Wrestling Updates and Tidbits...

[Sommers]

Comprehensive rundown of middle Tennessee wrestlers to state...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/12/nashville-area-tssaa-state-wrestling-qualifiers/97817668/

 

The top four wrestlers from the region tournament on Saturday advanced to the TSSAA state wrestling championships held Feb. 16-18 at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin.

 

CLASS A/AA

 

Cole McCartney took an interesting approach with his opponent.

 

Ken Herndon/For the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

 

Region 3-A/AA

 

106: 1. Cole McCartney, Greenbrier; 2. Alex Beasley, Harpeth; Max Dansereau, Nolensville; Andrew Phillips, Pearl-Cohn.

 

113: 1. Jeffrey Gross, Forrest; 2.Wyatt McLemore, Eagleville; 3. Dylan Becker, Harpeth; 4. Cole Winer, Page

 

120: 1. Dylan Pendley, Forrest; 2. Nathan Ford, Greenbrier; 3. Blaine Fussell, Eagleville; 4. Sevaughn Orr, M.L. King

 

126: 1. Thomas Hatcher, Harpeth; 2. Braxton Hunter, Fairview; 3. Tanner Pharris, White House; 4. Alek Filaroski, Page

 

132: 1. Tyree Bass, Sycamore; 2. James Jones, Fairview; 3. Abdi Ysuf, Stratford; 4. Ben Winer, Page

 

138: 1. Mohamed Muday, Stratford; 2. Liam Dougherty, Hume-Fogg; 3. Caleb Allen, Creek Wood; 4. Nick Oberstaedt, Page

 

145: 1. Dallas Prater, Cheatham Co.; 2. Mitchell Camper, Sycamore; 3. Montez Booker, Pearl-Cohn; 4. Mario Pukl, Fairview

 

152: 1. Tristan Heckert, Goodpasture; 2. Zane Lynch, Stratford; 3. Robert White, Fairview; 4. Chris Parcel, Page

 

160: 1. Daelyn Rose, Harpeth; 2. Wesley McCoy, Forrest; 3. Will Pendelton, Sycamore; 4. Gavin Ledbetter, Greenbrier

 

170: 1. John Noe, Page; 2. Austin Geeting, Forrest; 3. Jade Dillard, Cheatham Co.; 4. Pierre Long, East Nashville

 

182: 1. Houston Tywater, Page; 2. Joshua Ortiz-Derrick, Fairview; 3. Drew Carlisle, Forrest; 4. Anthony Collins, Greenbrier

 

195: 1. Zach Diviney, Sycamore; 2. Tanner Lynch, Greenbrier; 3. Ethan Rainey, White House; 4. Dominic Kennedy, Hume-Fogg

 

220: 1. Toby Lynch, Greenbrier; 2. Billy Clanton, Forrest; 3. Joshua Dailey, White House; 4. Josh Wilkerson, Cheatham Co.

 

285: 1. Devin Spence, Harpeth; 2. Eric Lee, East Nashville; 3. Jackson Clevenger, Fairview; 4. Zach Schlessman, Greenbrier

 

CLASS AAA

 

Boykin, Sells cruise to region titles

 

Region 5-AAA

 

106: 1. Cal Rogers, Tullahoma; 2. Dominic Williams, Lawrence Co.; 3. Kenny Harless, Stewarts Creek; 4. Evan Smart, Blackman

 

113: 1. David Medina, Riverdale; 2. Will Moran, Tullahoma; 3. Rhett Birdsong, Shelbyville; 4. Kenny Pranophong, La Vergne

 

120: 1. Luke Dezember, Lawrence Co.; 2. Jaylen James, Stewarts Creek; 3. Semaj Burton, Oakland; 4. Austin Swink, Riverdale

 

126: 1. Cameron Henderson, Smyrna; 2. Carson Helton, Stewarts Creek; 3. Luke Price, Tullahoma; 4. James Harcum, Cookeville

 

132: 1. Daniel Bradford, Blackman; 2. Gabe Rogers, Stewarts Creek; 3. Nathan Potter, Riverdale; 4. Andrew Farrar, Oakland

 

138: 1. Brooks Sacharczyk, Blackman; 2. Treavor South, Stewarts Creek; 3. Aaron Kelly, Tullahoma; 4. Sean Eastman, Oakland

 

145: 1. Jason Chambers, Blackman; 2. Jalen Brown, Blackman; 3. Michael Moultry, Siegel; 4. Bradley Houmard, Cookeville

 

152: 1. Landon Fowler, Blackman; 2. John Bonee, Tullahoma; 3. Eli Haynes, Stewarts Creek; 4. Robert Hines, Franklin Co.

 

160: 1. Matthew Sells, Blackman; 2. Ben Bos, Cookeville; 3. Ryder Gebhardt, Oakland; 4. Levi Silvers, Stewarts Creek

 

170: 1. Brenden Adkins, Tullahoma; 2. Justin Chambers, Stewarts Creek; 3. Tekierius Green, Oakland; 4. Mario Hernandez, Warren Co.

 

182: 1. Christian Salter, Siegel; 2. Dyllan Houser, Cookeville; 3. Spencer Layne, Blackman; 4. Joshua Rowland, Smyrna

 

195: 1. Michael Salisbury, Shelbyville; 2. Alex Pursley, Tullahoma; 3. Delantay Isaac, Smyrna; 4. Ryan Bruley, Oakland

 

220: 1. Branson Boone, Oakland; 2. Jake Harrington, Cookeville; 3. Dylan Heath, Blackman; 4. Akil Hicks, Tullahoma

 

285: 1. Nick Boykin, Riverdale; 2. Luke Champion, Tullahoma; 3. Jamil Hughes, Blackman; 4. Jacob Mathis, Franklin Co

 

 

Pic

 

Summit's Zach Thomas (top) competes against Independence's Chase Bridgford during Saturday's... more

 

Michael Murphy / USA Today Network - Tennessee

 

Summit wins Region 6-AAA championship

 

Region 6-AAA

 

106: 1. Zach Thomas, Summit; 2. Chase Bridgford, Independence; 3. Brennan Jennings, Brentwood; 4. Ronal Flores, Dickson Co.

 

113: 1. Gavin Schoeberl, Independence; 2. Brady Woodward, Summit; 3. Cooper Finch, Brentwood; 4. Decarlos Allen, McGavock

 

120: 1. Job Dooley, Franklin; 2. Graham Brothers, Brentwood; 3. William Witt, Cane Ridge; 4. Adrian Luna, Dickson Co.

 

126: 1. Daniel Fowler, Independence; 2. Jack Schrader, Franklin; 3. Cole Klingensmith, Summit; 4. Abdullahi Mohamed, Hillsboro.

 

132: 1. Nathan Porter, Summit; 2. Owen Schnedler, Independence; 3. Garrett Witterspoon, Dickson Co.; 4. JaCorey Miller, McGavock.

 

138: 1. Brady Ingram, Independence; 2. Nicholas Freeman, Ravenwood; 3. Isaac Asselin, Brentwood; 4. Isaiah Waggoner, Antioch.

 

145: 1. Sean Butler, Summit; 2. Kenneth Hunter, Hillsboro; 3. Kiefer Bangham, Centennial; 4. Tyler Kimble, Overton.

 

152: 1. Kobey Desselle, Summit; 2. Colby Finch, Brentwood; 3. Jonah Albert, Franklin; 4. Spencer Harvey, Centennial.

 

160: 1. Kemale Strong, Hunters Lane; 2. Kelvin Freeman, McGavock; 3. Zachery Ables, Centennial; 4. Dylan Vongsa, Antioch.

 

170: 1. Sawyer Knott, Summit; 2. William Smith, Ravenwood; 3. Nick Galbreath, Franklin; 4. Johnny Kollenbroich, Centennial.

 

182: 1. Zack Carney, Summit; 2. C.J. Grissim, Brentwood; 3. Daniel Bonner, Hillwood; 4. Bailey Patton, Centennial.

 

195: 1. Jamal Miller, McGavock; 2. Ian Grau, Independence; 3. Drake Cunningham, Brentwood; 4. Jacob Knight, Centennial.

 

220: 1. Isaiah Demello, Independence; 2. Lawrence Shelton, McGavock; 3. Chike Brown, Hunters Lane; 4. Noah Schwartz, Centennial.

 

285: 1. Christopher Keller, Independence; 2. Nathan Lee, Cane Ridge; 3. Jeremy Moody, Summit; 4. Patrick Guider, Hunters Lane

 

Pic

 

Beechs Joseph Garrett battles Kenwoods Earnest White in the 160-pound semifinals. Garrett pinned White to... more

 

Chris Brooks/USA Today Network - Tennessee

 

Sumner Co. sends 15 to state wrestling tournament

 

Clarksville area sends 23 to state wrestling tournament

 

Region 7-AAA

 

106: 1. Noah Horst, Beech; 2. Christian Isbell, Clarksville; 3. Tyler Cherry, Rossview; 4. Grant Fetters, Wilson Central

 

113: 1. Brayden Palmer, Beech; 2. Gage Backus, Wilson Central; 3. Mason Tacconelli, Hendersonville; 4. Nicholas Gonsales, West Creek

 

120: 1. Sean Sesnan, Wilson Central; 2. Bristin Hulsey, Beech; 3. DeSaun Dail, Northwest; 4. Andrew Parker, West Creek

 

126: 1. Austin Plumlee, Mt. Juliet; 2. Simon Pergande, Wilson Central; 3. Eli Castillo, Clarksville; 4. William Downing, Beech

 

132: 1. Jalen Henry, Mt. Juliet; 2. Alex Pergande, Wilson Central; 3. Justin Brenot, Clarksville; 4. Thomas Williams, Kenwood

 

138: 1. Zackrey Wilkins, Mt. Juliet; 2. Cullen Belcher, Wilson Central; 3. Seth Williams, Northwest; 4. Jeremiah Herron, Beech.

 

145: 1. Steven Weist, Mt. Juliet; 2. Antoio Alejos, Northwest; 3. Austin Reynolds, Lebanon; 4. Wren Campbell, Northeast

 

152: 1. Trevor Rippy, Beech; 2. Ryan Brown, Lebanon; 3. Elijah Miller, West Creek; 4. Bryan Tucker, Kenwood

 

160: 1. Joseph Garrett, Beech; 2. Dylan Quinn, Mt. Juliet; 3. Conlan Dile, Hendersonville; 4. Gabe Smith, Clarksville

 

170: 1. Damon Smith, Wilson Central; 2. Kyle Smith, Beech; 3. Trevor Hanson, Northwest; 4. Cameron Gallina, Hendersonville

 

182: 1. Bradley Williams, Clarksville; 2. Niko Noga, Wilson Central; 3. Antorio Carter, Rossview; 4. Christopher Humphreys, Mt. Juliet

 

 

Continue reading below

 

Dustin Ortiz

 

UFC returns to Bridgestone Arena in April

 

Summit wins Region 6-AAA wrestling title

 

 

Nashville sports on TV and radio: Feb. 12

 

195: 1. Nathan Walling, Mt. Juliet; 2. Dylan Carney, Northwest; 3. Kenneth Buchanan, Clarksville; 4. Geoffrey Walpole, Wilson Central

 

220: 1. Craig Barbour, Northwest; 2. Andrew Arias, Rossview; 3. Andreus Trotter, Wilson Central; 4. James Baird, Lebanon

 

285: 1. Michael Kramer, Wilson Central; 2. Nate Thacker, Kenwood; 3. Bryan Horner, Mt. Juliet; 4. Goldberg Johnsrud, Northwest

 

 

DIVISION II

 

East/Middle Region

 

106: 1. Alex Whitworth, McCallie; 2. Clayton Pettway, Baylor; 3. Frank Perazinni, MBA; 4. Ethan Rhoden, FRA

 

113: 1. Porter Kaufman, Baylor; 2. Eddie Suh, McCallie; 3. Adam Garfinkel, MBA; 4. Harrison Noffsinger, Friendship Christian

 

120: 1. Gabriel Elkin, MBA; 2. Zachary Ward, McCallie; 3. Mark Austin, FRA; 4. Chase Radpour, Baylor

 

126: 1. Michael Elkin, MBA; 2. Tiy Reed, BGA; 3. Hayden Hartline, Baylor; 4. Evan Hughes, McCallie

 

132: 1. Brock Herring, McCallie; 2. John Michael Glover, MBA; 3. Zack Tieng, Knoxville Webb; 4. Luke Fraley, Baylor

 

138: 1. Austin Atchley, Baylor; 2. Joseph Tarquine, MBA; 3. Devin Badgett, Knoxville Webb; 4. Dolan Eckhart, BGA

 

145: 1. Bryce Wittman, MBA; 2. Thomas Sell, McCallie; 3. Alex Atchley, Baylor; 4. Conner Mitchell, BGA

 

152: 1. Mason Reiniche, Baylor; 2. Ehtan Dendy, McCallie; 3. Perry Matthews, MBA; 4. Drew White, FRA

 

160: 1. Connor Duffy, Baylor; 2. Russell Barry, McCallie; 3. Charlie Morton, Knoxville Webb; 4. Ben Dotye, MBA

 

170: 1. Khamari Whimper, Baylor; 2. Christian Taylor, St. Andrews-Sewanee; 3. Clay Garstin, MBA; 4. Hayden Rowland, McCallie

 

182: 1. Judah Duhm, McCallie; 2. Dominic Fisher, MBA; 3. Teddy Holloway, BGA; 4. Riley Westlake, Baylor

 

195: 1. Ryan Kosson, MBA; 2. George Robinson; McCallie; 3. Sam Reynolds, Baylor; 4. Matt Patterson, Pope John Paul II

 

220: 1. Tyree Toliver, Baylor; 2. Wyeth Patton, MBA; 3. Adam Smith, McCallie; 4. Tyson Strickland, Friendship Christian

 

285: 1. River Henry, McCallie; 2. Tymon Mitchell, FRA; 3. Ryan Jackson, Friendship Christian; 4. Riley Bodine, Baylor

 

 

 

Henry Hagey of Father Ryan, left, battles Judah Duhm of McCallie in the 182-pound weight class of the TSSAA... more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

Division II West Region

 

106: 1. Paul Killian, Father Ryan; 2. Maverick Rorie, Briarcrest; 3. Charles Salvaggio, Christian Brothers; 4. Joey Zazzara, St. Benedict

 

113: 1. Christian Simpson, Father Ryan; 2. Jackson Herring, Christian Brothers; 3. Carlo Guinocor, MUS; 4. William Fox, Brentwood Academy

 

120: 1. Billy Brooks, Brentwood Academy; 2. Connor Galvez, Ensworth; 3. Tyler Lubin, Christian Brothers; 4. Griffin Hubacker, Father Ryan

 

126: 1. Raymond Eason, Father Ryan; 2. Russ Palmer, Christian Brothers; 3. Alex Bond, Ensworth; 4. Dewey Hampton, Briarcrest Christian

 

132: 1. Phillip Rogers, Father Ryan; 2. Conner Rasberry, Christian Brothers; 3. Logan Spell, Brentwood Academy; 4. David Fisk, St. George’s

 

138: 1. Trevor Brown, Christian Brothers; 2. Joseph Vogelpohl, Father Ryan; 3. Victor Ortale, Ensworth; 4. Bradley Shirling, Brentwood Academy

 

145: 1. Eli King, Father Ryan; 2. Elijah Hodge, Christian Brothers; 3. Brett Newman, Briarcrest Christian

 

152: 1. Nikita Kouzovik, Father Ryan; 2. Jake Knaff, MUS; 3. Luke Leon, Brentwood Academy; 4. William Jones, Brentwood Academy

 

160: 1. Eric Hodges, Chritian Brothers; 2. Patrick Clements, Father Ryan; 3. Thomas Wells, MUS; 4. Baylor Harrington, Briarcrest Christian

 

170: 1. Anthony Hagey, Father Ryan; 2. Montany Doty, Christian Brothers; 3. Thomas Butler, Brentwood Academy; 4. Zachary Towne, Briarcrest Christian

 

182: 1. Andrew Sweatt, Christian Brothers; 2. Ian Tiatian, Briarcrest Christian; 3. Henry Hagey, Father Ryan; 4. Erik Richardson, MUS

 

195: 1. Andrew Wesnofske, Father Ryan; 2. Tommy Brackett, Christian Brothers; 3. Will Taylor, Brentwood Academy; 4. Nathaniel Taylor, Ensworth

 

220: 1. Grayson Walthall, Christian Brothers; 2. George Hooker, Father Ryan; 3. Josiah Fahhoum, Briarcrest Christian; 4. Jordan McCoy, Brentwood Academy

 

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Bristol Harold Courier Covers Region One-AAA...

 

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/tennessee-high-claims-region--aaa-wrestling-crown-behind-five/article_07cd3582-f0b8-11e6-87cd-53280cd9660d.html

 

Region 1-AAA wrestling crown behind five individual champs

 

Nate Hubbard | Bristol Herald Courier

 

4 hrs ago (0)

 

 

The Pendleys on their regional titles

 

Bristol Herald Courier

 

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Regional pain is in the past for Jeremy Spangler, and thanks to his triumph, the joy lives on for Tennessee High.

 

Facing his final chance to claim an elusive Region 1-AAA individual wrestling title, Spangler came through with a 3-1 victory over Science Hill’s Denzel Medina at 195 pounds on Saturday, in the process delivering the Vikings their second straight regional team title.

 

“It’s just sweet. Individually, I’ve won bigger tournaments and it’s always, well, I’m never a region champion,†said Spangler, a senior coming into Saturday saddled with back-to-back regional championship losses despite taking fourth at state last year.

 

“You hear some of the guys on our team are two-, three-, four-time region champions, but then I was never in the mix. I have a state medal; I’ve won all these tournaments, but it was never that region medal.â€

 

That’s definitively no longer the case – and Spangler’s breakthrough couldn’t have come at a better time for the Vikings in their seesaw rivalry with Science Hill.

 

After losing to the Hilltoppers in a regular-season dual match to see the Big Seven Conference title slip away, the Vikings rebounded with a triumph over their archrival to claim the regional duals championship.

 

Science Hill, however, got the last laugh in duals competition, toppling THS last weekend to nab third place at state duals.

 

Spangler and Medina’s match proved to be the decisive bout Saturday as Science Hill carried a 3.5-point lead into the 195-pound clash. Instead of falling behind by an insurmountable seven-plus points, Spangler’s victory put the Vikings up by a half-point and clinched the regional championship with the Hilltoppers having no wrestlers in either of the final two individual championship matches.

 

“I couldn’t be any more proud of Jeremy,†said Tennessee High coach Tim Marshall. “He’s been here for four long years searching for that region title. His buddies have been getting them and he’s been just a little bit short every year. Coming down to him, that was poetry.â€

 

Spangler lost to Medina in a controversial ultimate tiebreaker in Tennessee High’s regular-season setback to the Hilltoppers, but bounced back to defeat him at state duals and earned the rubber-match triumph Saturday.

 

“Losing to him the first time was a little bitter,†Spangler said. “… I felt like I let the team down that night because then we went on to lose as a team. Then coming back here and winning, it’s just great – awesome.â€

 

Following Spangler’s clinching win, 220-pounder Nathan Scott put the finishing touches on the team triumph for Tennessee High as he upset Jefferson County’s Brody Workman with a 3-2 decision.

 

Scott’s victory gave the Vikings a final team score of 209.5 points to Science Hill’s 205.

 

“Either way, it’s an intense rivalry,†Marshall said about the latest donnybrook with the Hilltoppers.

 

“It’s fun, but it’s always better when you come out on top – absolutely. I was telling somebody earlier, I’d much rather win it like that as opposed to coming in here and winning by 60 points with no action, no drama, no buildup. I think it takes years off my life, but it’s still fun.â€

 

Along with the team crown, the individual accomplishment was a poignant one for Scott as the burly senior dissolved into sobs upon claiming his first regional title.

 

After not qualifying for state as a sophomore and deciding not to wrestle last season, Scott has been an integral part of Tennessee High’s success all winter.

 

“As soon as I saw Jeremy win his final match, there was something that just went, all right, I got this,†Scott said, still overcome by the moment. “That was such a big win for me. … It’s just really emotional to win against a really tough guy, coming back, my last year, I just tried to do the best I could and that turned out to be a region champion.â€

 

While the team crown was already secured, Marshall said Scott’s victory will provide a lasting memory.

 

“It was absolutely awesome to see how much it means to a kid like that,†he said. “… The last couple weeks, he’s just been building, building and building.â€

 

Three other accomplished Tennessee High wrestlers also got to experience the thrill of an individual regional championship Saturday while making major contributions to the team title.

 

Senior 106-pounder Trent Nelson pinned Science Hill’s Tyler Seeley in 3:22 to become just the second four-time regional champion in THS program history, joining Corbin Hurley, who pulled off the feat last year and was on hand to cheer on Nelson and the rest of the team Saturday.

 

Normally as stoic as they come during competition, Nelson let loose with a wide grin after his victory and wrapped his dad, THS assistant coach Robbie Nelson, in a bear hug upon exiting the mat.

 

“Being a four-timer was a goal of mine since freshman year,†Nelson said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s kind of my goal, his goal – it was just kind of a family thing. Everybody wanted to be a four-timer.â€

 

Tennessee High brothers Dillon and Dewey Pendley also got to share a family moment for the second straight year at regionals.

 

Dillon Pendley, a sophomore, won his second regional title at 138 pounds with a 16-0, second-period technical fall over David Crockett’s Ryan McCrary, while Dewey Pendley, a 138-pound senior, claimed his third individual regional triumph, earning a late takedown and a crucial extra team point with a 9-1 major decision over Science Hill’s Luke Story.

 

“It’s pretty cool knowing that I’m able to do it with him,†Dillon Pendley said. “Next year it’ll be different. … I’m just trying to soak it in while it lasts.â€

 

Dewey Pendley, who placed second at state last year, experienced the frustration of a second-place regional finish as a freshman, but used that as fuel for his three-title run.

 

“That was kind of my first taste of defeat I guess – and I hated it,†he said. “I’ve tried to avoid that the rest of my high school career.â€

 

While the Vikings reveled in their team success, five THS wrestlers suffered an individual setback in the finals Saturday as Judson McCray (120 pounds), Dominic Fields (126), Logan Ferguson (132), Jared Harter (145) and Bryson Henley (152) all had to settle for silver.

 

Harter’s setback was the toughest to swallow as the promising freshman appeared to secure a regional title by pinning his opponent in the final, Blaize Banks of Jefferson County, in just 19 seconds.

 

While the referee initially slapped the mat, Banks suffered a head injury on the move and Harter was whistled for an illegal slam. Banks was unable to continue the match and was awarded the regional title by default.

 

“It’s a shame that it got taken away from him like that,†Marshall said. “I disagree with the call, I don’t mind to say that. His goal coming in here was to take his first step to becoming a four-time region champ and it gotten taken away from him. It’s a shame; I hate it for him, but he’s a good kid. He’s had tough losses and stuff like that before. He’ll bounce back.â€

 

Along with the 10 finalists Saturday, two other Tennessee High wrestlers also earned state berths with top-four finishes as Will Poore took fourth at 160 pounds and Cooper Jenkins finished fourth at 182. Female wrestler Lexie Worley will also represent THS at the state meet next weekend after taking second in the girls regional tournament in late January.

 

Tennessee High finished second in the boys team standings at state last year and will head to Franklin next week with visions of crowning both the program’s first individual state champion and bringing home team gold for the first time.

 

“We feel real good,†Marshall said. “I think we can go down there and legitimately contend.â€

 

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

 

Region 1-AAA tournament

 

At Dobyns-Bennett

 

Team Scores

 

Tennessee High 209.5, Science Hill 205, Jefferson County 126, Dobyns-Bennett 124, Morristown West 85.5, Volunteer 65, David Crockett 55, Morristown East 25, Cocke County 19, Daniel Boone 4

 

Individual Results

 

(top four from each weight class qualify for state tournament)

 

106 pounds

 

First place: Trent Nelson (THS) def. Tyler Seeley (SH), pin, 3:22

 

Third place: Kobe Miller (MW) def. Jordan Williams (DC), pin, 0:47

 

113

 

First place: Dillon Pendley (THS) def. Ryan McCrary (DC), tech. fall, 16-0, 4:00

 

Third place: Corbin Bumgarner (D- def. Jaycee Reff (JC), maj. dec., 12-2

 

120

 

First place: Nathan Wysong (SH) def. Judson McCray (THS), pin, 1:18

 

Third place: Mike Kromoff (DC) def. Shane Lemons (D-, pin, 0:15

 

126

 

First place: Dillon Lemons (D- def. Dominic Fields (THS), pin, 1:00

 

Third place: Garrett Stiltner (SH) def. Juan Rodriguez, pin, 4:17

 

132

 

First place: Cooper Williams (SH) def. Logan Ferguson, 6-0

 

Third place: Robert English (JC) def. William Mitchell (D-, pin, 1:49

 

138

 

First place: Dewey Pendley (THS) def. Luke Story (SH), maj. dec., 9-1

 

Third place: Isaac Charpenter (Vol.) def. Gavin Russell (DC), 7-4

 

145

 

First place: Blaize Banks (JC) def. Jared Harter (THS), DQ

 

Third place: William Berger (MW) def. Greyson Pridemore, inj.

 

152

 

First place: Arthur James (SH) def. Bryson Henley (THS), 4-2

 

Third place: Michael Hill (Vol.) def. Hunter Strouth (D-, 5-3

 

160

 

First place: William Diehl (SH) def. Griffin Simerly (MW), 8-4

 

Third place: Joshua Rapcan (D- def. Will Poore (THS), pin, 3:24

 

170

 

First place: Logan Branham (Vol.) def. Aaron Lawson (JC), pin, 1:56

 

Third place: James Kalogeros (SH) def. Camden Buckingham (MW), pin, 3:29

 

182

 

First place: Weston Brown (SH) def. Randall Whisman (D-, 5-2

 

Third place: Dade Barg (MW) def. Cooper Jenkins (THS), pin, 1:27

 

195

 

First place: Jeremy Spangler (THS) def. Denzel Medina (SH), 3-1

 

Third place: Curtis Pinkston (JC) def. Noah Baxley (MW), pin, 1:24

 

220

 

First place: Nathan Scott (THS) def. Brody Workman (JC), 3-2

 

Third place: Hayden Dacos (ME) def. Jeron Waye (D-, 3-1

 

285

 

First place: Brenton Salyers (D- def. Dakota Moungey (JC), 4-3

 

Third place: Zach Grzelka (CC) def. Dwight Christian (Vol.), pin, 3:25

 

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

 

 

More region 1-AAA Coverage...

