Wrestling Updates and Tidbits...

RMC · February 18, 2017

Sommers....Ness is a senior.....and yes..little brother of Chip....but is playing football in college.

And you know the obvious reason for program improvement.....cause I'm at Buford. :rolleyes:

Surprised you didn't pick up on Trent Ferguson....brother of Drew.....stepbrother of TJ Mitchell.

Sommers · February 19, 2017

Sommers....Ness is a senior.....and yes..little brother of Chip....but is playing football in college.

And you know the obvious reason for program improvement.....cause I'm at Buford.

Surprised you didn't pick up on Trent Ferguson....brother of Drew.....stepbrother of TJ Mitchell.

Well, I will have to tell you that one thing you and that coach have in common you are both journeyman

as far as Ferguson, I remember my Legrand working out with him a few years back in off-season there a Collins Hill and he learned a lot from that wrestling other coaches there and as well as a wrestler named forward if I remember right.

Buford is strong and I wonder how they would match up today wrestling Archer?

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Final tssaa a track wrestling score total by division...

Team Scores

A-AA

1. Pigeon Forge 138.5

2. Hixson 110.5

3. Forrest 93.0

4. Greeneville 89.0

5. Alcoa 83.5

6. Harpeth 76.0

6. Notre Dame 76.0

8. Greenbrier 72.0

9. Signal Mountain 59.5

10. Chattanooga Central 59.0

11. Red Bank 57.5

12. Page 48.0

13. Fairview 45.0

14. Boyd Buchanan 43.0

15. White House 35.0

16. Chattanooga Christian 34.0

17. Sycamore 33.0

18. Elizabethton 31.0

18. Sullivan East 31.0

20. Knoxville Grace 27.0

21. Christian Academy of Knoxville 26.0

22. Whitwell 25.0

23. Stratford 23.0

24. Pearl Cohn 22.0

25. Eagleville 21.0

26. Cheatham Co. 18.0

26. East Nashville 18.0

28. Goodpasture 16.0

28. Knoxville Fulton 16.0

30. Martin Luther King 11.0

31. Northview Academy 9.0

32. East Ridge 7.0

32. Greenback 7.0

32. Hume Fogg 7.0

35. Chuckey-Doak 4.0

36. Union Co. 3.0

37. Creek Wood 1.0

38. Kingston 0.0

38. Nolensville 0.0

38. Sequatchie Co. 0.0

AAA

1. Bradley Central 236.0

2. Cleveland 171.0

3. Tennessee 135.5

4. Independence 119.0

5. Mt. Juliet 109.0

6. Wilson Central 106.0

7. Beech 104.0

8. Knoxville Halls 101.5

9. Arlington 99.0

9. Blackman 99.0

11. Science Hill 97.0

12. Summit 83.0

13. Soddy Daisy 79.0

14. William Blount 73.5

15. Heritage 66.0

16. Franklin 60.0

17. Gibbs 53.0

18. Stewarts Creek 50.5

19. Clarksville 48.5

20. Bartlett 46.0

21. Tullahoma 45.5

22. Riverdale 45.0

23. East Hamilton 42.0

24. Northwest 41.5

25. Jefferson Co. 39.5

26. Brentwood 39.0

27. Siegel 33.5

28. Bearden 33.0

28. Dobyns Bennett 33.0

30. Walker Valley 32.0

31. McGavock 28.0

32. Houston 24.0

32. Stone Memorial 24.0

34. Smyrna 23.0

35. Kenwood 21.0

36. Hunters Lane 20.5

37. Oakland 20.0

38. Centennial 19.0

38. Rhea Co. 19.0

38. Seymour 19.0

41. Hardin Valley 17.0

42. Rossview 16.5

43. Cookeville 16.0

44. Lawrence Co. 15.0

44. Maryville 15.0

46. Ravenwood 14.5

47. Collierville 14.0

47. Shelbyville 14.0

49. Cane Ridge 12.0

49. Cordova 12.0

49. Kingsbury 12.0

52. Anderson Co. 11.5

53. Morristown West 11.0

53. Sevier Co. 11.0

53. Southwind 11.0

56. David Crockett 10.0

56. Karns 10.0

58. McMinn Co. 8.0

58. South Doyle 8.0

58. West Creek 8.0

61. Antioch 7.0

62. Farragut 6.0

62. Lebanon 6.0

62. Ooltewah 6.0

65. Hillsboro 4.0

65. Northeast 4.0

67. Clinton 3.0

67. Dickson Co. 3.0

67. Hendersonville 3.0

67. Morristown East 3.0

67. Powell 3.0

72. Bolton 2.0

72. Cocke Co. 2.0

72. Hillwood 2.0

72. John Overton 2.0

76. Franklin Co. 1.0

76. Germantown 1.0

78. Knoxville Central 0.0

78. LaVergne 0.0

78. Memphis East 0.0

78. Munford 0.0

78. Volunteer 0.0

78. Warren Co. 0.0

DII

1. Father Ryan 239.5

2. McCallie School 212.5

3. Christian Brothers 179.0

4. Baylor School 173.0

5. Montgomery Bell Acad. 152.5

6. Brentwood Academy 71.0

7. Battle Ground Acad. 35.5

8. Briarcrest 35.0

9. Memphis University School 27.0

10. Ensworth 19.0

11. Knoxville Webb 15.0

12. Franklin Road Acad. 13.0

13. Friendship Christian 0.0

13. Pope John Paul II 0.0

13. St. Andrews 0.0

13. St. Benedict 0.0

17. St. George`s -1.0

Girls

1. Northwest - Girls 100.0

2. Bearden - Girls 54.0

3. Rossview - Girls 50.0

4. WIlliam Blount - Girls 47.5

5. Sycamore - Girls 42.0

6. Hardin Valley - Girls 41.0

6. Sullivan East - Girls 41.0

8. Mt. Juliet - Girls 39.5

9. Gibbs - Girls 35.0

10. Independence - Girls 34.0

11. Warren County - Girls 33.0

12. Science Hill - Girls 32.0

13. Montgomery Central - Girls 30.0

13. West Greene - Girls 30.0

15. Daniel Boone - Girls 24.0

16. Cookeville - Girls 22.0

17. White House - Girls 21.0

18. Cane Ridge - Girls 20.0

18. Northeast - Girls 20.0

20. Hendersonville - Girls 18.0

20. Hume-Fogg - Girls 18.0

22. Dickson County - Girls 14.5

23. David Crockett - Girls 14.0

23. Fairview - Girls 14.0

25. Elizabethton - Girls 12.0

25. Northview - Girls 12.0

27. Page - Girls 10.0

27. Smyrna - Girls 10.0

29. Cumberland County - Girls 9.0

29. Knoxville Halls - Girls 9.0

31. McGavock - Girls 8.0

32. Happy Valley - Girls 6.0

32. Tennessee - Girls 6.0

34. Tullahoma - Girls 5.0

35. St. Andrew`s-Sewanee - Girls 4.0

36. Chuckey Doak - Girls 0.0

36. Halls - Girls 0.0

36. Karns - Girls 0.0

36. Stone Memorial - Girls 0.0

36. Sullivan South - Girls 0.0

Sommers · February 19, 2017

Some Video Clips:

Opening:

Nick Vs Johnny, I mean Michael ðŸ™„ðŸ˜ Johnny is oldest

Landers vs McElhaney:

Edited February 19, 2017 by Sommers

Sommers · February 20, 2017

Nice MidTn Recap from Joe...

