Wrestling Updates and Tidbits...

[Sommers]

No surprise here, except what, a couple of years overdue for this D2 "Rainman"??? 

Sportswriter B.B. Branton Inducted Into Tennessee Wrestling Hall Of Fame

Monday, August 26, 2019

B.B. Branton conducts a tennis interview

Sportswriter William "BB" Branton was inducted into the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" and contribution to amateur wrestling as a sportswriter and historian.  

Branton, along with five other honorees, were officially inducted at the Stones River Country Club,  Murfreesboro.

A reception and social event involving historic memorabilia and displays of each of the inductees was followed by a dinner and induction ceremony.

McCallie's Luther Killian said, "Serving as a sports reporter spanning five decades and as Sports Information Director for Athletes in Action and several World Cup events, no one in Tennessee has written so eloquently about high school, college, and international wrestling with such depth and breadth as Mr. Branton. 

"Because of his knowledge, "BB" is jokingly referred to as the "Rainman" of Tennessee wrestling.  Whether he is recounting a semifinals match of a recent state tournament or a high school dual meet he watched as a fifth grader, Branton will share the event with the details, and the stories behind the details.  His writing reflects the critical eye of a referee, the knowledge of a coach, the enthusiasm of a parent, and the passion of a champion."

A Lookout Mountain native and McCallie School graduate, he was a sports writer for the Chattanooga News Free Press, the Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Chattanoogan.com.

He served as the sports information director at the University of the South for several years.

Mr. Branton had an avid interest and knowledge of tennis as well.

The Ole Miss graduate was in the class of 1962 at Lookout Mountain Elementary School.

Mr. Branton was named to the Lookout Mountain Hall of Fame last year.

Personal note/thought... Didn't BB get involved in wrestling in some other ways, like coaching, officiating or team management (i.e., Mccallie/Sewanee/ND etc) over his 50 years?

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Area sports notes: Central High adding five to its sports hall of fame

August 27th, 2019by Staff Reportsin Sports - CollegeCopyright 2019

 

The Central High School Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony for 2019 has been set for halftime of the Sept. 20 football game against East Hamilton, after a barbecue dinner starting at 5:30. The five inductees include three who are deceased — three-sport standout Ken Hudgins (class of 1952), football star Ronnie Robbs ('56) and wrestler Johnny Bradford ('77) — plus Jerry Shuford ('61) and Gary Bohannon ('94). Shuford played basketball, helped win a baseball state championship and was all-city in football for the Purple Pounders, in addition to being a lieutenant colonel in the ROTC program and Mr. Central as a senior. He went on to a four-year football career at Vanderbilt, where he punted and played quarterback. Bohannon starred as a baseball pitcher at Central, Chattanooga State and Kennesaw State, where he was all-conference and part of an NCAA Division II national championship, and then pitched in the New York Mets organization and served 10 years as a college pitching coach. Hudgins was all-city in football, baseball and boxing, was on the 1951 state championship football team and received a football scholarship to Western Kentucky, and he was a Southern boxing champion with a 127-6 amateur career. Robbs was an all-state football player who shone as a fullback and a punter and was on two Central state-champion teams before helping Auburn win the 1957 college national title. Bradford was a two-time high school champion who went to Tennessee on a wrestling scholarship, placed four years at SEC tournaments and became an NCAA region champion at heavyweight. Tickets for the dinner and game can be bought at Central's office; the phone number is 344-1470.

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In Kentucky wrestling news...

Lindsey Wilson Wrestling Announces 2019-20 Signing Class

 

VSN (admin) Published Monday, August 26, 2019 - 12:30 PM 
 

COLUMBIA, Ky. – Lindsey Wilson wrestling head coach Corey Ruff has added 15 grapplers to his 2019-20 signing class for the upcoming season.

"The room gets a little bit tougher every year. Now it's my job to pull the right strings and get this program performing consistently," Ruff said.  "We are in a position to have our finest season to date. The culture has drastically shifted from just a few years ago, and the energy around our program has never been more enthusiastic."

The class includes a combined 12 state champions and a host of state placers with prospects from Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Colorado, Oregon and West Virginia. The list also features an NCAA DI and two NJCAA transfers, one being an NJCAA National Champion last season.

"We're very proud of this class, and we're expecting several of these men to make an immediate impact," Ruff said. "This year's class really balances our roster from a weight class perspective. Our roster depth is not only better than ever before but we are super young with 30 guys on the roster entering their freshman or sophomore year of eligibility."

