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Cannon's Corner: Local sports roots run deep


STATE CHAMPION Bradley Central blew out perennial powerhouse Riverdale, which had won the three previous state titles, 74-18 Friday in Lee Team Camp action at Jim Smiddy Arena. The Lady Warriors were minus a trio of starters, while the Bearettes, including Alexis Barnes, right, and UT-Chattanooga commit Anna Walker, were in mid-season form.

BANNER PHOTO, JOE CANNON

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Posted Saturday, June 8, 2019 9:32 pm

In broadcasting legend Corky Whitlock's first year on the air locally, Bradley Central did something no other high school in the state had done before, nor any since.
Taking over from legendary coach Billy Frank Smith, Harold "Red" Henslee's football Bears were voted the No. 1 team in the state of Tennessee by the Lintkenhous Ratings. TSSAA gridiron playoffs didn't begin until 1969.
That same academic year on the basketball court, Coach Bill Walker's Bears and legenadry coach Jim Smiddy's Bearettes both captured state championships to complete the coveted “Triple Crown” for the only time in Tennessee high school sports history.
"No other school had ever done that. It was a great way to get introduced to the local sports scene," related Whitlock, who became known as the "Voice of Bradley County."
When he proclaimed Bradley County as the "Sports Capital of Tennessee," there was no Cleveland or Walker Valley high schools. No Cleveland State Community College. Only Bradley Central and Charleston high schools, plus Lee College provided the sports excitement.
There have been some schools, especially in the D-II private school ranks, that have captured three TSSAA team titles in the same school year, but none have done it in the "Big 3" sports — football, boys and girls basketball.
While doing research for this column last week about the tremendous success our local teams had this past school year with Cleveland claiming both the state duals and traditional wrestling crowns, plus the Bearettes bringing home the hoops Gold Ball, I came across information, reminding me of the best year in Bradley County high school sports history.
Twenty-five years ago local teams claimed an unheard-of six state championships, plus four individual titles were captured.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to witness the 1993-94 local success as I was the sports editor for The Savannah Courier in West Tennessee.
While I was covering Adamsville's state tournament runs in baseball, softball and boys basketball that year, Bradley was claiming state crowns in volleyball, Large Class wrestling duals and baseball, while Cleveland brought home Gold in football and both the Small Class duals and traditional wrestling titles.
In a column about the season, my mentor George Starr wrote, "Is this a great community for sports, or what?
"Local high school athletes have just completed an outstanding year. I can't recall ever seeing our young people excel in so many sports. Remarkable is the only way I know to describe the accomplishments."
Instead of me trying to summarize the season, I'll let the longtime local sports editor and Lee University SID, who was serving at the Banner's City Editor at the time, describe it:
— "The Bradley Central volleyball team finished 44-3 under the direction of first-year coach Judy Pruett. They captured the Class Large State Championship, the third in the program's short history (they also won it the following year).
— The Cleveland High football team powered it's way to a perfect 14-0 season. Under the leadership of veteran Coach Benny Monroe, the Blue Raiders beat Brentwood Academy 26-21 for the State 4-A Championship (it was the start of a 54-game winning streak that included three straight state titles).
— The Charleston Panthers reached the state football playoffs for the first time in the school's history. Coach Warren Blankenship watched his team post a 9-3 record. The Panthers upset Coalfield in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the state champions, Trousdale County.
—The Cleveland High wrestling team won its third straight Class Small State Duals Championship. Then the Raiders, with Coach Al Miller in charge, won the traditional State Wrestling Championship. It was the second time Miller had directed his Raiders to the traditional crown. They won the same honor in 1980 (CHS has now captured the state duals and traditional titles eight times each).
— The Bradley Central Bears wrestling team dethroned four-time defending state champion McCallie in the region semifinals and then claimed the Class Large Dual Championship. Steve Logsdon, BCHS's first state (individual) champion in 1984, led the state championship march (the first of 14 state duals and 12 traditional crowns for the Bears).
— In the traditional state wrestling event, the Bears had two state champs: Heath Eslinger at 140 pounds and Alan Patterson in the 189-pound division. 
— The amazing run continued with first-year Coach Paul Cretton and the Bradley Central Bearettes stealing the spotlight. The Bearettes, longtime powerhouses in women's basketball circles, posted a 32-2 record. Cretton watched his talented club being ranked No. 1 in the state's final ratings and also nationally ranked by USA Today. They were beaten 85-67 by White County in the substate (the Bearettes were state runners-up the following year).
— Coach Roger France stepped into the hot seat at Cleveland High and turned the Lady Raiders in the right direction. The CHS team went 23-10. They took the Bearettes to overtime in the Region 3-AAA championship game and lost in the substate to Shelbyville, 65-51.
— The Cleveland men's basketball team did a huge about-face. The Raiders got off to a 2-7 start, then rebounded in fine fashion before falling to Columbia Central in the substate.
—The Cleveland High boys track team won its third straight Region 3 title and junior runner Ben Phillips won the state 1,600-meter run Saturday (May 28, 1994). Monroe was again the leader of the Blue Raider squad (Phillips repeated his state championship the following year).
— The Bradley Central baseball team showed power in all areas. Ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 20 in the nation by USA Today, the Bears (35-2) mixed great pitching, fielding and hitting in capturing their first state crown. The Bears were directed by first-year coach Greg Geren, who was an outstanding (BCHS) high school and college (CSCC and Tennessee) athlete. 
— And last, but not least, was the march of (Bradley) sophomore Eddie Coates to the state tennis championship (Coates also won the 1996 singles title).
I echo Starr's sentiment when he proclaimed, "It requires huge amounts of time and hard work to reach such goals. I've heard it said many times, 'if a sport is worth playing, it's worth giving it your very best effort.' We've seen that from our young people this school year."
This past prep sports season I witnessed the results of tremendous personal and team efforts as well.
Along with Raider double-state wrestling championships, the Bearettes claiming their sixth Gold Ball and a half dozen Raider wrestlers and tracksters stepping to the top of the podium, we also had a duo of state runners-up, as well as one individual second place finisher.
Bradley finished second in the state baseball tournament, their first time returning to the championship game since 1994. The wrestling Bears were the runner-up in the state duals. Walker Valley sophomore Jaden Langford also earned silver in the state heavyweight traditionals.
By the way, in the 1961-62 school year, Bradley also finished in the Top 4 in the state in both baseball and boys golf.
Our local sports success roots run deep, dating back more than a century and the future is bright as I watched the state champion Bearettes blast Riverdale, which had won the previous three state titles, 74-18 Friday afternoon in Lee's Team Camp action at Smiddy Arena.
Granted, the girls from Murfreesboro were missing a trio of starters, including the Hayes sisters, but Bradley was in mid-season form with crisp passes, plenty of steals and several of their limit of 10 players being involved in the offense.
While I welcome the brief summer rest, I'm already looking forward to what we are going to be treated to starting in the fall.