 

Science Hill’s squad will return mostly intact next season, so the teachable moments that presented themselves on Saturday and those that will pop up at the TSSAA Class AAA meet will help build a foundation for the future.

 

“We’re returning 11 out of 14 starters next season with a lot of good kids in the room,†Miller said. “So I’m proud as anything of these young men. They did great today.â€

 

 

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Wrestling/2017/02/11/Five-Toppers-claim-Individual-Region-Championships.html

 

The Hilltoppers took home five individual championships from the Region 1-AAA individual meet to go along with three runner-up finishes. But the ’Toppers also left the Model City pondering the four and a half points that separated them from the team championship, which went to Tennessee High. The Vikings finished the weekend with 209.5 points to Science Hill’s 205.

 

“What a great weekend we’ve had,†said Science Hill coach Jimmy Miller. “Big picture –—did we come up short today? We did. We came up four and a half points short. I just challenged the kids to go home tonight after everything settles down, look at your bracket and find what you could have done to find four and a half points in your tournament.

 

“It’s not one man’s fault,†Miller continued. “We have to accept accountability. There are a lot of points we left on the floor today. It’s a good teachable moment.â€

 

Once the finals started, Nathan Wysong got the Hilltoppers rolling with a pinfall victory over Tennessee High’s Judson McCray in the 120-pound weight class. Wysong, a sophomore, pinned McCray in 18 seconds and said setting the tone was the key to victory.

 

“I had to go out there and wrestle how I wrestle,†Wysong said. “It’s kind of like a card game — everyone has similar cards, you just don’t know which ones are coming when.â€

 

For Science Hill’s Cooper Williams, Saturday’s regional title was especially sweet. The senior had never won a regional title and also had been tagged with a couple losses by Tennessee High’s Logan Ferguson earlier this season. But Williams broke through on Saturday with a 6-0 decision over Ferguson in the 132-pound finals.

 

Needless to say, there were no surprises when Williams and Ferguson faced off on Saturday, so Williams said efficient execution was the deciding factor in a competitive match between the familiar foes.

 

“You just have to be able to finish your moves,†Williams said. “You have to do what you’re good at. You have to complete all your shots. That’s the ultimate thing.â€

 

Like Williams, Chase Diehl and Weston Brown were first-time regional champs for Science Hill. Diehl, a sophomore, picked up an 8-4 decision over Morristown West’s Griffin Simerly in the 160-pound class while Brown, a junior, claimed a narrow 5-2 decision over Dobyns-Bennett’s Randall Whisman.

 

Arthur James earned his second regional championship with a 4-2 decision over Tennessee High’s Bryson Henley. James, a junior, moved his record to 39-4 with the win in the 152-pound classification. Tyler Seeley (106), Luke Story (138) and Denzel Medina (195) were Science Hill’s three runner-ups.

 

While it will be easy for the Hilltoppers to wonder what might have been, Miller is more concerned with what will be for his young wrestling team. Science Hill’s squad will return mostly intact next season, so the teachable moments that presented themselves on Saturday and those that will pop up at the TSSAA Class AAA meet will help build a foundation for the future.

 

“We’re returning 11 out of 14 starters next season with a lot of good kids in the room,†Miller said. “So I’m proud as anything of these young men. They did great today.â€

 

 

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John Hunt Covers The Big Three from Region n Four Heading to Franklin...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/11/341720/Bradley-Nips-Cleveland-For-Region-Mat.aspx

 

Bradley Nips Cleveland For Region Mat Title

 

Bears Advance 13 To State After Winning By Five Points

 

Saturday, February 11, 2017 - by John Hunt

 

Members of the Bradley Central wrestling team pose with their 2017 Region Champions plaque after winning the Region 4-AAA title for the third straight year. The Bears advanced 13 wrestlers to next week's state tournament in Franklin, Tenn.

- photo by Dennis Norwood

 

You can always expect a knockdown, drag out battle any time Bradley and Cleveland compete in anything, especially when it’s a region wrestling tournament.

 

Such was the case at East Hamilton High School Saturday where the two-time defending Region 4-AAA Bears went to war with the Blue Raiders and six other teams.

 

These two teams have had some classic matches already with Cleveland winning the first two dual meets by a scant one-point margin both times before Bradley turned the table with a victory last Saturday night at the State Duals.

 

The Bears evened the score a bit more on Saturday with a five-point victory, finishing the day-long event with 220.5 points to 215.5 for their cross-town rivals.

 

Soddy Daisy was a distant third with 146 points while East Hamilton was fourth with 91 and Walker Valley fifth with 69. Rhea County, Ooltewah and McMinn County rounded out the field with 41, 33 and 32.5 points, respectively.

 

The Bears led from the opening match Saturday morning, but things got interesting in the championship finals as you might expect.

 

Bradley entered the final round with 190 points while Cleveland was hanging close with 180.5. Bradley had advanced 11 individuals to the championship round while Cleveland sent eight and these two had head-to-head matchups in six of the 14 finals.

 

The Blue Raiders got within a point after Jack Hicks pinned Ed Elkins in the title match at 182 before Kevin Gentry locked down the team title with a 5-1 decision at 195.

 

Cleveland still had a shot at that point, but Soddy Daisy's Ty Boeck prevented a possible comeback with a 6-3 decision over Cleveland's Seth Garcia in the next-to-last match of the day.

 

They both won three, but the Bears came out ahead with six individual winners while Cleveland countered with four.

 

Bradley’s champs included T.J. Hicks at 113, Ryan McElhaney at 132, Knox Fuller at 145, Austin Mathews at 152, Caleb Adkins at 160 and Gentry at 195.

 

Cleveland’s winners included Bryce Pond at 120, Cody Mathews at 138, Dylan Jones at 170 and Hicks at 182.

 

Other individual champions included Walker Valley’s Chandler Davis at 106, Soddy Daisy’s Landon Wheaton at 126 and Boeck at 220. Ooltewah’s Victor Bednarski was the winner at 285.

 

Cleveland advanced all 14 wrestlers to next week’s traditional state tournament in Franklin while Bradley will be sending 13.

 

The one Bradley individual who will not be going is Henley Headrick at 170, who was disqualified for flagrant misconduct in his semifinal match with Soddy Daisy’s Hayden Maynor.

 

With Headrick trailing by a 3-2 margin toward the end of the match, Headrick bit Maynor’s arm and was promptly disqualified. Not only was he tossed from the tournament, but the seven points he had scored for his team to that point were taken away and he won’t be able to compete next weekend.

 

Bradley coach Ben Smith certainly didn’t make any excuses for Headrick, who had entered the tournament as the second seed at 170 with a record of 37-9.

 

“I love Henley as much as anyone on my team and he’s a great kid, but wrestling can be an emotional sport and he got caught up in it,†Smith began his post-tournament comments.

 

“He’ll have to pay the penalty by missing next weekend and it hurts to be losing the points he had the potential to score, but he just reacted wrong and he’ll have to pay the price.

 

“I was really proud of Chris Cash at 285. He’s really come on in recent weeks and he scored some big points today. And I’m really proud of Ryan McElhaney, Austin Mathews and Caleb Adkins as they all beat returning state medalists. That will be huge when they start seeding the tournament next week.

 

“We’ve had a long week with all the illness and stuff and I’m really not happy with the way we wrestled today as there was a lack of fight on our part. We had 13 in the final two rounds and only won seven, so we still have some work to do.

 

“That was a super job by Kevin Gentry. Last year, he didn’t even qualify for the state, but for him to come back this year and win a region title was huge. And to think it was his win that clinched it for us is even bigger,†Smith concluded with a smile.

 

Cleveland coach Josh Bosken knows all too well how competitive things can be between his Blue Raiders and the Bears. Winning the team championship on Saturday wasn’t as important as sending all 14 individuals to the state next week.

 

“We were hoping to send all 14 next week and we did, so I’m happy,†he said while the individual medals were being distributed.

 

“We wrestle hard every time we step on the mat, so effort is never a problem, but we did let a few big ones slip away today. Bradley lost a lot of points when Headrick got disqualified and I hate it for him. It’s just unfortunate what happened.

 

“We just gave ourselves a chance to compete for another state title next week as we took care of business for the most part today. These guys did a good job as we have nine returning state qualifiers,†Bosken nodded.

 

Bradley’s Fuller, who entered Saturday’s tournament as the only unbeaten individual with a record of 51-0, was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler after winning twice, including by a technical fall in the championship match.

 

Best Match honors went to Cleveland’s Pond and Bradley’s Trey Hicks after Pond scored a takedown in overtime to prevail, 3-1.

 

While Cleveland will be sending all 14 and Bradley 13, Soddy Daisy advanced 10 and East Hamilton eight. Walker Valley will be taking four while Rhea County has three. Ooltewah and McMinn County will be taking two apiece.

 

 

LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Bradley Central (BC) 220.5; 2. Cleveland (CL) 215.5; 3. Soddy Daisy (SD) 146; 4. East Hamilton (EH) 91; 5. Walker Valley (WV) 69; 6. Rhea County (RC) 41; 7. Ooltewah (O) 33; 8. McMinn County (MC) 32.5.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

 

106 – Chandler Davis (WV) dec. Te’Nario Thomas (EH), 7-2;

 

113 – T.J. Hicks (BC) dec. Garret Bowers (CL), 3-1;

 

120 – Bryce Pond (CL) dec. Trey Hicks (BC), 3-1 in overtime;

 

126 – Landon Wheaton (SD) dec. Ethan Anderson (BC), 3-1;

 

132 – Ryan McElhaney (BC) dec. Colton Landers (CL), 9-7;

 

138 – Cody Mathews (CL) dec. Andy Robinson (BC), 7-3;

 

145 – Knox Fuller (BC) won by technical fall over Tony Wilson (SD), 2:52;

 

152 – Austin Mathews (BC) dec. Jay Graham (RC), 8-5;

 

160 – Caleb Adkins (BC) dec. Mikel Gregory (WV), 5-3;

 

170 – Dylan Jones (CL) dec. Hayden Maynor (SD), 7-6;

 

182 – Jack Hicks (CL) pinned Ed Elkins (BC), :26;

 

195 – Kevin Gentry (BC) dec. Logan Strickland (CL), 5-1;

 

220 – Ty Boeck (SD) dec. Seth Garcia (CL), 6-3;

 

285 – Victor Bednarski (O) dec. Chris Cash (BC), 4-2.

 

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE

 

106 – Wes Devaney (BC) won by injury default over Burns Meagher (CL);

 

113 – Jacob Pratt (SD) won by forfeit over Conner Thornburg (EH);

 

120 – Gage Boggess (MC) won by injury default over James Jur (WV);

 

126 – Jayce Mullin (CL) pinned Cade Meeks (EH), 4:22;

 

132 – Grant Lundy (EH) dec. Jacob Kilgore (SD), 6-0;

 

138 – Dillon Clark (WV) dec. Slater Daniel (SD), 8-3;

 

145 – Caleb Eachus (CL) pinned Liam Golden (EH), 2:16;

 

152 – Austin Sweeney (CL) major dec. Austin Crowe (SD), 11-3;

 

160 – Zach Brezna (CL) dec. Tyler Bayless (EH), 3-2;

 

170 – Tyler Green (EH) pinned Andres Velasco (RC) 2:43;

 

182 – Caleb Addison (SD) dec. Mathew Sailors (EH), 7-4;

 

195 – Curtis Settles (SD) dec. Blake Wright (O), 6-4 in overtime;

 

220 – Garrett Smith (RC) dec. D.J. Gibson (BC), 3-2;

 

285 – Tyler Varnadore (MC) pinned Titus Swafford (CL), 1:54.

 

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

 

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NFP's Mr Gossett Reports...

 

Bradley Central overcomes setback, holds on for 4-AAA wrestling title

Bradley Central overcomes setback, holds on for 4-AAA wrestling title

 

February 12th, 2017by Ward Gossett in Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

The Region 4-AAA traditional wrestling championship was still up for grabs with two championship finals remaining.

 

It shouldn't have been. Between a disqualification and a fierce Cleveland comeback, state duals champion Bradley Central entered the final two matches up by 5.5 points and heavyweight Christopher Cash, a surprise finalist, still to wrestle.

 

Bradley won the tournament, but its narrow margin of victory would have been increased by at least seven points if not for 170-pound Henley Headrick's tournament disqualification. The junior had earned four team points, which were deducted, and then cost the team three more for flagrant misconduct (biting).

 

"Wrestling is an emotional sport, and he has been working on that," Bears coach Ben Smith said. "He's a good kid. I've known him since he was little, but, yeah, that hurt — his getting ejected. It cost us points today, and it cost us points we were counting on next week."

 

Bradley scored 220.5 points, outlasting the Blue Raiders by five points. Soddy-Daisy (146) was the only other team in triple digits. Host East Hamilton finished fourth (91.5), followed by Walker Valley (69), Rhea County (41), McMinn County (32.5) and Ooltewah (29).

 

While Cleveland finished runner-up in Bradley's run to its third consecutive region title, the Blue Raiders out-qualified the Bears for the state tournament, which begins Thursday in Franklin. They will be taking 14, Bradley 13.

 

It is the first time in coach Josh Bosken's 10-year affiliation with the program that Cleveland has advanced a full complement to the state traditional.

 

"We needed to get all 14 there if we're going to have a shot at the championship," he said. "Twelve of the 14 are in the top three."

 

Soddy-Daisy has 10 qualifiers, East Hamilton eight, Walker Valley and Rhea County four each, McMinn County three and Ooltewah two.

 

Individual champions were Bradley's T.J. Hicks (113), Ryan McElhaney (132), Knox Fuller (145), Austin Mathews (152), Caleb Adkins (160) and Kevin Gentry (195); Cleveland's Bryce Pond (120), Cody Mathews (138), Dylan Jones (170) and Robert Hicks (182); Soddy-Daisy's Landon Wheaton (126) and Ty Boeck (220); Walker Valley's Chandler Davis (106) and Ooltewah's Victor Bednarski (285).

 

A three-time state champion, Bradley's Army-bound Fuller was selected as the tournament's outstanding wrestler. Best-match honors went to the 120-pound final between Pond and Bradley's Trey Hicks. Pond posted a 3-1 overtime decision.

 

"Bryce got revenge (for last week's state duals championship loss), wrestled hard and set himself up well for the state," Bosken said.

 

"Colton (Landers) wrestled well — got three takedowns (against Bradley's McElhaney) — but he got down five points in the first 20 seconds and just never could overcome that," Bosken added. "That's one we let slip away that I feel we should have gotten."

 

Meanwhile, Bradley junior heavyweight Christopher Cash came up big, offsetting the points the Bears had to surrender. He finished runner-up to Bednarski.

 

"Big kudos to Christopher. Every team goes into the tournament with focus on one area, and Chris was ours," Smith said. "We had just lost the team points and Chris comes up with 10 (placement points) by winning his semifinal. He beat a kid that had already beaten him, and then he beat Titus (Swafford of Cleveland), which was something nobody watching the tournament expected."

 

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

 

 

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Hixson storms to A/AA title, gets 11 state qualifiers Hixson storms to A/AA title, gets 11 state qualifiers

 

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Tennessean Coverage Region 7...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/11/sumner-county-sends-15-state-wrestling-tournament/97814206/

 

Fifteen wrestlers from four teams will represent Sumner County in next weekend’s TSSAA Wrestling State Championships.

 

Eleven of those will represent either Beech or Hendersonville after Saturday’s Region 7-AAA Tournament finals at Mt. Juliet High School.

 

Pic

 

Hendersonville’s Mason Tacconelli takes down West Creek’s Nicholas Gonsales during the 113-pound ...more

 

Chris Brooks / USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee

 

Beech produced four region champions – Noah Horst (106 pounds), Brayden Palmer (113), Trevor Rippy (152) and Joseph Garrett (160). Bristin Hulsey (120) and Kyle Smith (170) finished as runners-up in their respective weight classes, while William Downing (126) and Jeremiah Herron (138) each finished fourth.

 

The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for the state tournament.

 

Three Commandos – Mason Tacconelli (fourth, 113), Conlan Dile (third, 160) and Cameron Gallina (fourth, 170) advanced to the state tournament.

 

Beech finished third as a team with 156 points. Wilson Central won the region title with 119 points, while Mt. Juliet finished second with 162.5.

 

White House has three representatives in the Class A-AA tournament, as Tanner Pharris (126), Ethan Rainey (195) and Joshua Dailey each finished third in their respective divisions.

 

The Blue Devils finished 10th out of 25 teams, while Greenbrier won the region title by 12.5 points over Forrest.

 

Pope John Paul II’s Matt Patterson qualified for the state tournament in Division II with a fourth-place finish in the 195-pound class in the East/Middle Section Tournament.

 

Pic

 

Beechs Joseph Garrett battles Kenwood Earnest White in the 160-pound semifinals. Garrett pinned White to... more

 

Chris Brooks/USA Today Network - Tennessee

 

Region 7-AAA Tournament

 

Championship matches

 

106: Noah Horst (Beech) d. Christian Isbell (Clarksville) by pinfall; 113: Brayden Palmer (Beech) vs. Gage Backus (Wilson Central) by pinfall; 120: Sean Sesnan (Wilson Central) d. Bristin Hulsey (Beech) by decision; 126: Austin Plumlee (Mt. Juliet) d. Simon Pergande (Wilson Central) by decision; 132: Jalen Henry (Mt. Juliet) d. Alex Pergande (Wilson Central) by decision; 138: Zackrey Wilkins (Mt. Juliet) d. Cullen Belcher (Wilson Central) by pinfall; 145: Steven Weist (Mt. Juliet) d. Antonio Alejos (Northwest) by major decision; 152: Trevor Rippy (Beech) d. Ryan Brown (Lebanon) by major decision; 160: Joseph Garrett (Beech) vs. Dylan Quinn (Mt. Juliet); 170: Damon Smith (Wilson Central) d. Kyle Smith (Beech) by sudden victory; 182: Bradley Williams (Clarksville) d. Niko Noga (Wilson Central) by decision; 195: Nathan Walling (Mt. Juliet) d. Dylan Carney (Northwest) by pinfall; 220: Craig Barbour (Northwest) d. Andrew Arias (Rossview) by disqualification; 285: Michael Kramer (Wilson Central) d. Nate Thacker (Kenwood) by pinfall.

 

Third-place matches

 

106: Tyler Cherry (Rossview) d. Grant Fetters (Wilson Central) by decision; 113: Mason Tacconelli (Hendersonville) d. Nicholas Gonsales (West Creek) by pinfall; 120: DeSaun Dail (Northwest) d. Andrew Parker (West Creek) by decision;

 

126: Eli Castillo (Clarksville) d. William Downing (Beech) by decision; 132: Justin Brenot (Clarksville) d. Thomas Williams (Kenwood) by pinfall; 138: Seth Williams (Northwest) d. Jeremiah Herron (Beech) by decision; 145: Austin Reynolds (Lebanon) d. Wren Campbell (Northwest) by decision; 152: Elijah Miller (West Creek) d. Bryan Tucker (Kenwood) by decision; 160: Conlan Dile (Hendersonville) d. Gabe Smith (Clarksville) by decision; 170: Trever Hanson (Northwest) d. Cameron Gallina (Hendersonville) by pinfall; 182: Antonio Carter (Rossview) d. Christophe Humpherys (Mt. Juliet) by forfeit; 195: Kenneth Buchanan (Clarksville) d. Geoffrey Walpole (Wilson Central) by pinfall; 220: Andreus Trotter (Wilson Central) d. James Baird (Lebanon) by pinfall; 285: Bryan Horner (Mt. Juliet) d. Goldberg Johnsrud (Northwest) by decision.

 

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Gossett says...

 

McCallie favorite in East/Middle wrestling

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/10/mccallie-favorite-eastmiddle-wrestling/412339/

 

February 10th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 3 mins.

 

East/Middle openers

 

Legend

 

Battle Ground Academy (BGA), Baylor (Bay), Franklin Road Academy (FRA), McCallie (McC), Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA), Friendship Christian (FC), Knoxville Webb (KW), Pope John Paul II (PJP), St. Andrew’s-Sewanee (SAS).

 

106 pounds

 

Alex Whitworth (McC) vs. Ethan Rhoden (FRA); Frank Perazinni (MBA) vs. Clayton Pettway (Bay).

 

113 pounds

 

Porter Kaufman (Bay) vs. Brock Brown (PJP)-Harrison Noffsinger (FSCH) winner; Eddie Suh (McC) vs. Adam Garfinkle (MBA).

 

120 pounds

 

Gabriel Elkin (MBA) vs. Elijah Andrews (SAS)-Chase Radpour (Bay) winner;

 

Mark Austin (FRA) vs. Zach Ward (McC).

 

126 pounds

 

Michael Elkin (MBA) vs. Lucas Farr (KW)-Evan Hughes (McC) winner; Tiy Reed (BGA)-Ziyin Tang (SAS) winner vs. Hayden Hartline (Bay).

 

132 pounds

 

Brock Herring (McC) vs. Henry McLeod (PJP); Johathan Stoaxtill-Diggs (FRA) vs. Zach McCullough (BGA); Zack Tieng (KW)-Luke Fraley (Bay) winner vs. John Michael Glover (MBA).

 

138 pounds

 

Austin Atchley (Bay) vs. Stephen Vickers (FRA); Dolan Eckhart (BGA) vs. Devin Badgett (KW)

 

145 pounds

 

Bryce Wittman (MBA) vs. Conner Mitchell (BGA); Alex Atchley (Bay) vs. Thomas Sell (McC).

 

152 pounds

 

Mason Reiniche (Bay) vs. Kolton Grimsley (BGA)-Braeden Wirthwein (KW) winner; Perry Matthews (MBA) vs. Hayden Alexander (FS), Drew White (FRA) vs. Ethan Dendy (McC).

 

160 pounds

 

Connor Duffy (Bay) vs. Camden Frankfather (FRA), Gavin Connors (BGA) vs. Austin Tomlinson (FS), Charlie Morton (KW) vs. Ben Dotye (MBA)-Russell Barry (McC) winner.

 

170 pounds

 

Khamari Whimper (Bay) vs. Kendall Warpoel (FRA); Elijah Ball (FS) vs. Justin Sofilkanich (BGA); Clay Garstin (MBA) vs. Domonick Rollins (PJP), Christian Taylor (SAS) vs. Hayden Rowland (McC).

 

182 pounds

 

Judah Duhm (McC) vs. James Lindiau (SAS), Eli Davies (KW) vs. Teddy Holloway (BGA). Dominic Fisher (MBA)-Deuce Drennan (PJP) winner vs. Riley Westlake (Bay).

 

195 pounds

 

Ryan Kosson (MBA) vs. Justin Elgouhary (SAS)-Matt Patterson (PJP) winner; Sam Reynolds (Bay)-Stone Cummins (KW) vs. George Robinson (McC).

 

220 pounds

 

Tyree Toliver (Bay) vs. Tysosn Strickland (FS); Adam Smith (McC) vs. Wyeth Patton (MBA).

 

285 pounds

 

River Henry (McC)-Charles Albert (PJP) vs. Ryan Jackson (FS); Riley Bodine (Bay) vs. Jackson Lampley (MBA)-Tymon Mitchell (FRA) winner.

 

The last time McCallie hosted Division II's East/Middle Regionwrestling tournament, the Blue Tornado qualified 12 for the state tournament but finished a disappointing third in the region team standings.

 

There are those who believe McCallie will fare better this time around.

 

When asked who should be favored for the team championship, rival Baylor coach Ben Nelson never wavered as he replied.

 

"McCallie," he said. "They've earned that. They made it to the (state duals) finals last weekend, and they had the most consistent performance during the season."

 

Baylor and host McCallie are two of nine teams participating in today's tournament, which begins at noon with championship and consolation finals expected to begin at about 4 p.m. The other teams are Battle Ground Academy, Franklin Road Academy, Friendship Christian, Knoxville Webb, Montgomery Bell Academy and St. Andrew's-Sewanee.

 

While the primary point of interest is qualifying as many wrestlers as possible for next weekend's state tournament, winning the region team championship remains a jewel not to be dismissed.

 

Whether it belongs to McCallie is up for contention, at least where Blue Tornado coach Mike Newman is concerned.

 

"It's going to be a battle whoever wins it," he said, specifically mentioning Baylor as a fierce threat. "I think also you have to include MBA. They're a solid, quality lineup."

 

The three have all of the tournament's top-seeded wrestlers: Baylor with six, McCallie and MBA with four each.

 

Based on the seeds and with the top four from each weight class advancing to the state, McCallie will take 14, Baylor 13 and MBA 12, leaving 27 slots for the remaining seven teams.

 

"I'm not a huge fan of this (qualifying) tournament, but hopefully all our guys will show up and wrestle well and we'll move 14 to next week," Nelson said. "We're a grinder-type team. We're not the best at every weight class, but we have guys that are going to get in there and scrap."

 

There are some surprises, at least from the standpoint of wrestlers dropping from weight classes they occupied most of the season. McCallie eighth-grader Alex Whitworth is the top seed at 106 pounds after wrestling much of the year at 113. Baylor's Mason Reiniche wrestled for the first time this year at 152 pounds at the state duals, and that's where he'll be this weekend and next, and the Red Raiders' Khamari Whimper, who wrestled at 195 at the duals, will weigh in at 170 for the region.

 

One of the tournament's highlight matches could come at 152 if Reiniche and McCallie's unbeaten Ethan Dendy follow the projections and reach the championship finals.

 

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

 

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Bristol Harold Courier Covers Region One-AAA...

 

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/tennessee-high-claims-region--aaa-wrestling-crown-behind-five/article_07cd3582-f0b8-11e6-87cd-53280cd9660d.html

 

Region 1-AAA wrestling crown behind five individual champs

 

Nate Hubbard | Bristol Herald Courier

 

4 hrs ago (0)

 

 

The Pendleys on their regional titles

 

Bristol Herald Courier

 

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Regional pain is in the past for Jeremy Spangler, and thanks to his triumph, the joy lives on for Tennessee High.

 

Facing his final chance to claim an elusive Region 1-AAA individual wrestling title, Spangler came through with a 3-1 victory over Science Hill’s Denzel Medina at 195 pounds on Saturday, in the process delivering the Vikings their second straight regional team title.

 

“It’s just sweet. Individually, I’ve won bigger tournaments and it’s always, well, I’m never a region champion,†said Spangler, a senior coming into Saturday saddled with back-to-back regional championship losses despite taking fourth at state last year.

 

“You hear some of the guys on our team are two-, three-, four-time region champions, but then I was never in the mix. I have a state medal; I’ve won all these tournaments, but it was never that region medal.â€

 

That’s definitively no longer the case – and Spangler’s breakthrough couldn’t have come at a better time for the Vikings in their seesaw rivalry with Science Hill.

