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Historic day in Tennessee wrestling....
 

Here's one good way to know...

Chattanoogan.com - Chattanooga's source for breaking local news
 Thursday, January 17, 2019 42.0°F   light drizzle fog/mist   
 
 

Tennessee Wrestling State Champions To Compete In Post-Season “Best Of The Best” Event

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

This March, elite wrestlers from all high schools in Tennessee will be able to showcase their skills against each other, regardless of division or school size.   

The Middle Tennessee Wrestling Officials Association (MTWOA) and Compound Sportwear present “Tennessee’s Best of the Best presented by Compound Sportwear”, a post-season quad wrestling meet, which will pit state champions from each wrestling classification against each other to showcase the top wrestlers statewide. Champions from Division I AAA, Division I A/AA, and Division II will be joined by one wild card entry in each weight class to form 4 mixed teams that will compete in a dual format. Teams will compete in three duals. This post-season event will be held at 5 p.m. on March 2, at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tn.

“We are extremely excited for these high school wrestlers to see how they compare to champions from other divisions,” said John Gannon, president of the MTWOA. “It will be a great night to celebrate and showcase elite scholastic wrestling in Tennessee.”

Wrestling crowned one champion per weight class until 1997, when public and private schools split into separate divisions. The championships were further divided in 2014, when public schools separated into small school and large school classifications. This event gives wrestling fans the opportunity to see elite wrestlers compete from all over the state and from every division and classification.

Cliff Fretwell of Compound Sportswear added, “We are excited to support Tennessee’s Best of the Best. Compound Sportswear is dedicated to supporting and growing wrestling all over the southeast. We are honored to be involved with such a prestigious event that showcases young up and coming talent! The talent growth and success on the national level in recent years is a testament to events like these!”

Proceeds from this event will go toward funding wrestling in Tennessee. Oakland High School is at 2225 Patriot Dr., Murfreesboro, Tn. 37130.

 
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CHS wrestling splits with Smyrna, Stewart's Creek Tuesday

Cookeville's Richard Ortega-Rosendo, top, works an advantage against a Smyrna wrestler during the Cavs' 59-17 win Tuesday night at CHS.
Cookeville's Richard Ortega-Rosendo, top, works an advantage against a Smyrna wrestler during the Cavs' 59-17 win Tuesday night at CHS.
JUDY HADLOCK
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Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2019

The Cookeville High School wrestling team split two matchups on Tuesday night as the Cavaliers took down Smyrna 59-17, but they fell to Stewart’s Creek 49-22 at CHS.

In Cookeville’s win over Smyrna, the Cavs gave up one forfeit, one pin, and one technical fall. However, the Cavs also scored on four forfeits, four pins, and three decisions.

Scoring pins for the Cavs were Mikey Gonzalez (132 pounds), Richard Ortega-Rosendo (160), Jay Reed (170), and Steven Dixon (195). Reed’s was the only pin to come in the first round, and all three others came in the second.

Of the Cavs’ three decision victories, two were major decisions. Both major decisions were by the same margin as Sammy Hadlock (120) won 16-4, and Reed Hall (126) won 19-7. The third decision victory went to Ethan Ayo (138) as he won 7-4.

The Cavs were not as lucky against Stewart’s Creek as they dropped one forfeit, six pins, and three decisions. However, CHS was still able to score on three pins and a major decision.

Scoring pins for Cookeville were Dakota Cucinella (182), Kana Frye (220), and Sam Harness (heavyweight). All three pins came in the first round, and Cucinella’s was the fastest at 33 seconds. Reed scored the remaining four points when he beat his opponent 20-11.

Up next, the Cavs will travel to Crossville Thursday for a match at hosting Stone Memorial High School. Weigh in is set for 5 p.m., and the first match is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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This scene was repeated often Tuesday night at Dobyns-Bennett's Buck Van Huss Dome, where the Tribe won 13 matches against Science Hill by forfeit.

Joe Avento

1 / 1 This scene was repeated often Tuesday night at Dobyns-Bennett's Buck Van Huss Dome, where the Tribe won 13 matches against Science Hill by forfeit.


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SPORTS LIVE 

D-B earns bizarre win featuring forfeits in 13 of 14 matches

JOE AVENTO • JAN 15, 2019 AT 7:55 PM 

KINGSPORT — The schedule said Science Hill would be wrestling at Dobyns-Bennett on Tuesday night.

One team said otherwise.

Science Hill forfeited 13 of the 14 matches, giving the Indians a 78-6 victory in a bizarre dual meet at the Buck Van Huss Dome.

“I brought the kids that were healthy,” said Science Hill coach Jimmy Miller, who said the majority of his team was out with the flu. “Unfortunately, I have to do what’s best for my kids. Was it personal? No. I did what was best for the Science Hill High School kids.”

Science Hill didn’t send a wrestler out for the first four matches, and a pattern began to emerge. Wrestler after wrestler, all wearing D-B singlets, walked to the center of the mat to have his hand hoisted victoriously into the air by the referee.

Finally, at 132 pounds, there was some wrestling, and Science Hill’s Tyler Sealey pinned D-B’s Eli Whitley in a minute to cap the night’s only action.

The entire farce lasted 10 minutes, leaving the handful of spectators who paid $5 apiece to get in wondering if they’d get their money back.