 

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Local wrestlers hitting mat hard this summer

  • By Zach Birdsong Sports Editor
  • Jun 11, 2019 Updated 7 hrs ago
  •  Tullahoma News
    •  
 
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Josh Bosken shows Regan Rogers (right) and Destiny Shelton a move during camp on Monday. Bosken is in Tullahoma as part of a three-day camp that is taking place at Old West Middle School until Wednesday. 

Staff Photo by Zach Birdsong

Taking things to the mat, several local wrestlers, aging from high school to youth wrestlers, are aiming to increase their skills by taking part in a three-day camp at Old West Middle School in Tullahoma this week.

The clinic is held by Josh Bosken, who runs the Higher Calling Wrestling Club of Cleveland, one of the largest youth wrestling clubs not just in Tennessee, but in the south. The three-day camp opened on Monday and concludes on Wednesday.

Bosken wrestled at Science Hill and won the state championship in the 130-pound division in 2003.  Since then, Bosken has had plenty of success coaching on the mat. Right now, Cleveland is on its way to becoming a powerhouse for wrestling in the state, and he said that it all stems from having a solid youth program.

“When I moved there [to Cleveland], Bradley Central was the powerhouse, I started asking ‘how are they doing this?’ They were doing it by their feeder programs,” Bosken said. “Those kids were rolling around on the mats since they were 4 and 5 years old. A lot of small towns are football centered. Cleveland, and in Bradley, they wrestle. So, we’ve really put an emphasis on growing our youth programs.”

Since Bosken has taken over in Cleveland, there has been a boom of success on the mats, not at the high school level. In fact, as THS Head Boys Coach Al Morris pointed out, there’s a new culture of winning in Cleveland.

“Last year, Cleveland, their kids club, middle school and high school pulled the trifecta and won the state championship at every level,” Morris said. “They are obviously doing something right. We are trying to get on board and play the copycat game, I guess you would say.”

The three-day camp at Old West Middle School is the first of two camps that Bosken will take part in down in Tullahoma. Bosken will return to Tullahoma on July 1-3 for another camp. Both clinics will be focusing on different aspects of the sport.

“There are three positions in wrestling, on our feet, top and bottom,” Bosken said. “This week is solely focused on top wrestling. So breakdowns, mat returns and various amounts of returns. The second camp will be all on our feet.”

Nearly 20 Tullahoma wrestlers came out to take part in the wrestling during the first day of the camp on Monday. Morris said he appreciated the high school wrestlers taking part in the volunteer clinic.

“It’s of benefit to our kids not only for the technique, but the experience,” Morris said. “The guys who are getting here are definitely getting better. It’s an opportunity that a lot of people don’t get to have, without having to travel and pay big money for. This was a very reasonable camp.”

According to Bosken, he loves traveling and putting on the clinics. According to him, he goal is to continue to pay things forward, aiding anyway that he can in the sports of wrestling.

“The community in Cleveland is obsessed. They are obsessed with the wrestling culture, they are obsessed with winning,” Bosken said. “The expectations are very, very high. We are very blessed with our resources.

“This is an opportunity for our kids and myself to give back and kind of spread the knowledge,” he added. “This is for kids who want to be involved and get extra training, giving them the opportunity to do so. It’s good for our kids to get the extra training and for me to spread the knowledge a little bit.”

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Knoxville native wins wrestling gold at Pan American Junior Games

 
 
 
 
Kenya-Lee Sloan
 
 
 
 
 
 
By Caleb Noe | 
Posted: Mon 8:20 PM, Jun 10, 2019  | 
Updated: Mon 11:42 PM, Jun 10, 2019
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Kenya-Lee Sloan spent years of her life watching her older brother wrestle, before she was invited onto the mat one day.

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She never looked back.

Sloan finished her high school career undefeated at 87-0 as a four-time state champion.

Last week, she won a wrestling gold medal at the Pan American Junior Games in Guatemala.

Before wrestling, Sloan sings.

She listens to slow worship music, and picks a new song for each tournament.

Her song for the tournament in Guatemala was "Not in a Hurry", a song by a worship band from Knoxville called "United Pursuit".