 

After losing to the Hilltoppers in a regular-season dual match to see the Big Seven Conference title slip away, the Vikings rebounded with a triumph over their archrival to claim the regional duals championship.

 

Science Hill, however, got the last laugh in duals competition, toppling THS last weekend to nab third place at state duals.

 

Spangler and Medina’s match proved to be the decisive bout Saturday as Science Hill carried a 3.5-point lead into the 195-pound clash. Instead of falling behind by an insurmountable seven-plus points, Spangler’s victory put the Vikings up by a half-point and clinched the regional championship with the Hilltoppers having no wrestlers in either of the final two individual championship matches.

 

“I couldn’t be any more proud of Jeremy,†said Tennessee High coach Tim Marshall. “He’s been here for four long years searching for that region title. His buddies have been getting them and he’s been just a little bit short every year. Coming down to him, that was poetry.â€

 

Spangler lost to Medina in a controversial ultimate tiebreaker in Tennessee High’s regular-season setback to the Hilltoppers, but bounced back to defeat him at state duals and earned the rubber-match triumph Saturday.

 

“Losing to him the first time was a little bitter,†Spangler said. “… I felt like I let the team down that night because then we went on to lose as a team. Then coming back here and winning, it’s just great – awesome.â€

 

Following Spangler’s clinching win, 220-pounder Nathan Scott put the finishing touches on the team triumph for Tennessee High as he upset Jefferson County’s Brody Workman with a 3-2 decision.

 

Scott’s victory gave the Vikings a final team score of 209.5 points to Science Hill’s 205.

 

“Either way, it’s an intense rivalry,†Marshall said about the latest donnybrook with the Hilltoppers.

 

“It’s fun, but it’s always better when you come out on top – absolutely. I was telling somebody earlier, I’d much rather win it like that as opposed to coming in here and winning by 60 points with no action, no drama, no buildup. I think it takes years off my life, but it’s still fun.â€

 

Along with the team crown, the individual accomplishment was a poignant one for Scott as the burly senior dissolved into sobs upon claiming his first regional title.

 

After not qualifying for state as a sophomore and deciding not to wrestle last season, Scott has been an integral part of Tennessee High’s success all winter.

 

“As soon as I saw Jeremy win his final match, there was something that just went, all right, I got this,†Scott said, still overcome by the moment. “That was such a big win for me. … It’s just really emotional to win against a really tough guy, coming back, my last year, I just tried to do the best I could and that turned out to be a region champion.â€

 

While the team crown was already secured, Marshall said Scott’s victory will provide a lasting memory.

 

“It was absolutely awesome to see how much it means to a kid like that,†he said. “… The last couple weeks, he’s just been building, building and building.â€

 

Three other accomplished Tennessee High wrestlers also got to experience the thrill of an individual regional championship Saturday while making major contributions to the team title.

 

Senior 106-pounder Trent Nelson pinned Science Hill’s Tyler Seeley in 3:22 to become just the second four-time regional champion in THS program history, joining Corbin Hurley, who pulled off the feat last year and was on hand to cheer on Nelson and the rest of the team Saturday.

 

Normally as stoic as they come during competition, Nelson let loose with a wide grin after his victory and wrapped his dad, THS assistant coach Robbie Nelson, in a bear hug upon exiting the mat.

 

“Being a four-timer was a goal of mine since freshman year,†Nelson said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s kind of my goal, his goal – it was just kind of a family thing. Everybody wanted to be a four-timer.â€

 

Tennessee High brothers Dillon and Dewey Pendley also got to share a family moment for the second straight year at regionals.

 

Dillon Pendley, a sophomore, won his second regional title at 138 pounds with a 16-0, second-period technical fall over David Crockett’s Ryan McCrary, while Dewey Pendley, a 138-pound senior, claimed his third individual regional triumph, earning a late takedown and a crucial extra team point with a 9-1 major decision over Science Hill’s Luke Story.

 

“It’s pretty cool knowing that I’m able to do it with him,†Dillon Pendley said. “Next year it’ll be different. … I’m just trying to soak it in while it lasts.â€

 

Dewey Pendley, who placed second at state last year, experienced the frustration of a second-place regional finish as a freshman, but used that as fuel for his three-title run.

 

“That was kind of my first taste of defeat I guess – and I hated it,†he said. “I’ve tried to avoid that the rest of my high school career.â€

 

While the Vikings reveled in their team success, five THS wrestlers suffered an individual setback in the finals Saturday as Judson McCray (120 pounds), Dominic Fields (126), Logan Ferguson (132), Jared Harter (145) and Bryson Henley (152) all had to settle for silver.

 

Harter’s setback was the toughest to swallow as the promising freshman appeared to secure a regional title by pinning his opponent in the final, Blaize Banks of Jefferson County, in just 19 seconds.

 

While the referee initially slapped the mat, Banks suffered a head injury on the move and Harter was whistled for an illegal slam. Banks was unable to continue the match and was awarded the regional title by default.

 

“It’s a shame that it got taken away from him like that,†Marshall said. “I disagree with the call, I don’t mind to say that. His goal coming in here was to take his first step to becoming a four-time region champ and it gotten taken away from him. It’s a shame; I hate it for him, but he’s a good kid. He’s had tough losses and stuff like that before. He’ll bounce back.â€

 

Along with the 10 finalists Saturday, two other Tennessee High wrestlers also earned state berths with top-four finishes as Will Poore took fourth at 160 pounds and Cooper Jenkins finished fourth at 182. Female wrestler Lexie Worley will also represent THS at the state meet next weekend after taking second in the girls regional tournament in late January.

 

Tennessee High finished second in the boys team standings at state last year and will head to Franklin next week with visions of crowning both the program’s first individual state champion and bringing home team gold for the first time.

 

“We feel real good,†Marshall said. “I think we can go down there and legitimately contend.â€

 

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

 

Region 1-AAA tournament

 

At Dobyns-Bennett

 

Team Scores

 

Tennessee High 209.5, Science Hill 205, Jefferson County 126, Dobyns-Bennett 124, Morristown West 85.5, Volunteer 65, David Crockett 55, Morristown East 25, Cocke County 19, Daniel Boone 4

 

Individual Results

 

(top four from each weight class qualify for state tournament)

 

106 pounds

 

First place: Trent Nelson (THS) def. Tyler Seeley (SH), pin, 3:22

 

Third place: Kobe Miller (MW) def. Jordan Williams (DC), pin, 0:47

 

113

 

First place: Dillon Pendley (THS) def. Ryan McCrary (DC), tech. fall, 16-0, 4:00

 

Third place: Corbin Bumgarner (D- def. Jaycee Reff (JC), maj. dec., 12-2

 

120

 

First place: Nathan Wysong (SH) def. Judson McCray (THS), pin, 1:18

 

Third place: Mike Kromoff (DC) def. Shane Lemons (D-, pin, 0:15

 

126

 

First place: Dillon Lemons (D- def. Dominic Fields (THS), pin, 1:00

 

Third place: Garrett Stiltner (SH) def. Juan Rodriguez, pin, 4:17

 

132

 

First place: Cooper Williams (SH) def. Logan Ferguson, 6-0

 

Third place: Robert English (JC) def. William Mitchell (D-, pin, 1:49

 

138

 

First place: Dewey Pendley (THS) def. Luke Story (SH), maj. dec., 9-1

 

Third place: Isaac Charpenter (Vol.) def. Gavin Russell (DC), 7-4

 

145

 

First place: Blaize Banks (JC) def. Jared Harter (THS), DQ

 

Third place: William Berger (MW) def. Greyson Pridemore, inj.

 

152

 

First place: Arthur James (SH) def. Bryson Henley (THS), 4-2

 

Third place: Michael Hill (Vol.) def. Hunter Strouth (D-, 5-3

 

160

 

First place: William Diehl (SH) def. Griffin Simerly (MW), 8-4

 

Third place: Joshua Rapcan (D- def. Will Poore (THS), pin, 3:24

 

170

 

First place: Logan Branham (Vol.) def. Aaron Lawson (JC), pin, 1:56

 

Third place: James Kalogeros (SH) def. Camden Buckingham (MW), pin, 3:29

 

182

 

First place: Weston Brown (SH) def. Randall Whisman (D-, 5-2

 

Third place: Dade Barg (MW) def. Cooper Jenkins (THS), pin, 1:27

 

195

 

First place: Jeremy Spangler (THS) def. Denzel Medina (SH), 3-1

 

Third place: Curtis Pinkston (JC) def. Noah Baxley (MW), pin, 1:24

 

220

 

First place: Nathan Scott (THS) def. Brody Workman (JC), 3-2

 

Third place: Hayden Dacos (ME) def. Jeron Waye (D-, 3-1

 

285

 

First place: Brenton Salyers (D- def. Dakota Moungey (JC), 4-3

 

Third place: Zach Grzelka (CC) def. Dwight Christian (Vol.), pin, 3:25

 

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

 

 

More region 1-AAA Coverage...

 

Science Hill’s squad will return mostly intact next season, so the teachable moments that presented themselves on Saturday and those that will pop up at the TSSAA Class AAA meet will help build a foundation for the future.

 

“We’re returning 11 out of 14 starters next season with a lot of good kids in the room,†Miller said. “So I’m proud as anything of these young men. They did great today.â€

 

 

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Wrestling/2017/02/11/Five-Toppers-claim-Individual-Region-Championships.html

 

The Hilltoppers took home five individual championships from the Region 1-AAA individual meet to go along with three runner-up finishes. But the ’Toppers also left the Model City pondering the four and a half points that separated them from the team championship, which went to Tennessee High. The Vikings finished the weekend with 209.5 points to Science Hill’s 205.

 

“What a great weekend we’ve had,†said Science Hill coach Jimmy Miller. “Big picture –—did we come up short today? We did. We came up four and a half points short. I just challenged the kids to go home tonight after everything settles down, look at your bracket and find what you could have done to find four and a half points in your tournament.

 

“It’s not one man’s fault,†Miller continued. “We have to accept accountability. There are a lot of points we left on the floor today. It’s a good teachable moment.â€

 

Once the finals started, Nathan Wysong got the Hilltoppers rolling with a pinfall victory over Tennessee High’s Judson McCray in the 120-pound weight class. Wysong, a sophomore, pinned McCray in 18 seconds and said setting the tone was the key to victory.

 

“I had to go out there and wrestle how I wrestle,†Wysong said. “It’s kind of like a card game — everyone has similar cards, you just don’t know which ones are coming when.â€

 

For Science Hill’s Cooper Williams, Saturday’s regional title was especially sweet. The senior had never won a regional title and also had been tagged with a couple losses by Tennessee High’s Logan Ferguson earlier this season. But Williams broke through on Saturday with a 6-0 decision over Ferguson in the 132-pound finals.

 

Needless to say, there were no surprises when Williams and Ferguson faced off on Saturday, so Williams said efficient execution was the deciding factor in a competitive match between the familiar foes.

 

“You just have to be able to finish your moves,†Williams said. “You have to do what you’re good at. You have to complete all your shots. That’s the ultimate thing.â€

 

Like Williams, Chase Diehl and Weston Brown were first-time regional champs for Science Hill. Diehl, a sophomore, picked up an 8-4 decision over Morristown West’s Griffin Simerly in the 160-pound class while Brown, a junior, claimed a narrow 5-2 decision over Dobyns-Bennett’s Randall Whisman.

 

Arthur James earned his second regional championship with a 4-2 decision over Tennessee High’s Bryson Henley. James, a junior, moved his record to 39-4 with the win in the 152-pound classification. Tyler Seeley (106), Luke Story (138) and Denzel Medina (195) were Science Hill’s three runner-ups.

 

While it will be easy for the Hilltoppers to wonder what might have been, Miller is more concerned with what will be for his young wrestling team. Science Hill’s squad will return mostly intact next season, so the teachable moments that presented themselves on Saturday and those that will pop up at the TSSAA Class AAA meet will help build a foundation for the future.

 

“We’re returning 11 out of 14 starters next season with a lot of good kids in the room,†Miller said. “So I’m proud as anything of these young men. They did great today.â€

 

 

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

 

John Hunt Covers The Big Three from Region n Four Heading to Franklin...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/11/341720/Bradley-Nips-Cleveland-For-Region-Mat.aspx

 

Bradley Nips Cleveland For Region Mat Title

 

Bears Advance 13 To State After Winning By Five Points

 

Saturday, February 11, 2017 - by John Hunt

 

Members of the Bradley Central wrestling team pose with their 2017 Region Champions plaque after winning the Region 4-AAA title for the third straight year. The Bears advanced 13 wrestlers to next week's state tournament in Franklin, Tenn.

- photo by Dennis Norwood

 

You can always expect a knockdown, drag out battle any time Bradley and Cleveland compete in anything, especially when it’s a region wrestling tournament.

 

Such was the case at East Hamilton High School Saturday where the two-time defending Region 4-AAA Bears went to war with the Blue Raiders and six other teams.

 

These two teams have had some classic matches already with Cleveland winning the first two dual meets by a scant one-point margin both times before Bradley turned the table with a victory last Saturday night at the State Duals.

 

The Bears evened the score a bit more on Saturday with a five-point victory, finishing the day-long event with 220.5 points to 215.5 for their cross-town rivals.

 

Soddy Daisy was a distant third with 146 points while East Hamilton was fourth with 91 and Walker Valley fifth with 69. Rhea County, Ooltewah and McMinn County rounded out the field with 41, 33 and 32.5 points, respectively.

 

The Bears led from the opening match Saturday morning, but things got interesting in the championship finals as you might expect.

 

Bradley entered the final round with 190 points while Cleveland was hanging close with 180.5. Bradley had advanced 11 individuals to the championship round while Cleveland sent eight and these two had head-to-head matchups in six of the 14 finals.

 

The Blue Raiders got within a point after Jack Hicks pinned Ed Elkins in the title match at 182 before Kevin Gentry locked down the team title with a 5-1 decision at 195.

 

Cleveland still had a shot at that point, but Soddy Daisy's Ty Boeck prevented a possible comeback with a 6-3 decision over Cleveland's Seth Garcia in the next-to-last match of the day.

 

They both won three, but the Bears came out ahead with six individual winners while Cleveland countered with four.

 

Bradley’s champs included T.J. Hicks at 113, Ryan McElhaney at 132, Knox Fuller at 145, Austin Mathews at 152, Caleb Adkins at 160 and Gentry at 195.

 

Cleveland’s winners included Bryce Pond at 120, Cody Mathews at 138, Dylan Jones at 170 and Hicks at 182.

 

Other individual champions included Walker Valley’s Chandler Davis at 106, Soddy Daisy’s Landon Wheaton at 126 and Boeck at 220. Ooltewah’s Victor Bednarski was the winner at 285.

 

Cleveland advanced all 14 wrestlers to next week’s traditional state tournament in Franklin while Bradley will be sending 13.

 

The one Bradley individual who will not be going is Henley Headrick at 170, who was disqualified for flagrant misconduct in his semifinal match with Soddy Daisy’s Hayden Maynor.

 

With Headrick trailing by a 3-2 margin toward the end of the match, Headrick bit Maynor’s arm and was promptly disqualified. Not only was he tossed from the tournament, but the seven points he had scored for his team to that point were taken away and he won’t be able to compete next weekend.

 

Bradley coach Ben Smith certainly didn’t make any excuses for Headrick, who had entered the tournament as the second seed at 170 with a record of 37-9.

 

“I love Henley as much as anyone on my team and he’s a great kid, but wrestling can be an emotional sport and he got caught up in it,†Smith began his post-tournament comments.

 

“He’ll have to pay the penalty by missing next weekend and it hurts to be losing the points he had the potential to score, but he just reacted wrong and he’ll have to pay the price.

 

“I was really proud of Chris Cash at 285. He’s really come on in recent weeks and he scored some big points today. And I’m really proud of Ryan McElhaney, Austin Mathews and Caleb Adkins as they all beat returning state medalists. That will be huge when they start seeding the tournament next week.

 

“We’ve had a long week with all the illness and stuff and I’m really not happy with the way we wrestled today as there was a lack of fight on our part. We had 13 in the final two rounds and only won seven, so we still have some work to do.

 

“That was a super job by Kevin Gentry. Last year, he didn’t even qualify for the state, but for him to come back this year and win a region title was huge. And to think it was his win that clinched it for us is even bigger,†Smith concluded with a smile.

 

Cleveland coach Josh Bosken knows all too well how competitive things can be between his Blue Raiders and the Bears. Winning the team championship on Saturday wasn’t as important as sending all 14 individuals to the state next week.

 

“We were hoping to send all 14 next week and we did, so I’m happy,†he said while the individual medals were being distributed.

 

“We wrestle hard every time we step on the mat, so effort is never a problem, but we did let a few big ones slip away today. Bradley lost a lot of points when Headrick got disqualified and I hate it for him. It’s just unfortunate what happened.

 

“We just gave ourselves a chance to compete for another state title next week as we took care of business for the most part today. These guys did a good job as we have nine returning state qualifiers,†Bosken nodded.

 

Bradley’s Fuller, who entered Saturday’s tournament as the only unbeaten individual with a record of 51-0, was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler after winning twice, including by a technical fall in the championship match.

 

Best Match honors went to Cleveland’s Pond and Bradley’s Trey Hicks after Pond scored a takedown in overtime to prevail, 3-1.

 

While Cleveland will be sending all 14 and Bradley 13, Soddy Daisy advanced 10 and East Hamilton eight. Walker Valley will be taking four while Rhea County has three. Ooltewah and McMinn County will be taking two apiece.

 

 

LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Bradley Central (BC) 220.5; 2. Cleveland (CL) 215.5; 3. Soddy Daisy (SD) 146; 4. East Hamilton (EH) 91; 5. Walker Valley (WV) 69; 6. Rhea County (RC) 41; 7. Ooltewah (O) 33; 8. McMinn County (MC) 32.5.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

 

106 – Chandler Davis (WV) dec. Te’Nario Thomas (EH), 7-2;

 

113 – T.J. Hicks (BC) dec. Garret Bowers (CL), 3-1;

 

120 – Bryce Pond (CL) dec. Trey Hicks (BC), 3-1 in overtime;

 

126 – Landon Wheaton (SD) dec. Ethan Anderson (BC), 3-1;

 

132 – Ryan McElhaney (BC) dec. Colton Landers (CL), 9-7;

 

138 – Cody Mathews (CL) dec. Andy Robinson (BC), 7-3;

 

145 – Knox Fuller (BC) won by technical fall over Tony Wilson (SD), 2:52;

 

152 – Austin Mathews (BC) dec. Jay Graham (RC), 8-5;

 

160 – Caleb Adkins (BC) dec. Mikel Gregory (WV), 5-3;

 

170 – Dylan Jones (CL) dec. Hayden Maynor (SD), 7-6;

 

182 – Jack Hicks (CL) pinned Ed Elkins (BC), :26;

 

195 – Kevin Gentry (BC) dec. Logan Strickland (CL), 5-1;

 

220 – Ty Boeck (SD) dec. Seth Garcia (CL), 6-3;

 

285 – Victor Bednarski (O) dec. Chris Cash (BC), 4-2.

 

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE

 

106 – Wes Devaney (BC) won by injury default over Burns Meagher (CL);

 

113 – Jacob Pratt (SD) won by forfeit over Conner Thornburg (EH);

 

120 – Gage Boggess (MC) won by injury default over James Jur (WV);

 

126 – Jayce Mullin (CL) pinned Cade Meeks (EH), 4:22;

 

132 – Grant Lundy (EH) dec. Jacob Kilgore (SD), 6-0;

 

138 – Dillon Clark (WV) dec. Slater Daniel (SD), 8-3;

 

145 – Caleb Eachus (CL) pinned Liam Golden (EH), 2:16;

 

152 – Austin Sweeney (CL) major dec. Austin Crowe (SD), 11-3;

 

160 – Zach Brezna (CL) dec. Tyler Bayless (EH), 3-2;

 

170 – Tyler Green (EH) pinned Andres Velasco (RC) 2:43;

 

182 – Caleb Addison (SD) dec. Mathew Sailors (EH), 7-4;

 

195 – Curtis Settles (SD) dec. Blake Wright (O), 6-4 in overtime;

 

220 – Garrett Smith (RC) dec. D.J. Gibson (BC), 3-2;

 

285 – Tyler Varnadore (MC) pinned Titus Swafford (CL), 1:54.

 

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

 

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

 

NFP's Mr Gossett Reports...

 

Bradley Central overcomes setback, holds on for 4-AAA wrestling title

Bradley Central overcomes setback, holds on for 4-AAA wrestling title

 

February 12th, 2017by Ward Gossett in Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

The Region 4-AAA traditional wrestling championship was still up for grabs with two championship finals remaining.

 

It shouldn't have been. Between a disqualification and a fierce Cleveland comeback, state duals champion Bradley Central entered the final two matches up by 5.5 points and heavyweight Christopher Cash, a surprise finalist, still to wrestle.

 

Bradley won the tournament, but its narrow margin of victory would have been increased by at least seven points if not for 170-pound Henley Headrick's tournament disqualification. The junior had earned four team points, which were deducted, and then cost the team three more for flagrant misconduct (biting).

 

"Wrestling is an emotional sport, and he has been working on that," Bears coach Ben Smith said. "He's a good kid. I've known him since he was little, but, yeah, that hurt — his getting ejected. It cost us points today, and it cost us points we were counting on next week."

 

Bradley scored 220.5 points, outlasting the Blue Raiders by five points. Soddy-Daisy (146) was the only other team in triple digits. Host East Hamilton finished fourth (91.5), followed by Walker Valley (69), Rhea County (41), McMinn County (32.5) and Ooltewah (29).

 

While Cleveland finished runner-up in Bradley's run to its third consecutive region title, the Blue Raiders out-qualified the Bears for the state tournament, which begins Thursday in Franklin. They will be taking 14, Bradley 13.

 

It is the first time in coach Josh Bosken's 10-year affiliation with the program that Cleveland has advanced a full complement to the state traditional.

 

"We needed to get all 14 there if we're going to have a shot at the championship," he said. "Twelve of the 14 are in the top three."

 

Soddy-Daisy has 10 qualifiers, East Hamilton eight, Walker Valley and Rhea County four each, McMinn County three and Ooltewah two.

 

Individual champions were Bradley's T.J. Hicks (113), Ryan McElhaney (132), Knox Fuller (145), Austin Mathews (152), Caleb Adkins (160) and Kevin Gentry (195); Cleveland's Bryce Pond (120), Cody Mathews (138), Dylan Jones (170) and Robert Hicks (182); Soddy-Daisy's Landon Wheaton (126) and Ty Boeck (220); Walker Valley's Chandler Davis (106) and Ooltewah's Victor Bednarski (285).

 

A three-time state champion, Bradley's Army-bound Fuller was selected as the tournament's outstanding wrestler. Best-match honors went to the 120-pound final between Pond and Bradley's Trey Hicks. Pond posted a 3-1 overtime decision.

 

"Bryce got revenge (for last week's state duals championship loss), wrestled hard and set himself up well for the state," Bosken said.

 

"Colton (Landers) wrestled well — got three takedowns (against Bradley's McElhaney) — but he got down five points in the first 20 seconds and just never could overcome that," Bosken added. "That's one we let slip away that I feel we should have gotten."

 

Meanwhile, Bradley junior heavyweight Christopher Cash came up big, offsetting the points the Bears had to surrender. He finished runner-up to Bednarski.

 

"Big kudos to Christopher. Every team goes into the tournament with focus on one area, and Chris was ours," Smith said. "We had just lost the team points and Chris comes up with 10 (placement points) by winning his semifinal. He beat a kid that had already beaten him, and then he beat Titus (Swafford of Cleveland), which was something nobody watching the tournament expected."

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

More Articles

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Hixson storms to A/AA title, gets 11 state qualifiers Hixson storms to A/AA title, gets 11 state qualifiers

 

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

 

Tennessean Coverage Region 7...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/11/sumner-county-sends-15-state-wrestling-tournament/97814206/

 

Fifteen wrestlers from four teams will represent Sumner County in next weekend’s TSSAA Wrestling State Championships.

 

Eleven of those will represent either Beech or Hendersonville after Saturday’s Region 7-AAA Tournament finals at Mt. Juliet High School.

 

Pic

 

Hendersonville’s Mason Tacconelli takes down West Creek’s Nicholas Gonsales during the 113-pound ...more

 

Chris Brooks / USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee

 

Beech produced four region champions – Noah Horst (106 pounds), Brayden Palmer (113), Trevor Rippy (152) and Joseph Garrett (160). Bristin Hulsey (120) and Kyle Smith (170) finished as runners-up in their respective weight classes, while William Downing (126) and Jeremiah Herron (138) each finished fourth.

 

The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for the state tournament.

 

Three Commandos – Mason Tacconelli (fourth, 113), Conlan Dile (third, 160) and Cameron Gallina (fourth, 170) advanced to the state tournament.

 

Beech finished third as a team with 156 points. Wilson Central won the region title with 119 points, while Mt. Juliet finished second with 162.5.

 

White House has three representatives in the Class A-AA tournament, as Tanner Pharris (126), Ethan Rainey (195) and Joshua Dailey each finished third in their respective divisions.

 

The Blue Devils finished 10th out of 25 teams, while Greenbrier won the region title by 12.5 points over Forrest.

 

Pope John Paul II’s Matt Patterson qualified for the state tournament in Division II with a fourth-place finish in the 195-pound class in the East/Middle Section Tournament.

 

Pic

 

Beechs Joseph Garrett battles Kenwood Earnest White in the 160-pound semifinals. Garrett pinned White to... more

 

Chris Brooks/USA Today Network - Tennessee

 

Region 7-AAA Tournament

 

Championship matches

 

106: Noah Horst (Beech) d. Christian Isbell (Clarksville) by pinfall; 113: Brayden Palmer (Beech) vs. Gage Backus (Wilson Central) by pinfall; 120: Sean Sesnan (Wilson Central) d. Bristin Hulsey (Beech) by decision; 126: Austin Plumlee (Mt. Juliet) d. Simon Pergande (Wilson Central) by decision; 132: Jalen Henry (Mt. Juliet) d. Alex Pergande (Wilson Central) by decision; 138: Zackrey Wilkins (Mt. Juliet) d. Cullen Belcher (Wilson Central) by pinfall; 145: Steven Weist (Mt. Juliet) d. Antonio Alejos (Northwest) by major decision; 152: Trevor Rippy (Beech) d. Ryan Brown (Lebanon) by major decision; 160: Joseph Garrett (Beech) vs. Dylan Quinn (Mt. Juliet); 170: Damon Smith (Wilson Central) d. Kyle Smith (Beech) by sudden victory; 182: Bradley Williams (Clarksville) d. Niko Noga (Wilson Central) by decision; 195: Nathan Walling (Mt. Juliet) d. Dylan Carney (Northwest) by pinfall; 220: Craig Barbour (Northwest) d. Andrew Arias (Rossview) by disqualification; 285: Michael Kramer (Wilson Central) d. Nate Thacker (Kenwood) by pinfall.

