Wrestling Updates and Tidbits...

Sommers · January 21, 2018

1-AA update...

Whitwell 42 Red Bank 34!!!!!

Watch out for individuals!!

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More Moc Coverage from Illinois...

SIUE wrestling: Van Velsor pin highlights loss at Chattanooga

Jan 19, 2018 9:51 PM | 0 comments

SIUE's KarstenVan Velsor

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – SIUE wrestling suffered its first Southern Conference loss of the season Friday with a 29-15 defeat at Chattanooga.

The Cougars, 3-10 overall and 1-1 in the SoCon, won four matches during the dual, including three straight at one point.

"In a number of matches, we were battling," said SIUE Head Coach Jeremy Spates.

Zac Gentzler opened the match with a 5-4 victory over Alonzo Allen at 125 pounds. Gentzler picked up takedowns in the first two periods as well as an escape in the third period.

"Zac came out hard from the beginning and got a couple of takedowns," said Spates. "He got a win over a wrestler who is ranked nationally by the coaches."

Allen came in ranked 30th nationally in his weight class.

SIUE's Tyshawn Williams started the run for the Cougars in the middle weights. He bested Roman Boylen 14-8.

"Tyshawn went out again and put a lot of points on the scoreboard," said Spates.

Karsten Van Velsor earned his first fall of the season with a second period pin over Dylan Forzani in 4 minutes, 6 seconds. Van Velsor was down 6-0 after one period but took the down position to start the second period. After a quick escape and a takedown, Van Velsor added six much-needed team points for SIUE.

"He came up with a big cradle for the win," said Spates. "That was great for Karsten because he works so hard."

Nate Higgins ran his personal winning streak to four matches with a 10-3 decision over Chad Pyke at 165 pounds.

Pyke also was listed as 32nd nationally in the coach's ranking.

"For Nate to almost get a major decision against a ranked wrestler is big," added Spates.

Higgins' win gave SIUE a 15-11 lead at that point. Chattanooga, which improved to 5-6 overall and 3-0 in the SoCon won the next four matches to close out the match.

SIUE continues this road trip Sunday with a 2 p.m. CT contest at Appalachian State.

125: Zac Gentzler (SIUE) def. Alonzo Allen (CHAT), 5-4
133: Chris Debien (CHAT) pinned Joe Antonelli (SIUE), 0:52
141: Mike Pongracz (CHAT) def. Dakota Leach (SIUE), TF 18-0 6:01
149: Tyshawn Williams (SIUE) def. Roman Boylen (CHAT), 14-8
157: Karsten Van Velsor (SIUE) pinned Dylan Forzani (CHAT), 4:06
165: Nate Higgins (SIUE) def. Chad Pyke (CHAT), 10-3
174: Justin Lampe (CHAT) won by forfeit
184: Bryce Carr (CHAT) pinned Jacob Godinez (SIUE), 1:54
197: Scottie Boykin (CHAT) def. Christian Dulaney (SIUE), 6-3
285: Ben Stacey (CHAT) def. Bryce Shewan (SIUE), 13-7

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Justin

Mocs Use Four Pins to Beat The Citadel 38-7

UTC improves to 4-0 in SoCon action.

Jan. 21, 2018 Wrestling

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team used four first-period pins to roll over The Citadel 38-7 in Southern Conference action in Charleston, S.C., today. The Mocs even their overall record a 6-6 and moved to 4-0 in SoCon competition.

Junior Alonzo Allen set the tone early with a first period tech fall over Williams Jacobs. He scored two takedowns and 12 backpoints to bounce back from a loss on Friday against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Junior Chris Debien wrapped up a strong weekend with his second first period pin at 133. He put Nicholas Long on his back just 57 seconds into the match.

Senior Michael Pongracz won the closest match of the day, taking a 2-1 decision over Douglas Gudenburr at 141. The Citadel followed with one of its two wins at 149.

Junior Dylan Forzani picked up a 7-2 decision at 157, stretching the Mocs lead in the team race 17-3. UTC rolled out three-straight falls in the opening frame in the next three bout to clinch the win.

Senior Scottie Boykin defeated Sawyer Root at 197 for his team-leading 21^stvictory. The Citadel ended the dual with a win at heavyweight.

This was career win No. 99 for head coach Heath Eslinger (99-60 - .623) in nine seasons with the Mocs. He is an astonishing 51-4 (.927) in league duals.