Sloan, a Hardin Valley Academy graduate, is now a student and wrestler at Campbellsville University in Kentucky.

https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Knoxville-native-wins-wrestling-gold-at-PanAmerican-junior-games-511102591.html

Edited by Sommers
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Shelbyville Times-Gazette
Shelbyville, Tn

Cascade wrestler gets chance with Blue Raiders

Thursday, June 13, 2019
By CHRIS SIERS ~ [email protected]
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Sanders Lovvorn was recently afforded a spot on the MTSU wrestling team in the upcoming season.
T-G Photo by Chris Siers

It’s not every day a high school student gets a chance to continue their athletic career at the next level.

It’s even more rare of an opportunity for a student to get a chance to compete in a major Division I team environment.

Recent Cascade graduate Sanders Lovvorn has been afforded just that opportunity.

Earlier this month, Sanders received an invitation to compete at MTSU as part of the Blue Raiders’ wrestling team.

“Coach (Andy) Giel told me a couple of weeks ago the MTSU coach had contacted him and was asking about me. That was a really neat experience because I never thought I would get opportunity to wrestle at the next level,” Lovvorn said.

Word of Lovvorn’s work ethic and dedication to the sport spread high enough up the food chain to prompt the MTSU coaching staff to reach out to Giel on behalf of Lovvorn and the rest was history.

“To have somebody in just two years of experience, he was one of the eight guys finish the season that first year. To see him grow as a leader has been amazing. He was the heart and soul of our team this year,” Giel said.

Cascade began its wrestling program just two short seasons ago, and while numbers were thin in the first few campaigns, the team was never short on heart or hard work—a large part of which Giel credited to Lovvorn.

“One of the great things about wrestling, you compete in your weight class. They’re all right there around his weight. Anywhere from 90 pounds to 285 pounds, there’s someone in your weight class.

“The fact they actively sought him was pretty special. I see big things for him,” Giel added.

As his high school career continued to march on, Lovvorn said he was relatively undecided on where to pursue a college degree.

“Around junior year, I was thinking about what college I wanted to go to. MTSU didn’t really cross my mind. In my senior year, I decided that maybe it was better to stay home,” Lovvorn said.

Then while working one day, a text message from the MTSU coaching staff changed the path of Lovvorn’s future.

“They text me and asked what weight class I wanted to wrestle at and asked if I would like to be part of the team,” he said.

Though it wasn’t a scholarship offer, the Blue Raiders know they’re getting an unparalleled work ethic by bringing Lovvorn on board.

“He outworked everybody he faced. He was going against guys that had seven or eight years more experience than him. Every day, he came to work and got better every single day,” Giel added.

Lovvorn was quick to credit his coach for helping make the connections to help guide his path to MTSU as well.

“Coach Giel has been great. He’s been my football coach for three years and wrestling coach for two years. He approached me about joining the team and I earned captain status this year. That was pretty cool,” Lovvorn said.

While the program is still in its infancy, Lovvorn says the camaraderie and friendships built while wrestling over the last two seasons were some of his fondest athletic memories to date.

“Just seeing everybody grow, because none of us really knew a lot about wrestling. People that I hadn’t talked to a lot became close friends. It was really neat to see them grow. We had guys completely flip their seasons around,” he said.

Lovvorn ended his high school career at the state competition—a mark which he says shows the program is trending the right way.

“Last year, I came in and wasn’t expecting to win any matches and coming into this year, qualifying for state was a big deal,” he added.

Lovvorn will enroll at MTSU this fall and will be in touch with his new coaching staff later this summer for workouts and preseason meetings.

He plans on studying to become a teacher

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Ramos' legacy well reflected in packed Collins Hill wrestling room

 

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SUWANEE — Cliff Ramos opened practice with some typically dry humor Saturday at the Collins Hill field house named in his honor.

“You know, a lot of years I had trouble finding a few heavyweights on the team,” Ramos said.

He paused and looked pointedly at more than 75 men — ranging in age from 18 to 60 — sitting in front of him.

“That’s not a problem with this team,” Ramos said with a sly grin.

The Hall of Fame coach, barely a year removed from being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, invited many of his former wrestlers to participate in Saturday’s event.

It stemmed from comments he’s heard from wrestlers over the years about just wanting to have one more practice. He was also inspired by the book “The Last Lecture,” co-authored by former Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch.

“He was a teacher, like me,” Ramos said. “He was battling pancreatic cancer, like me. The difference was, his was terminal. He didn’t have a lot of time left. I owned some hope with mine.

“Those two things together made me think of doing one more practice. For 14 months, I’ve been living with pancreatic cancer and, to be honest, when I found the diagnosis 14 months ago, I didn’t think I’d have much time left.”

Ramos had surgery at M.D. Anderson last October and has completed his treatment.

“I’m doing pretty well,” he said. “The last month and a half, I started improving a lot. I have some things I’m dealing with, but every day I’m so thankful to God for another day.”

Last September, when Collins Hill officially dedicated the wrestling facility to the man who started the terrifically successful program from scratch, Ramos was in the midst of his battle with the disease.

Almost 10 months later, his voice rang out with renewed strength. Ramos, who needed to sit for much of the ceremony last year, cranked out 20 pushups with the rest of the group during warmups.

By the end, everyone was sweating. They were still laughing, though.

Ramos said beforehand he wasn’t going to make it too difficult.

“It’s more of a reunion than anything,” he said. “I’m definitely not going to kill them. I’m going to tell them I’m going to, but some of them will be done after we do a pre-practice jog.”

Rick White was at Ramos’ first practice as a head coach in 1976 in Butler, Missouri.

He said things haven’t changed that much.

“My senior year, Cliff was our new coach,” said White, who was sporting a cut over one eye and laughed about it. “It, to me, is an honor, just the short year I had him.”

He and Scott Smith, who was a junior that season, flew down from Butler for the event.

Many others came from around the Southeast to participate, a few on very short notice.

