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Sommers

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PIAA Board of Directors unanimously passes 2nd reading of proposal to reduce high school wrestling weight classes

Updated Jun 15, 5:49 PM; Posted Jun 15, 4:52 PM
2019 PIAA Class 2A individual wrestling state championship finalsBishop McDevitt’s Chase Shields greets Glendale’s Brock McMullen prior to the 2019 PIAA Class 2A wrestling state championship finals at Giant Center. March 09, 2019 Sean Simmers | [email protected] PENNLIVE.COM
 
The PIAA Board of Directors cleared a pivotal step on Monday to approve a reduction in the number of high school wrestling weight classes from 14 to 13 for the 2020-’21 season.

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William Blount athletes celebrate college signings

 
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William Blount's Daniel Arp
 

William Blount’s Daniel Arp signs a National Letter of Intent with the University of the Cumberlands.

  • Corey Roepken | The Daily Times
 
 
William Blount's Sara Kagley
 

William Blount’s Sara Kagley signs a National Letter of Intent with Milligan College’s basketball team.

  • Corey Roepken | The Daily Times
 
 
 
 

William Blount’s Connor Dodson signs a National Letter of Intent to play soccer for Tennessee Wesleyan.

  • Corey Roepken | The Daily Times
 
 
 
 

William Blount’s Rachel Kessler signs a National Letter of Intent with the Truett McConnell volleyball team.

  • Corey Roepken | The Daily Times
 
 
 
 

William Blount's Seth Cooper signs a National Letter of Intent with the Carson-Newman football team

  • Taylor Vortherms | The Daily Times
 
 
 
 

William Blount's Noah Durman signs a National Letter of Intent with Mount St. Joseph University's football team.

  • Taylor Vortherms | The Daily Times
 
 
 
 

William Blount's Emilee Braden signs a National Letter of Intent with the Tennessee Wesleyan softball team.

  • Taylor Vortherms | The Daily Times
 
 
 
 

William Blount's Ben Kenny signs a National Letter of Intent to play football for Carson-Newman.

  • Taylor Vortherms | The Daily Times

From the time he was 5 years old to the time he was in fourth grade, Daniel Arp never wanted to stop wrestling. Even though he was far away from the reality, he said he dreamed of one day competing for a college team.

His dream suffered a major setback when he was in fifth grade because his father’s job took the family to a school district that did not have a wrestling program.

It was quite the jolt for a kid who didn’t want to do anything but wrestle.

“It was terrible,” Arp said. “For the longest time I would wake up and my mindset was just wrestling. (Then) for five years it was just nothing. I did track for one year and it didn’t give me the same satisfaction wrestling always has.”

Luckily for Arp, his story has a happy ending.

His father took another job ahead of Arp’s junior year of high school, and the family moved to the William Blount school zone. The Governors, of course, do have a wrestling team.

The recent graduate made up for lost time in his only two seasons of high school wrestling and landed a spot on the team at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky. He celebrated his signing Monday afternoon with friends and family in the William Blount gym.

Arp was one of eight recent graduates to sign their National Letters of Intent, including football players Ben Kenny, Noah Durman and Seth Cooper; basketball player Sara Kagley; soccer player Connor Dodson; volleyball player Rachel Kessler; and softball player Emilee Braden.

Nobody would have blinked an eye had Arp taken a while to get going after not wrestling for five years, but he hit the ground running once he arrived at William Blount.

He would try wrestling at the house with his dad or with his older brother’s friends, but nothing made up for what he got out of walking into a high school wrestling room with other kids his age who all were striving for the same goal.

Arp won early and often during his junior season and eventually qualified for the state tournament. He qualified for state as a senior, too.

“It shows his work ethic was second to none because he had to pick up where he left off when people he was going to wrestle had been wrestling that entire time,” William Blount coach Garrick Henderson said. “Not only did he come to practice and work his butt off, he stayed afterwards, and then when he went home he worked there with his dad and with other teammates.

“He knew the challenge that was ahead of him. I’m very proud of him for accomplishing that feat today. It’s something every wrestler dreams of.”

Kagley also had a harsh setback when she was a young basketball player.

She was just starting to fall in love with the sport in the fifth grade when she was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She said her internal organs were struggling and that fluids rushed into her joints.

At one point she was told she might never run again.

“It was awful,” said Kagley, who signed with Milligan University on Monday. “I didn’t really know what super sadness was in fifth grade, but it’s hard when you grow up playing sports and you get told you cannot do anything. You can’t run. You can’t jump, nothing. I had to just sit there and watch.”