Up next for the Mocs is a big showdown against Appalachian State on Sunday, Feb. 4. UTC hosts the Mountaineers at 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) in Maclellan Gym.

Chattanooga 38 – The Citadel 7
McAllister Field House – Charleston, S.C. – Sunday, Jan. 21
125: Alonzo Allen (CHAT) over William Jacobs (THCI) (TF 16-1 1:42)
133: Chris Debien (CHAT) over Nicholas Long (THCI) (Fall 0:57)
141: Mike Pongracz (CHAT) over Douglas Gudenburr (THCI) (Dec 2-1)
149: Tyler Buckiso (THCI) over Roman Boylen (CHAT) (Dec 6-3)
157: Dylan Forzani (CHAT) over Rian Burris (THCI) (Dec 7-2)
165: Chad Pyke (CHAT) over Michael Mewhorter (THCI) (Fall 2:34)
174: Justin Lampe (CHAT) over Robert Tywater (THCI) (Fall 1:05)
184: Bryce Carr (CHAT) over Michael Lopouchanski (THCI) (Fall 1:52)
197: Scottie Boykin (CHAT) over Sawyer Root (THCI) (Dec 9-4)
285: Michael McAleavey (THCI) over Ben Stacey (CHAT) (MD 18-4)

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Latest on The Cumberland University Patriots...

Three Wrestlers Place in Top Six at MoVal Invite

THREE WRESTLERS PLACE IN TOP SIX AT MOVAL INVITE

Marshall, MO – The UC men's wrestling finished ninth out of 35 teams while three individuals placed within the top six of their respective weight classes. Eric Deluse earned the highest finish among the Patriots placing third, Trent Leon notched fourth place, and Hunter Bell placed sixth.

Eric Deluse, ranked 14^th at 197 pounds, wrapped up the invite with a 2-1 record on Saturday to place third and record a 4-1 record overall. In the semifinal, Deluse suffered a loss to sixth-ranked Isaac Bartel of Montana State-Northern in a 5-2 decision. He recovered with a 10-7 decision win over Corey Hinkle of Lindsey Wilson. Deluse then defeated Terry Martin of Missouri Valley by fall in the third place match.

Placing fourth at 141 pounds, 19^th-ranked Trent Leon went 3-1 on the second day for an overall 5-2 record. The second day began with three straight wins for Leon as he defeated Jonathan Halk of Waldorf in a 10-4 decision, 20^th-ranked Alex Gomez of Benedictine by fall, and 15^th-ranked Grayson Brenna of Grand View by fall. In the third place match, Leon fell short to fourth-ranked Matt Weber of Montana State-Northern in a 4-0 decision for a fourth place finish.

In the 174 pound weight class, ninth-ranked Hunter Bell had a tough Saturday with a 0-3 record but still nabbed a sixth place finish and a 3-3 overall record. Bell first lost to second-ranked Anthony Orozco of Menlo by decision 12-6 in the semifinal match. His next match went to third-ranked Dylan Blackford of Grand View in an 8-1 decision. The fifth place match resulted in a loss to 16^th-ranked Brandon Shuler of Northwestern as Bell took a medical forfeit to place sixth.

Also at 174 pounds, Max Emerson went 1-1 on day two of the invite. Emerson started with a 14-7 decision win over Cameron Simmons of Marian but took a narrow 3-1 decision loss to the 16^th-ranked Shuler for an overall record of 3-2.

John Williams, 133 pounds, lost his sole match on Saturday to 13^th-ranked Brandon Vela of Bacone in a 14-4 major decision. Williams compiled a 2-2 record for the invite.

Full results of the invite are available here.

The Patriots will return to the mat on Wednesday, January 24 in Williamsburg, KY as they face the (RV) Phoenix of Cumberland U for an MSC matchup at 7:00 PM.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots, Instagram - @UCPatriots, YouTube – CumberlandsPatriots, Snapchat – UC_Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Sommers

RMC · January 22, 2018

Results from Archer Invitational:

(Noteworthy.....Buford only entered 9 wrestlers....had 7 champs)

Team Scores
1	Buford	231.0
2	South Paulding	171.0
3	Archer	169.5
4	Crisp County	155.5
5	Roswell	126.0
6	North Hall	110.0
7	Lanier	100.0
8	George Walton Academy	91.5
9	Johns Creek	90.0
10	Meadowcreek	88.5
11	Dutchtown	75.0
12	Palmetto	59.0
13	Berkmar	53.0
14	Gainesville	30.0
15	Jonesboro	24.0