“We put our guys out there and we were willing to wrestle anyone he put out there,” D-B coach Wesley Idlette said. “We were ready. I’m still a little shocked.

“People paid to come in and see some matches and they only saw one match.”

Miller said he tried to get the event rescheduled when he realized his team wouldn’t be at full strength.

“That was denied,” he said.

Idlette said all he can do is look forward.

“Things were out of my control,” he said. “We still have a long season ahead of us. We’re looking forward to Thursday and taking on Jefferson County.”

Edited by Sommers
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HUGE CHATTANOOGA WRESTLING ICONS PASS THE VERY SAME DAY...
Published Jan. 19 2019

Two giants of the local wrestling community died Friday, John Farr in the morning and Jim Morgan in the afternoon
Published Jan. 19 2019

012713_WEB_d_Jim_Morgan_t400_hb571d8c61a7d0ccf21b6cd7f741e53cb1c5876d7.JPG
Published Jan. 19 2019

Had a great love for these two gentlemen since the 70s and some will even remember them in the 60s starting with Red Bank Lion fans, of course officiating, UTC, and Baylor..... Not to mention the years of service at the tssaa state wrestling tournaments.

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Mocs Mourn the Passing of Jim Morgan

Jan. 19, 2019 Wrestling
Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach, professor and athletic administrator Jim Morgan passed away on Friday.  Morgan guided the Mocs' wrestling program for 16 seasons, from 1969 to 1983. 

Morgan was a legendary figure at UTC, primarily known for establishing the Mocs wrestling team into a championship program.  He guided Chattanooga from 1969 to 1984, posting a career record of 209-70-3. 

"I was fortunate enough to meet Coach Morgan and even though I have not been here long, I fully understand the impact he had on Chattanooga Wrestling," stated first-year head coach Kyle Ruschell.  "He was a legend in the wrestling community and set the foundation for our program that still feels his impact 34 years after he coached his last match at UTC."
   21719 The 1975 Mocs with head coach Jim Morgan and All-Americans
Randy Batten, John Kavelage, David Weeks and Turner Jackson.
The 1992 inductee into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame, Morgan's career win total and winning percentage (.746) are still tops in the school record books.   He was the 1975 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year when he led the Mocs to a third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament.  The Mocs were runners up the following season and finished ninth in 1977 before making the jump to the Southern Conference and NCAA Division I.

"Jim Morgan, in his decades of coaching, has positively affected thousands of wrestlers, wrestling coaches and the great sport of wrestling" stated UTC's Director of Athletic Performance Ethan Reeve.  Reeve succeeded Morgan as coach of the Mocs from 1985-90. 

"Coach Morgan is the winningest wrestling coach in UTC history and is an icon and a legend. He will forever be remembered for his selfless service to others and kind heart!"

Morgan guided UTC to the conference crown its first six years as members of the SoCon, winning Coach of the Year honors in 1978, 1981 and 1983.  He coached three individuals to NCAA Division II titles, including Randy Batten (1975-77), Turner Jackson (1975-76) and David Weeks (1976).  Batten was the NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1975. 

There were four additional NCAA Division II All-Americans in Morgan's tenure, including Bill Burnside (1974), John Kavelage (1975-76), Tim Brennan (1976) and Ralph Zinger (1976).

Morgan's 1983 team finished 14th at the NCAA Championships, the highest for the wrestling program in Division I competition.  Byron McGlathery (1980) and Charlie Heard (1982-84) earned NCAA Division I All-American honors under his tutelage.

After leaving the mat at UTC, he served as an Assistant Athletics Director before taking over the Baylor School wrestling program in 1986.  His teams won nine state traditional championships, six state duals championships before he retired in 2010. 

Morgan was a two-time graduate of the University of Chattanooga, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees.  As a student at UC, he was a member of the wrestling team and won the Dayle May Award his senior year.

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Funeral arrangements for Coach Morgan are handled by Lane Funeral Home (601 Ashland Terrace) in Chattanooga.
 
The wrestling community also lost John Farr on Friday.  Farr was a member of the Chattanooga wrestling program and a 1956 graduate of the University of Chattanooga. 

Farr was a pioneer in local wrestling, starting programs at a number of local school and winning state titles at Red Bank High School.  He directed to the state tournament and was an NCAA Division I official. 

Visitation for Coach Farr is 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.  A Celebration of Life service is 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.
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From the Chattanoogan....

Baylor Sweeps Matches With Father Ryan, MBA

McCallie Beats MBA Before Losing To Ryan At Home On Saturday

Saturday, January 19, 2019 - by John Hunt

McCallie hosted four dual meet wrestling matches Saturday afternoon involving Baylor and two Division II teams from Nashville, including Father Ryan and Montgomery Bell Academy.

Top-ranked and unbeaten Baylor stayed that way as they topped Father Ryan by a 42-36 final in the opener while rolling past MBA by a 60-12 margin.

A moment of silence was observed before the first match in memory of Jim Morgan and John Farr, a pair of Hall of Fame wrestling coaches who both passed on Friday.

McCallie posted a 39-31 win over MBA but came up on the short end of a 44-32 final against Father Ryan. 

It seems like all prep wrestling teams are banged up and bruised at this point, so all of Saturday’s teams were missing some key individuals.