Trajan Hurd comes to Lindsey Wilson as a junior from Clackamas Community College and is a native of Grant Pass, Oregon. Last season, he won a National Championship in the NJCAA while compiling a 30-5 record. In high school, he was a two-time Oregon state champion as he was able to place during all four years while compiling a 179-25 overall record. He will compete in the 174-pounds weight class.

"Hurd is a huge addition. He brings a veteran presence, and he will make everyone in our room better. His pace is crazy, and he's going to be a pleasure to watch."

Zane Brown joins the Blue Raiders from Male High School in Louisville, Ky., where he began wrestling for the varsity squad as an eighth-grader. Brown is a three-time Kentucky state champion and a five-time finalist. He was also awarded the Dave Shultz High School Excellence Award as well as being named the MOW of the KHSAA Championships. He finished in third at the NHSCA sophomore nationals and eighth at Flonationals, also as a sophomore. He finished off his high school career with a 153-8 record and is projected to compete at the 165-pound weight class for Lindsey Wilson.

"Zane is so gifted with natural ability, and he's a gamer. We'll take things a bit slower with him as he transitions to the college style."

Carlos Figueroa-Orduna comes to Lindsey Wilson from Homewood High School in Homewood, Alabama. Figueroa is a three-time state champion and a four-time finalist. He was named a two-time NHSCA All-American during his high school career while compiling an impressive 210-4 record. He earned a fourth-place finish at the NHSCA senior nationals, eighth place at sophomore NHSCA nationals and finished fifth at the prestigious Super 32. Figueroa closed out his high school career as the No. 20-ranked wrestler at 220 pounds by FLO Wrestling. He is expected to compete at 197-pounds for the Blue Raiders.

"Fig knows how to win, and fills a huge need at 197-pounds for many years to come. He has a great family, is a passionate wrestler and a scholar."

Brock Whorton joins the Blue Raiders after transferring from NCAA DI Clarion University. The redshirt freshman is a native of Fairfield, West Virginia where won three state championships and was a four-time finalist. He compiled an impressive 192-13 record during his career and posted a sixth-place finish at Flonationals and was named an AAU Jr. Olympics Freestyle All-American. Whorton was ranked No. 19 and No. 21 at the 126-pound weight class by FLO and Wrestling USA Magazine, respectively. He is projected to wrestle at the 133-pound weight class for LWC.

"Whorton is so slick and fast, and a perfect fit for this teams needs after graduating two-time All-American Brady Moser. He's going to have some competition to earn the starting spot, but the sky's the limit for Brock."

Preston Mattingly comes to Columbia from Owensboro, Ky., and Apollo High School where he amassed a 176-15 career record, including a perfect 51-0 senior campaign. He won one Kentucky state championship and added a runner-up finish as he placed three times at the championship. Mattingly is projected to wrestle at the 125-pound weight class.  

Matt Hebel is a senior transfer and a native of Erie, Colorado. He is an NJCAA All-American and placed eighth at 174-pounds for Western Wyoming at the national championships. He was named to the dean's list three times at Western Wyoming. In high school, he was a two-time state placer in Colorado and compiled a 125-43 record. Hebel is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds for the Blue Raiders.

Sam Bacon joins the Blue Raiders from Morganfield, Ky., where he wrested at Union County High School. Bacon is a two time Kentucky state finalist, doing so during his junior and senior season. He recorded a 134-22 record in high school as he is projected to wrestle in the 133-pounds weight class.

Kadin Kulmer comes to Lindsey Wilson from Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky., where he was a three-time Kentucky state placer. He finished in third place two times at the championships. An injury during his senior year cost Kulmer a year of competition but he still managed to produce 115-30 record. He is projected to wrestle at 197-pounds.

Rickey Garcia joins the Blue Raiders from Elizabethtown, Ky., and is a graduate of John Hardin High School. He is a two time Kentucky state placer and holds a 142-33 career record. He is expected to wrestle at 141-pounds.

Devon Casebolt comes to Lindsey Wilson from Castle High School in Tell City, Indiana. He is a two-time state qualifier and he placed sixth during his junior year campaign. He went 135-25 in his four-year career and is projected to wrestle at 125-pounds.

Myles Nelson joins the Blue Raiders as a graduate of North Hardin High School and a native of Radcliff, Ky. He is a two-time Kentucky state qualifier as he managed a 36-15 record across his junior and senior year of competition. 