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/18/tssaa-wrestling-state-championship-finalists/98083440/

HIGH-SCHOOL

TSSAA wrestling state championship finalists

Pics

Nick Boykin of Riverdale battles Christophe Keller of Independence in the AAA 285 weight class of the TSSAA State ...more

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

Tom Kreager | USA TODAY NETWORK - TennesseeUpdated 3:00 a.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

Pics

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Landon Fowler of Blackman battles Trevor Rippy of Beech in the AAA 152 weight class of the TSSAA State... more

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

TSSAA state wrestling championships

Finals start at 5 p.m. at Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin

Class AAA

106: Trent Nelson, Tennessee vs. Noah Horst, Beech

113: T.J. Hicks, Bradley Central vs. Brayden Palmer, Beech

120: Calvin Martin, William Blount vs. Sean Sesnan, Wilson Central

126: Daniel Fowler, Independence vs. Jack Shrader, Franklin

132: Ryan McEhlaney, Bradley Central vs. Colton Landers, Cleveland

138: Dewey Pendley, Tennessee vs. Zack Wilkins, Mt. Juliet

145: Knox Fuller, Bradley Central vs. Tony Wilson, Soddy-Daisy

152: Landon Fowler, Blackman vs. Austin Mathews, Bradley Central

160: Matthew Sells, Blackman vs. Caleb Adkins, Bradley Central

170: Colton McMahan, Knoxville Halls vs. Max Grayson, Bearden

182: Hunter Fortner, Gibbs vs. Christian Salter, Siegel

195: Jeremy Spangler, Tennessee vs. Nathan Walling, Mt. Juliet

220: Isaiah Demello, Independence vs. Javier Salvador, Heritage

285: Nick Boykin, Riverdale vs. Michael Kramer, Wilson Central

Pics

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Christian Salter of Siegel wrestles Antonio Carter of Rossview at the 2017 Wrestling State Championships Thursday,... more

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Class A/AA

106: Daniel Uhorchuk, Signal Mountain vs. Jeremy Holloway, Notre Dame

113: Jeffrey Gross, Forrest vs. Wyatt McLemore, Eagleville

120: Dylan Pendley, Forrest vs. Caleb York, Pigeon Forge

126: Bryson Hux, Greenville vs. Thomas Hatcher, Harpeth

132: Gavin Hutchens, Pigeon Forge vs. Garrett Lay, Knoxville Grace

138: Michael Mora-Colon, Alcoa vs. Cederick Harris, Hixson

145: Isaac Coffman, Chattanooga Central vs. Jonah Bird, Red Bank

152: Justin Wheeler, Chattanooga Christian vs. Zane Williams, Boyd Buchanan

160: Alonzo Heyward, Chattanooga Central vs. Daelyn Rose, Harpeth

170: Ethan Olinger, Pigeon Forge vs. Trent Knight, Greeneville

182: Houston Tywater, Page vs. Noah Evans, Alcoa

195: Anthony Baiamonte, Pigeon Forge vs. Zach Diviney, Sycamore

220: Devon Suddeth, Red Bank vs. Truman Ross, Hixson

285: Samson Evans, Alcoa vs. Zach Schlessman, Greenbrier

Division II

106: Paul Killian, Father Ryan vs. Alex Whitworth, McCallie

113: Jackson Herring, Christian Brother vs. Christian Simpson, Father Ryan

120: Zachary Ward, McCallie vs. Gabriel Elkin, MBA

126: Michael Elkin, MBA vs. Ray Eason, Father Ryan

132: John Michael Glover, MBA vs. Brock Herring, McCallie

138: Joseph Vogelpohl, Father Ryan vs. Trevor Brown, Christian Brothers

145: Eli King, Father Ryan vs. Bryce Wittman, MBA

152: Mason Reiniche, Baylor vs. Ethan Dendy, McCallie

160: Eric Hodge, Christian Brothers vs. Connor Duffy, Baylor

170: Khamari Whimper, Baylor vs. Anthony Hagey, Father Ryan

182: Riley Westlake, Baylor vs. Judah Duhm, McCallie

195: Tommy Brackett, Christian Brother vs. Andrew Wesnofske, Father Ryan

220: Grayson Walthall, Christian Brothers vs. George Hooker, Father Ryan

285: River Henry , McCallie vs. Airin Spell, Brentwood Academy

Girls

105: Cathlin Green, Northeast vs. Kate Barnett, William Blount

112: Isabella Bardon, Daniel Boone vs. Kelsi Broyles, West Greene

120: Kaitlyn Lee, Mt. Juliet vs. Allison Davis, Sullivan East

125: Melissa Garcia, Cookeville vs. Meagan Pruitt, Mt. Juliet

130: Robin Yunis, Rossview vs. Hollie Yokley, Warren Co.

138: Jillian Alford, William Blount vs. Jessica Elery, Northwest

148: Lindsey Morrison, Northwest vs. Cailey Griffin, Gibbs

155: Deyla Brito-Perez, Northwest vs. Caitlyn Gilmore, Sycamore

165: Gabrielle Neal, Cane Ridge vs. Kenya Sloan, Hardin Valley

185: Catherine Palmieri, Northwest vs. Zanaya Shropshire, Independence

Originally Published 11:15 p.m. CT Feb. 17, 2017

Updated 3:00 a.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

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Five Rutherford Co area wrestlers dominate their way into TSSAA state finals...

http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/18/riverdales-nick-boykin-blackmans-matthew-sells-win-state-wrestling-titles/98058886/

SCHOOL

Riverdale's Nick Boykin, Blackman's Matthew Sells win state wrestling titles

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Riverdale's Nick Boykin won his third 285-pound state title Saturday.

Cecil Joyce | USA TODAY NETWORK - TennesseeUpdated 4:05 a.m. CT Feb. 19, 2017

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FRANKLIN â€” Riverdale senior Nick Boykin delayed a trip to Colorado for Olympic training and competed in his final high school wrestling season for one reason.

Boykin made that decision pay off Saturday at the TSSAA Individual State Wrestling Championships at Williamson Ag & Expo Center.