“I was proud of the way my guys stepped up and performed today,” said Baylor coach Ben Nelson after his team had improved to 15-0 with the two wins.

“It was kind of somber and quiet when we first got here and I was afraid we might be a little bit flat, but we were able to generate some of our own momentum and that made a lot of difference. 

“We should be decent when we get everyone back in our lineup, but we were missing some key warriors today.  We knew that Father Ryan would be good, so it was fun to see how we responded in that match.  But we still have the big match with McCallie on Friday, so we’ll keep working hard to continue improving,” Nelson added.

McCallie coach Jake Yost offered similar sentiments.

“We have some guys banged up, but I thought we did a pretty good job in a tough circumstance today,” he said while members of his team were rolling up the mats.

“We just lost a tough match to Father Ryan, but we won in a couple of spots where we had lost to them earlier, so that was good.  But I feel like we can be competitive if we can get everyone healthy and in the right spots.

“I’m really proud of Ellis Haney, a freshman at 106, who came from behind to win his match against MBA and provide the margin of victory for our team.  I’m not even sure he knew the dual meet was on the line, but I feel like we got pretty good effort from everyone on the team,” Yost added.

Baylor and Father Ryan split their 14 matches, but the difference was Baylor getting bonus points in them all with six pins and a forfeit.  Two of Ryan’s wins were by regular decision and that was the margin of victory for the Red Raiders.

Noah Hurst, Garrison Dendy, Andrew Pace, Barrett Chambers, Mason Reiniche and Jonathan Snodgrass all won with pins while David Harper was awarded a forfeit at 195.

Baylor won 11 of 14 matches against MBA, including the final seven.  Dan McGuire’s 8-2 decision at 160 had gotten the Big Red within 21-12 before Baylor won the rest with five pins, another forfeit to Harper and a thrilling 10-9 decision by Drew Dietz at 106.

Santeri Valpas, Alex Robinson, Matthew Smith and Kade Hartline joined Hurst, Dendy, Pace and Reiniche with  pins in the MBA match while Ryan Tisdale had a 6-0 decision in the first match at 120 pounds.

McCallie had five pins, a technical fall, a major decision and a forfeit in its win over MBA while getting four pins, one technical fall and a regular decision over Father Ryan.

John Braman, Frankie Zahrobsky, Riley Looper, Austin Gentil and Haney all had pins in the win over MBA while Zach Ward, Alex Whitworth, Thomas Sell and Looper all had pins against Ryan.

Baylor is now 15-0 while Father Ryan is now 20-3.  McCallie is 8-3 while MBA drops to 5-9 in dual meets.

Baylor will host McCallie on Friday at 6 p.m. in each team's final dual meet of the season.

BAYLOR 42, FATHER RYAN 36

(Match began at 113 Pounds)

106 – Brooks McAfee (FR) pinned Kade Hartline, 1:45;

113 – Calvin Eason (FR) won by forfeit;

120 – Thomas Wesnofske (FR) dec. Jacob Weekley, 7-5;

126 – Noah Hurst (Bay) pinned Griffin Habacker, 3:30;

132 – Garrison Dendy (Bay) pinned Sean Pitts, 3:44;

138 – Houston Crouch (FR) dec. Clayton Pettway, 3-2;

145 – Andrew Pace (Bay) pinned JaCorey Miller, 1:15;

152 – Lawrence Madson (FR) pinned Jason Motley, 3:49;

160 – Barrett Chambers (Bay) pinned Andrew Nelson, 3:42;

170 – Mason Reiniche (Bay) pinned Parker Peterson, 3:20;

182 – Henry Hagey (FR) pinned Santeri Valpas, 1:16;

195 – David Harper (Bay) won by forfeit;

220 – Jonathan Snodgrass (Bay) pinned Gabriel Holmes, 1:37;

285 – Felix Wilson (FR) pinned Matthew Smith, 2:32.

BAYLOR 60 MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY 12

(Match began at 120 pounds)

106 – Drew Dietz (Bay) dec. Brantley Golczynski, 10-9;

113 – Kade Hartline (Bay) pinned Mac Rusi, 3:29;

120 – Ryan Tisdale (Bay) dec. Frank Perazzini, 6-0;

126 – Noah Hurst (Bay) pinned Will Higgins, :55;

132 – Garrison Dendy (Bay) pinned Adam Garfinkel, 1:05;

138 – Blake Andrews (MBA) dec. Clayton Pettway, 5-1;

145 – Andrew Pace (Bay) pinned Robby Barnes, :42;

152 – Eric Russ (MBA) pinned Jason Motley, 1:57;

160 – Dan McGuire (MBA) dec. Barrett Chambers, 8-2;

170 – Mason Reiniche (Bay) pinned Doug Gaw, :37;

182 – Santeri Valpas (Bay) pinned Mason Skeeters, 1:43;

195 – David Harper (Bay) won by forfeit;

220 – Alex Robinson (Bay) pinned Ethan Lilly, 2:31;

285 – Matthew Smith (Bay) pinned Joe Moore, :24.