Morgan Smith comes to Columbia from Columbus, Ind., and a graduate of Columbus North High School. He is a three-time Indiana semi-state qualifier with over 100 victories in his career. He went 27-8 during his senior year and is projected to wrestle at 125-pounds.

Isaiah Newberry joins Lindsey Wilson from Moore High School in Louisville, Ky., where he tallied a 141-73 record. He finished in fourth place at the Kentucky state championships as a senior and is a four-time qualifier at the event. Newberry is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds.

Bobby Hoagland is a native of Louisville, Ky., and a graduate of Western High School. He posted a 14-6 record his senior year and was named a state alternate. Hoagland is expected to wrestle at 141-pounds.

Michael Elkins comes to Columbia from Hopkinsville, Ky. as a graduate of Christian City High School. He went 47-42 in high school and was a state alternate. He is expected to wrestle at the 184-pound class. 

Lindsey Wilson College Wrestling Mid-South Conference Recruiting

http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip/news/lindsey-wilson-wrestling-announces-2019-20-signing-class.htm

Edited August 28, 2019 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Ryan News...

 

Father Ryan High Holds Hall of Fame Induction

By

 Article Submitted

-

 September 5, 2019

 

Champ Hounihan ’65, left member of the Hall of Fame 1963 – 1964 Basketball Team with Bobby Garmon ’65, former wrestling coach.

 

NASHVILLE, TN — On Thursday, August 29, Father Ryan High School inducted 34 athletes, six coaches, three contributors and seven teams into their Athletics Hall of Fame. These 50 honorees comprised the inaugural class, and there will now be annual inductions moving forward with smaller groups of inductees.

 

Also inducted were 1975 U.S. Open Champion Lou Graham ‘56, long-time MTSU head football coach James “Boots” Donnelly ‘61, and Nashville athletic and coaching legend Billy Lynch ‘64.

The oldest living inductee was Jim Hagey ‘46, who walked across the stage at 91 years young to accept his plaque.

The Tennessee Tribune is known for its insightful coverage of news in Nashville Jackson, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis. With The Tennessee Tribune Tennessee residents can remain confident in gaining the best news throughout state and around the United States.  
Sales: sales1501@aol.com

Contact us: tennesseetribunenews@aol.com

 

https://tntribune.com/community/father-ryan-high-holds-hall-of-fame-induction/

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Mccallie News

McCallie School Welcomes New Faculty For 2019-2020 School Year

Friday, September 6, 2019

Front row, from left, Rebecca Kidd, Alex Bundrick, Michael McCallie, Kathaleen Hughes and Ashley Cole. Second row, from left, Matt Allen, Drew Read '89, Jenny Suddath, Matt Pitts, Carson Murphy, Judd Potter '13 and Will Givens.

Tyler Newman – Mr. Newman is a 2009 graduate of McCallie and the son of McCallie’s longtime coach Mike Newman and Activities Center employee Gail Newman. He teaches a anatomy and physiology, coaches strength and conditioning, and will oversee the MTA program. He comes to McCallie from Father Ryan High School in Nashville, where he was the director of strength and conditioning. He and his wife, Promise, are excited to be returning to the Ridge.

Matt Pitts – Mr. Pitts is a graduate of the UTC where he was a member of the wrestling team. Before joining McCallie, where he teaches 7th grade U.S. history and coaches wrestling, he taught and coached at Reinhardt University and Red Bud Middle School in Calhoun, Georgia. He and his wife, Jill, have a 1-year-old daughter, Reese, and are expecting a baby boy in late September.

https://www.chattanoogan.com/2019/9/6/395769/McCallie-School-Welcomes-New-Faculty.aspx

Edited September 7, 2019 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Former Bear Nation Wrestler update...

https://www.ajc.com/blog/high-school-sports/four-questions-with-southeast-whitfield-announcer-neil-nichols/QWuEMMPy7JymcOPi8T2sfI/

[Sommers]

New SE wrestling program...

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/shenandoah-to-add-wrestling-starting-in/article_12c29832-20fd-5ae0-b201-328d506721e9.html

https://augustafreepress.com/shenandoah-university-to-add-mens-wrestling-in-2020/

Edited September 24, 2019 by Sommers

[Sommers]

 

 

Another Morris Recognized...

Morris to receive A.F. Bridges Award

• By Zach Birdsong Sports Editor
•  
  • Oct 11, 2019 Updated 11 hrs ago
  • https://www.tullahomanews.com/sports/local/morris-to-receive-a-f-bridges-award/article_829862d2-ec46-11e9-9766-1fe44301148c.html

 

Tullahoma High School girls wrestling coach Jenna Morris celebrates with Jane Allen back in February after Allen took first at the TSSAA Individual State Tournament in Franklin. 