Sommers · January 24, 2018

On 1/22/2018 at 7:34 AM, RMC said:

Results from Archer Invitational:

(Noteworthy.....Buford only entered 9 wrestlers....had 7 champs)

Team Scores
1 Buford 231.0
2 South Paulding 171.0
3 Archer 169.5
4 Crisp County 155.5
5 Roswell 126.0
6 North Hall 110.0
7 Lanier 100.0
8 George Walton Academy 91.5
9 Johns Creek 90.0
10 Meadowcreek 88.5
11 Dutchtown 75.0
12 Palmetto 59.0
13 Berkmar 53.0
14 Gainesville 30.0
15 Jonesboro 24.0

Beuglas has done well a three schools now. Amazing guy!!!

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Chris Debien's return to 133 pounds gives UTC wrestlers a boost

January 23rd, 2018by Gene Henleyin Sports - CollegeRead Time: 2 mins.

1516683953_012018d00-wrestling-15_t350_h9940dfe40a04075d2f22b264f0ca36e52fedac5c.jpg

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Joe Antonelli attempts to pull away from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Chris Debien in the 133 point matchup during the UTC vs. SIU-Edwardsville match at Maclellan Gym at UTC Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Photo by Erin O. Smith

Chris Debien is back home.

The four-time Cleveland High School state champion and current University of Tennessee at Chattanooga redshirt sophomore spent the 2016-17 wrestling season at 133 pounds, winning 12 of his final 14 matches and the Southern Conference championship at that weight class. He bounced around in weight classes earlier this season, moving up to as much as 149 before recently settling back in at last season's weight.

In his last two matches Debien has registered first-period pins, needing only an average of 54.5 seconds to dispatch opponents from SIU-Edwardsville and The Citadel and improve to 4-2 for the season at 133. He had elected to wrestle at 141 at the beginning of the season — the same weight class as senior Mike Pongracz — but with Pongracz having such a solid campaign, Debien was left looking for a home.

He got his weight up so he could wrestle at 149 but went 0-3 there, so by the time he went 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle, he already had decided to work back down to 133. Over the Christmas break, he said, he sought "the counsel of family, other teammates and other UTC wrestling alumni" in making that decision.

That meant early-morning runs and a lot of weight discipline, and he struggled at first, going 1-2 at the Virginia Duals.

Now slightly more settled in, he's ready for yet another conference run.

"I had to be more diligent, more disciplined," Debien said after Friday's win over SIUE. "Getting down was a struggle, but I stayed positive and stuck with it, and I got my reward tonight."

The decision he made has had positive ramifications on a UTC team trying to figure out how best to be competitive at some of the lower weight classes. Debien's move to 133 puts another championship-quality wrestler at a weight where the Mocs had struggled this season, and once he fully settles in there, the team could be in prime position for a conference championship run.

"Chris is finally at the right weight class," UTC coach Heath Eslinger said after the SIUE match. "He got his weight down, and that's how Chris Debien has to go out and wrestle. When you do that, great things happen.

"It's hard for him (to get to that weight), but difficulty makes you sharp. He sure looked sharp tonight."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp

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Science Hill's Isaiah Ryans tries to flip opponent Tre Morrisette in Monday's district duals. Ryans eventually won his match with a pin.

SCIENCE HILL WRESTLING

Science Hill pins D-B for District 1 duals title

TANNER COOK • UPDATED YESTERDAY AT 10:49 PM

tcook@johnsoncitypress.com

Armed with senior prowess, Science Hill corralled a 55-17 win over rival Dobyns-Bennett for the District 1 duals wrestling title Monday night in the Topper Palace.

‘We’re a little bit more of a seasoned team,” Science Hill head coach Jimmy Miller said. “We’re glad that we were in a position to get the No. 1 seed in the region tournament and win the district title. It’s part of the process. We’ve won the district the past three or four years, but we can’t win the region. We have to get ready to go for next week.”

One of the Hilltoppers’ top grapplers, Arthur James, had a lengthy and riveting match that culminated in a close loss to his counterpart, Dillon Lemons, in the 145-pound weight class.

“That kid is ranked No. 1 in the state,” said Miller. “He is pretty good, but Arthur had his chances.”

Tyler Seeley got the night started off on the right foot for Science Hill with a technical fall over Corbin Bumgarner. D-B came right back with a quick victory from Jackson Hurst over Javelle Gillespie.