McCALLIE 45, MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY 31

(Match began at 113 pounds)

106 – Ellis Haney (McC) pinned Roman Urbanczyk;

113 – John Braman (McC) pinned Mac Rusi, 3:48;

120 – Emory Taylor (McC) major dec. Frank Perazzini, 12-4;

126 – Will Higgins (MBA) major dec. Lawson Davis, 16-7;

132 – Adam Garfinkel (MBA) pinned Ian Herring;

138 – Wyatt Andrews (MBA) dec. Zach Ward, 4-2;

145 – Robby Barnes (MBA) pinned Rand Holtzclaw, 2:00;

152 – Alex Whitworth (McC) won by technical fall over Eric Russ;

160 – Dan McGuire (MBA) won by forfeit;

170 – Frankie Zahrobsky (McC) pinned Doug Gaw;

182 – Thomas Sell (McC) won by forfeit;

195 – Mason Skeeters (MBA) pinned Coen Campbell;

220 – Riley Looper (McC) pinned Ethan Lilly;

285 – Austin Gentil (McC) pinned Joe Moore.

FATHER RYAN 44, McCALLIE 32

(Match began at 120 pounds)

106 – Brooks McAfee (FR) major dec. Ellis Haney, 13-0;

113 – Calvin Eason (FR) won by forfeit;

120 – Emory Taylor (McC) won by technical fall over Thomas Wesnofske;

126 – Griffin Habacker (FR) pinned Lawson Davis;

132 – Sean Pitts (FR) major dec. Ian Herring, 18-5;

138 – Zach Ward (McC) pinned Houston Crouch, 2:00;

145 – JaCorey Miller (FR) pinned Rand Holtzclaw;

152 – Alex Whitworth (McC) pinned Lawrence Madson;

160 – Andrew Nelson (FR) pinned Frankie Zahrobsky;

170 – Parker Peterson (FR) pinned Harrison Millirons;

182 – Thomas Sell (McC) pinned Henry Hagey;

195 – Gabriel Holmes (FR) pinned Coen Campbell;

220 – Riley Looper (McC) pinned Elijah Wilson;

285 – Austin Gentil (McC) dec. Felix Wilson, 5-1.

(Email John Hunt at [email protected])

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Centennial wrestling gets ranked in latest state poll

Posted by Cory Woodroof
Date: January 22, 2019

 

Centennial wrestling gets ranked in latest state poll
 

Ahead of Tuesday night’s start of wrestling districts at Centennial High School, the Cougars find themselves ranked in the week’s Tennessee Wrestling Coaches’ Poll.

They clock in at 11 in the state ranking, with Brentwood rounding the list at 12.

Summit also got votes.

Below is the poll, courtesy of the coaches. 

STATE POLL:

RANK SCHOOL POWER

RANKING

LAST WEEK
1 BAYLOR 163 1
2 CLEVELAND 155 2
3 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS 142 3
4 FATHER RYAN 125 4
5 MCCALLIE 113 5
6 WILSON CENTRAL 98 6
7 ARLINGTON 85 7
8 BRADLEY CENTRAL 71 8
9 SCIENCE HILL 49 9
10 BLACKMAN 32 10
11 CENTENNIAL 24 NR
12 BRENTWOOD 15 11

Others receiving votes:  BEECH, CLARKSVILLE, OAKLAND, ROSSVIEW, STEWART’S CREEK, SUMMIT

Photo from Centennial’s Scorebird account. 

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web-logo.pngWiedmer: John Farr and Jim Morgan are losses too big to replace
January 23rd, 2019by Mark Wiedmerin Sports - ColumnsRead Time: 4 mins.
 
012713_WEB_d_Jim_Morgan_t350_hfbf162212473c619ed8c37842999c9437f853a9b.JPG
Jim Morgan is the UTC wrestling program's all-time wins leader.

Photo by Staff File Photo /Times Free Press.

It was getting close to 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon, and in a few minutes Dr. Steve Highlander would begin delivering a very emotional eulogy regarding the extraordinary life of wrestling icon John Farr.

But as he stood in the lobby of the North Chapel of the Chattanooga Funeral Home he also was grappling with the death of fellow local wrestling legend Jim Morgan, who likewise died last Friday.


"I guess I'd say this," observed Highlander, who considered Farr a coaching mentor and who was coached by Morgan at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. "Losing John Farr and Jim Morgan on the same day has been as devastating to the Chattanooga wrestling community the past few days as losing Thomas Jefferson and John Adams was to the country as a whole when they both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after ratifying the Declaration of Independence."

It certainly would be tough to find two men in the Chattanooga area who have left bigger footprints than Farr and Morgan.

Or as former McCallie coaching great Gordon Connell noted before the service, "In my opinion, John Farr is the father of Tennessee wrestling."

And Morgan, who graduated from McCallie but coached at both UTC and McCallie archrival Baylor?

"When I was first hired at Hixson High School, I got a handwritten note from Jim congratulating me," Connell said. "When we won the state there (at McCallie ), I got another note. And when Jake Yost was hired as the McCallie coach this year, Jim wrote him a note, as well. That's 48 years of writing handwritten notes to people, and there is no telling how many others in this community have gotten notes from him. That's just one example of the kind of guy he was."

Stories concerning Morgan will no doubt be in abundance this Sunday afternoon at 2 when a memorial service will be held for him in the Baylor Alumni Chapel with a reception to follow. As the Lane Funeral Home website notes, there are sure to be remembrances from both his wrestlers and his chemistry students regarding "the life-long lessons he taught them: courage, humility, perseverance, dedication, loyalty, integrity and honesty."