“I think it’s a great testament to Coach Ramos that so many people have made an effort, especially on Father’s Day weekend, to come out,” said Jim Gassman, who wrestled for Ramos at Collins Hill before coaching with him there and later at Mountain View. “Then, to participate in a wrestling practice, it’s one of the hardest things you can do. But he always had good practices.”

The bulk of the former wrestlers came from his days at Collins Hill, where Ramos had a dual meet record of 626-80, won nine state team titles and had 34 individual state champions. There were a dozen from Mountain View and Meadowcreek, six from Greater Atlanta Christian, two from East Hall — Ramos’ first job in Georgia — and five from Butler.

Both his sons, Trevor and Taylor, participated. As did Ramos’ most famous student, Kyle Maynard.

“Back in September of last year, we didn’t know how long he was going to be here,” Trevor Ramos said. “Judging by the statistics and what you hear, knowing what the prognosis was, we didn’t know how much more time we had to spend with our dad. It’s just been an answer to prayer that he’s still here and all the glory goes to God.

“It’s amazing to see this wrestling family (today). Wrestlers are such a fraternity and it’s amazing. I knew this was going to be hard, but at the same time, I knew it was going to be really special. It’s such a blessing.”

Original link:

https://www.gwinnettprepsports.com/sports/ramos-legacy-well-reflected-in-packed-collins-hill-wrestling-room/article_59264f3f-b9fc-53cd-93f5-f8796753a1a0.html

 

 

 

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At least 15 states have separate state wrestling tournaments for girls, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Nebraska is planning to add a championship for the 2019-20 school year. Other states are considering the idea, and in many states, girls wrestle on teams with boys.

https://www.nfhs.org/articles/state-associations-adding-girls-wrestling-tournaments/

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BOLLYGlen cliff High School and McGavock High School Trivia ACTORS

Dwayne-Johnson.jpg

Dwayne The Rock Johnson Biography:

Born: 2 May 1972
Age : 47 years
Birthplace : Hayward, California, United States
Height: 1.96 m
Partner: Lauren Hashian (2007–)
Spouse: Dany Garcia (m. 1997–2008)
Upcoming movies: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Jumanji 3, Jungle Cruise, Fast & Furious 10

Dwayne Douglas Johnson Not to be confused with Duane Johnson (basketball) was born on May 2, 1972 also known by his ring name (The Rock) is an American actor, producer, and semi-retired professional wrestler. Johnson was a professional wrestler in the WWE for eight years prior to becoming a full-time actor in 2005. Since then, he has become one of the top-grossing and highest-paid actors in the world.

Early Life:

*Glen cliff High School and McGavock High School...

Johnson was born in Hayward, California, to Ata Johnson (née Maivia) and former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles) Growing up, Johnson briefly lived in New Zealand with his mother’s family, where he attended Richmond Road Primary School in Grey Lynn before returning to the United States. He then attended Montclair Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina before moving to Hamden, Connecticut where he spent a couple years at Shepherd Glen Elementary School and Hamden Middle School. Johnson spent his high school years in Honolulu, Hawaii at President William McKinley High School, in Nashville, Tennessee at Glen cliff High School and McGavock High School, and in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at Freedom High School. He was arrested multiple times for fighting, theft, and check fraud before the age of 17. Johnson also began playing sports, joining his high schools’ gridiron football, track and field and.... Wrestling Teams.....

Education:

Dwayne attended Richmond Road Primary School in Auckland, New Zealand. After that, he returned to U.S. with his parents and finished 10th grade from President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Johnson also went to the University of Miami to earn a degree in criminology.

Career:

Johnson was a college football player for the University of Miami, with whom he won a national championship in 1991. He initially aspired for a professional career in football and entered the 1995 NFL Draft but went undrafted. Johnson then signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) but was cut from the team in the middle of his first season there. Shortly after, he began training as a professional wrestler.

In 1996, Johnson secured a contract with the WWE when it was known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was promoted as the first third-generation wrestler in the company’s history as he is the son of Rocky Johnson and grandson of Peter Maivia. He rose to prominence after developing a charismatic persona of a boastful trash-talking wrestler named The Rock. He subsequently won his first WWF Championship in 1998 and helped usher the WWF into the “Attitude Era”, a boom period in the company’s business in the latter 1990s and early 2000s which still hold professional wrestling records for television ratings. In 2004, he left the WWE to pursue an acting career and went on a seven-year hiatus before returning in 2011 as a part-time performer until 2013.

Considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers and biggest draws of all-time,The Rock headlined the most bought professional wrestling pay-per-view event, WrestleMania XXVIII, and was featured in some of the most watched WWE Raw and WWE Smack Down television episodes ever. He has won several championships, being a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time tag team champion, and a ten-time world champion. He was also a Royal Rumble match winner and WWE’s sixth Triple Crown champion.

Dwayne Johnson rockJohnson had his first theatrical acting role in The Mummy Returns (2001) and played his first lead role in the spin-off The Scorpion King (2002). He went on to star in numerous other films, including The Rundown (2003), The Other Guys (2010), Moana (2016), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Johnson’s most successful box office role has been a recurring role as Luke Hobbs in The Fast and the Furious movies. He first appeared as the character in Fast Five (2011) and helped catapult the film series into one of the top-grossing movie franchises in history. Johnson has also attained success as an author and produce. In 2000, he released an autobiography titled The Rock Says… which debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2012, he founded his production company, Seven Bucks Productions, which has since produced several films. Consistently ranked among the world’s highest paid actors, Johnson made the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list in both 2016 and 2019.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shared a first look at the cast of the upcoming sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, slated for a December 2019 release.