After missing her fifth grade season, she was given a clean bill of health and got back into rhythm on the court. When she reached the high school level, though, she was far behind her varsity teammates; contributing at a high level seemed farfetched.

That changed over the next few seasons, and by the time she took the court as a senior, she was one of the Lady Governors’ top rebounders. When coach Todd Wright introduced the rebounding belt midway through the pandemic-shortened season, she received it as the leading rebounder in more than half of the games.

That was the icing on the cake after she reached a level at which she thought she had a chance to play in college. She reached out to Milligan coach Kylie Russell and the process went smoothly.

Russell and Kagley already had known each other for more than five years, so when Russell, an Alcoa High School graduate who recently took over as Milligan’s head coach, saw how much Kagley had improved, she jumped at the chance to sign her.

Russell was there on Monday to speak and watch Kagley sign her NLI.

“The process was super easy, which I am thankful for,” Kagley said. “My parents didn’t go to college, so this was new to all of us. None of us really knew what was going on. (Russell) made it so much easier because we already knew her. We understood everything.”

Unlike Kagley and Arp, Dodson didn’t start playing his sport because of dreams of playing in college. He just wanted to be around his friends.

He joined the team his sophomore year, but his interest level grew after playing on a club team for one season and meeting William Blount coach Jordan Hill, whose first season was Dodson’s junior year.

Dodson, who signed with Tennessee Wesleyan on Monday, played all around the pitch throughout his two high school seasons and was set to make his mark at central midfield as a senior before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season.

By then he had attended a camp at Tennessee Wesleyan, and the coaches offered him a spot on the team that day. It didn’t take long for Dodson to accept, and now he said he’s excited to take his relatively new love to another level.

“Junior year changed everything for me,” Dodson said. “It made me want to do better and be a better person. I wanted to go to the next level because I didn’t want to do anything but soccer. It changed my whole life.”

https://www.thedailytimes.com/sports/william-blount-athletes-celebrate-college-signings/article_b5425133-ea9a-59da-af9d-be586f2ff875.html

Edited by Sommers
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Cole McCartney inks with Ouachita Baptist wrestling

 
McCartney signing.jpg

Cole McCartney was joined at his ceremony by (front row, l to r): Johnny and Autumn McCartney and (back row) Ally McCartney and Makayla Bryant. 

Former Greenbrier High School wrestler Cole McCartney signed scholarship papers with Ouachita Baptist University (Ark.) on Monday, June 15.

He defeated Pigeon Forge’s Noah Dyer by a 7-6 decision to finish third in the TSSAA Class A-AA 126-pound state tournament bracket. McCartney, who committed to Ouachita Baptist last fall, was also named to the TSWA All-State wrestling team.

https://www.robertsoncountyconnection.com/sports/prep_sports/cole-mccartney-inks-with-ouachita-baptist-wrestling/article_a12f5a8a-b021-11ea-a189-5fa90610c868.html

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Girls wrestling...

I remember Tennessee early on with just a handful of states with Steve Henry at Soddy and Jeff Price of Science Hill leasing the way...

Illinois is the 26th state to approve girls wrestling, joining Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/article/WRESTLING-IHSA-approves-girls-wrestling-state-15352575.php

Kudos to Montgomery Central (and another coach Price) and others growing this movement within The Clarksville/Montgomery Co area!

Edited by Sommers
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From FB and UTC...

We have lost one of the great GA wrestlers, my good friend and teammate, Bobby Demeritt.  

Many knew Bobby as a fierce competitor and dedicated coach of wrestling, but he was a great human being.  

Unfortunately, he was battling internal demons of depression, addiction and a bi-polar disorder.  This combination was one match he couldn't win and sadly he took his own life.  

Bobby was 3 Time State Champ, HS All American, a Member US World Greco Team, US Open National Champion, 2nd in the Panam Games.. just to name a few.  He coached many elementary, HS and College wrestlers and was dedicated to the sport of wrestling.  

He was as a dedicated loving father, coach, brother, teammate, friend, solider, and Christian. 

I wanted this community to know that he will be missed but never forgotten.

https://gf.me/u/yakxpj

https://www.facebook.com/groups/492619600905746/permalink/1594827084018320/

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Rossview wrestling sees four athletes sign college scholarships

By Neil Rye June 30, 2020 12:32 pm
RossviewWrestling-1200x768.pngClarksville Now

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Rossview wrestling recently had four athletes sign college scholarships to continue their athletic and academic careers.

Thomas Williams

Williams attended Kenwood for his first two years of high school where he became a 2x state qualifier and a region champion.