But those same words also were in abundance at Farr's memorial service.

One former Red Bank wrestler spoke of Farr's years there, where he guided the Lions to three straight state titles. But he also recalled a morning in Nashville when, after eating breakfast at a Music City restaurant, the younger brother of one of his wrestlers was being bullied by a couple of high school kids.

Farr told the bullies as the whole Red Bank team gathered: "You better have brought your lunch, because you're going to be here for awhile."

George Farr, a relative, also wrestled for him at Red Bank.

"I weighed 111 pounds, and he wanted me to wrestle at 108," George Farr said. "When you're 111 pounds, trying to lose three pounds can be hard. So he'd put me in the whirlpool with the temperature at about 110 degrees. When I turned red, he'd pull me out. But if wasn't down to 108 yet, I went right back in."

Regarding weight, Farr was also a wrestling official at numerous UTC matches when Morgan was the Mocs coach. It was the practice of some of the less scrupulous coaches Morgan dealt with to ask if the weigh-ins could be on the honor system. Morgan once told Highlander that Farr might have been the only coach he'd ever known who he wouldn't have suspected anything of he'd asked for such a thing.

Morgan also said he never questioned Farr calls during a match, because if he called it, it was always correct.

But Farr was so much more than a wrestling coach or official. He served with distinction in the Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was the longtime president of the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame. Said Mickey Haddock, who succeeded Farr, "Everything he was involved in, he left it stronger than when he started. He certainly helped the Hall of Fame, especially with finances."

Longtime East Ridge High coaching legend Catherine Neely, the current president of the Hall, noted the magnificent model train collection that Farr kept in his basement.

There was also this from granddaughter Amber Farr, whose father is John Farr Jr.: "He'd pay me $5 an hour to move paperwork around in his office, which was mostly so he could spend time with me."

Recalled Connell in remembering that state-title run at Hixson: "We caught two of our wrestlers smoking cigarettes before the state. I went to John to ask him what I should do. He said I should talk to Luke Worsham (the Baylor coaching icon who had coached Farr when he was a Red Raider). Luke said I should let the rest of the team vote. They all voted to let them wrestle, and we won the state. John was very wise."

It was certainly a life well lived. He and Delores, married 48 years, raised two fine children in John Jr. and Ginger, were blessed with three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. On so many fronts he left everything he touched better than he found it.

But there was also this, the sweet thought of a family friend known as "Little John," who said of the twin losses of the 84-year-old Farr and the 80-year-old Morgan on the same January Friday: "We did not lose Mr. Farr. He just went to that big wrestling place in the sky, and Jim went with him so he'd have someone to wrestle with."

Contact Mark Wiedmer at [email protected]

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 LISTINGS

 
 
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Joseph Frye looks over to the Science Hill coaches in his win over Jefferson County's Logan Fisher in the 145-pound weight class.
Defending state champion Chase Diehl of Science Hill gets the upper hand on Morristown East's Alex Mercado in their opening-round match in the 170-pound weight class.
Dobyns-Bennett's Brennan Watkins is in control against Tennessee High's Perry Roller in their 113-pound match.
Joseph Frye looks over to the Science Hill coaches in his win over Jefferson County's Logan Fisher in the 145-pound weight class.
Defending state champion Chase Diehl of Science Hill gets the upper hand on Morristown East's Alex Mercado in their opening-round match in the 170-pound weight class.
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Jeff Birchfield

1 / 3 Defending state champion Chase Diehl of Science Hill gets the upper hand on Morristown East's Alex Mercado in their opening-round match in the 170-pound weight class.


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HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING 

Science Hill romps to 1-AAA wrestling duals title

JEFF BIRCHFIELD • JAN 24, 2019 AT 10:12 PM

KINGSPORT - Science Hill has been ranked among the top wrestling teams in the state this season.

The Hilltoppers certainly lived up to the billing Thursday night romping to the Region 1-AAA wrestling duals championship at the Buck Van Huss Dome.

Science Hill beat Tennessee High 66-8 in the championship round after defeating Jefferson County 49-24 in the semifinals and romping past Morristown East in the opening round.

"We come in here and had to put three matches together and that's a lot for a team," Science Hill coach Jimmy Miller said. "This was the first time we've put the entire starting lineup, all 14 of them at the right place and right weight. We had a hiccup in this gym a couple of weeks ago (when they forfeited 13 of 14 matches), but I knew we would come back and have a chance to redeem ourselves. That's exactly what our kids did."

This time, Science Hill was the beneficiary of forfeits in the championship round, winning eight matches that way. Of the six remaining contests, the Hilltoppers won four.

Javelle Gillespie at the 113-pound weight class and William Rogers at 220 won their final matches by pinfall. James Miller scored a 4-0 decision at 120.

Fans were treated to a showdown at 170 when Science Hill's Chase Diehl, the defending state champion at 160, and Tennessee High's Dominic Fields, the defending state champion at 145 faced off.

The two battled through a scoreless first period. Fields gained an advantage in the second and third periods, and after Diehl fought back to tie, pulled ahead again 4-3 with an escape. Diehl came back and scored a takedown with just nine seconds left in the match to capture a 5-4 victory.