In an Instagram post, Johnson informed fans that their “favorite band is back”—and that “things may not be what they seem.”

Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Johnson are all featured in the photo, reprising their roles as video game characters Franklin Finbar, Ruby Roundhouse, Professor Oberon, and Dr Bravestone. As in 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome To the Jungle (which was itself a sequel to the 1995 classic), each of these characters is an avatar for a teenager who is playing the game in real life.

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Grundy County Wrestling...

Westerfield and Nunley to enter Hall of Fame

Posted on Friday, July 5, 2019 at 11:02 am

GUEST COLUMNISTS
Tyler Brown and Pat Boston
Westerfield’s second-best sport lands him in GCHS Sports Hall of Fame
joe-westerfield-1.jpegOn May 1, Joe Westerfield was announced as one of the newest members of the Grundy County Sports Hall of Fame. The historic vote made him the first and only wrestler inducted in the Hall of Fame’s short six-year history. Westerfield lettered four years for the Yellow Jackets, amassed a 73-9 record and placed third at 105 pounds in the TSSAA State Tournament as a senior.
The three-sport athlete went on to compete for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he was 9-6-0 in two seasons. He placed second at 113 pounds in thein the Southern Open Championships in 1983-84 and spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Mocs. But, despite his outstanding record in a Grundy County singlet, a wrestling career was something Westerfield never expected to pursue.
“I didn’t know wrestling from any other sport,” Westerfield said. “I played baseball, football and basketball growing up, but wrestling wasn’t on my radar until seventh grade.”
His father, George, served in the United States Army, and his family was always on the move. Joe was born Nov. 4, 1964, in Shirley, Mass., about 30 miles northwest of Boston, and didn’t discover wrestling until his family was living at Fort Ord in Monterey, Calif., when he was around 13 years old.
“Because of my size and weight, the middle school coach talked me into trying out for the wrestling team,” Westerfield recalled. “I gave it a shot, and I wasn’t too bad, but I didn’t think I would wrestle again after that. I was always better at baseball.”
Following his seventh-grade year, Joe and his family moved to Monteagle. Westerfield’s father and mother, Cathrine, were Grundy County natives, but it was the first time Joe had called the mountain his home.
“We moved to Grundy in 1979, partially through my eighth-grade year, and it was kind of a shock,” Westerfield said. “I had gone from a middle school in California that was bigger than Grundy County High School and offered tons of sports, to Monteagle Elementary where there were about 20 kids in my class and all I could play was basketball. And, I knew I wasn’t going to be playing basketball in high school. I am 5-foot-3.”
Westerfield played one season on the court for the Hornets before setting his sights on making the football and baseball teams at GCHS. He would letter four years on the gridiron and three on the diamond in a Yellow Jacket uniform, but it was by way of another recruiting pitch from a wrestling coach that Westerfield found his way back on to the mat for another four years.
His family’s house in Monteagle neighbored coach Bill Colquitt’s house.
Colquitt spotted Westerfield outside one day and approached the then-freshman about joining the wrestling team. Over the next four years, Westerfield became the most decorated wrestler in Grundy County history. His 73 wins came in multiple weight classes as he would wrestle anyone if it gave the Yellow Jackets a chance at a victory.
“I only weighed about 100 pounds in high school,” Westerfield said. “But instead of taking a forfeit because we didn’t have someone to wrestle in a higher weight class, I would volunteer to step up and wrestle in that spot. I was going to do whatever it took to give us a chance at winning. I wrestled up to 119pounds.”
After just one year into Westerfield’s career at GCHS, Colquitt stepped away as the wrestling coach.
“After Coach Colquitt left, we didn’t really have a wrestling coach,” Westerfield said. “Coach Bill Bouldin, a football coach, stepped in for my sophomore and senior years so we could keep a team. And Darrell Austin, a math teacher, served as coach my junior season. Neither were wrestling coaches, so we had to kind of coach ourselves. But, we were happy they were there to keep the program going for us.”
It was then that Westerfield was taken under the wing of University of the South Hall of Fame coach Yogi Anderson.
“Coach Anderson invited me to come practice with his team at Sewanee during my junior and senior years. He had wrestled at Sewanee, was a three-time CAC champion and was back as their head coach. He was instrumental in my development those last two years in high school.”
After the 1973 wrestling season ended, Westerfield decided for forgo his senior baseball season, much to the chagrin of coach Frank Clay.
“Coach Clay wasn’t too happy with my decision, but he understood,” Westerfield said.
During his final semester, Westerfield was going to school and putting in nearly 70 hours per week between working at the Monteagle truck plaza, Dairy Queen and sheriff’s office. He was saving money to attend UTC with plans of walking on with the baseball team, but those plans were derailed in 1983. In order to comply with Title IX, Chattanooga dropped its baseball program following the 1982 campaign, but Westerfield always seemed to have wrestling to fall back on. He walked on with the Mocs upon his arrival at UTC in 1983and spent nearly two years wrestling at the Division I level. Appendicitis sidelined the sophomore during the 1984-85season before a knee injury ended his career. Following the injury, Westerfield was asked to stay on as a bench coach for the Mocs for the next two seasons. Along with head coach Ethan Reeve, Westerfield helped coach Chattanooga to back-to-back Southern Conference championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Westerfield spent his final year at UTC as an intern at TVA and graduated in 1988 with a B.S. in Corporate Fitness and Physical Therapy. He now resides in Etowah, Tenn., with his wife, Cherryl Colleen, daughters, Brenna and Caitlin, and son, Reid.
Jody Nunley
Jody-Nunley-210x300.jpegJody Nunley played football at Grundy County High School from 1961-1964, ending his career with a 14-7 win in the Industrial Bowl in Lafayette, Tennessee. This victory gave the Yellow Jackets a 10-1 record. Along with co-captain Gary Ross; quarterback Jimmy Gary Gipson; and a team of really tough boys coached by Ed Cantrell and Hollie Brown, they compiled one of the winningest records in GCHS history.
Jody loved football, but never played until his freshman year and lettered that year. He often had to hitchhike after practice from Tracy City to Pelham, then often had to walk home from there to Paynes Cove.
Known for his speed and ability to catch the ball and run he was a favorite target for the quarterback. He was a four-year letterman with numerous touchdowns and made all-conference and all-state teams as a senior.
After graduation, he went to work at Spaco in Huntsville, then married his high school sweetheart, Edith, in 1965. His children, Mona Beth and Jody Jeremy, were central to his life and he called them his blessings.
A family man and proud father, he helped coach Pee Wee football with his son on the team. Throughout his son’s junior and high school years, he never missed one of his son’s games.
His son Jeremy was offered and accepted a scholarship to the University of Alabama in 1989. Jody attended many of these games and was very proud of his son’s success, including Jeremy’s 1992 National Championship and many other awards. Jeremy was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft and played professionally for the Houston Oilers and Carolina Panthers.
Jody lives in Winchester with his wife, Edith, whom he has been married to for 54 years. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, fishing, hunting, artifact hunting, and watching western movies and sports.
Westerfield and Nunley will be inducted into the Grundy County High School Sports Hall of Fame on August 3, at 4 p.m., at the Grundy County High School cafeteria as the Class of 2019 is celebrated and enshrined. For more information on the Grundy County High School Sports Hall of Fame, to view current members or to RSVP for the banquet, visit Facebook.com/GCHSSportsHOF or search @GCHSSportsHOF