;libID=885926

At Rossview, Williams managed to continue to qualify for state two more times and go on to become a 4x state qualifier while adding another region title.

During his senior year, Williams had only one loss before heading into the state tournament against nationally-ranked Garrett Bowers from Christian Brothers where he eventually went on to take 2nd place.

“Thomas is an outstanding young man whose dedication and hard work paid off this year,” said Brad Warren, assistant wrestling coach for the TN Women’s National Team. “He is the most charismatic young man I’ve ever known. Thomas loves life and he makes sure to take advantage of it. He lives for wrestling and can’t wait to get to the next level this coming year.”

Record: 166-24

4x State Qualifier

2x State Placer- 4th place junior year at 132lbs, 2nd place senior year at 145lbs

Received Lower Weight Region Wrestler of the Year

Williams signed with David & Elkins in West Virginia

image1-2-1-640x480.jpeg

Robin Yunis

Yunis became the first girl’s wrestler in Rossview program history to win a state championship. She went undefeated three straight years and was a part of three consecutive state championship teams.

In USA Wrestling, Yunis was nationally ranked as high as No. 5 and ended high school ranked 8th at 127lbs. She placed 5th in the 2019 Women’s Freestyle Nationals U23 division at 57kg and was also an All-American.

 

Yunis was ranked 44th on USA Future Olympic Rankings List and spent four years on the TN Women’s National Team.

“Robin is the most naturally talented female wrestler in the country,” Warren said. “She comes from a wrestling family and her determination to be a state champion and All-American paid off. Robin’s focus and attention to detail is what makes her such a great wrestler…She’s a perfectionist.”

image016.jpg

 

Record: 120-2

4x State Qualifier

4x Region Champion

 

4x State Champion

1st Female Mid TN Dream Wrestler of the Year

2x Tennessean Wrestler of the Year

 

Yunis signed with Dixie State University in Utah

image2-1-640x480.jpeg

Emma Walker

Walker became the second girl’s wrestler in Rossview program history to win a state championship. She went undefeated three consecutive years and was part of three straight state championship teams.

In USA Wrestling, Walker was nationally ranked as high as No. 3 and ended high school ranked 5th at 132lbs. She was the 2018 Cadet Division National Champion at 132lbs and took 3rd place in the 2018 Junior Division at 132lbs.

In the 2019 Junior Division, Walker finished in 4th place at 132lbs and 4th place in the Fargo Nationals Junior Division at 62kg. She was also an All-American.

 

Walker ranked 25th on the USA Future Olympic Rankings List and spent three years on TN Women’s National Team.

“Emma works hard for everything she has had to do,” Warren said. “From classwork, soccer to wrestling and has reached success through extraneous time and effort to be the best. She never gives up and will train with the best to be the best. Her personality can make anyone around her love life.”

image022.jpg

 

Record: 115-12

4x State Qualifier

3x Region Champion

 

4x State Placer

3x State Champion

2nd Female & 2x Mid TN Dream Wrestler of the Year

 

TN Tricia Saunders Award Winner

Emma Walker signed with Campbellsville University in Kentucky

image0-1-1-640x480.jpeg

 

SaQara Buchanan

Buchanan went undefeated her senior year and became Rossview’s fourth ever state champion. She was a part of three consecutive state championship teams and spent one year on the TN Women’s National Team.

“SaQara always has a smile on her face and nothing brings her down,” Warren said. “She has grown to love the sport of wrestling. She has overcome injury throughout the sport and knows that wrestling is what has helped her become so strong. She is the first on the mat ready to start training and the last to leave. She is a natural leader.”

 

image035.jpg

Record: 69-12

3x State Qualifier

3x Region Champion

3x State Placer

State Champion

TN Dream Team Wrestler at 140lbs

Buchanan signed with Tiffin University in Ohio

The first-ever Rossview High School girl’s wrestling team ended the 2019-20 season ranked 11th nationally by USA Wrestling.


 
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Sports: Columns

Wiedmer: B.B. Branton close to irreplaceable as a local sports historian

July 13th, 2020 | by Mark Wiedmer

When Jay Blackman first took over communications for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic department in December 2008, one of the first people he met was local sports writer and wrestling historian B.B. Branton.

"From the moment I started here, B.B. was a huge help to me," said Blackman, now the senior associate athletic director for strategic communications. "He had an uncanny knowledge of all Chattanooga sports, but especially wrestling, football and tennis."

Branton passed away Sunday after a long, courageous battle with cancer. For a lot of us who once worked with him at the Times Free Press, as well as prep coaches throughout the region, it was an especially painful loss.