The 285-pounder captured his third consecutive Class AAA state championship and continued setting records, winning a major decision over Wilson Central's Michael Kramer (14-4) in a matchup of unbeaten wrestlers.

Rutherford County also had a champion in the 160-pound division, as Blackman's Matthew Sells captured his second title in a row.

"That's why I came back," said Boykin, who finished 51-0 this season and won his 140th consecutive match. "To be a three-time state champion and keep breaking records."

It was only the third match this season Boykin hasn't pinned his opponent, but the match was never in doubt, wearing down Kramer early.

"To win by (10) points in the state finals is still impressive," he said. "I feel good. All I was looking for was a 'W.'"

Sells came from 3-1 behind to capture three quick points, holding off Bradley Central's Caleb Adkins 4-3.

"It feels great," said Sells, who earned the Blaze's third straight 160 state title. "I'm Blackman's first two-time state champion, and that's been a goal of mine my whole career."

Sells fell behind when taken down by Adkins early in the match. He responded late, however, and dominated the third period.

"That's the first time I have been taken down this year," Sells said. "I knew I had to keep coming at him."

Blackman sophomore Landon Fowler finished runner-up in the 152-pound division, falling 6-3 to Bradley Central's Austin Mathews.

Trailing 5-2, Fowler was close to pinning his opponent before succumbing in points.

"I wasn't able to get him over," said Fowler, who also medaled as an eighth-grader at Eagleville. "He's a good wrestler."

Siegel junior Christian Salter was runner-up in the 182-pound division, falling 6-0 to Knox Gibbs' Hunter Fortner. It was Salter's first medal.

"It was pretty dominant (road to the finals) ... I don't know what happened in the finals," said Salter, who wore the No. 22 sewed on his uniform, in honor of former teammate Mason Loupe, who died from an accidental gunshot wound in September 2015. "It was disappointing to lose, but more because I know he was watching. He was a brother to me."

Eagleville's Wyatt McLemore also fell in points, dropping a 2-0 decision to Forrest's Jeff Gross in the 133-pound final in Class A/AA.

Five other area wrestlers earned medals (top six finishes).

Blackman's Daniel Bradford won a 4-0 decision over Knox Halls' Chase Brown to capture third in the 132-pound division. Smyrna's Cameron Henderson pinned Bearden's Kyle Burns in 31 seconds to place fifth in the 126-pound division.

Stewarts Creek's Gabe Rogers medaled in the 132-pound division, finishing sixth.

Stewarts Creek had two wrestlers medal, as Jaylen James finished sixth in the 120-pound division and Jason Chambers took sixth in the 145-pound division.

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

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Blackman's Matthew Sells hugs his father, Matt Sells, after winning his second 160-pound state title Saturday

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Joe, nice Bonus Material for Knoxville Area...

http://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/19/gibbs-makes-history-2-state-wrestling-champions/98132016/

Gibbs makes history with 2 state wrestling champions

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Hunter Fortner of Gibbs wrestles Christian Salter of Siegel in the AAA 182 weight class of the TSSAA State Wrestling ...more

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

Troy Provost-Heron | KNS-sports@knoxnews.com5:48 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2017

Gibbs High School has had wrestling success, but the one thing that has eluded the program was a state champion.

Now it has two.

HT Fortner and Cailey Griffin both won their respective first-place matches â€” Fortner defeated Siegelâ€™s Christian Salter in a 7-0 decision in the AAA 182-pound weight class, and Griffin beat Northwestâ€™s Lindsey Morrison in a 3-2 decision in the 148-pound weight class at the TSSAA State Wrestling Championships at the Williamson County Expo Center â€” to become the first boy and girl wrestlers to win a state championship at Gibbs.

Prior to Saturday, Phillip Maxwell had been the highest finisher in Gibbs history with a second place finish in 2015.

Fortnerâ€™s title comes a year after he finished third in the state tournament and puts a cap on a season in which he went 51-2 â€” neither of those losses coming against a wrestler from the state of Tennessee.

â€œIâ€™m extremely proud of him,â€ Gibbs coach Tim Pittman said. â€œHeâ€™s one of our captains, and how he stepped up with the confidence and attitude of years of putting in hard work. Heâ€™s been ranked No. 1 all year and he did not let the pressure get to him, and he just went in there and had a dominant performance.â€

Griffin had lost to Morrison in each of their previous three bouts, but when it mattered most she came out on top by executing a new game plan that negated Morrisonâ€™s physicality.

â€œShe has a great work ethic â€” she gets in there and works with the boys just as much â€” and she never complains, she just does what she needs to do,â€ Pittman said. â€œ(Morrison) likes to come in really hard, so our game plan was to bring it back and started getting in her head. Basically, we broke her down and in the third period we ended up getting the points we needed to win.â€

Kimberly Garcia also finished fourth in the girls 165-pound weight class for the Eagles.

Four-peat: In the final match of his Alcoa career, Sammy Evans did what he has done so frequently over the past four years: win.

Evans won by fall in one minute, 18 second against Greenbrierâ€™s Zach Schlessman to claim his fourth consecutive state championship title, becoming only the 15th wrestler all-time in the state of Tennessee to accomplish that feat.

â€œAll of his success has been earned,â€ Alcoa head coach Brian Gossett said. â€œItâ€™s impressive. Heâ€™s the most accomplished wrestler in this schoolâ€™s history, and itâ€™s one of those things that I was proud for him to be able to cap off his career with that â€” and it was pretty historic what he was able to do.â€

Evans posted a 173-5 record during his four years Alcoa and is the No. 13 wrestler in the nation in his weight class of 285 pounds, according to Intermat. In November, he signed to continue his career at Chattanooga, becoming not only the first wrestler in program history to sign with a Division-I school, but the first wrestler to do that from Blount County.

Joining Evans on the podium for Alcoa were Michael Mora-Colon (138) and Noah Evans (182), who both finished second in their respective weight classes. Mora-Colon dropped a 7-4 decision to Hixsonâ€™s Cederick Harris, while Noah Evans lost a 10-7 decision to Pageâ€™s Houston Tywater.

Alcoa's Grant Brace defeated Boyd Buchananâ€™s Will Watkins in a 6-3 decision to take fifth place in 195-pound weight class.

Bringing home gold: William Blountâ€™s Calvin Martin (AAA 120) and Kate Barnett (Girls 105); Hallsâ€™ Colton McMahan (AAA 170); Pigeon Forgeâ€™s Caleb York (A-AA 120), Gavin Hutchens (A-AA 132) and Anthony Baiamonte (A-AA 195); Greenevilleâ€™s Bryson Hux (A-AA 126) and Trent Knight (A-AA 170); Daniel Booneâ€™s Isabella Badon (Girls 112); Sullivan Eastâ€™s Allison Davis (Girls 120); and Hardin Valleyâ€™s Kenya Sloan (Girls 165) all were area wrestlers also winning state championships Saturday.