https://www.grundycountyherald.com/westerfield-and-nunley-to-enter-hall-of-fame/

Edited by Sommers
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its 2019 Wrestling All-State teams on Tuesday for Division I and Division II as well as girls. Student-athletes are selected based on their finish in the TSSAA Championships.

BOYS
AAA

106
Trae McDaniel, Cleveland, So.
Chris Calvin, McGavock, So.
Brayden Ivy, Morristown West, Fr.
Ethan Wilson, Bradley Central, Jr.

113
Jackson Bradford, Cleveland, So.
Thomas Borders, Wilson Central, So.
Samuel Shires, Rossview, Fr.
Brennan Watkins, Dobyns-Bennett, So.

120
Michael Cannon, Arlington, Sr.
Andrew Artiles, Collierville, Jr.
Jacob Haney, Lawrence County, Sr.
William Witt, Cane Ridge, Sr.

126
Brayden Palmer, Beech, Sr.
Braxton Mann, Science Hill, So.
Luke Dezember, Lawrence County, Sr.
Steven Fisak, Wilson Central, Fr.

132
Christian Isbell, Clarksville, Jr.
Luke Kerns, Arlington, Sr.
Logan Whiteside, Cleveland, Sr.
Thomas Williams, Rossview, Jr.

138
Dillon Pendley, Tennessee, Sr.
Cameron Henderson, Smyrna, Sr.
Job Dooley, Franklin, Sr.
Jackson Hurst, Dobyns-Bennett, So.

145
Grant Lundy, Cleveland, Sr.
Alex Pergande, Wilson Central, Sr.
Matheson Meade, Bearden, So.
Cole Klingensmith, Summit, Sr.

152
Austin Sweeney, Cleveland, Sr.
Jeremiah Herron, Beech, Sr.
Logan Ferguson, Tennessee, Sr.
Jalen Brown, Blackman, Sr.

160
Dominic Fields, Tennessee, Sr.
Josh Pietarila, Hardin Valley, Jr.
Ryan Brown, Lebanon, Sr.
Levi Stone of Wilson Central, Jr.

170
Chase Diehl, Science Hill, Sr.
Landon Fowler, Blackman, Sr.
Dylan Quinn, Mt. Juliet, Sr.
Gabriel Smith, Clarksville, Jr.

182
Austin Antcliffe, Arlington, Sr.
Brooks Sacharczyk, Blackman, Jr.
Jonah Albert, Franklin, Sr.
Camden Buckingham, Morristown West, Sr.

195
Bradley Williams, Clarksville, Sr.
Isaiah Perez, Cleveland, Sr.
Devin Gibson, Bradley Central, Sr.
Christian Moolman, Franklin, Sr.

220
Skylar Coffey, Brentwood, Jr.
Logan McMillan, Rossview, Sr.
Garrett Smith, Rhea County, Sr.
Wilson Benefield, Cleveland, Sr.

285
Michael Kramer, Wilson Central, Sr.
Jadon Langford, Walker Valley, So.
Jared Dawson, Collierville, Jr.
Titus Swafford, Cleveland, Sr.

A-AA
106
Ty Holland, Harpeth, Jr.
Caleb Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain, 8th grade
Riley Lippincott, Nolensville, So.
Josh Wallin, Greeneville, Sr.

113
Daniel Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain, So.
Hunter Morrell, Elizabethton, Jr.
Colton Poole, Pigeon Forge, Sr.
Haiden Dill, Chattanooga Central, Sr.

120
Trevor Lewis, Hixson, So.
Josh Parton, Pigeon Forge, Fr.
Dalton Truan, Union County, Sr.
Cole McCartney, Greenbrier, Jr.

126
Kodiak Cannedy, Greeneville, Fr.
Nathan Ford, Greenbrier, Sr.
Jr Lucio, Harpeth, Jr.
John Pittman, Gibbs, So.

132
Dylan Becker, Harpeth, Sr.
Riley Bennett, Fairview, So.
Garrett Foreman, Pigeon Forge, Fr.
Sam Wickizer, Signal Mountain, Sr.