Brenton Salyers had a big win for the Indians over Jesse Cross in the 285 class. However, the Indians had four victories on the night while the ’Toppers collected one forfeit and nine other triumphs — including wins by Chase Diehl and Jim Kalogeros that were fairly quick.

The ’Toppers have two young talents in the lower weight classes in freshmen Hayden Bodo and Braxton Mann. Mann won his match over Gabe Hawkins and Bodo had a close 6-3 loss to Brennan Watkins.

The regional will be next week at Jefferson County and No. 2-ranked Science Hill will be the top seed from District 1, looking to keep its their historic season going. Meanwhile, the Tribe will face host Jefferson County and hope to spring an upset.

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Trojans edge Bradley wrestlers, 27-21, with pin bonuses

January 24th, 2018by Idris Garciain Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

1516768547_012418d00-sd-bc-037_t350_hcb0b3ce21b3a9de68e487295945f6cf95720c2b7.jpg

Soddy-Daisy's Ty Boeck (top) works to pin Bradley's Kevin Gentry in the 220 pound class. The Bradley Central Bears visited the Soddy-Daisy Trojans in TSSAA wrestling action at the Soddy-Daisy Wrestling Arena on January 23, 2018.

Gallery: Trojans edge Bradley wrestlers, 27-21, with pin bonuses

Soddy-Daisy and the Bradley Central Bears wrestled to a virtual draw Tuesday night, but the Trojans used the only bonus points of the dual to secure a 27-21 win at home.

The District 8-AAA teams split the 14 matches evenly, winning seven apiece, with Soddy-Daisy's two pins in the first three matches serving as the difference.

"Whether you slip into them, luck into them, however you can get them, you'll take it," Trojans coach Jim Higgins said of the bonus points. "We kind of expected that it would be pretty evenly matched."

The dual started at 220 pounds, and Soddy-Daisy raced to a 15-0 lead.

Ty Boeck and Jacob Allen picked up pins at 220 and 106 pounds, respectively, and Addison Roberts won a 2-1 decision at heavyweight in between.

Roberts' win came over Kevin Gentry, who was a state medalist last year and bumped up a weight for the dual.

"Addison wrestled a great match," Higgins said. "He had a plan going in, and he executed it perfectly."

Allen's pin was the last match to deliver bonus points. Neither team won more than two in a row the rest of the way.

Bradley got on the board with decisions from Wesley Devaney and Daniel Mroz to make it 18-6.

Jacob Kilgore got a win for the Trojans, but the Bears answered with wins from Gaven Hughes and Ian Marchesa to get back within striking distance at 18-12 going into the 145-pound match.

"We've given up a lot of bonus points all year, so only giving up two pins, we did our job there," Bradley coach Ben Smith said. "We came in ready and in shape, but we wrestled their match. We just didn't get any bonus, and that's what it came down to.

"There were a couple of close matches where I felt we could have won at 145 and 160."

The 145-pound match provided plenty of fireworks with three takedowns and a 5-4 score in favor of Soddy-Daisy's Tony Wilson in the first period. He was able to hold off a third-period flurry from Andy Acbinson to win 11-8.

The Bears' Skyler Bradley shook off a shoulder injury to take a 16-11 win at 152, but the Trojans answered. Hayden Maynor won at 160 pounds, and 170-pounder Bailey Faires played hero for the Trojans with an intense 6-5 upset win.

Faires nearly locked up the dual with a second-period pin but held on for the close decision.

"I can't say enough about that 170 match," Higgins said. "He's always had to work and earn everything that's come to him. He really stepped up and came into his own."

Needing two pins for a team tie, Bradley got decisions from Trey Johnson and DJ Gibson for the final margin.

"Trey has a heart the size of Texas," Smith said. "He put out a great effort and is a great example. We came in and wrestled tough and fought."

Both teams will be back in action for the Region 4-AAA duals Thursday with state-tournament berths on the line.

Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com

Edited January 24, 2018 by Sommers

Sommers · January 25, 2018

Fine job Mr Hunt...

Faires Win Leads Trojan Matmen Past Bradley, 27-21

Bonus Points In Two Pins The Difference As Trojans Beat Defending State Champs

Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - by John Hunt

It’s been a whirlwind week so far for Soddy Daisy wrestling coach Jim Higgins and it’s only Tuesday.

He and his wife put their house on the market Monday and it sold less than 24 hours later. Add to that Soddy Daisy’s 27-21 win over defending state champ Bradley at the Soddy Daisy Wrestling Arena Tuesday night and you can see that a lot of good things have happened in a hurry.