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Joe's all over the state...

West Regions

http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/02/18/cbhs-brown-wins-state-title/98022222/

Pics

1 of 46

Nick Boykin of Riverdale battles Michael Kramer of Wilson Central in the AAA 285 weight class of the TSSAA... more

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

PREPS

CBHS' Brown wins state wrestling title

John Varlas | USA TODAY NETWORK â€“ TennesseeUpdated 11:09 p.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

FRANKLIN â€” CBHS saved the best for last at the TSSAA state wrestling championships Saturday.

Trevor Brown, wrestling in the final match of the evening, won the Division 2 state championship in convincing fashion at 138 pounds, posting a 21-5 major-decision victory over Jospeh Vogelpohl of Nashville Father Ryan. Brown was one five CBHS wrestlers who entered the final day at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center with a chance to win a championship but the only one who got it done.

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Trevor Brown, CBHS wrestling

Tom McDaniel/The Commercial Appeal

"Wow, that was the longest three hours of my life," said Brown, who finished in second place at 138 last year and runner-up at 132 in 2015.

"So many things are going through my mind right now ... it just really hasn't even sunk in yet."

Brown â€” who is being recruited by Missouri and West Virginia â€” said his confidence was bolstered by wrestling an opponent that he had already handily beaten twice this year, including in the region finals. Brothers coach Chris Lewis said he expected nothing less.

"He's just a hard-working son-of-a-gun," he said. "He really put it all together this year."

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Christian Simpson of Father Ryan (left) wrestles Jackson Herring of Christian Brothers in the ...more

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

Elsewhere, it was a frustrating night for the Brothers, none more so than Tommy Brackett who removed his runner-up medal as soon as he left the stand.

The junior dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime decision to Father Ryan's Andrew Wesnofske to finish in second for the second straight year. Brackett moved up to 195 this season after competing at 160 in 2016.

"I think I did what I could to score, (but) ... you can always do more," he said. "Maybe I could have pushed the pace a little bit. It's just very frustrating."

Five CBHS wrestlers advance to finals

Grayson Walthall also didn't waste any much time removing his medal after a 5-1 loss to Father Ryan's George Hooker in the 220-pound final.

"It hurts," he said. "You work hard all year and to end like this ... it hurts. I have to get back to the drawing board. You think you're training hard but you can always train harder."

Eric Hodge dropped a controversial decision at 160. The junior was leading Connor Duffy of Chattanooga Baylor with less than a minute to go before his opponent was awarded a point on a questionable stall call. Duffy then earned a point with a late escape to take the match, 2-1.

"I felt like I was wrestling strong, but I've just got to get better," Hodge said. "I've got one more year ... just have to put in more effort."

Freshman Jackson Herring was the fourth runner-up, dropping a 13-3 decision at 113 to Christian Simpson of Father Ryan.

Several other CBHS wrestlers earned medals to help the Brothers pile up 179 points, good for third place. Father Ryan took the title.

Montana Doty (170), Andrew Sweatt (182) and Patrick Healy (285) all finished third. Charles Salvaggio and Connor Rasberry earned fourth-places at 106 and 132 while Tyler Lubin grabbed fifth at 120. Russ Palmer was sixth at 126.

In AAA, it was a good day for Arlington as the Tigers placed a school-record four wrestlers on the medal stand.

George Hooker of Father Ryan (right) wrestles Grayson Walthall of Christian Brothers in the ...more

Joe Buglewicz / For The Tennessean

Aaron Moore and Alan Roaten finished in third at 182 and 220 respectively. Reed Cannon was fifth at 113 and Harrison Phillips placed sixth at 138. Dawson Johnson of Bartlett placed fourth at 195.

"I think Arlington is doing some pretty good things," said Moore, who lost in the semis to eventual champion Hunter Fortner of Gibbs. "We have a coach (Jonathan Simpson) that's always pushing us to do better. I could have done better but I can sleep at night."

Briarcrest also had a good showing with five medalists, led by Maverick Rorie and Ian Tiatian, who took fifth at 106 and 182 respectively. Baylor Harrington (160), Josiah Fahhoum (195) and Alex Green (285) took sixth.

Two MUS wrestlers also placed, Carlo Cuinocor (third, 113) and Thomas Wells (fifth, 160).

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas

Originally Published 9:24 p.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

Updated 11:09 p.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

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Gossett sums it up... Chattanooga area takes home one championship and the runner-ups...

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2017/feb/19/bradley-takes-state-wrestling-title-cleveland/413639/

Bradley Central takes state wrestling title; Cleveland, McCallie, Hixson runners-up

February 19th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. â€” If they wind up the sirens and gear up the escort for yet another victory parade in Cleveland today, they'll be out of luck.

That is unless the Bradley Central wrestling team's bus broke down on the way home Saturday night, something the Bears were crossing their fingers about and hoping to avoid. It happened a year ago and the state champions spent the wee hours of Sunday morning on the side of I-24 with a busted fuel pump.

After winning the Class AAA state duals championship two weeks earlier, Bradley won its second consecutive state traditional championship and its 10th of the 21st century Saturday at the Williamson County Agricultural Expo. The Bears now have 26 state titles combined between the duals and traditional tournaments.

"We just had a good evening overall," Bears coach Ben Smith said after seeing three of his five finalists secure championships.

Following Bradley's 236 points were Cleveland (171), Tennessee High (135.5), Independence (119) and Mount Juliet (109). Soddy-Daisy was 13th (79), East Hamilton 23rd (42) and Walker Valley 30th (32).

The Bears all but wrapped up the team title by gaining five finalists Friday evening, and they put the championship in their collective back pocket early Saturday afternoon in the consolation medal rounds.

Among the Bears, Cleveland and Soddy-Daisy, the state title has resided in the Chattanooga area for the past 17 seasons.

Also Saturday, Hixson rallied and kept hold of a runner-up finish in Class A/AA, while McCallie was second and Baylor fourth in Division II.

Hixson had 110.5 points to 138.5 for winner Pigeon Forge, and the Wildcats led a charge that ended with Chattanooga teams taking seven of the top 16 spots. Notre Dame tied for sixth, Signal Mountain was ninth, Central 10th, Red Bank 11th, Boyd-Buchanan (with its first state champ) 14th and Chattanooga Christian 16th.

With a great opening round Friday, Father Ryan (239.5) bested McCallie by 27 points. Christian Brothers was third (179), Baylor fourth (173) and MBA fifth (152.5).

The Division II outstanding wrestler was Baylor 170-pounder Khamari Whimper and the A/AA award went to Central 160-pounder Alonzo Heyward.

The A/AA best match went to 106-pounders David Uhorchuck, an eighth-grader from Signal Mountain, and Notre Dame sophomore Jeremy Holloway. The match was won by Holloway.