"I know how good he is, and I'm glad they bumped him up where we had a great match before the state tournament," Diehl said. "I was lucky to get that takedown at the very end. I knew I had to go for it and was able to get it to win the match."

Science Hill winners by forfeit were: Hayden Bodo (106), Braxton Mann (126), Tyler Seeley (132), Joseph Frye (145), Jared Harter (152), Blake Blevins (160), William Mooney (182) and Jack Tevis (Heavyweight).

Semifinals

Science Hill 49, Jefferson County 24

Gillespie, Mann, Diehl and Tevis all scored pins for the Hilltoppers against the Patriots. Miller won by major decision, while forfeits for Bodo and Jahkye Aples, and decisions by Seeley, Frye and Alex Hise rounded out the scoring.

Coach Miller was particularly pleased to see two of those results.

"We got in a couple of spots in our match against Jeff County. They put our backs against the wall, and our kids had to respond," Miller said. "Tyler Seeley at 132 and Joseph Frye at 145 beat state-ranked kids who hadn't beaten us earlier in the season. Just a gutsy, gutsy performance by our kids tonight."

Tennessee High 47, Dobyns-Bennett 36

Tied at 36 heading into the final pair of matches, the Vikings' Dillon Pendley won by technical fall and Ferguson won by pinfall as Tennessee High earned the state tournament berth.

Brennan Watkins at 113, Gabe Hawkins at 126, Elijah Whitley at 132 and Jesse Greer at 220 scored pins for Dobyns-Bennett. Heavyweight Cade Salyers and Jackson Hurst at 138 won their matches by forfeit.

It was the end of the dual season for the Indians, who still have individual titles to contend for.

"Like I told our kids, they made a lot of growth from the start of the season to here and the season is not over with," Dobyns-Bennett coach Wesley Idlette said. "I'm extremely proud of our guys and the way they wrestled. With how young our kids are, the focus they have, they're wrestling their best at the right time and that's what we want."

 

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Meet the player who won a wrestling match and a basketball game hours apart for two different schools

Prep sports notebook: Marion County's Reece Barton pulls off rare two-sport feat, Chattanooga area players make commitments

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The Chattanoogan

 Friday, January 25, 2019 40.0°F   a few clouds   A Few Clouds
 
 
Two Moc Wrestlers In Coaches Panel Rankings
Friday, January 25, 2019
The NCAA released the first of four coaches’ panel rankings for the 2018-19 wrestling season on Thursday, and two Mocs were among those listed. The final rankings are one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine qualifiers and seeding for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Sophomore Fabian Gutierrez and junior Chris Debien were the two from Chattanooga on the list.  Gutierrez is No. 23 at 125 pounds, while Debien checked in at No.
33 at 141. 

Gutierrez is in a battle for the starting spot at 125 with senior Alonzo Allen.  Allen is the returning SoCon Champion and is 18-6 overall.  Gutierrez beat Allen in the finals of the Hokie Open and is 16-4 overall.

Gutierrez climbed into the Intermat Top-20 at 125 prior to the Southern Scuffle, where he went 3-2.  He also has a SoCon Wrestler of the Week honor to his credit this season.

Debien is 17-10 overall and posted a sixth place finish at the Southern Scuffle earlier this month.  He also was runner-up at the Cougar Clash and placed fourth at the Wolfpack Open.  The 2016 SoCon Champion has won 10 of his last 15 matches, and is looking to return to the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career.

The Mocs host Davidson on Sunday in Southern Conference action.  UTC is looking to improve on its 3-5 record and 1-0 start in SoCon matches.  Doors open at 11:00 a.m. (E.S.T.) with the match set to begin at Noon. 
Edited by Sommers
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Photos: Region 5-AAA wrestling duals


28 PHOTOS
1:04 p.m. MST Jan. 25, 2019
 
 Barry Clark calling them as he sees them...
 
Stewarts Creek's Jacob Knight battles Tullahoma's Trinton Partin in the 182-pound division in Thursday's Region 5 duals semifinals, won by Tullahoma.
 
 
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 FacebooStewarts Creek's Jacob Knight battles Tullahoma's Trinton Partin in the 182-pound division in Thursday's Region 5 duals semifinals, won by Tullahoma.
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Blackman's Aaron Fisher wins the 145-pound division in the finals vs. Tullahoma's Landen Willette.
 
 
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 Twitte FacBlackman's Aaron Fisher wins the 145-pound division in the finals vs. Tullahoma's Landen Willette.
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Blackman's Aaron Fisher battles Tullahoma's Landen Willette in the 145-pound division in the region finals Thursday.
 
 
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 FBlackman's Aaron Fisher battles Tullahoma's Landen Willette in the 145-pound division in the region finals Thursday.