Staff Photo by Zach Birdsong

On Tuesday night, Tullahoma High School Coach Jenna Morris received an honor that she had no idea that she was even in the running for.

As Tullahoma is on fall break, the THS girls wrestling coach was just casually checking her email, when she received one with the subject “Congratulations.” After reading the email, Morris learned that she would be the recipient of the A.F. Bridges Award for Female Coach of the Year in Middle Tennessee.

“Well it’s awesome and I’m humbled by it,” Morris said. “The thing that I’m probably most excited about it is that it’s not just a wrestling award. The ultimate purpose is to draw more attention to girls wrestling and what we do. If it gets notoriety for that, then I’m happy about it.”

The A.F. Bridges Divisional Awards are presented by the TSSAA and are given to schools that have had no reported unsportsmanlike conduct incidents during the previous school year. Additionally, they must have displayed an overall positive effort to teach, expect and demand a positive atmosphere of sportsmanship at their particular contests.

The award is given in honor of the TSSAA’s first executive secretary. Bridges served as executive secretary from 1946 until 1972. Under his leadership, athletics in the state of Tennessee reached a level of excellence and competence that earned the respect of all people. According to the TSSAA, Bridges was a person of high principles who displayed firmness and fairness, as well as the high ideals of ethics and integrity, as he and many other school people established the foundation of the TSSAA across the state.

In total, there are seven A.F. Bridges Awards given out each year. The award is given for: School System Administrator of the Year, Principal of the Year, Athletic Director of the Year, Female Coach of the Year, Male Coach of the Year, Official of the Year and Contributor of the Year.

Morris was nominated for the Female Coach of the Year by Tullahoma High School Athletic Director John Olive. According to the Wildcats’ A.D., after reading over the qualifications, he thought that she was would the ideal candidate for the award.

“Coach Morris has done an outstanding job at developing a girls wrestling team for Tullahoma High School,” Olive said. “She’s not only done a great job of building our girls wrestling program from scratch, but she has become instrumental in helping our girls to become confident young women. That, to me, is the most important thing.

 

“I think that she has just done an outstanding job of helping those young ladies become very confident,” he added. “She obviously works very hard at her job and has had great success. She’s well deserving of the A.F. Bridges Award for Middle Tennessee.”

“It means a lot that Coach Olive would nominate me,” Morris said. “I’ve had some conversations with some coaches at the state tournament, who had their returning state champions receive medals, who said that they had never had a school principal or administrator come to any events. While, I’m like, ‘Look up at the stands. There’s my principal. There’s my athletic director. There’s my librarian. There’s our booster club president. There’s Pat Welsh, the chairman of the school board.’ We have something special here at Tullahoma, so it means a lot.”

Once she received the email letting her know that she was a recipient of this year’s award, Morris said she immediately contacted Olive.

“After I got the notification, I sent a screenshot of the email to Coach Olive and told him thank you,” Morris said. “He just responded saying, ‘You deserve it. You’re doing a great job with our girls.’ It really means a lot that he thinks that I’m doing a good job.”

Though she received the email acknowledging that she won the award, Morris will not collect the accolade until Nov. 7 at a reception at Hillwood High School. That ceremony is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m._

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Expansion in Williamson county...

https://brentwoodhomepage.com/ravenwood-to-add-girls-wrestling-program-marna-craig-taped-to-lead/

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William Raymond "Chip" Healy, Jr.

Member Of The Chattanooga Sports Hall Of Fame

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

William Healy

William Raymond Healy, Jr. "Chip" died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on October 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee.  

He was born in Atlanta, on August 16, 1947.  

Chip graduated from Baylor High School in Chattanooga, in 1965 where he was a two-time National Prep Wrestling Champion and named to the All American Football Team. He went on to play football at Vanderbilt University where he was All SEC and All American. The St. Louis Cardinals (football) drafted him in the third round and he played two years in the NFL. He is a member of the Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame, Baylor High School Hall of Fame and Lookout Mountain Hall of Fame.

Chip was very active with Cumberland Heights and he would make the greatest influence on men’s lives when he started Chip’s Transitional Living in 2001.  During those 18 years, he impacted thousands of men’s lives in recovery.

He was an avid golfer and he always enjoyed and looked forward to annual fishing trips to Louisiana with family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents Mildred and Bill Healy.  