The Trojans have won a lot of big matches in recent years, but none have been any more important or any closer or more significant than the win over the Bears.

Tuesday's battle was a match for the ages. It's one thing for each team to win seven matches, but for all but two to be decided by regular decisions is almost unheard of.

The difference was pins from Soddy Daisy’s Ty Boeck and Jacob Allen at the start that propelled the Trojans to a 15-0 lead.

The Bears never recovered.

While the Trojans had those two pins, the other 12 matches were decided by regular decisions. Some were closer than others, but the hosts were able to win the ones Bradley coach Ben Smith called toss-ups and that was the difference in the outcome.

“That was a good one,” Higgins said in the biggest understatement of the evening after his team had improved to 11-1 overall with its only dual-meet loss to Cleveland.

“I can’t remember us ever having a bigger or more important match at this facility, but that’s what a total team effort looks like. We have a tremendous respect for Bradley and the job they do. They beat us bad last year at their place, so it feels good to get this one.

“Unfortunately, we’ll be leaving a great team at home next weekend for the state duals and that’s unfortunate, but I feel like the team who wanted it worse won tonight,” Higgins added.

Perhaps the turning point for the evening took place at 170 pounds where Soddy Daisy’s Bailey Faires pulled the biggest upset of the night with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Henley Headrick.

Faires is a 17-year-old junior who dropped from 182 pounds this year. His record is only 14-12 and he’s not used to being in the spotlight, but he was the hero for the Trojans as his win extended Soddy Daisy’s lead to 27-15 with two matches remaining and basically sealed the deal for the winners.

“I’m so happy,” he said shortly after the final match ended.

“I just went out and gave my best effort and was really just trying to shave a few team points,” he said, not knowing that a five-point swing in the second period gave him a 5-4 lead at the time.

“Bailey is my nephew and has really worked hard to get where he is. He had major staph infection a couple of years ago and thought he would need a hip replacement, but he stepped up big tonight and really came into his own,” the coach praised.

Larry Johnson and D.J. Gibson were able to get wins by decision for Bradley in the final two matches, but those two early pins for the Trojans were the difference.

“Just really good wrestling for the most part between two evenly matched teams,” said Bradley coach Ben Smith once the final points had been scored.

“You have to get bonus points and win the close ones to win a match like this and we didn’t do either. Soddy Daisy was really prepared as they forced us to wrestle their match.

“We lost two really close matches (at 145 and 160) and we gave up an upset at 170, but we had to bump a few guys around and I don’t regret any move we made. We have been getting pinned three or four times each match, but we only got stuck twice tonight. It is what it is,” he continued.

The bright spot for Bradley came at 182 pounds when Trey Johnson got inserted into the lineup and responded with a 12-10 win over Bryce Settles in a match that wasn’t settled until the final seconds when Johnson scored the decisive takedown.

“Trey has a heart the size of Texas and I’m really proud of the way he wrestled tonight. If every kid on our team gave that kind of effort…” Smith concluded.

While Boeck and Allen had the only two pins of the night for Soddy Daisy, teammates Jacob Kilgore, Tony Wilson, Hayden Maynor, Faires and Addison Roberts had regular decisions.

Other winners for Bradley included Wes Devaney, Daniel Mroz, Sergio Hernandez, Ian Marchesa and Skyler Bradley.

With Tuesday’s win, Soddy Daisy will most likely face Walker Valley in the Region Duals Thursday at Bradley while the Bears will most likely get a rematch with top-ranked Cleveland.

The top two teams in the Region Duals will advance to the State Duals, which will be held next weekend in Franklin.

SODDY DAISY 27, BRADLEY CENTRAL 21

(Match Began At 220 Pounds)

106 – Jacob Allen (SD) pinned Glen O’Daniel, 1:26;

113 – Wes Devaney (BC) dec. Cole Prestwood, 2-0;

120 – Daniel Mroz (BC) dec. Jacob Pratt, 4-0;

126 – Jacob Kilgore (SD) dec. Waymond Cooper, 7-0;

132 – Sergio Hernandez (BC) dec. Briston Hatfield, 4-1;

138 – Ian Marchesa (BC) dec. Landon Lewis, 8-5;

145 – Tony Wilson (SD) dec. Andy Robinson, 11-8;

152 – Skyler Bradley (BC) dec. Trey Vincent, 16-11;