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Stewarts Creek's Alek Wells looks for a pin against Tullahoma's John Smith in the 170-pound division during Thursday's region semifinals.
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Stewarts Creek's Alek Wells battles Tullahoma's John Smith in the 170-pound division during Thursday's region duals semifinals.
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Blackman's Alex Rose captured a victory in the 113-pound division in Thursday's region duals finals.
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Blackman's Anthony Gomez battles Tullahoma's Samuel Poteat in teh 160-pound division in the region duals finals Thursday.
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Blackman's Austin Marlatt walks off the mat after a quick pin in the 132-pound division in the region duals finals Thursday at Siegel.
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Blackman coach Ronnie Bray gives instruction to a Blaze wrestler during Thursday's region duals finals at Siegel. The Blaze defeated Tullahoma in the championship.
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Blackman coach Ronnie Bray talks with a Blaze wrestler during Thursday's region duals finals, which Blackman won over Tullahoma.
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Blackman vs. Tullahoma. Region 5 wrestling duals finals. Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
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Stewarts Creek's Christopher McCrarey battles Tullahoma's Jacob Jones in the 132-pound division during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Ethan Syler battles Tullahoma's Cole Morse in the 126-pound division during the region wrestling duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek wrestling coach John Calley shouts instruction during Thursday's region wrestling duals semifinals.
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Blackman's Evan Smart drives Tullahoma's Rhett Birdson to the mat in the 138-pound division during the region duals finals Thursday.
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Blackman's Evan Smart battles Tullahoma's Rhett Birdsong during the region duals finals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Jacob Jones battles Tullahoma's Christopher McCrary during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Jacob Knight battles Tullahoma's Trinton Partin in the 182-pound division during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Jacob Knight battles Tullahoma's Trinton Partin during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Blackman's Jalen Brown battles Tullahoma's Xavier Sanson in the 152-pound division during the region duals finals Thursday.
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Blackman's Jalen Brown rolls Tullahoma's Xavier Sanson into a pin in the 152-pound division in the region duals finals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Kalani Meckes battles Tullahoma's Rhett Birdsong during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Blackman's Landon Fowler pins Tullahoma's Justin Scott in the 170-pound division during the region duals finals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Maiciah Watkins battles Tullahoma's Chavez Harden in the 160-pound division of the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Maiciah Watkins takes Tullahoma's Chavez Harden to the mat during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Nolan Johnson battles Tullahoma's Brian Nelms during the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Stewarts Creek's Trevor South battles Tullahoma's Justin Scott during the 152-pound division in the region duals semifinals Thursday.
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Blackman vs. Tullahoma. Region 5 wrestling duals finals. Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
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SMHS wrestling captures district championship

 
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The Stone Memorial High School Panther wrestling team won four matches last week to win the district title and propel Coach Brian Parker to his 200th win as head coach. Coach Parker also had over 200 wins as assistant coach at CCHS before taking the position at SMHS in 2006

SMHS defeated Bearden 42-36, Farragut 51-23, Hardin Valley 42-26 and Knox Catholic 60-23.

“We struggled through the first half of the season, with a lot of our guys trying to find their groove in the sport,” said Parker. “These guys really turned it on in these district matches. I am very proud of them.”

The Panthers went on to lose a close match to Maryville in the Region Duals, 34-41. Maryville and Heritage advanced to the State Duals.

“I felt like we wrestled Maryville very well,” added Parker. “If one match went the other way, we would have beat them. We have come a long way this season with a fairly inexperienced team.  Now it is time to get ready for individual region and states.”

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https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/tournament/tennessee-winter-championships/dual-wrestling-tn

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Baylor, Cleveland Among Favorites At State Duals

Signal Mountain Wanting To Improve On Last Year's Runner-Up Finish In A-AA

Thursday, January 31, 2019 - by John Hunt

It’s no secret that teams from Hamilton and Bradley Counties have dominated the high school wrestling scene for a long, long time and that fact will most likely continue this weekend when teams from Tennessee gather in Franklin at the Williamson County Agricultural Expo Center for the annual State Duals tournament.

Cleveland, Bradley, Baylor and McCallie have probably won more state titles than all others combined and those four will be in the running when the championship hardware is passed out Saturday night.

This area had three teams in the finals last year with the Cleveland Blue Raiders being the only one to emerge victorious.  Signal Mountain and Baylor were both second a year ago, but are among the favorites to win it all this weekend.

Baylor is the top-ranked team in Tennessee with a perfect 16-0 record.  Cleveland is a close second with a mark of 31-1, the Blue Raiders only loss coming against Baylor in the finals of the Al Miller Cleveland Duals in early December.

Defending A-AA Duals champ Gibbs didn’t make the field this year, so Signal Mountain has been tabbed as the top-seeded team in that division.

Throw in teams from Hixson and Chattanooga Christian and this area will have seven teams in action starting late Friday afternoon.

Take away Baylor’s match with Cleveland and the Blue Raiders haven’t really been challenged this season.  Cleveland’s quest for a repeat begins with a match with Sevier County.  The Bradley Bears will face Knoxville Halls in its opening match.

Baylor will face Brentwood Academy while McCallie will take on Memphis University School.  CCS is making its first trip to the Duals and will face defending D-II champ Christian Brothers in the opening round.

Signal Mountain opens with Alcoa while Hixson challenges Fairview, a scrappy team that eliminated the Wildcats last winter.

CLEVELAND: There isn’t a weak spot in the lineup for the Blue Raiders.  They have one of the best teams in state history and they’re fun to watch as they’re fundamentally sound.  Add strength and experience to the mix and they shouldn’t have a problem winning it all again.

“We face Sevier County in the first round.  They aren’t very good, but we certainly aren’t overlooking them,” said Cleveland coach Joey Knox earlier in the week.