He is survived by his two sons, Bo and Drew (Mary Catherine), both of Nashville; his sister Jane (Brad) Bourne of Atlanta and his brother, Rob (Betsy) of Chattanooga; five grandchildren, Maggie (Drew) Kirkpatrick, Emma Healy, Hank Healy, Haven Healy and Wells Healy; and one great-grandchild, Jane Kirkpatrick.

Visitation with the family will be on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Pike, Nashville Tn. 37205, with a service to follow at 11 a.m.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Chip’s Transitional Living (Attn: Drew Healy; 4315 Iroquois Ave., Nashville, Tn. 37205) or Cumberland Heights (Attn: Development Office; P.O. Box 90727; Nashville, Tn. 37209)

Edited October 12, 2019 by Sommers

[Sommers]

SRO, assistant principal to wrestle at Rocky Fork Middle School Saturday

OCT 15, 2019 AT 03:09 PM BY LISA MARCHESONI

 

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School Resource Officer Chris Erwin and Assistant Principal Alan Davis will trade their school roles for the mat when they square off with professional wrestlers Saturday at Rocky Fork Middle School's gym.

They will square off against pro wrestlers Chris Michaels and Damien Wayne in the Championship Wrestling USA matches beginning at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19 at the school located 100 Thunderstorm Lane in Smyrna.

Erwin wrestled professionally before becoming an SRO.

Other matches include Matt Starr vs. Gunner Laine, Nathan Starr vs. Chris Styles, Jake Law vs. Brandon White and Kid Wrestling vs. El Diablo.

Tickets are $10 each with proceeds for Rocky Fork Cheer.

After graduating from Riverdale High School, Erwin trained for one year as part of wrestling's independent circuit in Kentucky. He was recruited for independent circuits in Nashville.

On his 21st birthday, Erwin signed a three-year stint with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, now known as Impact Wrestling.

Erwin competed in Tennessee, Georgetown, Bowling Green and Louisville, Ky., New Orleans, La., Southern Illinois, Florida and Muscle Shoals, Ala.

He joined the Sheriff's Office 10 years ago and has served as an SRO for six years. 

Both Davis and Erwin are happy to showcase their skills to raise money for Cheer.

https://www.murfreesborovoice.com/article/3087/sro-assistant-principal-to-wrestle-at-rocky-fork-middle-school-saturday

[Sommers]

Chattanoogan...

Cleveland High Wrestling Coach Joey Knox Named 2018-2019 TSSAA Wrestling Coach Of The Year.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Cleveland High School Wrestling Coach Joey Knox has been selected as the 2018-2019 TSSAA Wrestling Coach of the Year. Knox has an impressive head coaching record of 65-2 and has led the Blue Raiders to four state titles. He has also coached nine individual state champions.

 

Dr. Russell Dyer, Director of Cleveland City Schools, said, "Joey Knox is passionate not only about his sport, but more importantly, about his student-athletes. I appreciate his willingness to go above and beyond to do what's right for the program and our kids.”  

Knox came to Cleveland High School in 2012 from Chattanooga Central and became the Blue Raider Head Coach in 2017. A graduate of Dublin High School in Georgia and The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he graduated as a Southern Conference Champion, a 2-time NCAA tournament qualifier, and a top 10 nationally ranked wrestler.

Cleveland High School Principal Autumn O’Bryan said, “Our wrestling program has a rich tradition of excellence. Coach Knox is a tremendous leader for our championship program and we are honored for him to be recognized for his work.”

Knox will now compete for the Section 3 Coach of the Year, which includes eight Southeastern states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana along with Tennessee. 

[Sommers]

Chattanooga Free-Press...

Area sports notes: UTC wrestlers Smith and Jones preseason all-conference

October 22nd, 2019 | by Staff Reports

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team was picked to finish third in the Southern Conference and the Mocs' Tanner Smith and Rodney Jones were voted to the preseason All-SoCon team, the league office announced Tuesday. UTC, 7-7 overall and 5-1 in the league last season, was voted behind affiliate members Campbell and Appalachian State. Campbell received seven first-place votes and 49 points and had five All-SoCon individuals. ASU got 41 points, two more than UTC, and like the Mocs put two wrestlers on the preseason all-league team. Smith, at 149 pounds, was the 2019 SoCon freshman of the year after posting a 12-9 record and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. He also made the SoCon all-freshman team and was runner-up at the SoCon tournament. Jones qualified for the NCAAs at 197 pounds last year by taking the SoCon's second automatic bid at that weight. "We are very proud that these guys are recognized for their work and accomplishments up to this point," coach Kyle Ruschell said in a UTC release. "Tanner and Rod, as well as the rest of our guys, are working hard to achieve this and even more this season."