In the night's opening match â€” the finals started at 145 pounds, a break from tournament tradition â€” Knox Fuller became only the second Bradley wrestler to win four state championships, joining the late and legendary Matt Keller.

"I'm really proud to be associated with Matt Keller, but I certainly don't think I'm the best to ever go through Bradley," Fuller said. "There have been a lot of really good wrestlers. I'm one of the lucky ones."

Fuller, who finished this season with 58 wins and his career with just four losses, is headed to West Point to wrestle for Army. He was awarded AAA's outstanding wrestler award.

Father Ryan's Eli King also became a four-time champion, with he and Fuller becoming the 12th and 13th in state history to reach that mark. There have been two five-time champions.

Hixson was wrestling for medals but also for redemption. The Wildcats went two-and-done in the A/AA state duals but refused to call it quits and rebounded nicely.

"Medaling seven is pretty good for us. Bottom line, the kids stepped it up. They didn't want to be denied," Wildcats coach Garrick Hall said. "The kids performed well â€” outstanding, really â€” and I am so proud that they battled through adversity."

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

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Region one coverage...

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/sullivan-east-s-davis-wins-third-state-title-tennessee-high/article_b020ac34-f651-11e6-9734-ffde02705019.html

TSSAA wrestling

Sullivan East's Davis wins third state title; Tennessee High shut out of state gold

Nate Hubbard | Bristol Herald CourierFeb 18, 2017

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Nate Hubbard | BHC

Sullivan East's Allison Davis embraces coach Rich Salamone after winning her third straight TSSAA state wrestling title.

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Nate Hubbard | BHC

Tennessee High's Trent Nelson sits on the mat after his loss in the 106-pound final.

Pic

Nate Hubbard | BHC

Sullivan East's Allison Davis pins Kaitlyn Lee of Mt. Juliet in the 120-pound girls TSSAA state championship match to claim her third straight title.

Nate Hubbard | BHC

Dewey Pendley of Tennessee High looks toward his coaches during the 138-pound final.

Nate Hubbard | BHC

Tennessee High's Trent Nelson (left) works on Noah Horst of Beech in the 106-pound final. Hurst edged Nelson for state gold with a 3-2 decision.

Nate Hubbard | BHC

Tennessee High's Jeremy Spangler grabs at his left leg after suffering an injury in the first period of his 195-pound state championship match. Spangler wound up dropping an 8-3 decision.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. â€“ The sure thing from Sullivan East got the job done Saturday at the TSSAA state wrestling meet.

Tennessee High, however, discovered there are no guarantees when it comes to securing state gold.

After East's indomitable Allison Davis needed a mere 54 seconds to claim her third straight state title at 120 pounds in the all-classes girls competition, the Tennessee High program had to watch in agony as three AAA boys finalists fell one victory short of winning the first-ever state wrestling title in school history.

â€œI should be happy with the fact that we had three finalists â€“ and thatâ€™s amazing for the program, especially where weâ€™ve come from the last couple years,â€ said Vikings coach Tim Marshall, who saw his squad take third place in the overall team standings a year after nabbing silver.

â€œTwo years ago we were coming down here just hoping to bring home a medal â€¦ but itâ€™s a tough pill to swallow right now.â€

The third straight state title for the dominant Davis may have been among the least surprising results of the entire meet, but her path to state crown No. 3 wasnâ€™t so straightforward.

September surgery on a severe tear in her left shoulder left Davisâ€™ final high school campaign in doubt altogether as her recovery time was initially pegged at six months.

â€œI remember I broke down in tears when I came out of surgery and they told me,â€ Davis said. â€œI was like, â€˜Are you kidding?â€™ I was devastated.â€

After hard rehab and significant cajoling to get clearance from her doctor to get back on the mat again, Davis returned just in time for last monthâ€™s regionals and wound up competing in only six matches this season â€“ winning them all for the second straight year.

Davis, who entered the state meet already as the only multi-time female state champion across all East sports, in a rare occurrence was pushed the distance in Fridayâ€™s semifinals before claiming a 6-4 decision.

There was no such drama in Saturdayâ€™s final as she took care of Mt. Julietâ€™s Kaitlyn Lee in the first period.

â€œI couldnâ€™t ask for anything better, first-period pin, well-executed plan,â€ she said. â€œâ€¦ My goal was to get her down as fast as I could.â€

Davis said earning a championship-winning pin provided a fully satisfactory ending to her high school career.

â€œI started from not ever wrestling before freshman year and by sophomore year, state champion, next year, state champion, what better way than to end your senior year with another state championship?â€ she said.

â€œI was told my freshman year, aw, sheâ€™s not going to stick with this, sheâ€™s not going to be around long, blah, blah, blah. I was like, â€˜Iâ€™m coming back.â€™ I did and I just gradually came to love the sport and here I am.â€

Tennessee High wasnâ€™t able to put nearly as neat of a bow on the best two-year run for the program in school history.

Senior Jeremy Spangler had the first crack at earning the breakthrough state title Saturday for the Vikings, but dropped an 8-3 decision to Mt. Julietâ€™s Nathan Walling in the 195-pound final.

Spangler, who managed to finish fourth last year despite a torn ACL, appeared to suffer an ankle injury in the first period and wasnâ€™t able to rally from an early deficit.

Next up for THS in the 106-pound finals was fellow senior Trent Nelson, a bronze medalist last year. Nelson fell behind 2-0 before knotting the score in the second period only to give up a late escape to lose a 3-2 decision to Beech freshman Noah Horst.

That left it up to 138-pound senior Dewey Pendley, who had to wait more than three hours while watching his two teammates lose before he finally got on the mat in the last round of the championship matches.

Pendley, who lost a 2-1 decision in last yearâ€™s state finals, nabbed a 3-2 lead early in the second period, but Mt. Julietâ€™s Zackery Wilkins responded with five straight points and held on the rest of the way for a 9-7 win.

Nelson and Pendley in particular went into Saturdayâ€™s finals as favorites by most accounts, but Marshall said he knew both would have challenging opponents.

â€œItâ€™s state championship finals,â€ Marshall said. â€œThereâ€™s no easy match or bad kids. You might be favored in somebodyâ€™s book, but then you can go read another one and it says the other kidâ€™s the favorite. Itâ€™s just kind of the way it goes.â€

Marshall said mixed feelings would rule the day.

â€œThe more I say it out loud, I have three state runner-ups this year â€“ thatâ€™s huge,â€ he said. â€œI think weâ€™ve had three in the history of the program [prior to Saturday]. â€¦ A lot to be proud of; a little bittersweet.â€

In AAA consolation brackets earlier Saturday, Dillon Pendley (113 pounds) took fourth place and Bryson Henley (152) sixth for the Tennessee High boys.