138
Jeffrey Gross, Forrest, Sr.
Kevin Muschel, Signal Mountain, So.
CJ Dyer, Pigeon Forge, Sr.
George Gillman, Gibbs, Jr.

145
Colby Dalon of Pigeon Forge, Fr.
Tyree Bass of Sycamore, Sr.
Will Keener, Sequatchie County, Sr.
Ryan Wimbley, Alcoa, Jr.

152
Andrew Baiamonte, Pigeon Forge, Sr.
Preston Worley, Signal Mountain, So.
Wyatt McLemore, Eagleville, So.
Bransen O’Dell, Greeneville, Sr.

160
Wesley McCoy, Forrest, Sr.
Caden Cline, Red Bank, Jr.
Jake Woodlief, Signal Mountain, Sr.
Elijah Davis, Fulton, Sr.

170
Nick McClendon, Forrest, Jr.
Isaiah Brooks, Gibbs, Sr.
Robert White, Fairview, Sr.
Josh Gardner, Fulton, Sr.

182
Trent Knight, Greeneville, Sr.
Allen Ashworth, Whitwell Sr.
Chris Taylor, Elizabethton, Sr.
Kwon Park, Eagleville, Sr.

195
Jonathan Morton, Elizabethton, So.
Noah Hill, Forrest, So.
Michael Myers, Gibbs, Sr.
Jacob McCarter, Pigeon Forge, Sr.

220
Ethan Rainey, White House, Sr.
Wes Miller, Nolensville, Sr.
Noah Evans, Alcoa, Sr.
Joel Griffin, Gibbs, Sr.

285
Jackson Clevenger, Fairview, Sr.
Devotis McCurdy, Hixson, Jr.
James Headrick, Whitwell, Jr.
Garrison Albino, Gibbs, Jr.

Division II
106
Jackson Bond, Baylor School, Fr.
Keyveon Roller, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Fr.
Dayne Dalrymple, Christian Brothers, So.
Brooks McAfee, Father Ryan, Fr.

113
John Braman, The McCallie School, So.
Cade Holloway, Notre Dame, Sr.
Calvin Eason, Father Ryan, Fr.
Kade Hartine, Baylor School, So.

120
Emory Taylor, The McCallie School, So.
Aiden Bowers, Christian Brothers, Fr.
Thomas Wesnofske, Father Ryan, So.
Frank Perazzini, Montgomery Bell Academy, So.

126
Noah Horst, Baylor School, Jr.
Evan Anthony, Christian Brothers, So.
Christian Morris, The McCallie School, So.
Will Higgins, Montgomery Bell Academy, Jr.

132
Garrison Dendy, Baylor School, Fr.
Nathan Wysong, The McCallie School, Sr.
Sean Pitts, Father Ryan, Fr.
Adam Garfinkel, Montgomery Bell Academy, So.

138
Garrett Bowers, Christian Brothers, Jr.
Houston Church, Father Ryan, Sr.
Zachary Ward, The McCallie School, Sr.
Wyatt Andrews, Montgomery Bell Academy, Sr.

145
Andrew Pace, Baylor School, Sr.
Jacorey Miller, Father Ryan, Jr.
Zack Tieng, Knox Webb, Sr.
Christian Howard, Memphis University School, So.

152
James Whitworth, The McCallie School, So.
Lawrence Madson, Father Ryan, Jr.
Logan Spell, Brentwood Academy, So.
Jason Motley, Baylor School, So.

160
Gavin Cagle, Christian Academy of Knoxville, So.
Elijah Hodge, Christian Brothers, Sr.
Dan McGuire, Montgomery Bell Academy, Jr.
Jack Revere, Battle Ground Academy, So.

170
Mason Reiniche, Baylor School, Sr.
Parker Peterson, Father Ryan, So.
Russell Barry, The McCallie School, Sr.
Dolan Eckhart, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.

182
Thomas Sell, The McCallie School, Sr.
Connor Duffy, Baylor School, Jr.
Henry Hagey, Father Ryan, Sr.
Theo Sewell, Christian Brothers, So.

195
David Harper, Baylor School, Fr.
Montana Doty, Christian Brothers, Sr.
Chase Looper, The McCallie School, Jr.
Joseph Dyer, Nashville Christian, Sr.

220
Al Wooten, Christian Brothers, Jr.
Dominic Fisher, Montgomery Bell Academy, Sr.
Stephen Christenbury, Memphis University School, Sr.
Will Taylor, Brentwood Academy, Sr.

285
Thomas Gore, Brentwood Academy
Ryan Jackson, Friendship Christian
Jacob Brigman, Notre Dame
Felix Wilson, Father Ryan

GIRLS
103
Avery Kibelbelk, David Crockett, Fr.
Elizabeth Raper, Cookeville, Fr.
Kortney Brinkley, Siegel, Sr.
Anna Fisher, Alcoa, So.

112
Kerra Strevel, Heritage, So.
Bryce White, Cane Ridge, Fr.
Kelsi Broyles, West Greene, Sr.
Taylor Roy, David Crockett, Sr.

119
Isabella Badon, Daniel Boone, Sr.
Tyesha Thomas, Elizabethton, So.
Kaityn Lee, Mt. Juliet, Sr.
Kaleigh Royal, Tullahoma, Jr.

125
Robin Yunis, Rossview, Jr.
Sonoma Davis, Sullivan East, So.
Lexie May, Daniel Boone, Fr.
Kaylee Hayes, Gibbs, Jr.

132
Emma Walker, Rossview, Jr.
Tay Tay Payne, Dickson County, So.
Miranda Lovelace, Creek Wood, Jr.
Leann Worley, Jefferson County, So.