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https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/sports/30308/soto-takes-over-st-andrews-wrestling-program

Soto takes over St. Andrews’ wrestling program

October 23, 2019 Laurinburg Exchange 0

By: SAU Athletics staff

 

Soto

LAURINBURG — Last week, St. Andrews University hired Nick Soto as the new head coach of the wrestling team.

Soto was most recently a graduate assistant coach at Seton Hill University. Soto also has experience coaching in high school — he helped Cleveland High School become state champions, and he also coached at Jesuit High School and Springstead High School.

Soto attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he was a decorated wrestler. While at Chattanooga, Soto was a four-time NCAA Qualifier and four-time conference championship. Soto was ranked in the top 15 every year and was undefeated in conference competitions in his four years at Chattanooga.

Soto is fourth on UTC’s all-time wins list. He’s a Reno Tournament of Champions winner, a Southern Scuffle finalist and a Hokie Open champion.

In high school, Soto was a three-time NHSCA All-American, a two-time Florida state champion and a three-time place winner. Soto’s high school team at Springstead High School was the first athletic team in its county to win a state title.

Soto graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2015. While at Chattanooga, Soto was a consistent member of the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s List.

Soto will fill the role left by former coach Joe Baranik. Baranik led the Knights wrestling team for 13-plus years, and he took pride in restarting the wrestling program at St. Andrews after a 36-year hiatus.

Baranik developed three All-Americans and 52 athletes with academic honors. Baranik said his 2009-2010 season was one of the most memorable. The Knights qualified seven individuals to nationals, and they placed 21st overall. Baranik also enjoyed coaching his son, Troy, for four years.

“It is hard to leave the kids I recruited, but the athletic department has made a great hire in Nick Soto,” Baranik said. “I appreciate SAU in giving me the opportunity for my first head coaching job on the collegiate level. I also want to thank my wife and daughter for attending all the home matches and giving me and the Knights their full support.”

Edited October 24, 2019 by Sommers

[Sommers]

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team capped off today's Ball and Brawl with the Blue-Gold wrestling match at McKenzie Arena.  The Mocs took part in 11 exhibition matches with the Gold team taking a 20-16 win. 

"Today was a great test for our guys and important for them to make weight and get at least one match in," stated UTC head coach Kyle Ruschell. "They all wrestled hard but it's tough when you're competing against your teammate.

"They're definitely ready to wrestle against someone else. It's been a great off season getting ready but it's time to compete and we're excited."

The Mocs open the season on Friday, Nov. 1, in an outdoor setting at Chattanooga's Miller Park.  Presbyterian had to cancel its participation in the tri-meet, so UTC will now host Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 5:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring a chair and join the Mocs after work for some exciting collegiate action.

Season tickets are still on sale on GoMocs.com.  Get yours now and lock up great seats for the 2020 Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Sportswear, on Jan. 1-2. 

Blue 20 – Gold 16
133: Franco Valdes (Gold) def. Colton Landers (Blue) – Dec. 3-2
285: Logan Andrew (Gold) def. Grayson Walthall (Blue) – MD 13-3
125/141: Fabian Gutierrez (Blue) def. George Coleman (Gold) – Dec. 5-2
141: Chris Debien (Blue) def. Aidan Murphy (Gold) – Dec. 4-0
149: Mason Wallace (Blue) def. Tanner Smith (Gold) – Dec. 11-4
133: Colton Landers (Gold) def. Wade Cummings (Blue) – Dec. 6-2
149/157: Weston Wichman (Gold) def. Grant Lundy (Blue) – Dec. 6-3
165/174: Hunter Fortner (Gold) def. Drew Nicholson (Blue) – Dec. 3-2
184/197: Matthew Waddell (Blue) def. Ben Stacey (Gold) – MD 12-3
197/285: Rodney Jones (Blue) def. Logan Andrew (Gold) – Dec. 7-2
133: Franco Valdes (Blue) def. Wade Cummings (Gold) – Dec. 4-1

Calling All Alumni
We need all UTC wrestling alumni to take the C Club Challenge for $100.  Joining the C Club directly benefits Mocs wrestling, and the program with the highest percentage of alumni who join get an extra $5,000 added to their budget.  Click here to join.

 

[Sommers]

Kudos!!