"It breaks my heart," said Soddy-Daisy principal Steve Henry, long one of the Scenic City's most successful wrestling coaches. "I loved B.B. He and Luther Killian are the biggest reasons we've got the Tennessee Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was such a researcher. He'd bring records to the surface that no one else knew existed."

This sports department's David Paschall worked with Branton after B.B. returned from a stint in California as the sports information director for Athletes in Action and a couple of World Cup soccer venues.

"From a professional standpoint, the great thing about B.B. was that no sport was too small," Paschall said. "He cared as much about a Little League baseball game as a World Series game. And he was always careful to get the names of every kid he covered, even if it was 7- or 8-year-old Dixie Youth game.

"And personally, when each of our three children were born, he'd leave a little gift for them in our mailbox. He had that amazing personal touch about him."

A personal memory: The home B.B. grew up in on Lookout Mountain had a wonderful pool in the backyard. When he moved into the home after his parents' deaths, B.B. never failed to send my two daughters a note that proclaimed, "The pool's open. Drop by anytime."

Henry recalled the night he and Branton were being inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame a few years ago.

"I was running late for the induction class picture before the dinner began because I'd gone to pick up my mother," Henry said. "B.B. wouldn't let them take the picture until I got there. That's the kind of guy he was."

Another example of the kind of guy he was: For almost every year since 1977 that he lived in Chattanooga, Branton would gather together old friends from his childhood here for a lunch on the day after Christmas.

Said B.B. to this newspaper in 2017 when asked about those lunches of nearly 40 years: "I enjoy organizing, keeping up with friends and trying to find them. Who do you rely on if you don't keep up with friends from long ago?"

How much did the sport of wrestling rely on Branton over portions of five decades?

When B.B. was inducted into the Tennessee chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019 for "lifetime service to wrestling," fellow Hall of Famer and longtime McCallie faculty member Killian said of Branton, according to an obituary in the Chattanoogan: "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."

Yet while this supreme knowledge of most local sports often encouraged him to send emails or make phone calls to those he knew had fallen short of correctly stating the facts of a particular sport or event, he never gloated over what he knew that they didn't.

"He wasn't afraid to correct you," Blackman said. "But B.B. was always very professional about it. He never did it in public. He never tried to show you up or embarrass you. He'd usually just send you an email. He just wanted to make sure you always got the facts right. And he really did know everything about Chattanooga sports. We put out something on UTC homecoming games one time. He emailed us to say he thought we'd missed a couple. He was right, of course."

As Henry was reflecting on B.B., and what his loss means to the wrestling community he knew and reported on like few others, he said, "B.B.'s one of those people who's irreplaceable."

When it comes to Branton's gift for chronicling local sports, he might be right.

some text Mark Wiedmer

Contact Mark Wiedmer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TFPWeeds.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I Like it!!

GoMocs.com returns to its profiling of the incoming recruiting class of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team.  This week's article takes a look at two-time Kentucky state champion Micah Ervin. 

Ervin is a native of Morganfield, Ky., and competed for Union County High School.  The son of Robert and Laura Ervin, Micah wrestled for his father at Union County.  The Braves are the five-time defending state team champions with 12 titles overall. 

Micah competed at 182 as a senior, where he won his second consecutive state championship by pinning his finals opponent in 20 seconds.  He projects at 184 or 197 at the collegiate level. 

He was 92-4 in his final two years of prep competition.  He was an NHCSA National Champion as a freshman and finished fourth as a junior. 

"Micah is a great addition to an already talented upper weight class," stated UTC wrestling head coach Kyle Ruschell.  "He has been around the sport his entire life and knows what it takes.  Watching his brothers go through it at different schools, he will come in right away to push our team to be great. 

"He comes from a hard-nosed family that fights on the mat and gives their all.  I am excited to have the Ervin family a part of our team."

Three of Ervin's brothers competed collegiately at the Division I level.  Caleb was a four-year letter winner at Illinois, while Isaac lettered at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.  Saul is currently on SIUE's roster as a sophomore in 2020-21. 

He has two other brothers, Elijah and Matthias, and a sister, Thea.  Matthias is also continuing that family tradition of collegiate wrestling by joining Micah at UTC in the fall.  Check back to GoMocs.com next week for that profile. 

https://gomocs.com/news/2020/7/27/wrestling-two-time-kentucky-state-champion-added-to-utc-recruiting-class.aspx

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
On 8/26/2020 at 1:05 AM, Sommers said:

IMO, all individual sports (wrestling, tennis, track & field, cross country, swimming, etc...) should only have one classification.  Let's stop crying and compete!

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Especially individual!!! Why not?