160 – Hayden Maynor (SD) dec. Parker Falls, 8-3;

170 – Bailey Faires (SD) dec. Henley Headrick, 6-5;

182 – Larry Johnson (BC) dec. Bryce Settles, 12-10;

195 – D.J. Gibson (BC) dec. Brent Settles, 8-1;

220 – Ty Boeck (SD) pinned Luke Pace, :58;

285 – Addison Roberts (SD) dec. Kevin Gentry, 2-1.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

FAIRVIEW

Fairview High Wrestling Team earns trip to State

The Fairview High School Wrestling Team - now, the first boys Fairview team to make it to state after winning the ...more

Angel Stewart

Nancy Stephens | USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee4:11 p.m. CT Jan. 24, 2018

Yellow Jackets win A-AA Region 8 Duals

Fairview High School’s 2018 Wrestling Team has earned a trip to the State Tournament – a first-time feat for the Yellow Jacket wrestling program.

In its sixth year of development, the Yellow Jacket Wrestling Team competed in the A-AA Region 8 Duals Monday to advance to the state. A seeded, single-elimination tournament, the young men representing Fairview entered the contest as the number 1 seed.

“This year was different going into a new region and not seeing our old foes. But I knew our chances where favorable based on how we had wrestled the teams earlier in the year,” explained FHS Head Wrestling Coach Jim Derrick.

In the regionals, Fairview first wrestled Grace Christian, winning 54-30. The title was clinched when the Jackets defeated Creek Wood, 69-4, in the finals.

The Jackets will now advance to the state contest for an eight-team, double-elimination tournament which will be held at Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin on February 2-3.

“It is always nice to get that first region win and go to state,” said Derrick, who was quick to note, “You only want to celebrate for about a day then hang that plaque up on the wall pretty quick and move to thinking about the state tournament.”

Coach Derrick described the competition in the state as very good, adding, “These young men are excited for the opportunity to complete for a state title.”

The Jackets were back on the mats Tuesday night, wrestling a tough Dickson County varsity team. The Jackets scored another big 57-16 win. If you want to catch the Jackets in action, they will challenge East Nashville and Grace Thursday.

“It is important to have a couple more matches leading up to the State, so you do not sit idle and can stay in wrestling shape,” said Derrick.

As for the team’s latest and greatest achievement, Coach Derrick said, “I am very proud of this program and it’s first region title. But it was a group effort, starting with my past wrestlers who laid the ground work, my wrestlers’ parents, AAU coaches, school administrators, and the support of my family.”

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CHS wrestlers win big on 'Senior Night'

The Cookeville High School seniors were honored after Tuesday's match.

BEN CRAVEN | HERALD-CITIZEN

Buy this photo

Posted Wednesday, January 24, 2018

BY BEN CRAVEN

The Cookeville High School wrestling team did senior night the right way on Tuesday as the Cavaliers beat the Siegel Stars 54-22 at CHS.

"Senior night is always a bitter sweet night," CHS head coach Scott Cook said. "You are so proud of those young men and women that you celebrate what they have accomplished and how much they have grown, but at the same time you're reminded that it is reaching the end. We still have the most important part of the season in front of us, and that is what we will focus on for the next few weeks."

"Im proud of the way we wrestled tonight especially coming off a tough night (Monday) night. I hope we understand that what we are after is right in front of us, and we have got to be willing to dig deep to take it. Every wrestler in the state is after the same thing. We have to be willing to out work and out fight."

CHS got things started off with Dandre Bennett (126 pounds) pinning his opponent one minute into the first round, but then Caleb Logsdon (132) was pinned in the second round to tie the score up at 6-6. The Stars then actually took over the lead briefly as Jacob Mahaney (138) lost a decision to make it 9-6 in Siegel's favor.

However, Cookeville's first senior was the beginning of the end for the Stars. Hunter Harcum (145) took his opponent down several times with ease, scoring 12 points before pinning him at the beginning of the second period. The Cavs suffered a minor setback when freshman A.J. Johns (152) lost a decision, but seniors Ben Bos (160) and Jeff Enochs (170) got them back on track with two first-round pins to give CHS a 24-13 lead.

Dyllan Houser (182) battled but lost a close decision to make it 24-16, but Ethan Cumby (195) and Gage Litchford (220) all but put it out of reach with a first round pin and a forfeit win respectively to make it 36-16. The Stars got their final points in the heavyweight match as Issac Loftis was pinned in the first round.