 

Third-place matches

 

106: Tyler Cherry (Rossview) d. Grant Fetters (Wilson Central) by decision; 113: Mason Tacconelli (Hendersonville) d. Nicholas Gonsales (West Creek) by pinfall; 120: DeSaun Dail (Northwest) d. Andrew Parker (West Creek) by decision;

 

126: Eli Castillo (Clarksville) d. William Downing (Beech) by decision; 132: Justin Brenot (Clarksville) d. Thomas Williams (Kenwood) by pinfall; 138: Seth Williams (Northwest) d. Jeremiah Herron (Beech) by decision; 145: Austin Reynolds (Lebanon) d. Wren Campbell (Northwest) by decision; 152: Elijah Miller (West Creek) d. Bryan Tucker (Kenwood) by decision; 160: Conlan Dile (Hendersonville) d. Gabe Smith (Clarksville) by decision; 170: Trever Hanson (Northwest) d. Cameron Gallina (Hendersonville) by pinfall; 182: Antonio Carter (Rossview) d. Christophe Humpherys (Mt. Juliet) by forfeit; 195: Kenneth Buchanan (Clarksville) d. Geoffrey Walpole (Wilson Central) by pinfall; 220: Andreus Trotter (Wilson Central) d. James Baird (Lebanon) by pinfall; 285: Bryan Horner (Mt. Juliet) d. Goldberg Johnsrud (Northwest) by decision.

 

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

 

Gossett says...

 

McCallie favorite in East/Middle wrestling

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/10/mccallie-favorite-eastmiddle-wrestling/412339/

 

February 10th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 3 mins.

 

East/Middle openers

 

Legend

 

Battle Ground Academy (BGA), Baylor (Bay), Franklin Road Academy (FRA), McCallie (McC), Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA), Friendship Christian (FC), Knoxville Webb (KW), Pope John Paul II (PJP), St. Andrew’s-Sewanee (SAS).

 

106 pounds

 

Alex Whitworth (McC) vs. Ethan Rhoden (FRA); Frank Perazinni (MBA) vs. Clayton Pettway (Bay).

 

113 pounds

 

Porter Kaufman (Bay) vs. Brock Brown (PJP)-Harrison Noffsinger (FSCH) winner; Eddie Suh (McC) vs. Adam Garfinkle (MBA).

 

120 pounds

 

Gabriel Elkin (MBA) vs. Elijah Andrews (SAS)-Chase Radpour (Bay) winner;

 

Mark Austin (FRA) vs. Zach Ward (McC).

 

126 pounds

 

Michael Elkin (MBA) vs. Lucas Farr (KW)-Evan Hughes (McC) winner; Tiy Reed (BGA)-Ziyin Tang (SAS) winner vs. Hayden Hartline (Bay).

 

132 pounds

 

Brock Herring (McC) vs. Henry McLeod (PJP); Johathan Stoaxtill-Diggs (FRA) vs. Zach McCullough (BGA); Zack Tieng (KW)-Luke Fraley (Bay) winner vs. John Michael Glover (MBA).

 

138 pounds

 

Austin Atchley (Bay) vs. Stephen Vickers (FRA); Dolan Eckhart (BGA) vs. Devin Badgett (KW)

 

145 pounds

 

Bryce Wittman (MBA) vs. Conner Mitchell (BGA); Alex Atchley (Bay) vs. Thomas Sell (McC).

 

152 pounds

 

Mason Reiniche (Bay) vs. Kolton Grimsley (BGA)-Braeden Wirthwein (KW) winner; Perry Matthews (MBA) vs. Hayden Alexander (FS), Drew White (FRA) vs. Ethan Dendy (McC).

 

160 pounds

 

Connor Duffy (Bay) vs. Camden Frankfather (FRA), Gavin Connors (BGA) vs. Austin Tomlinson (FS), Charlie Morton (KW) vs. Ben Dotye (MBA)-Russell Barry (McC) winner.

 

170 pounds

 

Khamari Whimper (Bay) vs. Kendall Warpoel (FRA); Elijah Ball (FS) vs. Justin Sofilkanich (BGA); Clay Garstin (MBA) vs. Domonick Rollins (PJP), Christian Taylor (SAS) vs. Hayden Rowland (McC).

 

182 pounds

 

Judah Duhm (McC) vs. James Lindiau (SAS), Eli Davies (KW) vs. Teddy Holloway (BGA). Dominic Fisher (MBA)-Deuce Drennan (PJP) winner vs. Riley Westlake (Bay).

 

195 pounds

 

Ryan Kosson (MBA) vs. Justin Elgouhary (SAS)-Matt Patterson (PJP) winner; Sam Reynolds (Bay)-Stone Cummins (KW) vs. George Robinson (McC).

 

220 pounds

 

Tyree Toliver (Bay) vs. Tysosn Strickland (FS); Adam Smith (McC) vs. Wyeth Patton (MBA).

 

285 pounds

 

River Henry (McC)-Charles Albert (PJP) vs. Ryan Jackson (FS); Riley Bodine (Bay) vs. Jackson Lampley (MBA)-Tymon Mitchell (FRA) winner.

 

The last time McCallie hosted Division II's East/Middle Regionwrestling tournament, the Blue Tornado qualified 12 for the state tournament but finished a disappointing third in the region team standings.

 

There are those who believe McCallie will fare better this time around.

 

When asked who should be favored for the team championship, rival Baylor coach Ben Nelson never wavered as he replied.

 

"McCallie," he said. "They've earned that. They made it to the (state duals) finals last weekend, and they had the most consistent performance during the season."

 

Baylor and host McCallie are two of nine teams participating in today's tournament, which begins at noon with championship and consolation finals expected to begin at about 4 p.m. The other teams are Battle Ground Academy, Franklin Road Academy, Friendship Christian, Knoxville Webb, Montgomery Bell Academy and St. Andrew's-Sewanee.

 

While the primary point of interest is qualifying as many wrestlers as possible for next weekend's state tournament, winning the region team championship remains a jewel not to be dismissed.

 

Whether it belongs to McCallie is up for contention, at least where Blue Tornado coach Mike Newman is concerned.

 

"It's going to be a battle whoever wins it," he said, specifically mentioning Baylor as a fierce threat. "I think also you have to include MBA. They're a solid, quality lineup."

 

The three have all of the tournament's top-seeded wrestlers: Baylor with six, McCallie and MBA with four each.

 

Based on the seeds and with the top four from each weight class advancing to the state, McCallie will take 14, Baylor 13 and MBA 12, leaving 27 slots for the remaining seven teams.

 

"I'm not a huge fan of this (qualifying) tournament, but hopefully all our guys will show up and wrestle well and we'll move 14 to next week," Nelson said. "We're a grinder-type team. We're not the best at every weight class, but we have guys that are going to get in there and scrap."

 

There are some surprises, at least from the standpoint of wrestlers dropping from weight classes they occupied most of the season. McCallie eighth-grader Alex Whitworth is the top seed at 106 pounds after wrestling much of the year at 113. Baylor's Mason Reiniche wrestled for the first time this year at 152 pounds at the state duals, and that's where he'll be this weekend and next, and the Red Raiders' Khamari Whimper, who wrestled at 195 at the duals, will weigh in at 170 for the region.

 

One of the tournament's highlight matches could come at 152 if Reiniche and McCallie's unbeaten Ethan Dendy follow the projections and reach the championship finals.

 

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

 

More Articles

 

Knox Fuller, Ethan Dendy unbeaten entering wrestling traditional postseason

Edited February 13, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

2 A/AA Chattanooga Area...

 

Congrats to Mr Shackleford ...MOW

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/12/hixsstorms-aatitle-gets-11-state-qualifiers/412419/

 

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Hixson storms to A/AA title, gets 11 state qualifiers

 

February 12th, 2017by Staff Reportsin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 1 min.

 

It was the last hurrah this weekend for the Region 2-A/AA wrestling tournament, at least in its current makeup, and Hixson provided a rousing sendoff to departing teams.

 

The Wildcats returned to the region championship throne that they'd been forced to abdicate last year by Red Bank.

 

They scored 191 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Notre Dame, which will be moving to the Division II ranks next year along with Boyd-Buchanan and Chattanooga Christian.

 

Notre Dame scored 144 points, Red Bank 107, Signal Mountain 93.5, CCS 85, Boyd-Buchanan 84, Central and Whitwell 71 each, East Ridge 48, Sequatchie County 25, Sale Creek 10 and Tyner nine.

 

The Wildcats also qualified 11 wrestlers for this week's state tournament in Franklin, including champions Tucker Gill (113), Jacob Newman (120), Jonas Shackleford (132), Cederick Harris (138) and Truman Ross (220).

 

"It was totally different from last week (0-2 showing at the state duals). They were relaxed and having fun," Hixson coach Garrick Hall said. "I told the kids the goal was to get 13 into the state. If we win the region, that's a bonus. We got 11 through, and the two we lost were so close to getting into the top four."

 

Hixson's Shackleford won the outstanding wrestler award for the lower seven weights; the outstanding choice for the upper weights was 160-pound Alonzo Heyward of Central. Best match went to 138-pound participants Cederick Harris and Ned Warwick. Harris won, 8-6.

 

Notre Dame earned seven qualifiers including champions Jeremy Holloway (106), Grant Speer (126), James Boyd (195) and Kobe Bragg (285).

 

Red Bank had no champions but has qualifiers.

 

Other champions were Central's Isaac Coffman (145) and Heyward (160), Boyd-Buchanan's Zane Williams (152), CCS's Alex Hundley (170), and East Ridge's Darian Smith (182).

 

More Articles

 

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Heritage's Chuckie Thurman, Gilmer's Matthew Waddell steal the show at GHSA wrestling

 

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Mr Hunt's small school coverage...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/11/341721/Hixson-Rolls-To-Region-2-AAA-Mat-Championship.aspx

 

Hixson Rolls To Region 2-A/AA Mat Championship

 

Notre Dame Finishes A Distant Second Behind Wildats

 

Saturday, February 11, 2017 - by John Hunt

 

Hixson’s Garrick Hall has been coaching high school wrestling for a long time and he’s had more than his share of success, but his world hit rock-bottom last weekend when his Wildcats failed to win a match at the State Duals.

 

No doubt Hall and his assistant coaches had more than one heart-to-heart talk with the Hixson kids this week and it must have worked because they came out and looked like a totally different team at Signal Mountain this weekend for the Region 2-A/AA tournament.

 

The Wildcats sent 10 wrestlers to Saturday morning’s championship semis and seven of those 10 advanced to the finals. Five went home with region titles to their credit as Hixson pulled away on the final day to win for the third time in four years with 191 points.

 

Notre Dame was a distant second with 144 points while defending region champ Red Bank was third with 107. Signal Mountain and Chattanooga Christian rounded out the top five teams with 93.5 and 85 points, respectively.

 

“We had a great first round today as we wrestled really tough,†Hall said after his team had clinched the first-place award and advanced 11 young men to Franklin next weekend for the traditional state tournament.

 

“We had a really good weekend and that was more like it after what we did last weekend. We came really close to advancing all 13 we had, but we got 11. I’m really happy for those 11 and I’m just heartbroken for those two who didn’t make it.

 

“I’m not sure if I’ve ever had five champions before, but we wrestled lights out today and I’m thrilled with the results,†Hall added.

 

Jonas Shackleford won the 132-pound title with a 13-3 major decision and was voted Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weights. Central’s Alonzo Heyward, who won by technical fall over Notre Dame’s Daniel Hodges in the 160-pound final, was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler award for the upper weights.

 

Hixson’s other champions included Tucker Gill at 113, Jacob Newman at 120, Cederick Harris at 138 and Truman Ross at 220.

 

Best Match honors went to Hixson's Harris after he shocked top-seeded Ned Warwick by an 8-6 final in the championship match at 138 pounds.

 

Notre Dame placed six in the finals and left with four winners, including Cade Holloway at 106, Grant Speer at 126, Doogan Boyd at 195 and Kobe Bragg at 285.

 

Central had two champs while Boyd-Buchanan, Chattanooga Christian and East Ridge all had one each.

 

Central’s two winners were Isaac Coffman at 145 and Heyward at 160 while Boyd-Buchanan’s Zane Williams handed Chattanooga Christian’s Justin Wheeler his first loss in a tight 1-0 decision. Alex Hundley of CCS was the winner at 170 while East Ridge’s Darian Smith was victorious at 182.

 

Other qualifiers for Hixson include Jordan Lewis at 126, Guilano Palacio at 285, Greg Marquez at 106, Bruce Wilson at 145, Brian Wagoner at 152 and Jerrold Higginbotham at 160.

 

Notre Dame will be sending seven with Ned Warwick (138), Daniel Hodges (160) and David Hodges (145) joining the four Irish winners.

 

Red Bank will be taking six, including Caden Cline at 120, Gage Evans at 126, Zach Gee at 132, Jonah Bird at 145, Jackson Hash at 182 and Devon Suddeth at 220.

 

Signal Mountain will take seven to Franklin, including Daniel Uhorchuk at 106, Isaac Tate at 113, Preston Worley at 132, Daniel Dawson at 152, Will Davis at 160, Jake Woodlief at 170 and Steven Goff at 285 while Chattanooga Christian will be represented by Nathan Connor at 132, Lachlan Brandt at 138 and Griff Wheeler at 220 in addition to Justin Wheeler and Hundley.

 

LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Hixson (Hix) 191; 2. Notre Dame (ND) 144; 3. Red Bank (RB) 107; 4. Signal Mountain (SM) 93.5; 5. Chattanooga Christian (CCS) 85; 6. Boyd-Buchanan (BB) 84; 7. Central (Cen) and Whitwell (W) tied with 81; 9. East Ridge (ER) 48; 10. Sequatchie County (Seq) 25; 11. Sale Creek (SC) 10; 12. Tyner (Ty) 9; 13. Brainerd (Bra) and Howard (How) both failed to score.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

 

106 – Cade Holloway (ND) dec. Daniel Uhorchuk (SM), 3-2;

 

113 – Tucker Gill (Hix) won by forfeit over Scott Weaver (BB);

 

120 – Jacob Newman (Hix) dec. Jaren Thames (W), 8-5;

 

126 – Grant Speer (ND) major dec. Jordan Lewis (Hix), 12-4;

 

132 – Jonas Shackleford (Hix) major dec. Zach Gee (RB), 13-3;

 

138 – Cederick Harris (Hix) dec. Ned Warwick (ND), 8-6;

 

145 – Isaac Coffman (Cen) dec. Jonah Bird (RB), 8-2;

 

152 – Zane Williams (BB) dec. Justin Wheeler (CCS), 1-0;

 

160 – Alonzo Heyward (Cen) won by technical fall over Daniel Hodges (ND), 4:14;

 

170 – Alex Hundley (CCS) pinned Allen Ashworth (W), 1:28;

 

182 – Darian Smith (ER) dec. Kell Stott (BB), 5-4;

 

195 – Doogan Boyd (ND) dec. Will Watkins (BB), 4-2 in overtime;

 

220 – Truman Ross (Hix) dec. Devon Suddeth (RB), 4-1;

 

285 – Kobe Bragg (ND) dec. Guilano Palacio (Hix), 3-1 in overtime.

 

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE

 

106 – Haiden Dill (Cen) won by technical fall over Greg Marquez (Hix), 4:01;

 

113 – Isaac Tate (SM) dec. Aaron Smith (Cen), 8-3;

 

120 – Caden Cline (RB) pinned Logan Silvers (Seq), :38;

 

126 – Gage Evans (RB) won by injury default over Jimmy Herrera (Cen);

 

132 – Nathan Connor (CCS) dec. Preston Worley (SM), 10-8;\

 

138 – Lachlan Brandt (CCS) dec. Steven Davoren (ER), 5-1;

 

145 – David Hodges (ND) pinned Bruce Wilson (Hix), 4:14;

 

152 – Daniel Dawson (SM) major dec. Brian Wagoner (Hix), 9-0;

 

160 – Will Davis (SM) dec. Jerrold Higginbotham (Hix), 10-8;

 

170 – Jake Woodlief (SM) pinned Lloyd Pinheiro (ER), 4:07;

 

182 – Jackson Hash (RB) pinned Daniel Mikel (W), 3:21;

 

195 – William Carter (W) won by injury default over Pedro Bautista (ER);

 

220 – T.D. Argo (W) dec. Griff Wheeler (CCS), 3-2;

 

285 – Steven Goff (SM) pinned Charles Jones (Cen), 2:29.

 

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

 

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Mr Robinson covers some region 7 state news...

 

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/11/two-region-champs-among-23-clarksville-area-wrestlers-headed-state/97780438/

 

Two region champs among 23 Clarksville area wrestlers headed to state

 

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Clarksville High's Bradley Williams gains control of his 182-pound region championship match against Niko Noga of Mt. ...more

 

George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle

 

George Robinson | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee6:32 p.m. CT Feb. 11, 2017

 

MT. JULIET, Tenn. — Montgomery County will take 23 wrestlers to the TSSAA State Wrestling Championships next week as teams in Clarksville competed in the Region 7-AAA individual tournament Friday and Saturday.

 

Northwest led all Clarksville-area teams with seven athletes who earned state berths, including Craig Barbour, who beat out Rossview's Andrew Arias for the 220-pound region championship Saturday at Mt. Juliet High School.

 

Clarksville High had the city's only other region champ when Bradley Williams knocked off Wilson Central's Niko Noga for the 182-pound title. The Wildcats advanced six wrestlers to state.

 

Rossview, West Creek and Kenwood will each take three while Northeast had one advance to state competition.

 

Three area wrestlers advanced to the region title match but finished runner-up. Clarksville's Christian Isbell finished second at 106 pounds, losing out to Noah Horst of Beech.

 

Northwest's Dylan Carney, the state's fourth-ranked 195-pounder, fell by way of a rare pin to top-ranked Mt. Juliet standout Nathan Walling. Carney teammate, Antonio Alejos, lost to Mt. Juliet's Steven Weist at 145 pounds.

 

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Northwest's Craig Barbour controls the arm of Rossview's Andrew Arias during their 220-pound region ...more

 

George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle

 

Wilson Central captured the team individual championship after collecting 199 points. Mt. Juliet finished runner-up while Beech took third. Northwest had the best showing of Montgomery County schools, taking fourth with 120 points. Clarksville finished fifth, followed by West Creek, Kenwood and Rossview.

 

The state individual tournament is Thursday through Saturday at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.

 

Reach Prep writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.

 

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

 

Hard work pays off for Pete Miller on Maury-Williamson county line...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/11/summit-wins-region-6-aaa-wrestling-title/97808720/

 

Summit wins Region 6-AAA wrestling title

 

Michael Murphy | USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee9:19 p.m. CT Feb. 11, 2017

 

THOMPSON'S STATION — Claiming championships in six weight divisions, the Summit wrestling team secured its second traditional Region 6-AAA title in three seasons on Saturday at Independence High School.

 

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Summit's Kobey Dusselle competes against Brentwood's Coby Finch during Saturday's 152-pound ...more

 

Michael Murphy / USA Today Network - Tennessee

 

Summit senior Zach Thomas kicked off the championships finals with an 8-1 win over Independence sophomore Chase Bridgford, and fellow Spartans Nathan Porter (132), Sean Butler (145), Kobey Dusselle (152), Sawyer Knott and Zach Carney (182) also claimed titles.

 

“We put half our team in the finals and ended up going six for seven,†Summit coach Pete Miller said. “Our guys, when we start out with momentum they take it and they run with it. These guys, they thrive under pressure. When the bright lights are on and the fans are cheering for them, that’s when they really turn it up.â€

 

ADVERTISING

 

The Spartans also had three additional wrestlers — Brady Woodward, Cole Klingensmith and Jeremy Mooy — qualify for next week’s TSSAA state wrestling championships at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.

 

“For some of these seniors, there were some demons they were able to get off their chests by getting to the state tournament,†added Miller, the Region 6-AAA Coach of the Year. “We’re peaking at the right time. What better time? We’re looking for great things out of our team next weekend.â€

 

The Spartans, who also won last month’s Region 6-AAA duals, finished with 224 points — 19.5 better than second-place Independence (205.5). Brentwood finished third with 146 points, while Centennial was fourth with 133.

 

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Hunters Lane's Kemale Strong (right) competes against Centennial's Zachary Ables (right) during ...more

 

Michael Murphy / The Tennessean

 

Gavin Schoeberl (113), Daniel Fowler (126), Brady Ingram (138), Isaiah Demello (220) and Christopher Keller (285) claimed region titles for the runner-up Eagles.

 

Ingram, who was named Region 6-AAA Wrestler of the Year, improved to 45-1 with his 14-6 win over Ravenwood’s Nicholas Freeman in the 138-pound final. Other first-place finishers included Franklin's Job Dooley (120), Hunters Lane's Kemale Strong (160) and McGavock's Jamal Miller (195).

 

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.

 

Region 6-AAA Results:

 

* Top four finishers advance to state tournament

 

106: 1 Zach Thomas, Summit; 2 Chase Bridgford, Independence; 3 Brennan Jennings, Brentwood; 4 Ronal Flores, Dickson.

 

113: 1 Gavin Schoeberl, Independence; 2 Brady Woodward, Summit; 3 Cooper Finch, Brentwood; 4 Decarlos Allen, McGavock.

 

120: 1 Job Dooley, Franklin; 2 Graham Brothers, Brentwood; 3 William Witt, Cane Ridge; 4 Adrian Luna, Dickson.

 

126: 1 Daniel Fowler, Independence; 2 Jack Shrader, Franklin; 3 Cole Klingensmith, Summit; 4 Abdullah Mohamed, Hillsboro.

 

132: 1 Nathan Porter, Summit; 2 Owen Schnedler, Independence; 3 Garrett Witterspoon, Dickson; 4 JaCorey Miller, McGavock.

 

138: 1 Brady Ingram, Independence; 2 Nicholas Freeman, Ravenwood; 3 Isaac Asselin, Brentwood; 4 Isaiah Waggoner, Antioch.

 

145: 1 Sean Butler, Summit; 2 Kenneth Hunter, Hillsboro; 3 Kiefer Bangham, Centennial; 4 Tyler Kimble, Overton.

 

152: 1 Kobey Dusselle, Summit; 2 Coby Finch, Brentwood; 3 Jonah Albert, Franklin; 4 Spencer Harvey, Centennial.

 

160: 1 Kemale Strong, Hunters Lane; 2 Kelvin Freeman, McGavock; 3 Zachary Ables, Centennial; 4 Dylan Vongas, Antioch.

 

170: 1 Sawyer Knott, Summit; 2 William Smith, Ravenwood; 3 Nick Galbreath, Franklin; 4 Johnny Killenbroich, Centennial.

 

182: 1 Zack Carney, Summit; 2 C.J. Grissim, Brentwood; 3 Daniel Bonner, Hillwood; 4 Bailey Patton, Centennial.

 

195: 1 Jamal Miller, McGavock,; 2 Ian Grau, Independence; 3 Drake Cunningham, Brentwood; 4 Jacob Knight, Centennial.

 

220: 1 Isaiah Demello, Independence; 2 Lawrence Shelton, McGavock; 3 Chike Brown, Hunters Lane; 4 Noah Schwartz, Centennial.

 

285: 1 Christopher Keller, Independence; 2 Nathan Lee, Cane Ridge; 3 Jeremy Moody, Summit; 4 Patrick Guider, Hunters Lane.

 

 

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

 

 

Greenville Sun covers AA...

 

http://www.greenevillesun.com/sports/three-devils-win-region-titles-local-wrestlers-earn-state-berths/article_423e89b2-e1e2-5e54-9626-530d8636870c.html

 

Three Greeneville wrestlers won region championships Saturday in the Region 1-A/AA Individual Tournament at Chuckey-Doak High School.

 

Garrin Shuffler (152 lbs.) and Nick Foster (220) both repeated as region champions while Trent Knight (170) won his first title.

 

“Winning a region championship is a rare thing, and those guys have worked hard,†Greeneville coach Randy Shelton said. “We have gone to the right tournaments, we went to state duals while the other guys were resting, and they came out here and got the job done. I’m really proud of those guys.â€

 

Five other Greeneville wrestlers and two from Chuckey-Doak also finished in the top four of their respective weight classes to earn trips to this weekend’s individual state tournament in Franklin.

 

The Devils came in second as a team on Saturday, getting bested by Pigeon Forge 192-196.5. The Tigers also beat Greeneville a week prior for the Class A/AA Duals State Championship title. With eight wrestlers going to Franklin next week and coming so close to beating Pigeon Forge twice, Greeneville will now focus on winning the team championship at the individual state tournament.

 

“We’re taking eight guys to state, we have three champs, it’s hard to be disappointed with today,†Greeneville coach Randy Shelton said. “These guys have done such an awesome job and this was a good tournament. We wouldn’t be in the position we are in without those guys that charged through the consolation rounds.â€

 

“We started 9-0 at 10 o’clock this morning and just kept piling in on. Some of those guys had to go 3-0 to get to the state tournament and they came out here and did it. We just have to stay mentally and physically fresh to get ready for next week, and we are just four points behind Pigeon Forge so we are going into next week looking for an individual state title.â€

 

Foster had a dominating run through his weight class on his way to collecting his second region title. He earned four pins in the tournament and he took a combined 1:51 to do so. In the championship match, he needed just 25 seconds to pin Jared Watson of Pigeon Forge.

 

Foster will now turn his attention to repeating as the A/AA 220 lb. state champion this Saturday.

 

“I’m excited to be going back to state. It feels really good to win the region today,†Foster said. “I’ve just got to keep doing what I have been doing all year, and I think I’ll be ready. I got beat the kid from Hixson at the (Greeneville Invitational) so my big focus will be on beating him, I can’t let him get in my head.â€

 

Shuffler and Knight had more difficult championship matches but both were able to pull out victories late to claim region titles.

 

Shuffler battled for three rounds with Elijah Davis of Fulton, but he caught a cramp between the second and third periods and had to fight through it to collect a 4-2 win.

 

 

“Garrin suffered a broken collarbone in football, so he has had a very compressed season and we have only had about 20 days to get him into state medalist shape,†Shelton said. “His best quality is that he is a hard worker. He has never taken a day off, and he really deserves what he got tonight.â€

 

Knight and Pigeon Forge’s Ethan Olinger battled to a scoreless tie through two rounds on Saturday, but Knight was able to take a 3-0 lead in the third round before earning a 4-2 win.