Elijah Hicks nabbed third place in the A/AA boys competition for East at 106 pounds with an 8-1 decision, while Gunner Griffith (160) took fifth for the Patriots with a 5-3 triumph.

Eastâ€™s Amber Turner finished third at 185 pounds with a second-period pin in the girls competition and Tennessee Highâ€™s Lexie Worley (125) placed sixth.

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

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

Another Fine Recap from The Hunt...

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/2/18/342226/AAA-State-Wrestling-Results.aspx

Bradley Runs Away With Another AAA State Crown

Bears' Knox Fuller Named Outstanding Wrestler After Winning Fourth Title

Saturday, February 18, 2017 - by John Hunt

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Bradley Central's Knox Fuller defeated Tony Williams of Soddy Daisy by a fall at 2:49 to win his fourth championship at 145-pounds in Class AAA Saturday evening at the Williamson County Ag/Expo Center in Franklin, Tenn. The Bears also repeated as the state champions, finishing far ahead of the second place Cleveland Blue Raiders. Complete results are here in Sports.

- photo by Dennis Norwood

FRANKLIN, Tenn. â€“ Bradleyâ€™s Ben Smith may be one of the most excitable wrestling coaches on earth, especially when his Bears are in the middle of a tough tournament.

Such was the case here at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Center this weekend as the Bears successfully defending their traditional title at the TSSAA State Meet as they finished the three-day event with three champions and 236 points.

Runner-up Cleveland had one champ and finished well behind the Bears with 171 points while Tennessee High was third with 135.5. Independence was fourth with 119 while Mt. Juliet completed the top five with 109 points.

While Bradley had three champions, Mt. Juliet was the only other team with more than one and they had two. Blackman, Halls, Gibbs, Independence, Riverdale, Beech, William Blount, Franklin and Cleveland all had one apiece.

Bradleyâ€™s three included Knox Fuller, who finished 58-0 for the season with his fourth straight state title. Appropriately, he was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler.

T.J. Hicks was the winner at 113 as he notched his third title while Austin Mathews won his first at 152.

Zackrey Wilkins won at 138 and Nathan Walling at 195 for Mt. Juliet.

Other individual champs included Noah Horst of Beech at 106, William Blountâ€™s Calvin Martin at 120, Franklinâ€™s Jack Shrader at 126, Clevelandâ€™s Colton Landers at 132, Blackmanâ€™s Matthew Sells at 160, Hallsâ€™ Colton McMahan at 170, Hunter Fortner of Gibbs at 182, Isaiah Demello of Independence at 220 and Riverdaleâ€™s Nick Boykin at 285.

While Fuller was a unanimous pick as the Outstanding Wrestler, Shraderâ€™s 5-4 decision over Daniel Fowler of Independence at 126 was voted the Best Match.

Bradleyâ€™s Smith finds it hard at times to relax and enjoy the moment, but he was able to do that somewhat on Saturday as his team had a comfortable lead with five in the finals to Clevelandâ€™s one.

â€œWe had a nice lead to begin the day, so I just tried to kick back and enjoy the experience,â€ Smith said after the tournament had wrapped up.

â€œWe had four who did well in the consolation rounds this morning and all will be back and then we won three of five in the finals tonight. I couldnâ€™t be any more happy as we put it all together in the last three weeks.

â€œKnox winning his fourth title was special as you might expect and it was neat that his match was the first one up. He had a nice warmup and was ready to go and then they had all of that Celebration of Finalists which took about 35 minutes. He was completely cold by the time his match began.

â€œHe gave up the first takedown and I think that woke him up, He has certainly earned his spot on the Bradley Wall of Fame.

â€œI was also really happy and proud for T.J. Hicks. He beat a really good kid in the finals named Brayden Palmer who entered the finals unbeaten. I think several folks wrote T.J. off after he lost to Garret Bowers, but he had a lot of pressure to win again and there arenâ€™t many who have won three state titles,â€ Smith added.

Cleveland coach Josh Bosken felt much better on Saturday than on Friday when his Blue Raiders only had Landers as a winner in the semifinals.

Landers had been a state runner-up for the past two years and had faced Bradleyâ€™s Ryan McElhaney three previous times this season. Saturdayâ€™s 9-4 win for the Cleveland senior evened the score at 2-2 for the season.

â€œWe had a really good day today as we won all but two of the 11 matches we wrestled,â€ Bosken said later.

â€œI was really happy for Colton. After being the runner-up for the last two years, one of our main goals this weekend was getting a state title for him and Iâ€™m happy he finally got it.

â€œAnd I was really proud of Titus Swafford at 285. He lost his first match to Wilson Centralâ€™s Michael Kramer on Thursday before winning his last seven and finishing third. Iâ€™m not sure thatâ€™s ever been done, but what a special weekend for that young man,â€ Bosken added.

Bradley finished the tournament with nine medalists, including McElhaney and Caleb Adkins (160) with seconds, Kevin Gentry with a third at 195, D.J. Gibson fourth at 220, Andy Robinson fifth at 138 and Wesley Devaney, sixth at 106.

While Landers was the only champ for the Blue Raiders, Garret Bowers, Bryce Pond and Swafford all claimed third while Cody Mathews was fourth and Seth Garcia fifth.

Soddy Daisy had two medalists, including Tony Wilsonâ€™s runner-up finish at 145 and Landon Wheatonâ€™s third at 126.

Walker Valleyâ€™s Mikel Gregory was fourth at 160 while Rhea Countyâ€™s Jay Graham was fifth at 152.

CLASS AAA FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Bradley 236; 2. Cleveland 171; 3. Tennessee 135.5; 4. Independence 119; 5. Mt. Juliet 109; 6. Wilson Central 106; 7. Beech 104; 8. Halls 101.5; 9. Arlington and Blackman tied with 99; 13. Soddy Daisy 79; 23. East Hamilton 42; 30. Walker Valley 32; 38. Rhea Co. 19; 58. McMinn Co. 8; 62. Ooltewah 6.

CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

106 â€“ Noah Horst (Beech) dec. Trent Nelson (Tennessee), 3-2;

113 â€“ T.J. Hicks (Bradley) dec. Brayden Palmer (Beech), 3-0;

120 â€“ Calvin Martin (William Blount) dec. Sean Sesnan (Wilson Central), 6-0;

126 â€“ Jack Shrader (Franklin) dec. Daniel Fowler (Independence), 5-4;

132 â€“ Colton Landers (Cleveland) dec. Ryan McElhaney (Bradley), 9-4;

138 â€“Zackrey Wilkins (Mt. Juliet) dec. Dewey Pendley (Tennessee), 9-7;

145 â€“ Knox Fuller (Bradley) pinned Tony Wilson (Soddy Daisy), 2:49;

152 â€“ Austin Mathews (Bradley) dec. Landon Fowler (Blackman), 6-3;

160 â€“ Matthew Sells (Blackman) dec. Caleb Adkins (Bradley), 4-3;

170 â€“ Colton McMahan (Halls) dec. Max Grayson (Bearden), 6-5;

182 â€“ Hunter Fortner (Gibbs) dec. Christian Salter (Siegel), 7-0;

195 â€“ Nathan Walling (Mt. Juliet) dec. Jeremy Spangler (Tennessee), 8-3;

220 â€“ Isaiah Demello (Independence) dec. Javier Salvador (Heritage), 15-10;

285 â€“ Nick Boykin (Riverdale) major dec. Michael Kramer (Wilson Central), 14-4.