From Clarksville Now...

• CMCSS’s Feldman and Price receive A.F. Bridges awards from TSSAA

By Neil Rye October 30, 2019 12:02 pm

Clarksville Now

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – For the 20th consecutive year, the A.F. Bridges Awards program gave out recognitions for School System Administrator of the Year, Principal of the Year, Athletic Director of the Year, Female Coach of the Year, Male Coach of the Year, Official of the Year and Contributor of the Year in each of the nine athletic districts of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. The awards recognize 63 individuals from across the state that represent what’s best in high school athletics.

Two members of CMCSS were honored by the TSSAA, as Clarksville High principal Bryan Feldman received Principal of the Year and Rossview wrestling coach Jeff Price was named Male Coach of the Year.

“I am very surprised by this,” Feldman said. “It is a great honor to be recognized, but an even bigger honor to serve Clarksville High School. It is a great school and the students, faculty, staff and parents are the ones who deserve recognition.”

Feldman, in his third year at Clarksville High, has taught education for 21 years. He earned his undergraduate degree in social studies and education from Purdue University and his master’s in school administration from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

“Our student athletes compete at the highest levels both on the field of play and in the classroom,” Feldman said. “I am very proud of them and love working for them.”

Nominations were made by a Citizenship/Sportsmanship Committee and member schools in each athletic district and the final selection was made by a State Selection Committee.

For Price, it’s what the award’s selection criteria is comprised of that makes earning it so pleasant.

“The thing that makes this award meaningful is it’s not just for the sport of wrestling, but includes all of the other sports in the district,” Price said. “To get recognized on that stage is good for our sport and good for our program. A.F. Bridges himself taught and demanded positivity and created a learning atmosphere for all of those around him. That’s what we’re trying to create with our program and our culture. Just have a place where anyone is accepted, but you have to put in the work.”

Price discussed what was particularly special about the 2018-19 Hawks season that allowed him to be up for this individual award.

“Just the guys and the girls,” Price said. “We run our program as one. The girls won state and the guys went 32-4 and finished in the Top 10 in the state. Progressively, we’re just hoping to get our guys and girls at the top of the podium. The girls broke their own record from the year before and they all came together as one and wrestled for each other. Now that they got rings, they’re just as hungry for another one and we expect much of the same this year.”

Price was an assistant coach for four years before inheriting the Rossview wrestling coaching job in 2017.

“I attribute a lot to Coach Cozine (Dan),” Price said. “The program was already up and coming. We were right there to win a district title. For him to step down and hand that over to me at that point whenever we kind of already expected a great season, was big for me. I appreciate that from him. Every wrestler matters is what we kind of looked at. Make sure that we had a team-first attitude despite being an individual sport. I think that made a big difference.”

Feldman and Price will each be presented with their awards at one of three Regional Meetings at 10 a.m. Thursday Nov. 7 at Hillwood High School.

[Sommers]

Big win for UTC and Chris DeBien...

SIUE Wrestling Drops 29-14 Decision to Chattanooga

Nov 1, 2019 6:56 PM | 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - SIUE wrestling dropped a 29-14 decision Friday at Chattanooga in the season opener for both teams.

"Overall it was a tough loss, but there were some bright spots" said SIUE Head Coach Jeremy Spates.

The Cougars won three matches during the dual, including a 1 minute, 25 seconds pin in the career debut for Max Kristoff over Chattanooga's Mason Wallace at 149 pounds. Colton McKiernan, an NCAA qualifier last season at 285, was dominant in his opening match of the season, dismissing Grayson Walthall 16-0 in 4:18. Justin Ruffin, also an NCAA qualifier last season, bested Chattanooga's George Carpenter 7-2 at 157 pounds.

Spates also lauded the location of Friday's event, an outdoor meet at Miller Park in Chattanooga.

"It was a great environment. We try to put our guys in abnormal environments to get ready for the NCAA Championships," he added.