 

“It feels pretty good to get this win. I just went out there and did my best. I knew my conditioning would hold out and all I had to do was push him to his limit, and at the end I was on top. Now I just have to drill hard in the practice room like all year and I’ll be ready for state.â€

 

Greeneville’s Bryson Hux (126) was also in the finals on Saturday and led Brandon Jarvis of Christian Academy of Knoxville for two rounds, but Jarvis was able to take control late to earn a 5-2 victory.

 

Josh Wallin (106), Seth Brown (145) and Garret Wright (160) of Greeneville all earned third-place finishes, and Bransen O’Dell (132) came in fourth place.

 

Chuckey-Doak’s J.T. Pierce (195) came in third in his weight class and Dakota Isley (120) placed fourth to earn a trip to the state tournament

 

 

_______________________________________

 

 

Tennessee #1 in women's wrestling, Again...

 

http://www.wcyb.com/sports/area-colleges/king-wins-4th-straight-wcwa-championship/328512521

 

King wins 4th straight WCWA championship

 

The King University women's wrestling team made history again at the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) National Championships, taking their fourth straight title. The Tornado are now tied for most WCWA national championships ever. Marina Doi, Breonnah Neal and Haley Augello all took home national titles, leading King to 187.5 points, finishing ahead of second place Simon Fraser University who had 170.5 points.

 

THE BASICS

SCORE: King 1st of 30, 187.5 points

LOCATION: Abe Lemmons Arena; Oklahoma City, Okla.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

 

At 101 pounds, teammates Marina Doi and Regina Doi squared off for the Tornado, and Marina Doi took the 5-0 decision for the national championship.

Neal kept it going at 109 pounds, defeating second-ranked Amy Fearnside of Jamestown University on a 4-1 decision.

At 116 pounds, Augello made it three straight champions with an 8-3 decision over No. 3 Cady Chessin of Menlo College.

Jessi Kee went for her first national title at 143 pounds, but she fell to defending champion and top-ranked Mallory Velte of Simon Fraser, giving Kee a runner-up finish.

At 170 pounds, Forrest Molinari had a chance for her second straight title, competing in a different weight class. However, she fell to The University of the Cumberlands' Jessika Rottier who was ranked first 8-1.

Earlier in the day, Hanna Grisewood won both of her matches at 123 pounds, giving her a third place finish. She defeated fifth-ranked Rachel Archer of Oklahoma City 8-2 in the third place bout.

Freshman Aleeah Gould came in with a seventh place finish at 109 pounds and Cassidy Ferrell finished eight at 101 pounds.

 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

 

The win gives King their fourth straight WCWA national title, matching run of Oklahoma City University from 2009-12.

King is tied with Oklahoma City for the most WCWA national titles.

Marina Doi takes her second straight national title. In her career she has two titles and one runner up finish.

Neal takes home a national title for the first time in her career after a pair of runner-up finishes.

For Augello, the national title is the third of her career, in three chances.

Kee takes her second runner up finish, the last coming at 130 pounds in 2015.

Molinari takes a runner up finish at 170 pounds a season after winning a title at 155 pounds.

All six finalists as well as Ferrell, Garcia and Grisewood earned All-America honors.

 

KING RESULTS BY WEIGHT CLASS

 

101 - No. 1 Marina Doi 4-0, 1st; No. 2 Regina Doi 3-1, 2nd; Cassidy Ferrell 2-3, 8th

 

109 - No. 1 Breonnah Neal 5-0, 1st; Aleeah Gould 5-2, 7th

 

116 - No. 1 Haley Augello 5-0, 1st

 

123 - No. 1 Hanna Grisewood 3-2, 3rd

 

130 - Nicole Joseph 2-2

 

136 - No. 4 Gabby Garcia 2-2

 

143 - No. 2 Jessi Kee 3-1, 2nd

 

155 - Alexis Bleau 1-2

 

170 - No. 2 Forrest Molinari 4-1, 2nd

 

___________________________________

 

 

For those of you coaches and wrestlers that have competed against these folks up the road in KY...

 

http://www.thegleaner.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/11/union-wins-14th-straight-region-wrestling-title/97812400/

 

Union wins 14th straight region wrestling title

 

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Union County’s Sam Bacon wrestles Christian County’s Jakerion Merritt in the finals of the 120-pound class during ...more

 

Melissa Oxford

 

Gleaner staff |Updated 10:49 p.m. CT Feb. 11, 2017

 

HOPKINSVILLE - Union County won its 14th straight First Region wrestling championship and qualified in 13 of 14 weight classes for next week’s state wrestling championships.

 

The Braves won nine individual regional titles led by 182-pounder Avery Buckman, who was named the meet’s most outstanding wrestler.

 

Union County won 10 of the 11 championship matches its wrestlers were involved in with Zeke Escalera (106), Gabe Adams (113), Sam Bacon (120), Payne Carr (126), Saul Ervin (132), Bryce Sheffer (138), Chance Oxford (145), Micah Ervin (152) and Matthias Ervin (170) also winning regional titles.

 

Payton Snyder was the runner-up in the 285-pound division. Ross Hicks finished third at 195 pounds, and Carlos Perry was fourth at 160 pounds. John Fuqua was fifth at 220 pounds.

 

Pic

 

Union County’s Payne Carr beat Christian County’s Austin Gibson by fall in 0:44 during their ...more

 

Melissa Oxford

 

The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the state meet, which begins Friday at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

 

First Region Wrestling Tournament

 

Team scores: Union Co. 297.5, Christian Co. 169.5, Calloway Co. 123, McCracken Co. 120, Hopkinsville 112.5, Fort Campbell 99, Caldwell Co. 76.5, Trigg Co. 76, Ohio Co. 54, Paducah Tilghman 28, Fulton City 7, UHA 3.

 

106 pounds: First place, Zeke Escalera def. Keaton Elliott (Calloway), fall 1:26.

 

113: First place, Gabe Adams def. Daniel Knight (Christian), MD 12-1.

 

120: First place, Sam Bacon def. Jakerion Merritt (Christian), fall 3:10.

 

126: First place, Payne Carr def. Nick Dickerson (Calloway), fall 3:04.

 

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Union County’s Micah Ervin competes with Caldwell County’s Seth Slayton during their semifinal ...more

 

Melissa Oxford

 

132: First place, Saul Ervin def. Ishmael Griff (Christian), fall 1:44.

 

138: First place, Bryce Sheffer def. Kestin McClain (McCracken), fall 1:47.

 

 

145: First place, Chance Oxford def. Zlatko Skuljan (Hopkinsville), fall 0:47.

 

152: First place, Micah Ervin def. Colin Stevens (Trigg), injury forfeit.

 

160: Fourth place, Malik Cunningham (Trigg) def. Carlos Perry, fall 0:45.

 

170: First place, Matthias Ervin def. Diion Leavell (Christian), dec. 4-1.

 

182: First place, Avery Buckman def. Niko Bussell (Christian), fall 0:15.

 

195: Third place, Ross Hicks def. Raven Knight (Christian), fall 3:48.

 

220: Fifth place, John Fuqua def. Andrew Pottle (Ohio), fall 3:56.

 

285: First place, David Nikolao (Fort Campbell) def. Payton Snyder, dec. 7-1.

 

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Union County’s Gabe Adams has Christian County’s Daniel Knight by the leg during their championship ...more

 

Melissa Oxford

 

Originally Published 9:52 p.m. CT Feb. 11, 2017

Edited February 14, 2017 by Sommers

[RMC]

Hey Sommers.....11 placers......5 state champs...3 runners up....

 

http://www.gwinnettprepsports.com/schools/buford/five-individual-champions-help-buford-run-away-with-aaaaa-team/article_21e153c4-3567-5f36-a00c-433447c3977d.html

[Sommers]

Incredible!!

 

So, I'm assuming this coach is magical. Notice another Ness?!?!?

 

...Families moving for obvious reasons?

 

Buford #2 overall in GA state rankings now?

 

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

 

Congrats coach!!

 

I bet a lot of coaches would have loved pulling a Shazzon out of the halls...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/11/341685/Prep-Wrestling-McMinn-County-Coach.aspx

 

Prep Wrestling: McMinn County Coach David Stoika Retires at Season's End

 

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Will Coach Cherokees in today's Region 4-AAA mat tourney

 

Saturday, February 11, 2017 - by B.B Branton



 

McMinn County wrestling coach David Stoika yells instructions to one of his wrestlers during a match earlier this season

- photo by Behn Tubman

 

"Coach David Stoika and I didn't always see eye-to-eye on wrestling strategy, but once I realized he knew more than I did and decided to wrestle his way everything would be alright."

 

Two-time McMinn County state champion Shazzon Bradley

 

 

It was 1968 and a slightly-built Chicago area 8th grader named David Stoika was picked on quite a bit by bigger, older boys.

 

Good friend Gary Herman had the solution to Stoika’s problem as he convinced the school’s physical education teacher to teach a class on amateur wrestling.

 

Stoika took to the sport right away and it changed his life.

 

Learning single leg takedowns, pinning combinations and how to ride ‘em tough on top, Stoika didn’t become a smaller version of two-time Tennessee state champ Shazzon Bradley overnight, (more on him later), but was able to stand his ground against the school bullies.

 

His wrestling knowledge led to a 33-22-8 varsity record while wrestling four years at Oak Lawn High School in Chigago with a highlight of once beating a teammate and future Illinois state champ in a challenge match to earn to top spot on the varsity squad.

 

Today’s Region 4-AAA Tourney: Fast forward nearly 50 years to today’s Region 4-AAA traditional tourney at East Hamilton and that former 8th grader is still involved in man’s oldest sport as he coaches the McMinn County wrestlers with hopes of having a few Cherokee grapplers finish in the top four and qualify for next weekend’s TSSAA D-I AAA state tournament in Franklin.

 

His Final Season: McMinn County has seeded wrestlers in No.4 Gage Boggess at 120 pounds and No.3 Tyler Varnadore at 285 and Stoika believes those two and possibly others can qualify for the state tourney. It’s another opportunity to sit in the coaches chair mat side today at the region tourney and hopefully next weekend at the 57th annual state

 

For a coach who, for most of his 33 seasons, has had no feeder system from elementary or middle schools to the high school nor a county-wide kids club, Stoika can look back on his coaching career with humility and pride as he has coached the right way, taught his wrestlers the basics and more with good success.

 

He retires with 304 dual wins (275 at McMinn County and 29 as junior high head coach in Iowa), a handful of McMinn Duals titles, an in-season traditional tourney title (CCS Charger Invite in 2013), sportsmanship awards and a handful of Cherokees who wrestled in the state tournament.

 

“Recording my 300th coaching win this season, receiving the Team Sportsmanship Award at last month’s Mountain Top Tourney at Sewanee-St.Andrews and also winning the CCS traditional tourney a couple of years ago are a few of my coaching highlights,†said coach Stoika who also as father-coach sat mat side as son Brian won a match in the state tournament a few years ago.

 

Another highlight would be coaching a mountain of a wrestler in Shazzon Bradley to state titles in 1987 and 1988. Other top Cherokee wrestlers have been Todd Humbert (4x region finalist) and two-time state qualifier Nathan Sloan.

 

“Coach Stoika and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye on strategy and how to wrestle different guys as I was pretty stubborn and bull-headed as a high school kid from the country,†said Bradley with a laugh.

 

“But I knew he had my best interest in mind and once I decided to do things his way things worked out well for me.â€

 

Coach Stoika commented, “Shazzon had some tough opponents at heavyweight his junior year, including Gary King from Howard High School.

 

“Shazzon beat King at the McCalliie tournament, while King won the re-match at the Central Invitational, but Shazzon claimed the third and most important match beating King in the state finals.â€

 

Bradley applauds his former coach for setting him on the right path.

 

“First of all coach Stoika is a Christian man and if it wasn’t for him and the way he has lived his life I wouldn’t be a Christian today and going to heaven,†Bradley stated.

 

Bradley commented that coach Stoika emphasized the importance of preparation, hard work and training and not just relying on physical strength to win matches.

 

“Coach Stoika lives his life by example and taught me how to me a man. He is a great man, just look at all the lives of young men he has touched over all these years.â€

 

Today, coach Stoika, wearing his usual dress shirt and tie (“I treat the sport of wrestling with respect and feel I should be dressed accordinglyâ€), will instruct, encourage and cheer on his wrestlers as he has for thirtysomething years with the hopes of proudly seeing a few on the medal stand late this afternoon to give the long time history teacher one more trip to the state tourney before saying good bye.

 

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

 

The Big Blue Still pulls it out even with Mason Reiniche knocking off McCallie's previously undefeated Ethan Dendy...

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/12/mccallie-first-baylor-second-divisiii-regiwre/412420/

 

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McCallie first, Baylor second in Division II region wrestling

 

February 12th, 2017by Idris Garciain Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

 

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McCallie's Trel Phillips controls Baylor's David Thompson on the way to a win by a pin in their 195-pound class match as McCallie hosts Baylor in a wrestling match on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

 

Photo by John Rawlston /Times Free Press.

 

McCallie held down the fort hosting the Division II East/Middle wrestling tournament, qualifying 13 wrestlers for this week's state tournament while earning the region team title Saturday with 226 points.

 

Baylor was the runner-up with 214 points and the only school to send all 14 wrestlers to state.

 

The two Chattanooga teams dominated the finals stage, combining to have a finalist in 13 out of the 14 bouts and totaling 10 individual champions. The runner-up Red Raiders accounted for six of them.

 

"I think we wrestled well overall, but there were some points in there where we wavered a little bit," McCallie coach Mike Newman said. "Next week, team points are huge, so we can't let up. I feel like a couple of pins got away today, so we'll look at what we have to improve this week."

 

Alex Whitworth led off for the Blue Tornado, picking up a first-period pin in the 106-pound title match to continue an impressive eighth-grade season. McCallie's other champions were Brock Herring (132 pounds), Judah Duhm (182) and River Henry (285).

 

Baylor's championship highlight came in the 152-pound bout, as Mason Reiniche knocked off McCallie's previously undefeated Ethan Dendy in the marquee matchup of the tournament. After a scoreless first period, Reiniche chose to start on the mat in the second. Dendy held control throughout the period, but as time ticked down Reiniche reversed Dendy onto his back and got a pin just as the buzzer sounded.

 

"It was fun to see those guys in the middle," Baylor coach Ben Nelson said. "It was a great match that will definitely help build confidence going forward. I think all of our guys wrestled hard in every position, and never let off the gas win or lose."

 

Porter Kaufman (113), Austin Atchley (138), Connor Duffy (160), Khamari Whimper (170), and Tyree Toliver (220) were the Red Raiders' other champions.

 

Newman said the region champions will now turn their attention to competing at the Williamson County Agricultural Expo in Franklin, Tenn.

 

"We will be fine tuning things this week, making sure everyone is fresh and getting their weight right," he said. "Then we just have to let it fly Friday and Saturday."

 

Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy had a nice third-place showing, with 203 points, 13 qualifiers and four champions. Completing the field were Battle Ground Academy (57 points), Franklin Road Academy (51), Knoxville Webb (38.5), Friendship Christian (24), St. Andrew's-Sewanee (19) and Pope John Paul II (11).

 

Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.

 

Read next article

 

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Hixson storms to A/AA title, gets 11 state qualifiers

 

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

 

Wilson County Post coverage...

 

http://wilsonpost.com/tssaa-wrestling----27-locals-headed-to-state-cms-90169

 

TSSAA WRESTLING -- 27 locals headed to state

 

Tommy Bryan

 

Published: February 13, 20

 

Wilson County qualifiers

 

Eleven from WCHS, 10 from MJHS

Some 27 Wilson County grapplers have earned spots in this week's TSSAA Class AAA and D- II state tournament set for the Williamson County Ag. Expo Center. Round of 32 matches for Class AAA will begin Thursday at 3 p.m. followed by Round of 16 matches as 22 local boys compete for hardware.

 

Two girls, Kaitlyn Lee (120) and Megan Pruitt (125), both from Mt. Juliet High are among 81 females who go to the mat on Friday.

 

Wilson Central saw 11 wrestlers qualify through the Region 7-AAA tournament this past weekend at Mt. Juliet High.

 

Three Wildcats advance region champs, including: Michael Kramer (57-0) at 285, Damon Smith (56-7) at 170 and Sean Sesnan (54-4) at 120.

 

Kramer was voted "Most Outstanding Wrestler" -- going 3-0 with three first period pins.

 

Smith earned "Best Match" honors for his finals contest against Kyle Smith of Beech.

 

Five advance with second place regional finishes, including: Niko Noga (38-7) at 182, Cullen Belcher (36-17) at 138, Alex Pergande (39-15) at 132 , Simon Pergande (41-10) at 126 and Gage Backus (45-13) at 113.

 

Andreus Trotter (19-7) at 220 advances with a third place finish while Geoffrey Walpole (1-2) at 195 and Grant Fetters (30-16) at 106 are going to the state with fourth place region finishes.

 

Mt. Juliet High will send eight to the state tournament, including five who won their respective weight classes.

 

Region 7-AAA champions include: Austin Plumlee (41-5) at 126, Jalen Henry (34-6) at 132, Zack Wilkins (29-1) at 138, Steven Weist (44-6) at 145 and Nathan Walling (49-2) at 195.

 

Dylan Quinn (41-9) advances as a regional runner-up at 160.

 

Bryan Horner (25-15) at 285 is a regional third place finisher while Chris Hunphreys (31-16) at 182 is going to Franklin with a fourth place regional finish.

 

Lebanon High will be sending three wrestlers to the state tournament, including: Ryan Brown (25-11) runner-up at 152, Austin Reynolds (12-1) third place at 145 and J.W. Baird (5-2) fourth place at 220 pounds.

 

Division II

Friendship Christian School revived wrestling this season after an eight-year absence and will be sending three athletes to the Division II tournament Friday morning.

Harrison Noffsinger ((21-13) at 113 pounds. Tyson Strickland (12-12) qualified at 220 pounds and Ryan Jackson (30-7) earned a spot at 285 pounds.

 

Admission is $10

Gates open at 12 Noon Thursday. First round Class AAA matches start at 3 p.m. Admission is $10 per person (ages five and older), with a $5 charge per vehicle to park.

Girls weigh-in at 9 a.m. Friday with competition starting at 11 a.m.

 

 

Related Articles:

 

WRESTLING -- WC & MJ compete in state dualsWRESTLING -- Two local teams earn state berthsWRESTLING -- WCHS moves to 6-0WRESTLING -- Wilson County DualsWRESTLING -- Kramer named All-AmerciaDickeson memorial held July 15

 

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

 

BRADLEY COUNTY will send 31 wrestlers in total to the Class AAA state tournament in Franklin later this week. Cleveland landed the most, with 14 state advancers.

 

http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/31-local-wrestlers-will-belooking-for-state-titles,52334

 

state titles

 

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BANNER PHOTO, PATRICK MACCOON

 

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Posted Monday, February 13, 2017 12:08 pm

 

By PATRICK MacCoon Banner Sports Writer

 

Bradley County once again will be well represented when the TSSAA Class AAA Traditional State Wrestling Championship begins in Franklin on Thursday.

 

Finishing in at least the top four of the Region 4-AAA tournament this past Saturday were 31 local wrestlers.

 

Bradley Central fought its way to a region title and will send 13 wrestlers to state: Wesley Devaney, TJ Hicks, Trey Hicks, Ethan Anderson, Ryan McElhaney, Andy Robinson, Knox Fuller, Austin Mathews, Caleb Adkins, Ed Elkins, Kevin Gentry, Devin Gibson and Christopher Cash.

 

While Cleveland narrowly was defeated by five total team points, the program accomplished something it has not been able to do since 2005 in sending all 14 wrestlers to the individual state tournament. They are Burns Meagher, Garret Bowers, Bryce Pond, Jayce Mullin, Colton Landers, Cody Mathews, Caleb Eachus, Austin Sweeney, Zach Brezna, Dylan Jones, Jack Hicks, Logan Strickland, Seth Garcia and Titus Swafford.

 

A youthful Walker Valley team will have a chance for four state medalists as well — Chandler Davis, James Jur, Dillon Clark and Mikel Gregory.

 

With heavy representation and plenty of chances to land points in the three day traditional state tournament at the Expo Center (Thursday and Friday), the Bears and Blue Raiders are the state favorites to bring home the hardware.

 

For Ben Smith’s Bradley squad, it would be a clean sweep of the state team awards this season and the program’s 26th overall.

 

First-year head coach Josh Bosken, meanwhile, hopes his talented lineup can bring home Cleveland’s 13th state championship.

 

Alan Morris has high expectations for his Mustang wrestlers to compete for individual championships as well.

 

Fuller is the lone undefeated wrestler still from the area, with a 42-0 mark for the Bears. The 145-pound three-time state champion was nearly perfect in a 17-1 second round technical fall to become a region champion.

 

Full coverage from the Cleveland Daily Banner will follow later this week from Franklin, where there could also be many first-time state champs as well from the local area.

 

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

 

Cookeville press coverage...

 

http://herald-citizen.com/stories/five-chs-wrestlers-qualify-for-state,19739

 

Five CHS wrestlers qualify for state

 

Posted Monday, February 13, 2017

 

From Staff Reports

 

The Cookeville High School wrestling season will continue just a little bit longer as five Cavalier wrestlers came out of Saturday’s TSSAA Region 5-AAA Tournament in Tullahoma with winning medals.

 

The Cavs saw Hunter Harcum (126), Bradley Houmard (145), Ben Bos (160), Dyllan Houser (182), and Jake Harrington (220) punch their tickets to the TSSAA Wrestling State Championships as Harcum and Houmard took fourth-place finishes, and Houmard, Houser, and Harrington all finished second on Saturday.

 

Harcum and Houmard found themselves in tough situations after winning their first two matches as both lost their semifinal matches. Harcum lost a 13-6 decision, and Houmard lost to a technical fall, but both bounced back in their consolation semifinal to stay in medal contention.

 

Harcum stayed alive by pinning his opponent just four seconds into the second round, but he came up just short in his final and third-place match. He battled hard for three rounds, keeping the score even, but lost abruptly during the sudden victory period to claim fourth.

 

Houmard stayed alive by pinning his opponent with eight seconds remaining in the second round, but his third-place opponent pinned him 20 seconds into the final period.

 

Cookeville’s three medalists above 150 pounds had impressive runs on Saturday as well. All three may have received a bye in their first bouts, but their only losses came in first-place matches.

 

Bos took care of business in his quarterfinal match, pinning his opponent 17 seconds into the second round, and he squeezed out an 8-5 decision in the semifinals. However, Bos came up short in his final match as he was pinned with just under 30 seconds remaining in the first round.

 

Houser’s path to a first-place match was a little closer as he won his quarterfinal match by pinfall 36 seconds into the final round, and his semifinal came to a narrower decision at 7-5. Houser lasted nearly as long as Bos, but unfortunately was pinned with just over 30 seconds remaining in the first round.

 

Harrington was the quickest to get things moving as he pinned his quarterfinals opponent in just 25 seconds, and he was the only one to pin his semifinal opponent. He finished the semifinal with just 20 seconds left, but unfortunately, Harrington lost his first-place match by a major 15-6 decision.

 

These five Cavaliers are now in preparation for their final action of the season as the TSSAA Wrestling State Championships begin Thursday at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin. The gates open at noon, weigh-ins for Class AAA start at 1 p.m., and the round of 32 is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

 

 

____________________________________

 

 

Mr Mark Wiedmer Tells us why wrestling at UTC is a Special Family Oriented place, and...

 

From #10 Johnson.... to say No to Eslinger for any high school recruit ...whether to pick UTC as his college of choice is tough.

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2017/feb/13/wiedmer-utc-wrestling-winner-both-and-mat/412524/

 

Wiedmer: UTC wrestling a winner both on and off the mat

 

February 13th, 2017by Mark Wiedmerin Sports - CollegeRead Time: 4 mins.

 

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Heath Eslinger coaches during UTC's wrestling match against The Citadel on Sunday at Maclellan Gym.

 

Photo by Angela Lewis /Times Free Press.

 

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Mark Wiedmer

 

Photo by Contributed Photo /Times Free Press.

 

Jared Johnson thought he would feel differently. More subdued. More melancholy over his athletic life at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga turning to its final chapter Sunday afternoon.

 

Soaked with sweat, the senior heavyweight wrestler said after a 9-0 victory over The Citadel's Joe Bexley in the final dual meet of his college career: "I thought I'd be kind of sad. But I was just really excited. Excited over the career I've had."

 

They've all had pretty good careers, these six seniors UTC coach Heath Eslinger said good-bye to prior to the 36-11 Southern Conference win over the Bulldogs, a victory to make the Mocs 5-2 in the SoCon and 7-9 overall. Next up is the individual-based SoCon tournament March 4 in Charleston, S.C., and the NCAA tournament in St. Louis later in the month for those who qualify.

 

Not all of the senior Mocs have been as successful on the mat as Johnson, who's ranked 10th nationally and finished sixth in UTC's Southern Scuffle last month. But along with Johnson, Clay Dent, D.J. Franklin-Smith, Austin Gould, Sean Mappes and Barrett Walthall are either on track to graduate or are already taking graduate courses, which is what college is ultimately supposed to be about.

 

"I am very proud of all our seniors," Eslinger said. "They have meant so much to our program and have been outstanding representatives of this university throughout their careers."

 

College wrestling isn't like basketball or football. You can't really even dream of going pro in wrestling unless you coach or find a way to make a little money training for the Olympics. For those lucky enough to receive a scholarship, it's pretty much a chance to remain an elite athlete for four more years as you earn a degree that will hopefully benefit you for the rest of your life.

 

"I'm more mature," said Mappes, a 174-pounder who won by technical fall Sunday, regarding how he's changed in four years of college. "I live by myself. I have a fiancée. I work 20 hours a week at McKee in corporate wellness."

 

Said Dent, a Piedmont, Ala., native who has wrestled at 197 this year and is majoring in business management: "I feel like I'm a lot different (from freshman year), just from working hard."

 

Then there's Johnson, who already owns a degree in chemical engineering and is now working on his MBA.

 

"I feel like an old man right now," he said with a weary smile. "My body's falling apart. But it's been a great experience. It came down to here or Oklahoma coming out of high school (in Jefferson City, Mo.). But this is such a great wrestling community, all the alumni support, my teammates."

 

And despite working on his master's degree and wrapping up his sterling wrestling career, Johnson also has found time to be a chemist intern at Zeco, which is part of the Vincit Group. So would he, much like Dent, consider making the Tennessee Valley his permanent home, despite Jefferson City being a nine-hour drive from the Scenic City?

 

"Depends on a job," he said.