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE

106 â€“ Christian Isbell (Clarksville) pinned Teâ€™Nario Thomas (East Hamilton), 2:21;

113 â€“ Garret Bowers (Cleveland) dec. Dillon Pendley (Tennessee), 5-4;

120 â€“ Bryce Pond (Cleveland) dec. Job Dooley (Franklin), 2-1;

126 â€“ Landon Wheaton (Soddy Daisy) pinned Austin Plumlee (Mt. Juliet), 4:13;

132 â€“ Daniel Bradford (Blackman) dec. Chase Brown (Halls), 4-0;

138 â€“ Brady Ingram (Independence) dec. Cody Mathews (Cleveland), 13-9;

145 â€“ Steven Weist (Mt. Juliet) dec. Sean Butler (Summit), 8-2;

152 â€“ Trevor Rippy (Beech) pinned Arthur James (Science Hill), 4:37;

160 â€“ William Diehl (Science Hill) dec. Mikel Gregory (Walker Valley), 5-3 in overtime;

170 â€“ Dawson Satterfield (William Blount) dec. Sawyer Knott (Summit), 6-5;

182 â€“ Aaron Moore (Arlington) pinned Brent Buckman (Halls), 3:11;

195 â€“ Kevin Gentry (Bradley) dec. Dawson Johnson (Bartlett), 6-2;

220 â€“ Alan Roaten (Arlington) dec. D.J. Gibson (Bradley), 3-1;

285 â€“ Titus Swafford (Cleveland) pinned Nate Thacker (Kenwood), 1:21.

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR FIFTH PLACE

106 â€“ Tyler Seeley (Science Hill) dec. Wesley Devaney (Bradley), 8-6;

113 â€“ Michael Cannon (Arlington) dec. Decarlos Allen (McGavock), 11-6;

120 â€“ Nathan Wysong (Science Hill) pinned Jaylen James (Stewarts Creek), 2:21;

126 â€“ Cameron Henderson (Smyrna) pinned Kyle Burns (Bearden), :31;

132 â€“ Nathan Porter (Summit) dec. Gabe Rogers (Stewarts Creek), 8-3;

138 â€“ Andy Robinson (Bradley) pinned Harrison Phillips (Arlington), 2:17;

145 â€“ Joshua Teaster (Heritage) dec. Jason Chambers (Stewarts Creek), 3-1 in overtime;

152 â€“ Jay Graham (Rhea Co.) dec. Bryson Henley (Tennessee), 6-4 in overtime;

160 â€“ Kemale Strong (Hunters Lane) pinned Joseph Garrett (Beech), 1:43;

170 â€“ Damon Smith (Wilson Central) dec. Nick Galbreath (Franklin), 11-9;

182 â€“ C.J. Grissim (Brentwood) dec. Bradley Williams (Clarksville), 4-3;

195 â€“ Dylan Carney (Northwest) dec. Jamal Miller (McGavock), 10-8 in overtime;

220 â€“ Seth Garcia (Cleveland) dec. Jake Harrington (Cookeville), 7-4;

285 â€“ Luke Champion (Tullahoma) dec. Christopher Keller (Independence), 7-3.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

Edited February 20, 2017 by Sommers

Sommers · February 21, 2017

Springfield coming back... now has a new feeder program...

The idea for the club came from Springfield High Schoolâ€™s wrestling coach Jacky Blosser, who would like to expand the club to include elementary students.

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/robertson/2017/02/20/springfield-starts-new-wrestling-club-finishes-season-7-medals/98047436/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYASoUMTM1OTAyMDk3NzQxNzI3NDUyMzgyGjMwNjVjMzdkNTZmZThmMzI6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNEsJsUinSLs4QubwOK8kTDrBBOP5g

ROBERTSON Co

Springfield starts new wrestling club, finishes season with 7 medals

Pic

The Springfield Wrestling Club at their banquet on February 16, 2017. Back row left to right: Coach Dennis, Tucker Dennis, Tyler McLaughlin, Tres Haley, Joseph Mears,Payton Hamilton, Ashton Hamilton. Front row left to right: Joanna Weaver, Joey Fox Isaiah Van Hoose, Tyler Noble, Kaden Anderson.

Brittney L Jackson | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee9:59 a.m. CT Feb. 20, 2017

It's the first time Springfield has had a wrestling club in four years, and it comes just in time, given Greenbrier High School's recent successes on the mat.

The Springfield Wrestling Club gives Robertson County middle school students the opportunity to get exposed to wrestling and practice before high school. It started in November and just ended its season at the beginning of this month.

The idea for the club came from Springfield High Schoolâ€™s wrestling coach Jacky Blosser, who did not have enough time to manage it, Springfield Wrestling Club coach Daniel Dennis said.

Currently, the only middle school in the Robertson County that has a wrestling team is Greenbrier Middle, Dennis said.

â€œThe goal is to get the sport of wrestling more recognized in the area,â€ he said.

Springfield's Wrestling Club is part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). It's open to any middle school student who wants to join with or without prior experience, and it began its season with 18 students.

It ended with 11, Dennis said.

Because the club had what was considered a late start, it was only able to compete in two tournaments this year, but the team brought home a total of seven medals, Dennis noted. Three of the medals were for first place, two were for second, one was for third and one was for fourth.

â€œThis whole thing was a learning experience,â€ Dennis said, adding that he is proud of what the team was able to accomplish in a short amount of time.

The kids had a lot of fun and the coaches would like to see the program grow, Dennis said. In the future, Blosser would like to expand the club to include elementary students, he said.

For eighth grader Tres Haley, 13, of Coopertown Middle School, the decision to try the wrestling club came from the fact that all of his friends were doing it, he said.

Haley already plays football and thought wrestling would give him another outlet for him to â€œget physical,â€ he said.

â€œI just like throwing people down,â€ he added.

Because of his time in the club, Haley has already decided to get involved in his high school wrestling team, he said. He's scheduled to attend Springfield High School in the fall.

Nicole Young contributed to this report. Reach Brittney Jackson at bljackson@gannett.com or 615-384-3567.