“We feel pretty good about our team, but we have to be ready to perform.  Facing this kind of pressure is a good thing as it drives you to perform.  We just have to do our job as individuals.  We are relatively healthy with few bumps and bruises, so we’re ready to go,” the second-year head coach added.

BRADLEY: The Bears WERE the team back in the 90s.  They’ve been restored to the glory years, but this has been a challenging season as they’ve slowly worked their way back to being a contender by flying under the radar most of the way.

Coach Ben Smith feels better about his team now than he has all season.  They enter the competition with a record of 23-6.

“Halls has a tradition-rich program and they almost beat us in the first match several years ago.  I haven’t forgotten that and I’m sure they haven’t either.  They’re always tough, but it should be a fun weekend,” Smith explained.

“I like being the underdog and we’ve had that role since we began in November.  I like our draw.  We’ve wrestled a lot of dual meets preparing for this weekend.  Cleveland is without a doubt the team to beat as they’re solid from top to bottom.  They have their share of studs, but they have 14 tough young men who are much better than average.  We’ve love to meet them in the finals on Saturday night,” Smith said later.

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN: The Eagles shocked the state a year ago by making the finals in their first trip to Franklin.  Coach Joe Jellison just wants his team to prove last year’s success wasn’t a fluke.

The 21-4 Eagles face Alcoa in the opening round.

“We feel like it’s anybody’s tournament to win.  If the chips fall in the right place, we have a shot, but it’s just a matter of how bad you want it at this point in the season,” said Jellison during a phone conversation Wednesday afternoon.

“We feel like we can make another good run.  Our goal is to win big and lose small.  It will be a cat and mouse game in spots, but the coin toss is always important.  I don’t get real carried away with seeds as it’s all about match-ups.  We need to get pins at every opportunity and lose by decisions in spots where we lose.

“We don’t have any real superstars, but we do have a bunch of kids who love to wrestle.  I feel like we have a chance to win it all,” the soft-spoken coach added.

HIXSON: The Wildcats are another team who have been flying under the radar, but they’re just as capable as anyone of battling for the top prize.

“We’re ready for it to get here as we’re tired of thinking about it,” said Hixson coach Garrick Hall.

“Fairview is the team that put us out last year, so hopefully, that will be motivation for us to wrestle like we’re capable.  You just never know what will happen as we’re dealing with teenagers.  We just have to get pins and stay off our back.

“We’re healthy for the most part, but we’re not overlooking anyone.  We’re not loaded like we have been in the past, but right now, we’re focused on Fairview.  It should be an interesting weekend,” Hall concluded.

BAYLOR: The Red Raiders lost to Christian Brothers in the championship match a year ago, but those two teams haven’t met since and Baylor hasn't lost a dual meet since.  Coming in at 16-0, Baylor, like Cleveland, hasn’t had many close matches, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be one or two nail-biters this weekend.

“I think we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.  Based on what we’ve done this season, I guess we’re the favored team.  Christian Brothers is the defending champ and they’re the team to beat until someone knocks them off,” veteran coach Ben Nelson assessed.

“There are four teams in our division pretty evenly matched that could win, including Christian Brothers, Father Ryan, McCallie and us.  We’ve been pretty gritty all year.  If we can keep doing that and not give up a bunch of bonus points, we should be competitive. 

“Individual matches play a big role in a tournament like this, but we’ll just strap on the headgears and see what happens,” Nelson added.

McCALLIE: The Blue Tornado are like Hixson and Bradley in that they’re not the favorite going in, but they’re always capable of pulling off a surprise as they are stronger now than they have been all season.

“We haven’t really seen MUS, but if all goes well, I’m betting we’ll get Christian Brothers in the second round,” said McCallie coach Jake Yost.

“We’re about to have everyone back, so we hope to win a few matches while we’re there.  We’ve had a good week of practice and we’re just hoping to correct a few small mistakes we’ve been making.  Baylor is on the other side of the bracket, so that’s a good thing,” Yost added.

CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN: Coach Josh Craft’s Chargers perhaps face the toughest challenge as they have to take on the Purple Wave in their first match.  That fact hasn’t fazed Craft in the least.

“We were fourth in our region and we need a challenge like that.  This is just another match, but this is where we want to be at this time in the season.  We can’t think too much about the other team as we just need to do what we do best,” Craft said.

“We just want to be on the same page Friday afternoon.  Christian Brothers is the top-seed on our side of the bracket, so they aren’t shabby as they always have a solid lineup.  There’s no reason for us to hold anything back.  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“We just have to battle hard the entire time and give it our best shot.  It should be a great experience,” Craft said, his team 14-6 going into Friday’s opening round.

FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS FOR FRIDAY

CLASS A-AA: Signal Mountain vs. Alcoa; Nolensville vs. Greeneville; Greenbrier vs. Pigeon Forge; Hixson vs. Fairview.

CLASS AAA: Cleveland vs. Sevier Co.; Centennial vs. Houston; Blackman vs. Tennessee High; Heritage vs. Beech; Wilson Central vs. Independence; Knoxville Halls vs. Bradley; Arlington vs. Maryville; Tullahoma vs. Science Hill.

DIVISION II: Baylor vs. Brentwood Academy; Montgomery Bell Academy vs. Father Ryan; McCallie vs. Memphis University School; Chattanooga Christian vs. Christian Brothers.

(Email John Hunt at [email protected])

Edited by Sommers
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