 

Of course, all these wrestlers have parents who consider it part of their jobs to support their sons, which meant their lives also changed dramatically Sunday.

 

"I just appreciated how they've treated my son," Samantha Dent said. "Clay got a great education, and this is a family-oriented school. They took care of him, and that makes me a proud mom."

 

Added Clay's dad Ira: "They helped him grow up."

 

Asked if they'll miss the one-hour, 45-minute drive from Piedmont, Ira said, "I'll miss Champy's. And we liked to come up here and shop for Mocs gear."

 

For Steve and Tina Johnson, the drive from Jefferson City could have been a huge drain. But that wasn't what he talked about as he stood on the floor of Maclellan Gym.

 

"This day is bittersweet," he said. "We've had a tremendous run. Coach Eslinger has been good to us."

 

It is likely bittersweet for wrestler and parent alike.

 

"You feel like you're getting new brothers every year," Dent said of each recruiting class that arrived during his time at the school. "These guys will be my best friends for the rest of my life."

 

He also called UTC "a very unique place. A lot of fans show up every week to support us. We always have a good team. It's special."

 

Wrestling has always been special in the Tennessee Valley, both high school and college. Eslinger's ability to hype the Southern Scuffle into one of the best regular-season tournaments — if not the best — in college wrestling has made it more so.

 

But at its core, what may best serve the Mocs and the city's wrestling reputation are the people who work so hard to promote both.

 

After discussing the "many an hour we spent at Jefferson's watching Jared eat hot wings," and talking about how he and his wife were "so impressed with so many things here," Steve Johnson was asked if he wasn't at least a little happy to be rid of those nine-hour drives from Jefferson City.

 

"This place and this team always welcomed us with open arms," he said. "That makes the drive pretty short."

 

And that answer makes it a lot tougher to say no to Eslinger for any high school recruit wrestling with whether to pick UTC as his college of choice, now or in the future.

 

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

 

____________________________

 

Example of how a small school can compete. We all know a school from any division in Tennessee or Kentucky will be hard pressed to post a win verses this Erwin Machine...

 

http://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/local/uca/sports/2017/02/14/wrestling-braves-win-state-duals/97414660/

The Union County wrestling team finished first in the KYWCA small school state duals Saturday,January 28 at Lindsey Wilson College.

 

The Braves posted four victories to win the title, defeating Boyle County (81-0), John Hardin (72-3), Walton Verona (44-29) and Wayne County (58-18) in the final.

 

Wayne County finished second in the small school state duals, while Walton Verona was third.

 

Zeke Escalera (106 pounds), Saul Ervin (132), Bryce Sheffer (138), Chance Oxford (145), Avery Buckman (182) and Ross Hicks (195) all went 4-0 for the Braves in their respective weight classes. Gabe Adams (113), Sam Bacon (120), Micah Ervin (152), Matthias Ervin (170) and Payton Synder (heavyweight) went 3-1 in the round robin portion of the tournament.

 

 

Whoops, missed this...

 

The Braves finished off the day with a 46-19 victory over St. Xavier, the large school winner, in the overall final.

 

IF KY CAN DO THIS, SO CAN TENNESSEE!?!?

 

Hello?

Edited February 14, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

DNJ MidTn Coverage

 

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/14/high-school-notebook-state-individual-wrestling-tournament-begins-thursday/97858140/

 

High school notebook: State Individual Wrestling Tournament begins Thursday

 

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Smyrna's Cameron Henderson (top) and Stewarts Creek's Carson Helton will both be competing at the TSSAA State ...more

 

Cecil Joyce | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee12:14 a.m. CT Feb. 14, 2017

 

The TSSAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament will be held this weekend at Williamson Ag & Expo Center in Franklin.

 

The tournament will begin Thursday at 3 p.m. with Class AAA round of 32, round of 16 and first- and second-round consolations.

 

On Friday at 10 a.m. the AAA quarterfinals, A-AA round of 16 and second- and third-round of AAA consolations will be held. Girls championships quarterfinals will begin at 11 a.m., with more AAA consolation bouts scheduled later that evening.

 

The AAA championships semifinals will be held at 6 p.m. Friday.

 

Consolation semifinals and finals will be held Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. while the girls championships will be held at 11 a.m.

 

Championship finals will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday.

 

Rutherford County is well represented, with 35 individual boys competing in Class AAA.

 

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

 

Riverdale's Nick Boykin, Blackman's Matthew Sells cruise to region wrestling titles

 

Sports3 days ago

 

Photos: Region 5-AAA Individual Wrestling Tournament

 

________________________

 

 

Debien improves to 14-9 overall and 7-0 in Southern Conference action...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/12/341763/Moc-Wrestlers-Win-Regular-Season-Finale.aspx

 

Moc Wrestlers Win Regular Season Finale Over Citadel

 

Sunday, February 12, 2017

 

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team capped off the 2016-17 regular season with a 36-11 win over The Citadel today. The Mocs won seven of the 10 matches and posted three pins and two tech falls against The Bulldogs.

 

"You want to win all 10, but I am happy with our effort," stated UTC head coach Heath Eslinger. "We had a lot of guys wrestle well today. We have two big events coming up in the league championships and NCAAs, so hopefully we can carry this momentum forward.

 

Chattanooga ran out to a quick 12-0 lead after pins at 1125 and 133. Sophomore Alonzo Allen scored his in the third period (6:08) over Patrick Kearney, while sophomore Chris Debien put Andrew Szalwinski on his back in the first period (1:33).

 

Debien improved to 14-9 overall and 7-0 in Southern Conference action while Allen moved to 14-11 and 6-1 in league matches.

 

Sophomore Chase Zemenak gave UTC a 16-0 lead with a major decision. He ends the league schedule with a 5-1 mark.

 

The Citadel won at 141 and 149 to close the team gap to 16-7. However, junior Justin Lampe extended the Mocs' lead to 22-7 with a pin just before the second period buzzer (4:59). He is 13-10 overall and 6-1 in league bouts.

 

Before the match, the Mocs honored six seniors in Austin Gould, Barrett Walthall, D.J. Franklin-Smith, Sean Mappes, Clay Dent and Jared Johnson. Mappes was the first of three to see the mat, scoring a tech fall at 174.

 

Junior Bryce Carr followed with a tech fall of his own at 184, but the Bulldogs scored a win at 197. Carr, ranked No. 19 in this week's polls, has a 22-4 overall record and 6-1 league mark heading into the postseason.

 

Johnson brought a No. 10 national ranking at heavyweight into today's match and scored a 9-0 major decision over Joe Bexley. That left the final score at 36-11 in favor of the Mocs.

 

"I am very proud of all of our seniors," added Eslinger. "They have meant so much to our program and have been outstanding representatives of this University throughout their careers."

 

UTC now has almost three weeks to prepare for the 2017 Southern Conference Tournament. The league championship is set for Saturday, March 4, at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

 

Chattanooga 36 – The Citadel 11

Sunday – Feb. 12, 2017 – Maclellan Gym – Chattanooga, Tenn.

125: Alonzo Allen (CHAT) over Charles Kearney (THCI) (Fall 6:08)

133: Chris Debien (CHAT) over Andrew Szalwinski (THCI) (Fall 1:33)

141: Chase Zemenak (CHAT) over Douglas Gudenburr (THCI) (MD 13-4)

149: Tyler Buckiso (THCI) over Roman Boylen (CHAT) (Dec 7-5)

157: Aaron Walker (THCI) over Dylanger Potter (CHAT) (MD 10-2)

165: Justin Lampe (CHAT) over Jason Carr (THCI) (Fall 4:59)

174: Sean Mappes (CHAT) over Martin Duane (THCI) (TF 18-0 3:58)

184: Bryce Carr (CHAT) over Chandler Sambets (THCI) (TF 18-3 2:09)

197: Sawyer Root (THCI) over Clay Dent (CHAT) (MD 13-1)

285: Jared Johnson (CHAT) over Joseph Bexley (THCI) (MD 9-0)

Edited February 15, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Blackman may have another with undefeated season & shot at another title...

 

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/15/blackmans-matthew-sells-confident-state-wrestling-repeat-bid/97909588/

 

HIGH SCHOOL

 

Blackman's Matthew Sells confident in state wrestling repeat bid

 

Cecil Joyce | USA TODAY NETWORK - TennesseeUpdated 2 hours ago

 

It would be easy to say Blackman senior Matthew Sells has been living in the shadows of another legendary wrestler from Murfreesboro during his career.

 

That suits Sells just fine.

 

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Blackman's Matthew Sells will be gunning for his second consecutive state title in the 160-pound ...more

 

Cecil Joyce/ DNJ

 

"Maybe (it would bother me) if we weren't such good friends," said Sells, referring to Riverdale senior heavyweight Nick Boykin, who is a two-time defending state champ. "We've wrestled together for years."

 

While Boykin has been highly publicized for his two state titles, 127 wins in a row and future at the Olympic Training Center, Sells has made quite a name for himself as well.

 

Sells is the defending 160-pound Class AAA state champ and has not lost a match this season. He will attempt to defend his crown at the TSSAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament, held Thursday through Saturday at Williamson Ag & Expo Center in Franklin.

 

Sells is 44-0 this season and 93-2 over the past two seasons. He has four consecutive Region 5-AAA championships, including titles at 145 pounds his freshman year and 152 his sophomore season.

 

He wrestled early this season at 170 pounds before going back down to his more familiar 160-pound weight class.

 

"He moves a lot better at 160," said Blackman coach Ronnie Bray. "That's where his body feels best."

 

Sells' success can be attributed to one major ingredient — his work ethic.

 

"He hasn't missed a practice in his career," said Bray. "Four straight years he's never missed. He's also gone over to MTSU and gotten practice there; he's gone to numerous camps. He's still improving every day. He's trained all over the place to get better."

 

Added Sells, "Practice is valuable to winning matches. I try to get in extra practice when I can. During the season we have so many matches, but I've gotten in most of my work in the offseason."

 

Sells, the No. 1 seed at 160, will wrestle Tennessee High's Will Poore in the first round Thursday. He is one of 35 boys from the area competing in Class AAA. Included are nine from Blackman, nine from Stewarts Creek and seven from Oakland. Eagleville will be represented with two wrestlers in A-AA while Smyrna will have one participant in the girls state tournament.

 

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Blackman's Matthew Sells is seeking his second straight Class AAA state wrestling title in the ...more

 

File / Tom Kreager / USA Today Network - Tennessee

 

"It's going to be a tough road (for Sells)," said Bray. "There are some good wrestlers (in 160)."

 

Two other medalists return in the bracket, including Bradley Central's Caleb Adkins (No. 2 seed) and Walker Valley's Mikel Gregory.

 

And while confidence is certainly not an issue with Sells, he realizes anything can happen in wrestling, so staying on top of your game is essential.

 

"I know if I wrestle well, I should win," said Sells, whose state title last season was helped when Soddy-Daisy's two-time champ Tucker Russo (one of Sells' two losses a year ago) was disqualified from an earlier state match. "A lot of guys haven't worked as hard. I just have to focus on staying solid."

 

Sells has committed to wrestle at Cumberland University. Until then he has a repeat on his mind. He'll be keeping an eye on his buddy Boykin as well.

 

"I'll definitely be in his corner," Sells said, unless Boykin's opponent is Blackman 285-pounder Jamil Hughes.

 

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

 

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Blackman's Matthew Sells (top) won his fourth straight region title last weekend.

 

Cecil Joyce/ DNJ

 

Rutherford County Wrestlers At State

 

Class AAA boys

 

106-pound division: Kenny Harless (Stewarts Creek), Evan Smart (Blackman)

 

113-pound division: David Medina (Riverdale), Kenny Pranaphong (La Vergne)

 

120-pound division: Jaylen James (Stewarts Creek), Semaj Burton (Oakland), Austin Swink (Riverdale)

 

126-pound division: Cameron Henderson (Smyrna), Carson Helton (Stewarts Creek)

 

 

SPORTS

 

MTSU's Insell selected for Hall of Fame

 

132-pound division: Daniel Bradford (Blackman), Gabe Rogers (Stewarts Creek), Nathan Potter (Riverdale), Andrew Farrar (Oakland)

 

138-pound division: Brooks Sacharczyk (Blackman), Treavor South (Stewarts Creek), Sean Eastman (Oakland)

 

145-pound division: Jason Chambers (Stewarts Creek), Jalen Brown (Blackman), Michael Moultry (Siegel)

 

152-pound division: Landon Fowler (Blackman), Eli Haynes (Stewarts Creek)

 

160-pound division: Matthew Sells (Blackman), Ryder Gebhardt (Oakland), Levi Silvers (Stewarts Creek)

 

170-pound division: Justin Chambers (Stewarts Creek), TK Green (Oakland)

 

182-pound division: Christian Salter (Siegel), Spencer Layne (Blackman), Josh Rowland (Smyrna)

 

195-pound division: Delantay Isaac (Smyrna), Ryan Bruley (Oakland)

 

220-pound division: Brandon Boone (Oakland), Dylan Heath (Blackman)

 

285-pound division: Nick Boykin (Riverdale), Jamil Hughes (Blackman)

 

Class A-AA boys

 

113-pound division: Wyatt McLemore (Eagleville)

 

120-pound division: Blaine Fussell (Eagleville)

 

Girls

 

105-pound division: Kalea Sandberg (Smyrna)

 

.... speaking of girls in wrestling, Colorado announces sanctioning a girls division as well...

 

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/02/15/chsaa-sanctioning-girls-wrestling/

Edited February 15, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Gossett Feeding Wrestling Awareness in the high school and college hot bed of male wrestling...

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/16/same-story-different-year-bradley-central-fav/413116/

 

Same story, different year: Bradley Central favored to win wrestling state title

 

February 16th, 2017by Ward Gossett in Sports - PrepsRead Time: 3 mins.

 

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Bradley Central's T.J. Hicks lifts Cleveland's Garrett Bowers during the 113 lb bout of their prep wrestling meet at Cleveland High School on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, in Cleveland, Tenn.

 

Photo by Doug Strickland /Times Free Press.

 

Gallery: Same story, different year: Bradley Central favored to win wrestling state title

 

TSSAA WRESTLING

 

Schedule for state traditional tournaments at Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin (all times Eastern):

 

Today

 

Noon — gates open; 2 p.m. — weigh-ins; 4 p.m. — AAA round of 32, round of 16; AAA first and second consolation rounds.

 

Friday

 

8 a.m. — gates open; 9 a.m. — weigh-ins; 11 a.m. — AAA quarterfinals, AAA third and fourth consolation rounds; A/AA round of 16; Division II quarterfinals; 7 p.m. — championship semifinals; consolation rounds.

 

Saturday

 

8 a.m. — gates open; 9 a.m. — weigh-ins; 11 a.m. — consolation semifinals, consolation finals; 6 p.m. — championship finals.

 

It is a recurring storyline. Bradley Central enters the Tennessee Class AAA wrestling championships as the favorite.

 

That, at least, is the sentiment from Bristol to Memphis heading into the state traditional tournament, which this afternoon begins a three-day run at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin, with A/AA and Division II teams beginning competition Friday.

 

Despite coach Ben Smith's initial protests and his desire to put his team in an underdog role, Bradley has a combination of experience and talent he hopes will be enough to hold off Cleveland, which his Bears slipped past for the Region 4 championship last week; Tennessee High, last year's runner-up; and Halls, which fell to the Bears in the opening round of the state duals two weeks ago.

 

"Facts are facts," Smith said, nodding with a reluctant shrug. "There are a lot of teams out there that want to beat us and there are a lot of teams out there with a lot of kids that are young, hungry and motivated. That's what we've seen all season, but as defending champions we're the favorites and that's the way it'll be until somebody beats us."

 

Cleveland stood to have the most AAA state qualifiers with 14, one more than Bradley and two more than Tennessee High, Science Hill and Heritage. However, the Blue Raiders will be without 106-pounder Burns Meagher, who suffered a broken leg during last week's region consolation finals.

 

Arlington, which has 11 qualifiers, enters with seven region champions, most in the tournament. Bradley, Science Hill and Summit have six each, while Halls, Tennessee High, Beech, Independence, William Blount and Mount Juliet have five apiece.

 

"We know Science Hill well — a very competitive team — and Tennessee High is a very strong team," Smith said.

 

"We have been very impressed with Halls. You put a passionate, knowledgeable guy (coach Shannon Sayne) in a supportive community, set up your kids' clubs and surround yourself with good assistants, you're going to have a good team. Shannon has done that, and he does things the right way. He has some kids that can get deep in the tournament. Beech has some kids that can go deep in the tournament."

 

Soddy-Daisy finished third in Region 4 behind Bradley and Cleveland.

 

"The depth of Region 4 can make a difference," Soddy-Daisy coach Jim Higgins said. "If we wrestle well, we can be in the (team championship) mix. I think Bradley will win it, and I think Cleveland will score some points, maybe more than we do. Surviving in the region we're in can make a difference. Now, when it's all said and done, the cream has eventually risen to the top."

 

There are seven champions returning from the 2015-2016 season, including Sody-Daisy's Landon Wheaton, Beech's Trevor Rippy, Blackman's Matthew Sells, Riverdale's Nick Boykin and Bradley seniors Knox Fuller, T.J. Hicks and Ryan McElhaney.

 

Fuller is seeking to join the late Matt Keller as Bradley's only four-time state champions.

 

"I don't believe he ever even thinks about it," Smith said. "The kid has lost four times in his high school career. He was behind going into the third period two years ago and won, and he was up by a point going into the third period last year and won. I've never seen him rattled."

 

There are 15 total medalists from the Chattanooga area returning to the tournament.

 

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

 

More Articles

 

Read next article

 

Bradley wrestling nerd Ryan McElhaney profits from sacrifice, work ethic

 

_______________

 

 

More human interest from Ward Gossett...

 

BC principal's son cuts for his teammates as many others are willing to do to assist or talent...

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/16/bradley-wrestling-nerd-mcelhaney-profits-sacr/413128/

 

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Bradley wrestling nerd Ryan McElhaney profits from sacrifice, work ethic

 

Often overlooked, McElhaney one of Bradley's best wrestlers

 

February 16th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

 

Pic

 

Bradley Central senior wrestler Ryan McElhaney, top, controls Cleveland's Colton Landers in their 132-pound match during a dual last month at Cleveland. McElhaney is 38-2 entering the AAA state traditional tournament, which starts today in Franklin.

 

Photo by Doug Strickland /Times Free Press.

 

Pic

 

Ryan McElhaney of Bradley Central (top) turns Bearden's Kyle Burns in the 120 pound class. McElhaney won the match. The finals of the TSSAA State Wrestlings Championships were held at the Williamson Agricultural Center in Franklin, Tn. on February 20, 2016.

 

Photo by Robin Rudd /Times Free Press.

 

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — There is a sole purpose when Ryan McElhaney hops on a bike — stationary or otherwise.

 

He's training — shedding a pound or bolstering his cardio.

 

"One of the hardest things as a coach is getting kids to buy into the idea of coming to practice to work hard every day," Bradley Central wrestling coach Ben Smith said. "Every practice, every scramble, every drill, every takedown matter.

 

"Since he got here four years ago, he's taken advantage 99.9 percent of the time of every opportunity. I have never worried about him sleeping through a practice."

 

McElhaney isn't one of those Bradley wrestlers who gets into cross-training, Ironman competition or mountain biking for a lark. He's more into academics, video games or collecting comic books.

 

Yet wrestling has taught the 132-pounder the meaning of sacrifice.

 

"It's putting all your time and effort into something," he said, "even when there's something else you might enjoy doing more."

 

Yet while he might be defined as the team's resident nerd, he already is a three-time state medalist and former state champion. Within the team, he's respected as much as fellow seniors T.J. Hicks, the Bears' feisty 113-pounder who's headed for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and West Point-bound 145-pounder Knox Fuller.

 

Outside of the team, McElhaney is the oh-by-the-way guy.

 

"I think Ryan is overshadowed, and I think he is very underrated by those outside this program," Smith said.

 

McElhaney is aware teammates have received more attention, but he has used it as motivation when he is considered an afterthought.

 

"I sometimes felt that (other wrestlers) would rather bump up and wrestle me than T.J. or drop to wrestle me instead of Knox," said McElhaney, who today enters the Class AAA state traditional tournament with a 38-2 record this season.

 

That mindset, though, has fueled McElhaney's desire nearly as much as his devotion to coaches and teammates.

 

"People talk crap. I just work. I just wrestle," he said. "I do what I have trained to do,"

 

There's no question part of what McElhaney does is for self-gratification. He's human.

 

He has always wanted to be better than older brother Jimmy Frederick, a two-time medalist and state champion for East Ridge who served as his childhood coach. Yet when he sucked down 20 pounds last year and maintained that weight through the wrestling season to compete at 126, the motivation was teammates, coaches and the Bradley Central tradition.

 

"Losing the weight took a lot of time out of each day. I did it for these guys," he said, jerking a thumb toward teammates awaiting the start of practice. "We wanted to win the state (team) title. This is my team, and I wrestle for them and do what I can to help us win."

 

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

[Sommers]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/16/bradley-cleveland-starting-pull-away-aawrestl/413375/

 

 

Bradley, Cleveland starting to pull away in AAA wrestling

 

February 16th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

 

 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — The Tennessee Class AAA state wrestling team race was tight from one perspective on opening night Thursday, but it was beginning to break apart beyond the first two on the leaderboard.

 

Bradley Central, the defending champion and pre-tournament pick, had a slim 2.5-point lead, and the hound close enough to nip at the Bears' heels was top rival Cleveland.

 

"I felt there was actually a chance we might leave tonight down by a few points," Bradley coach Ben Smith said. "We scored a lot of bonus points in the first round and then won some matches I thought would be toss-ups in the second r

 

Bradley had 78.5 points to 76 for the Blue Raiders, and the two had begun to pull away from the field. Cleveland forged ahead of third-place Tennessee High, the runner-up a year ago, by 16.5 points.

 

"I'm not surprised that they're pulling away," said Soddy-Daisy coach Jim Higgins, who's in the same region with the pair and knows those two programs as well as any coach in the state.

 

"I still think the tournament is Bradley's to lose," observed Science Hill coach Jimmy Miller, whose team saw the two leaders more than once during the season. "They have enough horses. They have a lot of powerful kids. If it's close they'll win it in the wrestle-backs."

 

Surprising Independence and Halls were tied in fourth with 57.5 points and Arlington was sixth with 54, two points better than Science Hill and four better than eighth-place Summit and Wilson Central.

 

Soddy-Daisy was in 10th place with 47 points.

 

While Bradley put 10 in this morning's quarterfinals, Cleveland kept it close with a strong showing in the two consolation rounds. The Blue Raiders got six through to the quarterfinals and have seven alive in the consolations. Bradley has two in the consolations and lost only one of the 13 it advanced from the region.

 

"Come noon tomorrow (after the quarterfinals), we'll have an idea of where we really stand," Smith said. "The thing about Cleveland, they're going to be fighting, clawing and digging the entire way. But I don't see our guys backing off from the challenge."

 

The Region 4 contingent otherwise had been cut down to size, however — at least in the championship bracket. Chattanooga-area teams had just 23 of their 56 qualifiers in the chase for gold medals.

 

In addition to Bradley's 10 and Cleveland's six, Soddy-Daisy advanced three, East Hamilton two and Walker Valley and Ooltewah one each.

 

Of those remaining in the winners bracket, 32 of their wins brought their teams bonus points and 11 of those — Soddy-Daisy's Landon Wheaton, Tony Wilson and Troy Boeck; Bradley's Knox Fuller and Caleb Adkins; Cleveland's Bryce Pond and Colton Landers; East Hamilton's Conner Thornburg and Walker Valley's Mikel Gregory — had won each of their matches by pin, and the Bears' T.J. Hicks had a bye before pinning in the second round.

 

The tournament resumes at 11 a.m. EST with AAA teams in championship quarterfinals and Class A/AA teams and Division II tournaments beginning with the round of 16.

 

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

 

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

 

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/16/eleven-area-wrestlers-still-alive-class-aaa-state-title/98003548/

 

HIGH SCHOOL

 

Eleven area wrestlers still alive for Class AAA state title

 

Pic

 

Christian Salter of Siegel wrestles Antonio Carter of Rossview at the 2017 Wrestling State Championships Thursday, Feb. ...more

 

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

Kenneth Schott | For The DNJUpdated 4 hours ago

 

FRANKLIN – Eleven Rutherford County Class AAA wrestlers still have a chance to win gold medals after the first day of the TSSAA State Individual Wrestling tournament, held at Williamson Ag & Expo Center Thursday.

 

There were 35 Class AAA wrestlers who reached the state.

 

Out of the 11 who are still alive in the championship bracket, three are from Stewarts Creek, three from Blackman and two are from Riverdale.

 

Two are defending state champions (Riverdale's Nick Boykin, Blackman's Matthew Sells) and two others have placed in the top five in state competition before.

 

The wrestlers who won their first two matches will compete in the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday and the championship matches in all the weight classes will be Saturday.

 

Two-time state champion Boykin (285) won his first two matches – Patrick Guider of Hunter’s Lane and Tyler Varnadore of McMinn County -- with quick pins that totaled just 64 seconds.

 

Related

 

Blackman's Sells confident about repeat

 

Sells (160), who also won the state last season, pinned his first opponent, Tennessee High’s Will Poore, and defeated Dylan Quinn of Mount Juliet 18-4.

 

Stewarts Creek wrestlers who won their first two matches include Carson Helton (126), Gabe Rogers (132) and Jason Chambers (145).

 

“We’re pretty excited,†said Stewarts Creek coach Mark Gonyea. “The boys are wrestling pretty solid right now.â€

 

Helton, a senior, won two matches by points, defeating Cole Klingensmith of Summit 6-1 and Austin Sauls of William Blount 8-2. He said the third period was the toughest.

 

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Michael Kramer of Wilson Central wrestles Jamil Hughes of Blackman at the 2017 Wrestling State ...more

 

George Walker IV, George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

“You’re at that point, and you’re like, ‘I’m tired and I don’t want to give anymore,’ but you’ve just go to keep going,†he said.

 

In addition to Sells, Blackman’s three state contenders included Daniel Bradford (132) and Landon Fowler (152).

 

Fowler finished fifth in the state last year and is looking for a stronger finish this season.

 

“They’ve worked hard,†said Blackman coach Ronnie Bray. “We’ve got to take it one match at a time. You keep your head on straight and work hard, and good things will happen for you.â€

 

Boykin’s Riverdale teammate who won his first two matches was David Medina, in the 113 weight class. Medina, a freshman, placed fifth in the New Mexico state wrestling last season as an eighth grader.

