good,â€ Christensen commented. â€œIt makes me feel really good about myself, how good of a wrestler I am, and how much Iâ€™ve progressed and come along through the years of wrestling. But coming to that one second, I guess you could say itâ€™s heartbreaking, but it happens.â€

Harcum had some tough battles after he pinned his opponent in the first period of his first match. Harcumâ€™s second match dragged on as they wrestled out of bounds many times, but he was able to pull out a narrow 1-0 decision win. Afte that, Harcum won a 3-1 decision in the semifinal. However, Harcumâ€™s day ended when he was pinned in the third periord of his championship match.

Rogers had a more dominating trip to the finals as he pinned his first two opponents in the second period and won a 13-5 major decision before losing in his championship match 12-8.

Bos received a bye in the first round and won a 10-8 decision in the quarterfinals, but he got pinned in the first period of the semifinals, sending him to a consolation semifinal match. Bos was able to pin his opponent in the third period, but he injured his knee in the process. He forfeited his final match as a precaution to make sure he would be able to wrestle at the state tournament.

Saunders won his first match by a major decision of 16-8, but he was taken down in the second period of his quarterfinal match, sending him to the consolation rounds. That did not deter Saunders as he won his next three matches by way of pinfall, a 4-1 decision and a 3-2 decision. The third place match went the distance, but Saunders ended up on the short end of a close 6-4 decision for fourth place.

Cookevilleâ€™s final medalist, Houser, received a bye in his first match and pinned his second opponent in the third period, but he suffered a hard 18-5 major decision loss in the semifinals. Houser came right back and won an extremely close 3-2 decision in the consulation semifinals, but he lost his third place match 12-8.

Cookeville had eight other wrestlers participate in the tournament but did not place.

Of the remaining eight, Jarrett Talbott (126) came the closest to placing as he wrestled the most matches. Unfortunately, Talbott did not start off so well as he received a bye in the first round, but he fell in the first period his first actual match in the quarterfinals. Talbott fought hard for a first period pin and a 9-6 decision, but his day was cut short as he was pinned in the second period of the consolation semifinal.

Allen Richardson (285) received a bye in his first round and won a 16-10 decision in his quarterfinal match. However, Richardson lost his next two matches by pinfall and a 7-2 decision, ending his day early.

Corey Denson (132) did not have the best of luck as he got pinned in the second period of both of his matches with a bye thrown inbetween.

Samuel Hadlock (120), Cole Gentry (160), and Matthew Erickson (182) received first round byes but lost their quarterfinal matches by pinfall. Erickson and Hadlock were also pinned in there consolation matches, while Gentry lost a 10-1 major decision.

Jake Harrington (195) also received a bye in the first round but lost an 8-7 decision in his quarterfinal match. Harringtonâ€™s consolation match came down to the wire as he tied it up at eight in the waning moments of the match to send it into overtime. Unfortunately, Harringtonâ€™s opponent was the first to score with a takedown and took the sudden victory.

â€œIâ€™m extremely pleased with our performance this weekend,â€ Cook said. â€œThe guys have been working hard. In a lot of matches, we came out and beat guys that have beaten us earlier in the season. We got into some tense situations towards the end of the tournament, and we didnâ€™t quite pull those out. But weâ€™re still a young, fairly inexperienced, team, and those tense moments are a part of growing in the sport and maturing as an athlete.â€

â€œThe potential is definitely there for the future, and Iâ€™m very excited. Iâ€™m heartbroken for the guys that didnâ€™t qualify. Itâ€™s sad to end your season that way, but the effort was there, the fight was there, and those guys have nothing to be ashamed of. They layed it on the line this weekend and fought hard. Iâ€™m proud of every one of them.â€

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