140
Maura Hart, Cookeville, Sr.
Saqara Buchanan, Rossview, Jr.
Katy Champion, Tullahoma, So.
Carlie Brown, Science Hill, So.

150
Vivian Hurn, Montgomery Central, Jr.
Taylor Whitehurst, White House, Sr.
Taylor Rickley, Northwest, Jr.
Allison Franco, Warren County, Sr.

160
Kyelia Maxwell, Rossview, Sr.
Caitlyn Gilmore, Sycamore, Sr.
Brianna Teasley, Northwest, Sr.
Morgan Ratliff, Science Hill, Jr.

170
Jane Allen, Tullahoma, Sr.
Deyla Brito-Perez, Northwest, Sr.
Shelby Zacharias, Creek Wood, So.
Mazzy Wilson, Stone Memorial, Fr.

190
Catherine Palmieri, Northwest, Sr.
Ariyanna Anderson, Creek Wood, Fr.
Rose Gailah, Nashville Overton, Jr.
Meralay Baysin, Tullahoma, So.

215
Valerie Smith, McGavock Comprehensive, Fr.
Novalee Feichko, Northwest, Sr.
Jayla Washington, Cordova, Jr.
Taylor Davis, Heritage, Jr.

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Bradley Youth Wrestling Club receives major donation

BRADLEY PRIDE Youth Wrestling Coach Steve Logsdon, left, is presented with a Team Cash T-shirt and contribution from Check Into Cash and the Allan Jones Foundation. Pictured with Logsdon is J. Bailey Jones, Vice President at Check Into Cash.
BRADLEY PRIDE Youth Wrestling Coach Steve Logsdon, left, is presented with a Team Cash T-shirt and contribution from Check Into Cash and the Allan Jones Foundation. Pictured with Logsdon is J. Bailey Jones, Vice President at Check Into Cash.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Posted Wednesday, July 10, 2019 9:44 am
SPECIAL TO THE BANNER

The Bradley Pride Youth Wrestling Club received a major boost of support this summer from Check Into Cash and the Allan Jones Foundation.

Steve Logsdon, head coach of Bradley Pride Youth Wrestling Club, announced the youth club received a generous donation and special black Team Cash T-shirts for all Bradley wrestlers.

The donation was a match to funds the club had raised earlier in the year.

“This week’s matching donation demonstrates the commitment of the Allan Jones Foundation and Check Into Cash to helping our club grow so that Bradley and Cleveland will always have the top two wrestling programs in Tennessee,” said Logsdon. 

Bradley Pride is a wrestling program that gives young wrestlers of all skill levels, grades K-8 a chance to learn the essentials of practice and competition. The goal of the program is to train and maintain the highest-quality athletes to help continue the finest wrestling program in Tennessee.

A typical week consists of two to three one hour practices and five to six tournament opportunities. The Bradley Kid's Club experience provides excellent youth level competitions while providing basic wrestling skills that enable young wrestlers to become successful at the middle and high school level.

The Foundation requires the club’s members to earn money themselves, which is later matched dollar-for-dollar.

J. Bailey Jones, vice president at Check Into Cash and a representative of the Foundation and a 2010 160-pound Division 1 state champion for Cleveland presented the donation to Logsdon. Jones set the all-time record with 125 takedowns in the Greater Chattanooga Area that stood until 2012 when another Cleveland wrestler, four-time state champion Chris DeBien, broke it with 134 takedowns. 

 “Our goal through the donation to Bradley Pride, along with the club’s own fundraising efforts, is to make it one of the highest funded kids club in the country,” said Jones. “We give the club the challenge to raise money on their own and we are always ready to double what they raise.”

Jones said winning is a three-pronged approach.

“It includes the high school head coach, the middle school head coach, and the kids club coach,” he stated. “The kids club coach is the most important, because the coach is the one who gets the kids interested and teaches them about the joy of winning.”

Coach Logsdon offered a special thanks to the Foundation and to the Jones companies like Check Into Cash that have supported the club through the years. 

“Allan Jones has said many times that youth wrestling clubs are important because the wrestlers develop a love for the sport and build a strong work ethic that will carry them through life,” said the coach. “He also appreciates that we strive to teach young athletes moral character and good sportsmanship. Winning starts at this level.”

Toby Pendergrass, Director of the Jones Foundation, agreed with Logsdon.

“If there is a state championship won in wrestling, we want it to be one of our three schools – and it all starts with the Kids Club,” said Pendergrass.

Edited by Sommers
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Congrats to Brad Warren of Rossview...

assistant coaches earning recognition included Frank O’Shea of Manalapan High School in New Jersey, Ben Mount of Hiram High School in Georgia, Brad Warren of Rossview Hgh School in Tennessee, Matt Neely of Lebanon High School in Missouri, Fallyn Kapoi of Kamehameha Kapalama in Hawaii, Lynn Miller of Hood River Valley High School in Oregon and Tyson Lindeman of Kelso High School in Washington state.

Mt. Edgecumbe’s Mike Kimber was named the National Girls Coach of the Year, while Warren was tabbed the National Girls Assistant Coach of the Year. Both Kimber and Warren were selected as state coach of the year winners.

https://deltadiscovery.com/williams-named-alaska-scholastic-girls-assistant-coach-of-the-year/

 

Tullahoma news....

https://www.tullahomanews.com/sports/local/four-ths-wrestlers-named-to-all-state-team/article_df037b3e-a4c4-11e9-8c24-d76ccb82a136.html

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