 

“We’ve got high hopes for these guys,†said Riverdale coach Shawn Jones. “They’re wrestling on point. They’re peaking at the right time.â€

 

Oakland’s Branson Boone (220), Siegel’s Christian Salter (182) and Smyrna’s Cameron Henderson (126) were the other AAA contenders who won their first two matches in their weight classes.

 

Several area wrestlers lost their first matches but still can place by winning in the consolation bracket.

 

In the 106-pound weight class, Blackman’s Evan Smart and Stewarts Creek’s Kenny Harless won in the consolation bracket.

 

Oakland’s Andrew Farrar lost his first match and beat Hardin Valley’s Tyler Hemry in the consolation bracket in the 132-pound weight class. Teammate Sean Eastman stayed alive in the 138-pound weight class. Oakland’s Tekerius Green won in the 170-pound class after losing a match.

 

Stewarts Creek’s Eli Haynes won a match in the consolation bracket in the 152 class. Teammate Levi Silvers won in the 160 class after losing his first match. Stewarts Creek’s Justin Chambers won by forfeit in the consolation bracket in the 170 class after losing his first match.

 

Smyrna’s Joshua Rowland won in the 182 consolation class. Smyrna’s Delantay Isaac won a consolation match in the 195 class.

 

The A/AA state matches begin Friday.

 

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Christian Salter of Siegel wrestles Antonio Carter of Rossview at the 2017 Wrestling State ...more

 

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

Originally Published 8:08 p.m. CT Feb. 16, 2017

Edited February 18, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Most anticipated? Or are these guys too Big to be great wrestlers... Some say??

 

May be right up there with a Sammy Evans - Boykin rematch...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/16/boykin-up-137-straight-wins-but-may-face-challenge-third-wrestling-title/97955282/

 

1 of 15

 

Christian Salter of Siegel wrestles Antonio Carter of Rossview at the 2017 Wrestling State Championships Thursday,... more

 

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

HIGH-SCHOOL

 

Boykin up to 137 straight wins but may face challenge for third wrestling title.

 

Tom Kreager | USA TODAY NETWORK - TennesseeUpdated 23 hours ago

 

Share MediaShow Caption

 

FRANKLIN — Nick Boykin didn't know the number.

 



 

Nick Boykin of Riverdale walks off the mat after pining Tyler Varnadore of McMinn County at the ...more

 

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

It really isn't one that has consumed the Riverdale senior wrestler.

 

Boykin, a two-time state champion at 285 pounds, extended his win streak to a state-best 137 matches on Thursday with pins in the first two rounds of the TSSAA's Class AAA state wresting championships at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center.

 

"I didn't really think about it until this year, when people would bring it up," Boykin said of the win streak. "I just wanted to get to 100 wins straight. Now, just go bigger.

 

"I want to stretch the streak out as long as I can. I just want that under my name for a while."

 

Boykin can cap his high school career with 140 straight if he wins Saturday's championship.

 

Boykin is 47-0 this season. His last loss came in the 2014 state quarterfinals when current Vanderbilt offensive lineman Bruno Reagan pinned him in 46 seconds. Reagan won the state title that year.

 

Boykin surpassed former Brentwood Academy wrestler Amos Mason's win streak of 132 last week during the Region 5-AAA tournament. Mason won Division II titles in 2011-13.

 

"Amos Mason — he beat (my older brother) Scottie," Boykin said. "He threw him around like a rag doll. He was really, really big."

 

Boykin originally planned on opting out of his final year of high school wrestling to go out to Colorado and train with the U.S. Olympic team in Greco-Roman wrestling. Boykin caught the eye of Olympic coaches when he won the 2015 Cadet National Championships in Greco-Roman and freestyle at 265 pounds in his first year competing at nationals.

 

He chose to stay at Riverdale to give him the opportunity to win a third title as well as wrap up his school work. Boykin said he leaves for Colorado next week to begin training with the Olympic team. He'll wrap up his school work online.

 

But a third title isn't a certainty.

 

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Michael Kramer of Wilson Central drives Jamil Hughes of Blackman into the mat at the 2017 Wrestling ...more

 

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

 

Wilson Central sophomore Michael Kramer, who finished fourth last year, is undefeated this season. Kramer lost 14-7 to Boykin in last year's quarterfinals and is the last Tennessee wr

 

estler to put Boykin on his back.

 

"He's the last person in Tennessee to score on me — that I haven't given (points)," Boykin said. "He put me on my back for a split second. I don't really care about it. It was my messup."

 

Boykin and Kramer haven't wrestled since.

 

But if the two meet in the championship, it might be the best of the tournament.

 

"They are by far the best two heavyweights," said Blackman coach Ronnie Bray, whose team has wrestled both programs this season. "Both have been wrestling pretty much since they've been born. They are both undefeated.

 

"Both of them aren't scared to go for it. That's what will make it exciting. They aren't going to hug on each other be a 2-1 match. They are going to try and score points, and that's what fans want to see."

 

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 and tkreager@tennessean or @Kreager.

 

_____________________________

 

Update for our northern neighbors...

 

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/preps/kentucky/2017/02/17/union-county-st-x-1-2-state-wrestling/98037966/

 

KENTUCKY HS

 

Union County, St. X 1-2 at State Wrestling

 

Pic

 

David R. Lutman/Special to The C-J

 

Jason Frakes | @KYHighsUpdated 12 hours ago

 

Union County High School placed five wrestlers in the semifinals and took the lead in the team race Friday at the State Championships held at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena in Lexington.

 

The Braves scored 110.5 points, just ahead of second-place St. Xavier (107). Johnson Central (94) is third, followed by Woodford County (76.5) and Simon Kenton (71) and Walton-Verona (71) in a tie for fifth.

 

Wrestling will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday, with championship matches set to begin at approximately 5 p.m.

 

MORE PREPS COVERAGE

 

â–ºUnion Co., St. X lead state wrestling chase

â–ºFern Creek wins 4th-straight Third Region wrestling title

â–ºSt. Xavier wrestling claims title at regional

â–ºOldham County wrestlers continue regional run

 

 

Union County, ranked No. 1 in the state and the defending state champion, placed the following wrestlers in the semifinals – Zeke Escalera (106 pounds), Saul Ervin (132), Bryce Sheffer (138), Chance Oxford (145) and Avery Buckman (182).

 

No. 2 St. X also had five wrestlers reach the semifinals – Nate Wheeler (120), Austin Cook (126), Konner Kraeszig (138), Clayton Hanson (145) and Cameron Ward (160).

 

Other Louisville-area wrestlers to reach the semifinals were Fern Creek’s Colton Lampe (126), North Oldham’s Drew Johnson (126), Pleasure Ridge Park’s Blake Evans (132), Male’s Zane Brown (152) and Manual’s Jacob Bratcher (170).

 

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

 

Originally Published 8:40 p.m. ET Feb. 17, 2017

Edited February 18, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Good Gossett Recap for Friday...

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/17/hixshaanumbers-advantage-divisiii-could-be-fo/413366/

 

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Hixson has A/AA numbers advantage; Division II could be four-team struggle

 

February 17th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

 

Hixson's Cederick Harris earns near-fall points on his way to an 8-0 win against Whitwell's Addison Cordell during a 138-pound match last week at the Region 2-A/AA tournament at Signal Mountain.

 

Photo by Tim Barber /Times Free Press.

 

Baylor's Mason Reiniche, top, cradles McCallie's Russell Barry on his way to a pin during their 160-pound match last month in a dual the host Red Raiders won 38-33.

 

Photo by Doug Strickland /Times Free Press.

 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — The numbers indicate Hixson will be the favorite — or at least among the favorites — to win the Class A/AA wrestling state traditional tournament, which begins this morning at the Williamson County Expo Center.

 

Numbers, though, tell little about the grueling Division II tournament that also gets underway today.

 

Hixson's Wildcats have the most A/AA qualifiers (11) and brought the most region champions (five).

 

"I think we have some pretty good draws, but we're to the point where it's best of the best," Hixson coach Garrick Hall said.

 

The Division II team title is up for grabs among 2016 champion Father Ryan, Baylor, Christian Brothers and McCallie. Father Ryan and McCallie won region titles last week, but both tournaments were seesaw events led at times by Christian Brothers and Baylor.

 

Baylor, Father Ryan and Montgomery Bell Academy qualified 14 wrestlers each, while Christian Brothers and McCallie brought 13. Eleven Father Ryan wrestlers reached the West Region finals, and eight of the Purple Irish walked away with championships. Baylor had six titlists, while Christian Brothers, MBA and McCallie each managed four champions.

 

"It will be close," McCallie coach Mike Newman said. "If a team can pull out one or two matches they're not expected to win or if somebody gets an extra pin here or there, that's the team that may win it. It's going to be tight, and I think five points could be the difference between first place and third. It won't be decided till some point in the finals."

 

The same may be said for the A/AA tournament. While Hixson is the only team with more than nine representatives, defending champion Pigeon Forge and 2016 runner-up Alcoa each will have a hand in deciding the championship.

 

"I don't think the gap is big enough," Notre Dame coach Rocco Mansueto replied when asked if the tournament was Hixson's to lose. "You've got Pigeon Forge, Greeneville, Greenbrier and Alcoa, and I'd like to think we're in there somewhere."

 

Pigeon Forge qualified nine, but the list drops off from there. Alcoa, Greenbrier, Greeneville, Notre Dame, Page and Signal Mountain each has seven representatives.

 

"It's all about bonus points, and kids that hit the losers bracket, are they going to fight back to try and get third and get bonus points along the way?" Hall said, echoing the sentiments of his coaching peers. "But it's all about the kids. I told them to take care of themselves and their matches, to finish as high as they can and the team score will take care of itself."

 

There are four returning A/AA champions: Alcoa's Samson Evans, Greeneville's Nick Foster, Central's Alonzo Heyward, and Pigeon Forge's Dymond Smith.

 

Seven 2016 champions return for the Division II tournament, three of them from Father Ryan: Raymond Eason, Eli King and Christian Simpson. Others are McCallie's Judah Duhm, Christian Brothers' Robert Griggs and Baylor's Mason Reiniche and Khamari Whimper.

 

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

 

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

 

Kudos to Hall's Hixson for pulling close to PF, Grinder's Indy and Marshall's Tennessee for peaking perfectly,,,,, and of course Simpson and Smith going for dual state championships with their respective commanding leads going into Saturday.

 

Note: hats off to all those who got together from all regions of the state to drill and hang together before the big dance!!

 

Good luck tomorrow and Big Bear Hugs Coming... U know who's got em maybe blindsided!!! 😉

 

Updates from Track...

 

Team Scores

A-AA

1. Pigeon Forge 116.5

2. Hixson 80.5

3. Alcoa 75.5

4. Forrest 71.0

5. Greeneville 67.0

6. Harpeth 65.0

7. Red Bank 53.5

8. Greenbrier 52.0

8. Notre Dame 52.0

10. Chattanooga Central 49.5

11. Signal Mountain 47.5

12. Boyd Buchanan 39.0

13. Page 35.0

14. Sycamore 33.0

15. Fairview 29.0

16. Chattanooga Christian 27.0

16. Knoxville Grace 27.0

18. White House 24.0

19. Whitwell 22.0

20. Eagleville 21.0

21. Elizabethton 20.0

21. Sullivan East 20.0

23. Christian Academy of Knoxville 16.0

23. Knoxville Fulton 16.0

23. Stratford 16.0

26. Cheatham Co. 14.0

27. Goodpasture 13.0

27. Pearl Cohn 13.0

29. East Nashville 9.0

29. Martin Luther King 9.0

31. East Ridge 7.0

31. Greenback 7.0

33. Hume Fogg 5.0

34. Chuckey-Doak 4.0

35. Northview Academy 3.0

35. Union Co. 3.0

37. Creek Wood 1.0

38. Kingston 0.0

38. Nolensville 0.0

38. Sequatchie Co. 0.0

 

AAA

1. Bradley Central 204.0

2. Cleveland 133.0

3. Tennessee 130.5

4. Independence 108.0

5. Wilson Central 104.0

6. Beech 91.0

7. Mt. Juliet 89.0

8. Blackman 88.0

9. Knoxville Halls 87.5

10. Arlington 81.0

11. Science Hill 79.0

12. Summit 71.0

13. Soddy Daisy 70.0

14. Heritage 62.0

15. William Blount 60.5

16. Stewarts Creek 50.5

17. Franklin 49.0

17. Gibbs 49.0

19. Tullahoma 43.5

20. Riverdale 40.0

21. Jefferson Co. 39.5

21. Northwest 39.5

23. Bartlett 39.0

24. Clarksville 37.5

25. Brentwood 37.0

25. East Hamilton 37.0

27. Bearden 34.0

28. Siegel 33.5

29. Dobyns Bennett 33.0

30. McGavock 29.0

31. Walker Valley 27.0

32. Houston 24.0

32. Stone Memorial 24.0

34. Oakland 20.0

34. Rhea Co. 20.0

36. Centennial 19.0

36. Seymour 19.0

36. Smyrna 19.0

39. Hardin Valley 17.0

40. Hunters Lane 16.5

40. Rossview 16.5

42. Cookeville 16.0

42. Kenwood 16.0

44. Lawrence Co. 15.0

44. Maryville 15.0

46. Ravenwood 14.5

47. Collierville 14.0

47. Shelbyville 14.0

49. Cane Ridge 12.0

49. Cordova 12.0

49. Kingsbury 12.0

52. Anderson Co. 11.5

53. Morristown West 11.0

53. Sevier Co. 11.0

53. Southwind 11.0

56. David Crockett 10.0

56. Karns 10.0

58. McMinn Co. 8.0

58. South Doyle 8.0

58. West Creek 8.0

61. Antioch 7.0

62. Farragut 6.0

62. Lebanon 6.0

62. Ooltewah 6.0

65. Hillsboro 4.0

65. Northeast 4.0

67. Clinton 3.0

67. Dickson Co. 3.0

67. Hendersonville 3.0

67. Morristown East 3.0

67. Powell 3.0

72. Bolton 2.0

72. Cocke Co. 2.0

72. Hillwood 2.0

72. John Overton 2.0

76. Franklin Co. 1.0

76. Germantown 1.0

78. Knoxville Central 0.0

78. LaVergne 0.0

78. Memphis East 0.0

78. Munford 0.0

78. Volunteer 0.0

78. Warren Co. 0.0

 

DII

1. Father Ryan 184.0

2. McCallie School 153.5

3. Christian Brothers 135.5

4. Montgomery Bell Acad. 121.0

5. Baylor School 120.5

6. Brentwood Academy 51.0

7. Briarcrest 22.0

8. Battle Ground Acad. 16.5

9. Memphis University School 13.0

10. Knoxville Webb 12.0

11. Ensworth 10.0

12. Franklin Road Acad. 8.0

13. Friendship Christian 6.0

14. Pope John Paul II 0.0

14. St. Andrews 0.0

14. St. Benedict 0.0

17. St. George`s -1.0

 

Girls

1. Northwest - Girls 85.0

2. WIlliam Blount - Girls 41.5

3. Mt. Juliet - Girls 39.5

4. Rossview - Girls 31.0

4. Sycamore - Girls 31.0

6. Hardin Valley - Girls 27.0

7. Bearden - Girls 26.0

7. Gibbs - Girls 26.0

7. Warren County - Girls 26.0

7. West Greene - Girls 26.0

11. Science Hill - Girls 25.0

12. Independence - Girls 24.0

12. Sullivan East - Girls 24.0

14. Cane Ridge - Girls 20.0

14. Northeast - Girls 20.0

16. Cookeville - Girls 18.0

16. Daniel Boone - Girls 18.0

18. Montgomery Central - Girls 14.0

18. White House - Girls 14.0

20. David Crockett - Girls 7.0

20. Elizabethton - Girls 7.0

20. Fairview - Girls 7.0

20. Hendersonville - Girls 7.0

20. Hume-Fogg - Girls 7.0

20. Northview - Girls 7.0

26. Dickson County - Girls 6.0

26. Happy Valley - Girls 6.0

26. McGavock - Girls 6.0

26. Page - Girls 6.0

26. Smyrna - Girls 6.0

26. Tennessee - Girls 6.0

32. Cumberland County - Girls 5.0

32. Knoxville Halls - Girls 5.0

32. Tullahoma - Girls 5.0

35. St. Andrew`s-Sewanee - Girls 4.0

36. Chuckey Doak - Girls 0.0

36. Halls - Girls 0.0

36. Karns - Girls 0.0

36. Stone Memorial - Girls 0.0

36. Sullivan South - Girls 0.0

Edited February 18, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Some hardware heading back to Rutherford Co...

 

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/17/five-area-wrestlers-dominate-their-way-into-tssaa-state-finals/98033470/

 

Five area wrestlers dominate their way into TSSAA state finals

 

Pic

 

Riverdale's Nick Boykin battles Christophe Keller of Independence in the AAA 285 weight class of the TSSAA State ...more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The DNJ

 

Dean Fox | For The DNJ10:39 p.m. CT Feb. 17, 2017

 

FRANKLIN -- The five Rutherford County wrestlers who will vie for state championships not only have ruled the roost, but they run the gamut.

 

From two undefeated defending state champions to an eighth-grader, the five of them bid for the ultimate prize Saturday night at the Williamson County Expo Center.

 

The finals begin at 5 p.m. after consolation brackets will be held during the early part of the day.

 



 

Blackman's Landon Fowler battles Beech's Trevor Rippy in the AAA 152 weight class of the TSSAA ...more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The DNJ

 

Two-time state champion Nick Boykin (285 pounds) of Riverdale won his 139th straight match, dominating his opponent before pinning him after two minutes and 33 seconds. His first three matches were all by pins in the opening minute.

 

He'll wrestle Wilson Central's Michael Kramer in the final.

 

"I've been down this road before and it's always a fun one," Boykin said. "Just go out there and execute and it should be fun."

 

Blackman's Matt Sells (160) is also a defending state champion looking complete an undefeated season on Saturday. He won his semifinal Friday night by a 9-1 major decision as his opponent was deducted multiple points for stalling.

 

"I just knew if kept the pace up and do what I do, I could beat him," Sells said. "I just wanted to get that major to seal the deal."

 

Sells will wrestle Bradley Central's Caleb Adkins in the final.

 

"This year, there have been some pretty good guys in the top half (of the bracket) with me," he said. "I feel good right now and I'm just looking forward to wrestling in the finals."

 

Sells' teammate, Landon Fowler (152), is also in the finals. He pinned Beech's Trevor Rippy, who won the state title last year at 145.

 

Fowler had to wait a few minutes while a previous match went overtime.

 

"I just prepared myself," Fowler said, "and thought about what I wanted to do during the match."

 

Siegel's Christian Salter (182) won his semifinal match with a major decision over Knoxville Halls' Brent Buckman, 14-5. He also won his quarterfinal match 21-4.

 

"That's what I wanted," Salter said. "I wanted to make sure he couldn't catch me, and I wanted to make sure I dominated. That's been my goal the entire year."

 

Eagleville eighth-grader Wyatt McLemore (113) won his semifinal match and will wrestle Forrest's Jeffery Gross in the final, a wrestler he has lost to three times this season.

 

After receiving a first-round bye, he has won both his matches by major decision.

 

"As an eighth-grader," McLemore said, "I'm pretty stoked. I'm been working hard all year. Hopefully, I can get some revenge on him, but I've been working all year for this."

 

Pic

 

Jason Chambers of Stewarts Creek battles Tony Wilson of Soddy Daisy in the AAA 145 weight class of ...more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

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

 

73 Outstanding pic's

 

Ryan's Pat Simpson was honored prior to the semifinals for being named the National Wrestling Coaches Association's national coach of the year.

 

Coach Simpson is the second from Tennessee to receive the honor and his D2 senior @ 145, King, may join 1AAA 145 Fuller of BC as one of 15 Four time state champions form Tennessee and only the second Mid-Tn Wrestler with MBA's Phillip Simpson....

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/17/father-ryans-king-near-four-titles-four-wrestling-weight-classes/98000132/

 

HIGH-SCHOOL

 

Father Ryan's King near four titles in four wrestling weight classes

 

Pic

 

Eli King of Father Ryan, top, wrestles Thomas Sell of McCallie in the 145-pound weight class of the TSSAA State ...more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

Tom Kreager | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee10:44 p.m. CT Feb. 17, 2017

 

FRANKLIN â€” Father Ryan senior Eli King knows about the history he can make Saturday night in the TSSAA's State Wrestling Championships.

 

It's not something he's trying to think about. When he does, the emotions start to get the better of him.

 

King can become Father Ryan's first four-time state champion with a win over Montgomery Bell Academy's Bryce Wittman in the Division II 145-pound title match at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center.

 

The championship finals begin at 5 p.m.

 

"It would be something special," King said. "I don't even like thinking about it, because I get so emotional about it and nervous about it.

 

"It's something, really, really cool."

 

Pic

 

1 of 73

 

Landon Fowler of Blackman battles Trevor Rippy of Beech in the AAA 152 weight class of the TSSAA State... more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

King defeated Battle Ground Academy's Connor Mitchell by technical fall and pinned McCallie's Thomas Sell in 1:05 to reach the final. King has continued his aggressive starts, charging his opponent at the start and getting quick takedowns.

 

"My dad always told me, 'First takedown wins,'" King said.

 

King's first three titles have come in three different weight classes â€” 106, 132 and 138.

 

There have been 13 wrestlers in Tennessee win at least four state consecutive state titles. Two have won five straight.

 

However, 12 of those 13 competed for Chattanooga area schools. Former MBA standout Phillip Simpson is the only Nashville area four-time state champion.

 

"Eli is a kid that has wrestled since he was 5 years old," said Father Ryan coach Pat Simpson, who is Phillip Simpson's uncle. "His dad has taken him everywhere. The reason he is so good is because he has put in the work."

 

Bradley Central's Knox Fuller can also win his fourth title if he beats Soddy-Daisy's Tony Wilson in the Class AAA 145-pound final.

 

King is one of 46 wrestlers from the Nashville area who qualified for Saturday's title matches. That includes 13 in Class AAA, 12 in Division II, eight in Class A/AA and 13 in the girls division.

 

Pat Simpson was honored prior to the semifinals for being named the National Wrestling Coaches Association's national coach of the year. He is the second from Tennessee to receive the honor.

 

Father Ryan leads the Division II team score with 184 points. McCallie is in second with 153.5. Bradley Central leads Class AAA with 204 points â€” 71 more than second-place Cleveland. PIgeon Forge leads Class A/AA with 116.5 points â€” 32.5 more than Hixson. And  Northwest leads the girls division with 85 points â€” 43.5 more than second-place William Blount.

 

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 and tkreager@tennessean or @Kreager.

Edited February 18, 2017 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Thank you Mr Buglewicz...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/18/tssaa-wrestling-state-championship-finalists/98083440/

 

HIGH-SCHOOL

 

TSSAA wrestling state championship finalists

 

Pic

 

Nick Boykin of Riverdale battles Christophe Keller of Independence in the AAA 285 weight class of the TSSAA State ...more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

Tom Kreager | USA TODAY NETWORK - TennesseeUpdated 5 hours ago.

 

Pics

 

1 of 73

 

Landon Fowler of Blackman battles Trevor Rippy of Beech in the AAA 152 weight class of the TSSAA State... more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

TSSAA state wrestling championships

 

Finals start at 5 p.m. at Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin

 

Class AAA

 

106: Trent Nelson, Tennessee vs. Noah Horst, Beech

 

113: T.J. Hicks, Bradley Central vs. Brayden Palmer, Beech

 

120: Calvin Martin, William Blount vs. Sean Sesnan, Wilson Central

 

126: Daniel Fowler, Independence vs. Jack Shrader, Franklin

 

132: Ryan McEhlaney, Bradley Central vs. Colton Landers, Cleveland

 

138: Dewey Pendley, Tennessee vs. Zack Wilkins, Mt. Juliet

 

145: Knox Fuller, Bradley Central vs. Tony Wilson, Soddy-Daisy

 

152: Landon Fowler, Blackman vs. Austin Mathews, Bradley Central

 

160: Matthew Sells, Blackman vs. Caleb Adkins, Bradley Central

 

170: Colton McMahan, Knoxville Halls vs. Max Grayson, Bearden

 

182: Hunter Fortner, Gibbs vs. Christian Salter, Siegel

 

195: Jeremy Spangler, Tennessee vs. Nathan Walling, Mt. Juliet

 

220: Isaiah Demello, Independence vs. Javier Salvador, Heritage

 

285: Nick Boykin, Riverdale vs. Michael Kramer, Wilson Central

 

Pics

 

1 of 15

 

Christian Salter of Siegel wrestles Antonio Carter of Rossview at the 2017 Wrestling State Championships Thursday,... more

 

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

 

Class A/AA

 

106: Daniel Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain vs. Jeremy Holloway, Notre Dame

 

113: Jeffrey Gross, Forrest vs. Wyatt McLemore, Eagleville

 

120: Dylan Pendley, Forrest vs. Caleb York, Pigeon Forge

 

126: Bryson Hux, Greenville vs. Thomas Hatcher, Harpeth

 

132: Gavin Hutchens, Pigeon Forge vs. Garrett Lay, Knoxville Grace

 

138: Michael Mora-Colon, Alcoa vs. Cederick Harris, Hixson

 

145: Isaac Coffman, Chattanooga Central vs. Jonah Bird, Red Bank

 

152: Justin Wheeler, Chattanooga Christian vs. Zane Williams, Boyd Buchanan

 

160: Alonzo Heyward, Chattanooga Central vs. Daelyn Rose, Harpeth

 

170: Ethan Olinger, Pigeon Forge vs. Trent Knight, Greeneville

 

182: Houston Tywater, Page vs. Noah Evans, Alcoa

 

195: Anthony Baiamonte, Pigeon Forge vs. Zach Diviney, Sycamore

 

220: Devon Suddeth, Red Bank vs. Truman Ross, Hixson

 

285: Samson Evans, Alcoa vs. Zach Schlessman, Greenbrier

 

Division II

 

106: Paul Killian, Father Ryan vs. Alex Whitworth, McCallie

 

113: Jackson Herring, Christian Brother vs. Christian Simpson, Father Ryan

 

120: Zachary Ward, McCallie vs. Gabriel Elkin, MBA

 

126: Michael Elkin, MBA vs. Ray Eason, Father Ryan

 

Continue reading below

 

 

132: John Michael Glover, MBA vs. Brock Herring, McCallie

 

138: Joseph Vogelpohl, Father Ryan vs. Trevor Brown, Christian Brothers

 

145: Eli King, Father Ryan vs. Bryce Wittman, MBA

 

152: Mason Reiniche, Baylor vs. Ethan Dendy, McCallie

 

160: Eric Hodge, Christian Brothers vs. Connor Duffy, Baylor

 

170: Khamari Whimper, Baylor vs. Anthony Hagey, Father Ryan

 

182: Riley Westlake, Baylor vs. Judah Duhm, McCallie

 

195: Tommy Brackett, Christian Brother vs. Andrew Wesnofske, Father Ryan

 

220: Grayson Walthall, Christian Brothers vs. George Hooker, Father Ryan

 

285: River Henry , McCallie vs. Airin Spell, Brentwood Academy

 

Girls

 

105: Cathlin Green, Northeast vs. Kate Barnett, William Blount

 

112: Isabella Bardon, Daniel Boone vs. Kelsi Broyles, West Greene

 

120: Kaitlyn Lee, Mt. Juliet vs. Allison Davis, Sullivan East

 

125: Melissa Garcia, Cookeville vs. Meagan Pruitt, Mt. Juliet

 

130: Robin Yunis, Rossview vs. Hollie Yokley, Warren Co.