The match was finished out by Derico Jimerson (106) and Sebastian Hirbar (113) receiving forfeits, while Samuel Hadlock (120) pinned his opponent in the first round.

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Cheatham County District...

A 2017-2018 DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR...

Shuff

Submitted photo

Middle school: Matthew Shuff, Sycamore Middle School eighth-grade science teacher. Shuff has taught for four and a half years – all at SMS. He earned his associate’s degree from Nashville State Community College and bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in school counseling from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Shuff is the school’s wrestling coach and has been named the SMS Employee of the Month twice during his career. He currently serves on the District Advisory Committee and has been a member of the school’s discipline, textbook and bullying committees.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Sommers

Sommers · January 26, 2018

Trojans nip Bears for mat title

Posted Wednesday, January 24, 2018 10:09 am

By JOHN HUNT

SODDY-DAISY — Splitting the matches evenly, Tuesday evening's key District 8 championship dual meet between fourth-ranked Bradley Central and No. 7 Soddy-Daisy came down to bonus points.

The Trojans managed six extra points with a pair of pins, while the Bears didn't score any in their seven wins, giving the hosts a 27-21 victory.

Soddy has won a lot of big matches in recent years, but none have been any more important, any closer or more significant than the win, as it made a berth in the TSSAA State Duals a much easier path.

Both teams won seven matches apiece, but the difference was pins from Soddy Daisy’s Ty Boeck and Jacob Allen at the start that propelled the Trojans to a 15-0 lead.

The Bears never recovered.

While the Trojans had those two pins, the other 12 matches were decided by regular decisions. Some were closer than others, but the hosts were able to win the ones Bradley coach Ben Smith called "toss-ups" and that was the difference in the outcome.

“That was a good one,” Higgins said in the biggest understatement of the evening, after his team had improved to 11-1 overall with its only dual-meet loss to Cleveland.

“I can’t remember us ever having a bigger or more important match at this facility, but that’s what a total team effort looks like. We have a tremendous respect for Bradley and the job they do. They beat us bad last year at their place, so it feels good to get this one.

“Unfortunately, we’ll be leaving a great team at home next weekend for the state duals and that’s unfortunate, but I feel like the team who wanted it worse won tonight,” Higgins added.

Perhaps the turning point for the evening took place at 170 pounds, when Soddy Daisy’s Bailey Faires pulled the biggest upset of the night with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Henley Headrick.

Faires is a 17-year-old junior who dropped from 182 pounds this year. His record is only 14-12 and he’s not used to being in the spotlight, but he was the hero for the Trojans as his win extended Soddy Daisy’s lead to 27-15 with two matches remaining, and basically sealed the deal for the winners.

“I’m so happy,” he said shortly after the final match ended.

“I just went out and gave my best effort and was really just trying to shave a few team points,” he said, not knowing that a five-point swing in the second period gave him a 5-4 lead at the time.

“Bailey is my nephew and has really worked hard to get where he is. He had a major staph infection a couple of years ago and thought he would need a hip replacement, but he stepped up big tonight and really came into his own,” the coach praised.

Trey Johnson and D.J. Gibson were able to get wins by decision for Bradley in the final two matches, but those two early pins for the Trojans were the difference.

“Just really good wrestling for the most part between two evenly matched teams,” said Bradley coach Ben Smith once the final points had been scored.

“You have to get bonus points and win the close ones to win a match like this and we didn’t do either. Soddy-Daisy was really prepared as they forced us to wrestle their match.

“We lost two really close matches (at 145 and 160) and we gave up an upset at 170, but we had to bump a few guys around and I don’t regret any move we made. We have been getting pinned three or four times each match, but we only got stuck twice tonight. It is what it is,” he continued.

The bright spot for Bradley came at 182 pounds when Trey Johnson got inserted into the lineup and responded with a 12-10 win over Bryce Settles in a match that wasn’t settled until the final seconds when Johnson scored the decisive takedown.

“Trey has a heart the size of Texas, and I’m really proud of the way he wrestled tonight. If every kid on our team gave that kind of effort …” Smith concluded.

While Boeck and Allen had the only two pins of the night for Soddy-Daisy, teammates Jacob Kilgore, Tony Wilson, Hayden Maynor, Faires and Addison Roberts had regular decisions.

Other winners for Bradley included Wes Devaney, Daniel Mroz, Sergio Hernandez, Ian Marchesa and Skyler Bradley.