__________________________________

15 years ago remembered...

Blackman recognizes one great one that was out-voted for MOW to Cleveland's Danny Cole for his 4 excellent years, with the exception of the Bundy soph loss (Hendersonville/Army).

Kenny Meredith


Sports: Wrestling, football

The 2005 graduate was the first state champion in Blackman history, capturing the Class AAA state title in the 189-pound division in 2005 (over Clarksville's Jim Weakley). He went 43-0 that season and was all-area wrestler of the year and named The Tennessean's All-Midstate Wrestler of the Year.

Meredith placed at the state tournament three times, finishing his Blackman career with a 169-17 record before going on to wrestle at Central Oklahoma.

He was a two-time all-state performer in football (2003, 2004) and became the first Blaze running back to rush for 300 yards in a game.

https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/09/24/high-school-sports-blackman-induct-four-into-hall-fame/3517764001/

Edited by Sommers
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  • 3 weeks later...

Arthur "Artie" Edgar Manning Jr.

  • Oct 11, 2020 Updated 23 hrs ago
  •  
    •  
 
Arthur Edgar Manning Jr.
 
 
 

Arthur Edgar Manning Jr., “Artie / Coach Manning / Mr. Artie” went to be with the Lord Wednesday morning, October 7th, 2020 after a heroic two-year battle with cancer.

He was born in Clarksville, Tennessee on February 27th, 1948 to Arthur Edgar Manning Sr. and Elizabeth Carney Manning. 

His father lost his life in 1951 as POW in the Korean Conflict and, his mother later married Pastor Ben Binkley. Artie’s mother passed away in 1984. Ben and his wife Dee Binkley were at Artie’s side to comfort him in his final days.

 

Artie lost his wife Bobbie Leigh Manning in 2014. 

He is survived by his 3 children: Francie Tierney (Wes), Lindsey De Jesus (Omar) and Drayton Hughes. He has three beautiful grandchildren Carson Quintard, Cruz De Jesus, and Emma Tierney. He was cared for by all the children and his good friend Jennifer Rudolph.

 

Artie left a huge impact on not only the Clarksville community but many of the lives within the community. He did this through his kindness, friendship, and leadership that he brought with him to every conversation and interaction he had throughout the day.

He graduated Sewanee Military Academy (now St. Andrews – Sewanee School) in 1966. He was awarded the SAS Service Award in 2019 for his involvement in the “Last Cadet Statue” project that now stands in front of Quintard Hall on the former SMA campus. The statue is there to commemorate Sewanee Military Academy, and the hands on the statue were molded from Artie’s hands.

He went on to graduate from Austin Peay State University with a both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Education. He was a proud member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and was involved in recolonizing the group in recent years and also served as Chapter Advisor.

 

Artie had a servant’s heart and worked many places in Clarksville including Acme Boot Company, Orgain Building Supply, the City of Clarksville and Montgomery County. While working for the Gas and Water department he developed Gas and Water University. This program gave workers a chance to learn more about the department and even came with a graduation ceremony, rings, pictures and more. He also developed a training program with D2 Energy that has been implemented throughout the state that has taught critical information on water conservation and improved water quality for Tennesseans. He taught architecture and drafting at Clarksville High School where he was also a coach. 

 

Artie was instrumental in raising the bar for TSSAA wrestling in not only Clarksville but the entire state of Tennessee. He helped Clarksville High School make transitions with more than 9 head coaches and he was a driving force to hire Coach Jeff Jordan that led Clarksville High to a State Duals Championship and a Traditional State Championship in 2000. He organized and raised funds to build a wrestling building at Clarksville High that was later named in his honor. Artie received his green jacket signifying his membership into the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He retired from wrestling in 2014 after dedicating over 50 year to the sport. Many of the current coaches in the area are there because Artie asked/told them to be there.

 

During Clarksville High’s 2020 homecoming game on October 2nd his children accepted his award for being inducted into the Clarksville High School Coaching Hall of Fame.

He was an important person to a lot of people. When asked what he would like to be remembered for he said: I just want people to say, “Artie Manning was my friend”.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that you make donations to two of his favorite places:

Clarksville High School Wrestling: The Takedown Club, 151 Richview Rd. Clarksville, TN 37043

Sewanee Military Academy and St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School: St. Andrew’s Sewanee School, 290 Quintard Road, Sewanee, TN 37375

Service times are to be announced. 

Online condolences may be made at www.Navefuneralhomes.com.

 https://www.mainstreetclarksville.com/obituaries/arthur-edgar-manning-jr/article_0c777440-0c33-11eb-b40d-7fd005dbdb12.html

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