SIUE's next action is Nov. 9 when the Cougars take on Drexel and West Liberty in a double dual in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

COMPLETE RESULTS

Chattanooga 29 SIUE 14

125 - Fabian Gutierrez (CHAT) over Gage Datlovsky (SIUE) (MD 13-2)
133 - Franco Valdes (CHAT) over Aaron Schulist (SIUE) (TF 24-6 3:23)
141 - Chris DeBien (CHAT) over Saul Ervin (SIUE) (Dec 4-2)
149 - Max Kristoff (SIUE) over Mason Wallace (CHAT) (Fall 1:25)
157 - Justin Ruffin (SIUE) over George Carpenter (CHAT) (Dec 7-2)
165 - Andrew Nicholson (CHAT) over Chase Diehl (SIUE) (Dec 8-2)
174 - Hunter Fortner (CHAT) over Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) (Dec 3-1)
184 - Matthew Waddell (CHAT) over Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) (Fall 1:31)
197 - Rodney Jones (CHAT) over Austin Andres (SIUE) (TF 18-2 6:30)
285 - Colton McKiernan (SIUE) over Grayson Walthall (CHAT) (TF 16-0 4:18)
Records: Chattanooga 1-0, SIUE 0-1

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Johnson City Press...

Contributed

1 / 2 Science Hill High School Girls Wrestling Coach Jon Renner was recently named the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year

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FIVE QUESTIONS

Five Questions for Jon Renner, Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year

BRANDON PAYKAMIAN • NOV 3, 2019 AT 7:10 PM

bpaykamian@johnsoncitypress.com

Science Hill High School girls wrestling coach Jon Renner played an instrumental role in sanctioning the Hilltoppers team and leading them to their first state championship title in 2015.

And following a win at last season’s regional championship, Renner was recently named the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year. 

On Monday, the 2018 National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee corresponded with the Press to tell us more about himself, his thoughts on the recent honor and what draws him to wrestling. 

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Fast Facts:

Dogs or cats: “Definitely dogs. We have two boxers, Callie and Chandler.” 

Favorite food: Italian food

Favorite musicians: Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers

Hobbies: Hiking, camping, paddling and Atlanta Braves baseball. Also a “movie buff.” 

Favorite vacation spot: “The mountains or a baseball game. My wife and I have been to 10 MLB stadiums so far.” 

Tell our readers about how you got into wrestling. What led to your work with the district? 

My wrestling career actually began on the freshman football field during two-a-days over the summer at Greeneville High School. One of the upperclassmen, Randy Wood, volunteered to help the coaching staff but used most of his time to recruit me and my teammates to wrestle. It was a highly effective strategy. After high school, I went to Carson-Newman College (now University) to wrestle. While there, I met this graduate assistant coach named Jeff Price. Coach Price went on to coach at Jefferson County High School. In 1997, he asked me to be his Assistant Coach. When he moved to Science Hill, he started working on me to join his staff. In 2006, I finally took him up on the offer. In 2007, I was hired on at the Science Hill Alternative Center, now Topper Academy. 

What were your thoughts on the recent honor and how did it feel to be recognized?

I was really surprised. It is quite an honor to be nominated by my peers and recognized by the TSSAA. I am also proud of our athletes and the program that we have built. I consider myself fortunate to be able to represent Science Hill, and I am very thankful for the support that we receive from our Athletic Department, administration, alumni and community.

What do you think wrestling can teach participants?

Like most sports, wrestling teaches many life skills such as sportsmanship, teamwork, discipline, work ethic and leadership. Where I believe wrestling stands out above the rest is that wrestling, by nature, increases self-control, increases self-esteem and teaches participants to deal with adversity. In wrestling, we begin each match with a handshake and end with a handshake. It is very difficult to deal with a tough loss and have to look your opponent in the eye and shake his or her hand.

Who do you think is the most inspirational figure in wrestling and why?

There are many intriguing and inspirational stories and figures throughout wrestling both past and present. Some wrestlers of note would include Dan Gable, John Smith, Cael Sanderson, Anthony Robles and Kyle Maynard. Two of the most notable female wrestlers would be Tricia Saunders and Helen Maroulis. Tricia Saunders is considered to be a "true pioneer of Women's Freestyle Wrestling.” She was a four-time world champion and never lost to an American opponent. The High School Excellence Award is aptly named in her honor. Helen Maroulis won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the U.S. in 2016 by defeating Japan's Saori Yoshida, the most accomplished female wrestler in history. These women have opened the door of endless possibilities for young female athletes that might choose to wrestle.

What advice would you have for anyone thinking about trying wrestling?

Be open-minded and give it a try. Every year when I am trying to recruit new girls I hear ‘But I don't know how to wrestle!’ Experience, although helpful, is not required. That is my job as a coach. I just need girls willing to take the chance. Upon reflecting, most of the girls that come to our program that did not come out as Freshmen really regret it, because they enjoy it so much. To curtail this issue, we have a youth club, Hilltopper Wrestling Club, for all students of Johnson City Schools, boys and girls. So just jump in and give it a try.