 

138: Jillian Alford, William Blount vs. Jessica Elery, Northwest

 

148: Lindsey Morrison, Northwest vs. Cailey Griffin, Gibbs

 

155: Deyla Brito-Perez, Northwest vs. Caitlyn Gilmore, Sycamore

 

165: Gabrielle Neal, Cane Ridge vs. Kenya Sloan, Hardin Valley

 

185: Catherine Palmieri, Northwest vs. Zanaya Shropshire, Independence

 

Originally Published 11:15 p.m. CT Feb. 17, 2017

 

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

 

Congrats to Coach Roberts for coming on site strong along with Bray of Blackman...

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/18/beech-wrestlers-reach-state-finals/98087714/

 

 

Pics

2 of 73

 

Landon Fowler of Blackman battles Trevor Rippy of Beech in the AAA 152 weight class of the TSSAA State... more

 

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

 

HIGH-SCHOOL

 

Beech wrestlers reach state finals

 

Dean Fox | For USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee2:09 a.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. Brayden Palmer has won four times at the TSSAA state wrestling tournament. But in all honesty, it all comes down to four words.

 

"It's all about tomorrow," Palmer said, referencing Saturday's finals at the Williamson County Expo Center.

 

Pic

 

Beech's Brayden Palmer

 

Larry McCormack / The Tennessean

 

Palmer, who finished second at last year's state tournament as a freshman at 106 pounds, goes for the state title at 113 against Bradley Central's T.J. Hicks.

 

The finals start at 5 p.m.

 

Palmer and freshman Noah Horst, who now wrestles at 106 for the Buccaneers, are Beech's two state finalists.

 

Horst has won all four of his state tournament matches by pin. Palmer had won by three straight pins, then hammered out a tough 8-5 decision over Cleveland's Garret Bowers.

 

"They're practice partners in the room," assistant coach Jonathan Roberts said. "They work out together. They wrestle together. They've wrestled together since middle school. They just push each other every day in the practice room.

 

"It's truly special having them. They're hard workers. Every day, they come in and they're the two hardest workers in the room."

 

Two other Beech wrestlers made it to semifinal matches. Tyler Rippy (152) and Joseph Garrett (160) each lost, however.

 

Three Sumner County girls lost in the semifinals, too. White House's Sky DeWeese (138) came the closest to advancing to a final, losing an 8-6 decision. Teammate Madison Jones (130) and Hendersonville's Jessyca Mumaw (105) were both pinned.

 

Injury doesn't keep Beech's Kyle Smith from state tournament shot

 

Chris Brooks | USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee12:02 p.m. CT Feb. 15, 2017

 

The pain doesn’t show on his face.

 

Even if it did, it wouldn’t stop Beech junior Kyle Smith from doing what he loves to do.

 

Pic

 

Beech junior Kyle Smith qualified for the state individual wrestling tournament despite tearing his ...more

 

Chris Brooks/Gallatin News Examiner

 

And on Thursday, he’ll continue to wrestle in hopes of bringing back a state title in the 170-pound weight class, despite suffering a torn labrum earlier this season.

 

“I landed on it wrong and ended up tearing my labrum, dislocated my (shoulder), frayed out my rotator cuff,†Smith said. “I went to the doctors and they said I could fight through the season, as long as I could fight. I said ‘that’s what I’m going to do.’â€

 

Smith finished second in the Region 7-AAA Tournament, going the distance and then some in the championship match against Wilson Central senior Damon Smith, falling in the first sudden victory (overtime) period.

 

“It shows a lot of heart doing that,†Beech head coach Jeff Roberts said. “I was kind of iffy on (Smith continuing to wrestle), but he wants to finish the season. He’ll have surgery on Tuesday.â€

 

Despite that loss, he’ll enter the Class AAA state tournament with a 33-5 record and is one of four seeded wrestlers, having finished sixth in last year’s state tournament at 170 pounds.

 

Then, he’ll be battling a different opponent as he rehabs following surgery.

 

“It’s the same surgery, the same amount of time off,†Smith said. “What went through my mind first is ‘let’s see what we can do to fix this and get ready for state.’â€

 

Beech is sending eight wrestlers to the state tournament in hopes of adding to the state tournament titles from last season, when Trevor Rippy won at 145 pounds, while Kaleb Rippy prevailed at 182 pounds.

 

Pic

Beech’s Kyle Smith hangs on to the legs of Wilson Central’s Damon Smith during their 170-pound ...more

 

George Robinson / USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee

 

“We hope to have a repeat of last year,†Roberts said. “I’d love to have a couple of champions again. We’ve gotta wrestle hard and do what we need to do.â€

 

Trevor Rippy returns to the state tournament at 152 pounds. Other Buccaneers with state tournament spots include freshman Noah Horst (106 pounds), sophomore Brayden Palmer (113), freshman Bristin Hulsey (120), senior William Downing (126), sophomore Jeremiah Herron (138) and senior Joseph Garrett (160).

 

“Eight qualified (for the state tournament), six of them in the (region) finals,†Roberts said. “And they’re all young.â€

 

Beech was unable to advance to the state dual tournament last week, but Roberts has put that behind him.

 

“A little disappointing not to go as a team,†Roberts said. “We just had too many injuries this year, but I’m excited about the group we have (in the state individual tournament).â€

 

Smith is one of 18 individuals from Sumner teams to advance to the state tournament, which begins Thursday at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.

 

“Our hopes are to win as many matches as we can and wrestle our hearts out,†Smith said. “Hopefully we’ll come home with some hardware.â€

 

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or 615-575-7118 and on Twitter @CBrooksTN.

 

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

 

Legendary Mr Hunt Keeps Building or sport, even Beyond Chattanooga...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/18/342191/Father-Ryan-Leading-McCallie-In-D-II.aspx

 

Father Ryan Leading McCallie In D-II State Wrestling

 

Purple Irish Looking For Fourth Straight Title With Eight In Finals

 

Saturday, February 18, 2017 - by John Hunt

 



 

McCallie's River Henry, top, controls Patrick Henry of Christian Brothers in their Division II heavyweight championship semi-final. Henry won the match in overtime by a 3-2 decision to move on to the championship final Saturday night at the Williamson County Ag/Expo arena in Franklin, Tenn. Going in to the finals first place Father Ryan holds a commanding lead over second place McCallie, 184-153.5.

- photo by Dennis Norwood

 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – There’s just something about the traditional state wrestling tournament that brings out the best in the guys from Father Ryan.

 

The Purple Irish have won the last three team titles and they appear to be well on their way to a four-peat after advancing eight into Saturday’s championship finals. With 13 of 14 individuals having earned a medal, Father Ryan holds a commanding lead over second-place McCallie with 184 points.

 

The Blue Tornado is currently second with 153.5 points while Christian Brothers is third with 135.5. MBA and Baylor are fourth and fifth with 121 and 120.5 points, respectively.

 

Father Ryan coach Pat Simpson knows how to get his guys ready to compete at the end and this year is no exception as they beat Baylor two weeks ago to win another State Duals title. Simpson never openly admits that his team has the team title already secure as he knows too many crazy things can happen in the consolation finals.

 

“Our first round was perfect as we won all 12 of our matches and we were hoping for at least 11 in the semifinals, but we won eight and I feel pretty good about that,†he said while watching consolation rounds following the semis.

 

“I feel really good about three of our finalists, but we could easily have five champions. It was just an awesome day for us as we wrestled better than I expected,†he smiled.

 

McCallie coach Mike Newman watched his team advance six into Saturday’s championship round while still six more are alive in the medal rounds.

 

“Father Ryan had a great day and there’s no denying that,†Newman began.

 

“We had a pretty good day, but we let one or two slip away that we might should have won. Now it’s all about winning some matches in the consolation rounds as the day isn’t over yet. We need to get as many bonus points as possible, but overall, I felt like we wrestled well today,†he added.

 

Father Ryan’s finalists include Paul Killian at 106, Christian Simpson at 113, Raymond Eason at 126, Joseph Vogelpohl at 138, Eli King at 145, Anthony Hagey at 170, Andrew Wesnofske at 195 and George Hooker at 220.

 

Griffin Hubacker, Phillip Rogers, Nikita Kouzovik, Patrick Clements and John Hayes are still alive in the medal rounds.

 

McCallie’s finalists include Alex Whitworth at 106, Zach Ward at 120, Brock Herring at 132, Ethan Dendy at 152, Judah Duhm at 182 and River Henry at 285. Others in the consolation rounds include Eddie Suh, Evan Hughes, Thomas Sell, Russell Barry, Hayden Rowland and George Robinson.

 

Baylor had a tough day as the Red Raiders only won eight of 14 matches in the first round while going 4-4 in the championship semis.

 

Those in the finals include Mason Reiniche at 152, Connor Duffy at 160, Khamari Whimper at 170 and Riley Westlake at 182 while those still in the hunt for medals include Clayton Pettway, Porter Kaufman, Hayden Hartline, Austin Atchley, Alex Atchley, Sam Reynolds and Tyree Toliver.

 

D-II TEAM SCORES AND LEGEND FOLLOWING FRIDAY ROUNDS: 1. Father Ryan (FR) 184; 2. McCallie (McC) 153.5; 3. Christian Brothers (CB) 135.5; 4. Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) 121; 5. Baylor (Bay) 120.5; 6. Brentwood Academy (BA) 51; 7. Briarcrest (Briar) 22; 8. Battleground Academy (BGA) 16.5; 9. Memphis University School (MUS) 13; 10. Webb (Webb) 12; 11. Ensworth (Ens) 10; 12. Franklin Road Academy (FRA) 8; 13. Friendship Christian (FC) 6.

 

D-II CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL RESULTS

 

Phenomenal Matchup...

106 – Paul Killian (FR) dec. Charles Salvaggio (CB), 7-0;

 

106 – Alex Whitworth (McC) won by technical fall over Frank Perazinni (MBA), 5:43;

 

113 – Jackson Herring (CB) pinned Porter Kaufman (Bay), 1:44;

 

113 – Christian Simpson (FR) pinned Carlo Guinocor (MUS), :45;

 

Any Given Day....

120 – Zach "The Man" Ward (McC) pinned Billy Brooks (BA), 3:00;

 

120 – Gabriel Elkin (MBA) pinned Conner Galvez (Ens), 1:22;

 

Big One...

126 – Michael "Can't Touch This" Elkin (MBA) dec. Hayden Hartline (Bay), 4-2;

 

126 – Raymond "You See Dat?" Eason (FR) pinned Tiy Reed (BGA), 2:55;

 

132 – John Michael Glover (MBA) dec. Phillip Rogers (FR), 7-6;

 

132 – Brock "Never Quits" Herring (McC) pinned Conner Rasberry (CB), 1:42;\

 

138 – Joseph Vogelpohl (FR) dec. Austin Atchley (Bay), 6-4 in overtime;

 

138 – Trevor Brown (CB) major dec. Joseph Tarquine (MBA), 15-6;

 

Last Hurrah??

145 – Eli "The Mat" King (FR) pinned Thomas Sell (McC), 1:04;

 

145 – Bryce "Don't Look Past Me" Wittman (MBA) dec. Alex Atchley (Bay), 6-3;

 

The Match...

152 – Mason "Ravenous" Reiniche (Bay) pinned Perry Matthews (MBA), :57;

 

152 – Ethan "Dangerous" Dendy (McC) pinned Nikita Kouzovik (FR), :14;

 

160 – Eric Hodge (CB) dec. Russell Barry (McC), 3-1;

 

160 – Connor Duffy (Bay) pinned Patrick Clements (FR), 1:23;

 

170 –Khamari "Ivy League" Whimper (Bay) pinned Montana Doty (CB), 1:36;

 

170 – Anthony "Da Name" Hagey (FR) major dec. Thomas Butler (BA), 12-4;

 

Big Dog Fight...

182 – Riley "Nothing Keeps me Down" Westlake (Bay) pinned Dominic Fisher (MBA), 2:24;

 

182 – Judah "Manster" Duhm (McC) pinned Ian Tiatian (Briar), 1:06;

 

195 – Tommy "Slideshow-throw" Brackett (CB) dec. Ryan Kosson (MBA), 7-1;

 

195 – Andrew "My Turn" Wesnofske (FR) dec. George Robinson (McC), 5-2;

 

Hey Big brother... Big Me Too match up!!

220 – Grayson Walthall (CB) pinned Joshiah Fahhoum (Briar), 5:21;

 

220 – George Hooker (FR) pinned Jordan McCoy (BA), 3:09;

 

285 – River "It's Fam Tradition" Henry (McC) dec. Patrick Healy (CB), 3-2 in overtime;

 

285 – Airin Spell (BA) dec. John Hayes (FR), 5-2.

 

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.)

 

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

 

More From The Hunt...

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/18/342192/Hixson-Chasing-Pigeon-Forge-In-A-AA.aspx

 

Saturday, February 18, 2017

 

Hixson Chasing Pigeon Forge In A-AA State Wrestling

 

Tigers Looking For A Three-Peat While Wildcats Are Battling For Second

 

Saturday, February 18, 2017 - by John Hunt

 

Pic

 

Chattanooga Christian's Justin Wheeler, rear, executes a takedown of Signal Mountain's Daniel Dawson in the 152-pound Class A-AA championship semifinal match Friday night at the TSSAA state wrestling tournament being held at the Williamson County Ag/Expo arena. Wheeler won by a 11-2 Major Decision.

- photo by Dennis Norwood

 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – It’s one thing to win a team’s first state title and it’s yet another to come back the next year and repeat. And it’s even tougher to win three straight, but that’s the goal for Pigeon Forge Tigers as they close in on a three-peat after Friday’s action here in the traditional wrestling state meet being held at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Center.

 

The Tigers have a tight grip on first place with 116.5 points while second-place Hixson is a ways back with 84.5. Alcoa is third with 75.5 while Forrest and Greenville are fourth and fifth with 71 and 67 points, respectively.

 

Pigeon Forge coach Greg Foreman is like many other coaches in the wrestling community. He would rather get caught with his hand in the cookie jar than admit that his team had a championship wrapped up before the final day of competition.

 

“I schedule the toughest competition I can find as that’s what makes weekends like this possible. Nobody remembers what you do in December and January as it’s all about what you do in February,†he began following the championship semis Friday night.

 

“Overall, we’ve done well today as all have fought hard and given 100 percent, even those who lost. Our team score just proves that we came here this weekend to battle, but we have five in the money and that’s what I’m most proud of,†he nodded in reference to the guys who will be competing for medals on Saturday.

 

The Tigers advanced four to Saturday night’s finals, including Caleb York at 120, Gavin Hutchens at 132, Ethan Olinger at 170 and Anthony Baiamonte at 195. Colton Poole is the only Pigeon Forge still alive in the consolation rounds.

 

Hixson advanced two to the finals as did Central and Red Bank.

 

Cederick Harris is looking for a title at 138 while Truman Ross is doing the same at 220.

 

Tucker Gill, Jacob Newman, Jordan Lewis, Jonas Shackleford and Bubba Palacio will be battling for consolation honors.

 

Hixson coach Garrick Hall is more concerned about those earning medals than team scores.

 

“It’s been a pretty good day for Hixson, all things considered,†he said while waiting on Palacio to wrestle his final consolation match.

 

“I’m more worried about kids placing than the team score. We have two in the finals and I wish we had five. But we’ve done the very best we could so far and that’s all I ever ask,†he added.

 

There are four matches in the finals Saturday night that will feature both kids from Chattanooga, including the fights at 106, 145, 152 and 220.

 

Notre Dame’s Cade Holloway will face Signal Mountain eighth-grader Daniel Uhorchuk for the 106-pound title while Central’s Isaac Coffman will challenge Red Bank’s Jonah Bird at 145.

 

Chattanooga Christian’s Justin Wheeler then faces Boyd-Buchanan’s Zane Williams in the 152-pound final while Red Bank’s Devon Suddeth will battle Hixson’s Ross.

 

Central’s two include finalists include Coffman at 145 and Alonzo Heyward at 160 while Red Bank’s two include Bird and Suddeth.

 

A-AA TEAM SCORES FOLLOWING FRIDAY ROUNDS: 1. Pigeon Forge 116.5; 2. Hixson 84.5; 3. Alcoa 75.5; 4. Forrest 71; 5. Greeneville 67; 6. Harpeth 65; 7. Red Bank 53.5; 8. Greenbrier and Notre Dame tied with 52; 10. Central 49.5.

 

OTHER CHATTANOOGA AREA TEAMS: 11. Signal Mountain 47.5; 12. Boyd-Buchanan 39; 16. Chattanooga Christian 27; 19. Whitwell 22; 32. East Ridge 7.

 

CLASS A-AA SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

 

106 – Daniel Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain) pinned Elijah Hicks (Sullivan East), 4:58;

 

106 – Cade Holloway (Notre Dame) pinned Colton Poole (Pigeon Forge) 1:56;

 

113 – Jeffrey Gross (Forrest) won by technical fall over Scott Weaver (Boyd-Buchanan), 5:38;

 

113 – Wyatt McLemore (Eagleville) major dec. Tucker Gill (Hixson), 13-5;

 

120 – Dylan Pendley (Forrest) dec. Jaren Thames (Whitwell), 11-4;

 

120 – Caleb York (Pigeon Forge) pinned Nathan Ford (Greenbrier), :12;

 

126 – Bryson Hux (Greeneville) major dec. Grant Speer (Notre Dame), 10-0;

 

126 – Thomas Hatcher (Harpeth) dec. Brendon Jarvis (CAK), 6-4;

 

132 – Gavin Hutchens (Pigeon Forge) major dec. James Jones (Fairview), 9-1;

 

132 – Garrett Lay (Knoxville Grace) dec. Jonas Shackleford (Hixson), 5-4;

 

138 – Michael Mora-Colon (Alcoa) dec. Dymond Smith (Pigeon Forge), 8-2;

 

138 – Cederick Harris (Hixson) dec. Mohamed Muday (Stratford), 10-4;

 

145 – Isaac Coffman (Central) dec. Mitchell Camper (Sycamore), 3-1;

 

145 – Jonah Bird (Red Bank) dec. Dallas Prater (Cheatham Co.), 6-1;

 

152 – Justin Wheeler (Chattanooga Christian) dec. Daniel Dawson (Signal Mountain), 9-4;

 

152 – Zane Williams (Boyd-Buchanan) dec. Elijah Davis (Fulton), 5-3;

 

160 – Alonzo Heyward (Central) major dec. Wesley McCoy (Forrest), 19-7;

 

160 – Daelyn Rose (Harpeth) dec. Daniel Hodges (Notre Dame), 8-2;

 

170 – Ethan Olinger (Pigeon Forge) pinned John Noe (Page), 3:22;

 

170 – Trent Knight (Greeneville) pinned Alex Hundley (Chattanooga Christian), 3:09;

 

182 – Houston Tywater (Page) pinned Chris Taylor (Elizabethton), 2:23;

 

182 – Noah Evans (Alcoa) dec. Drew Carlisle (Forrest), 5-0;

 

195 – Anthony Baiamonte (Pigeon Forge) dec. Tanner Lynch (Greenbrier), 7-2;

 

195 – Zach Diviney (Sycamore) dec. Grant Brace (Alcoa), 5-3 in overtime;

 

220 – Devon Suddeth (Red Bank) pinned Nicholas Foster (Greeneville), 4:17;

 

220 – Truman Ross (Hixson) dec. Toby Lynch (Greenbrier), 5-4 in ultimate tie breaker;

 

285 – Samson Evans (Alcoa) major dec. Eric Lee (East Nashville), 18-8;

 

285 – Zach Schlessman (Greenbrier) dec. Devin Spence (Harpeth), 3-2.

 

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

 

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

 

Latest on track....

 

Looks like another NW Girls, PF, Ryan Bear Celebration...

 

 

Team Scores

A-AA

1. Pigeon Forge 123.5

2. Hixson 102.5

3. Forrest 89.0

4. Greeneville 81.0

5. Alcoa 77.5

6. Harpeth 76.0

7. Greenbrier 72.0

7. Notre Dame 72.0

9. Signal Mountain 59.5

10. Chattanooga Central 53.5

10. Red Bank 53.5

12. Fairview 45.0

13. Page 44.0

14. Boyd Buchanan 39.0

15. White House 35.0

16. Chattanooga Christian 34.0

17. Sycamore 33.0

18. Elizabethton 31.0

18. Sullivan East 31.0

20. Knoxville Grace 27.0

21. Christian Academy of Knoxville 26.0

22. Whitwell 25.0

23. Stratford 23.0

24. Pearl Cohn 22.0

25. Eagleville 21.0

26. Cheatham Co. 18.0

26. East Nashville 18.0

28. Goodpasture 16.0

28. Knoxville Fulton 16.0

30. Martin Luther King 11.0

31. Northview Academy 9.0

32. East Ridge 7.0

32. Greenback 7.0

32. Hume Fogg 7.0

35. Chuckey-Doak 4.0

36. Union Co. 3.0

37. Creek Wood 1.0

38. Kingston 0.0

38. Nolensville 0.0

38. Sequatchie Co. 0.0

AAA

1. Bradley Central 222.0

2. Cleveland 167.0

3. Tennessee 135.5

4. Independence 115.0

5. Wilson Central 106.0

6. Mt. Juliet 101.0

7. Beech 100.0

8. Arlington 99.0

9. Knoxville Halls 97.5

10. Science Hill 97.0

11. Blackman 95.0

12. Summit 83.0

13. Soddy Daisy 79.0

14. William Blount 69.5

15. Heritage 64.0

16. Franklin 56.0

17. Stewarts Creek 50.5

18. Gibbs 49.0

19. Clarksville 48.5

20. Bartlett 46.0

21. Tullahoma 43.5

22. East Hamilton 42.0

23. Northwest 41.5

24. Riverdale 40.0

25. Jefferson Co. 39.5

26. Brentwood 39.0

27. Siegel 33.5

28. Bearden 33.0

28. Dobyns Bennett 33.0

30. Walker Valley 32.0

31. McGavock 28.0

32. Houston 24.0

32. Stone Memorial 24.0

34. Smyrna 23.0

35. Kenwood 21.0

36. Hunters Lane 20.5

37. Oakland 20.0

38. Centennial 19.0

38. Rhea Co. 19.0

38. Seymour 19.0

41. Hardin Valley 17.0

42. Rossview 16.5

43. Cookeville 16.0

44. Lawrence Co. 15.0

44. Maryville 15.0

46. Ravenwood 14.5

47. Collierville 14.0

47. Shelbyville 14.0

49. Cane Ridge 12.0

49. Cordova 12.0

49. Kingsbury 12.0

52. Anderson Co. 11.5

53. Morristown West 11.0

53. Sevier Co. 11.0

53. Southwind 11.0

56. David Crockett 10.0

56. Karns 10.0

58. McMinn Co. 8.0

58. South Doyle 8.0

58. West Creek 8.0

61. Antioch 7.0

62. Farragut 6.0

62. Lebanon 6.0

62. Ooltewah 6.0

65. Hillsboro 4.0

65. Northeast 4.0

67. Clinton 3.0

67. Dickson Co. 3.0

67. Hendersonville 3.0

67. Morristown East 3.0

67. Powell 3.0

72. Bolton 2.0

72. Cocke Co. 2.0

72. Hillwood 2.0

72. John Overton 2.0

76. Franklin Co. 1.0

76. Germantown 1.0

78. Knoxville Central 0.0

78. LaVergne 0.0

78. Memphis East 0.0

78. Munford 0.0

78. Volunteer 0.0

78. Warren Co. 0.0

DII

1. Father Ryan 218.5

2. McCallie School 187.5

3. Christian Brothers 174.5

4. Baylor School 163.5

5. Montgomery Bell Acad. 148.5

6. Brentwood Academy 71.0

7. Battle Ground Acad. 35.5

8. Briarcrest 35.0

9. Memphis University School 27.0

10. Ensworth 19.0

11. Knoxville Webb 15.0

12. Franklin Road Acad. 13.0

13. Friendship Christian 0.0

13. Pope John Paul II 0.0

13. St. Andrews 0.0

13. St. Benedict 0.0

17. St. George`s -1.0

Girls

1. Northwest - Girls 94.0

2. Bearden - Girls 54.0

3. Rossview - Girls 46.0

4. WIlliam Blount - Girls 41.5

5. Mt. Juliet - Girls 39.5

6. Sycamore - Girls 38.0

7. Hardin Valley - Girls 36.0

8. Sullivan East - Girls 35.0

9. Warren County - Girls 33.0

10. Science Hill - Girls 32.0

11. Gibbs - Girls 31.0

12. Montgomery Central - Girls 30.0

12. West Greene - Girls 30.0

14. Independence - Girls 28.0

15. White House - Girls 21.0

16. Cane Ridge - Girls 20.0

16. Northeast - Girls 20.0

18. Cookeville - Girls 18.0

18. Daniel Boone - Girls 18.0

18. Hendersonville - Girls 18.0

18. Hume-Fogg - Girls 18.0

22. Dickson County - Girls 14.5

23. David Crockett - Girls 14.0

23. Fairview - Girls 14.0

25. Elizabethton - Girls 12.0

25. Northview - Girls 12.0

27. Page - Girls 10.0

27. Smyrna - Girls 10.0

29. Cumberland County - Girls 9.0

29. Knoxville Halls - Girls 9.0

31. McGavock - Girls 8.0

32. Happy Valley - Girls 6.0

32. Tennessee - Girls 6.0

34. Tullahoma - Girls 5.0

35. St. Andrew`s-Sewanee - Girls 4.0

36. Chuckey Doak - Girls 0.0

36. Halls - Girls 0.0

36. Karns - Girls 0.0

36. Stone Memorial - Girls 0.0

36. Sullivan South - Girls 0.0

Edited February 18, 2017 by Sommers