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

Cookeville Coverage...

http://herald-citizen.com/stories/state-champion,19864

State champion: Cookeville's Garcia earns highest honor

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Cookeville High School wrestling's (from left) head coach Scott Cook, Lisa Garcia, Jake Harrington, and assistant coach Beau Wynn pose after Garcia and Harrington medaled in the TSSAA Wrestling State Championships on Saturday at the Williamson County Agriculture Expo Center in Franklin.

Posted Monday, February 20, 2017

From Staff Reports

The Cookeville High School wrestling program added two more medals to its trophy case on Saturday with one representing the highest honor available.

Lisa Garcia followed in her cousin Selena Garciaâ€™s footsteps to become Cookevilleâ€™s second 125-pound TSSAA Wrestling State Champion, and Jake Harrington ascended to a sixth-place finish in the 220-pound weight class after a tough first day at the Williamson County Agriculture Expo Center in Franklin.

â€œI am so proud of Jake and Lisa and what they were able to accomplish this weekend,â€ CHS head coach Scott Cook said. â€œThis is such a tough tournament with the best wrestlers in the state, and to come out on top or in the top six is a very special accomplishment. Jake and Lisa both battled through some adverse moments and came out on top. Thatâ€™s what this sport is all about.â€

Garcia was perfect in her journey as she won three straight matches on Saturday to claim the top prize.

First up, Garcia faced Destiny Hyatt of Sullivan South High School, but Garcia came ready as she pinned Hyatt in just 28 seconds.

Moving on in the champions bracket, Garciaâ€™s next opponent was Emily Legagneur of Bearden High School. Garcia was not able to score a pin, but she edged out Legagneur with a 9-7 decision to advance to the championship bout.

Her final bout went the distance as well, but Garcia pulled off a 9-6 decision over Mt. Juliet High Schoolâ€™s Meagan Pruitt to claim her championship.

For the boys, Harrington was the only wrestler to make it out of Thursday still alive. He won his first match in the round of 32 but lost his second to send him to the consolation bracket. However, he ended Friday on a high note, winning his first consolation match with a pin in the first round to advance.

On Friday, Harrington started by winning three straight bouts. First, he took a 3-0 decision over Hunters Lane High Schoolâ€™s Chike Brown. Then, he upped his offense and won an 8-4 decision over Oaklandâ€™s Branson Boone. He won his third straight match with a 4-1 decision over Jefferson Countyâ€™s Brody Workman.

Harringtonâ€™s winning streak set up a rematch with Arlingtonâ€™s Alan Roaten, who eliminated Harrington from the championship bracket on Thursday, in the consolation semifinals on Saturday. Unfortunately, Harrington lost to Roaten again on a 3-0 decision, which sent him to the fifth-place bout.

Harrington lost his final match of the tournament against Samuel Garcia of Cleveland High School.

Garcia claimed the fifth spot in the 220-pound weight class with a 7-4 decision, and Harrington earned a sixth-place medal.

â€œMy heart goes out to the guys that didnâ€™t get through, but they have nothing to regret,â€ Cook said.

__________________________

As expected, Small School Domination once again with all schools, Big, Small and privates IN STATE TOURNAMENT...

Hello Tennessee!?!?!

http://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/2017/02/20/union-county-wrestling-celebrates-another-state-title/98154884/

Union County wrestling celebrates another state title

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Members of the Union County wrestling team applaud during a pep rally at the the school Sunday after they repeated as state champions winning the program's ninth title and its sixth in the last 11 years in the tournament at Alltech Arena in Lexington Saturday.

Jason Clark / The Gleaner

3:19 p.m. CT Feb. 20, 2017

Union County's wrestling team got a pep rally in their honor Sunday after returning home from Lexington as state champions -- again!

Union County repeated as Kentucky champions Saturday evening, winning the program's ninth title and its sixth in the last 11 years in the tournament at Alltech Arena in Lexington.

Pic

Union County coach Robert Ervin shakes hands with elementary school wrestlers during a pep rally at Union County High School Sunday after Union County repeated as state champions winning the program's ninth title and its sixth in the last 11 years in the tournament at Alltech Arena in Lexington Saturday.

Jason Clark / The Gleaner

Pic

Union County senior Avery Buckman receives a hug from wrestling assistant Danny Lovell during a pep rally at Union County High School Sunday after Union County repeated as state champions, winning the program's ninth title and its sixth in the last 11 years in the tournament at Alltech Arena in Lexington on Saturday.

Jason Clark / The Gleaner

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From Jack Clark...

https://m.facebook.com/groups/492619600905746?view=permalink&id=736580929842944

Tennessee, let's blow this number out of the water... #EveryoneWrestles

Here's a look at the percent of high school male athletes that are wrestlers by state. The avg is 6.1%.

Rank State % Wrestlers/State

1 Alaska 12.2%

2 Wyoming 10.4%

3 Nebraska 9.9%

4 Utah 9.3%

5 Nevada 9.1%

6 Idaho 8.8%

7 South Dakota 8.0%

8 Kansas 8.0%

9 Montana 7.9%

10 Indiana 7.9%

11 South Carolina 7.8%

12 Iowa 7.7%

13 North Carolina 7.6%

14 Oregon 7.6%

15 Washington 7.5%

16 Arizona 7.3%

17 Illinois 7.1%

18 West Virginia 7.0%

19 Colorado 6.8%

20 Georgia 6.8%

21 Minnesota 6.7%

22 Maryland 6.7%

23 Delaware 6.6%

24 Missouri 6.5%

25 Virginia 6.3%

26 Oklahoma 6.2%

27 Wisconsin 6.1%

28 North Dakota 5.9%

29 New Mexico 5.9%

30 Ohio 5.9%

31 Pennsylvania 5.8%

32 New York 5.6%

33 New Jersey 5.6%

34 Michigan 5.6%

35 Tennessee 5.5%

36 Hawaii 5.4%

37 California 5.2%

38 Florida 5.1%

39 Rhode Island 4.8%

40 Connecticut 4.0%

41 Kentucky 3.3%

42 Alabama 3.2%

43 Massachusetts 3.2%

44 Louisiana 2.8%

45 New Hampshire 2.7%

46 Maine 2.5%

47 Texas 2.3%

48 Arkansas 2.2%

49 Vermont 2.0%

50 Mississippi 0.0%

Tennessee Chapter of The National Wrestling Hall of Fame UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE WRESTLING ALUMNI Tennessee USA Wrestling Tennessee High School State Wrestling Records FCA Wrestling - Middle Tennessee Tennessee Mountain Wrestling in Knoxville Tennessee Team Tennessee Wrestling

But of course we are one of only five, soon six states, now with a girl's division.

It could get complicated though...

http://www.outsports.com/2017/2/20/14670616/transgender-wrestler-mack-beggs-texas

Transgender wins girls championship

________________________________________

Joe covers Knoxville area...