With Tuesday’s win, Soddy Daisy will most likely face Walker Valley in the Region Duals Thursday at Bradley, while the Bears will most likely get a rematch with top-ranked Cleveland.

The Blue Raiders and Mustangs will battle this evening in the District 7 title meet at the Jones Wrestling Building.

The top two teams in the Region Duals will advance to the State Duals, which will be held next weekend in Franklin.

Dual Meet summary

TROJANS 27, BEARS

Match started at 220

106 – Jacob Allen (SD) pinned Glen O’Daniel, 1:26. 113 – Wes Devaney (BC) dec. Cole Prestwood, 2-0. 120 – Daniel Mroz (BC) dec. Jacob Pratt, 4-0. 126 – Jacob Kilgore (SD) dec. Waymond Cooper, 7-0. 132 – Sergio Hernandez (BC) dec. Briston Hatfield, 4-1. 138 – Ian Marchese (BC) dec. Landon Lewis, 8-5.145 – Tony Wilson (SD) dec. Andy Robinson, 11-8. 152 – Skyler Bradley (BC) dec. Trey Vincent, 16-11. 160 – Hayden Maynor (SD) dec. Parker Falls, 8-3. 170 – Bailey Faires (SD) dec. Henley Headrick, 6-5. 182 – Trey Johnson (BC) dec. Bryce Settles, 12-10. 195 – D.J. Gibson (BC) dec. Brent Settles, 8-1. 220 – Ty Boeck (SD) pinned Luke Pace, :58. 285 – Addison Roberts (SD) dec. Kevin Gentry, 2-1.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com

__________________________________

Huge Indy recruit coming to Tennessee...

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2018/01/25/seven-wrestlers-watch-during-state-tournament/1049557001/

Brownsburg's Nathan Walton, top.

ROBERT SCHEER/INDYSTAR

Nathan Walton, Brownsburg

Walton, a senior, is ranked No. 1 at 182 and is coming off back-to-back third place finishes. The Cumberland University commit finished 45-2 last season.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Sommers

Sommers · January 27, 2018

Knoxville News Sentinel

HIGH SCHOOL

Halls took harder route to wrestling region title and state dual meet

Diana C. Nearhos | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee11:52 a.m. ET Jan. 26, 2018

Show Caption

Shannon Sayne went into this season with a different approach.

Halls has become a regular at the state dual wrestling meet, but the past few years, it has been a one-round appearance. Sayne wanted to change that, so he upped the degree of difficulty in Halls' schedule.

HallsÕ Chase Brown and Anderson CountyÕs Brandon Seider in the region 2-AAA duals on Thursday, ...more

Saul Young/News Sentinel

Halls has spent much of the season on the road at tournaments where it could find the teams Sayne knew the Red Devils could go up against at states.

Now that Halls won Region 1 with wins over Clinton and Anderson County on Thursday, the Red Devils turn their attention to the state meet, which begins next Friday in Franklin, and Sayne feels they are more prepared.

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Halls’ Ian Wright and Anderson County’s James Baileyin the region 2-AAA duals on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

Saul Young/News Sentinel

“We’ll be able to tell more next weekend,” the coach said. “Hopefully we see some improvement.”

Thursday’s meet wasn’t what states will look like. Halls and Anderson County had a big numbers advantage over Clinton and Seymour, respectively, in the first round. And then Halls had an experience advantage over the Mavericks in the finals. The Red Devils won eight classes by pinfall.

Halls is ranked 12th in the state coaches poll, which combines all divisions, and has wrestled against most of the other teams on the list. It wasn’t always fun for Halls.

“It’s been a struggle,” Sayne said. “We’ve had our ups and downs and we’ve had our tails kicked a few times this year.

“When you put them in that environment, they might lose two or three times in a weekend and they’re not used to that. But I have to put them through the grinder. I haven’t done that the last few years.”

HallsÕ Caden Elliott and Anderson CountyÕs Fenton Donlan in the region 2-AAA duals on Thursday, ...more

Saul Young/News Sentinel

His wrestlers get why he did it, though.

Early in the season, the Red Devils took on No. 1 Cleveland and then-No.2 Science Hill. Ian Morgan, who wrestles in the 126-pound weight class, said doing so showed them what they needed to work on.

“Over the course of the season, it really helped us develop,” Morgan said. “I feel more confident now. We can wrestle with those guys, I’m confident we can.”

In the past, Sayne felt Halls wasn’t forced to face its weaknesses until it got into the postseason. He wanted that to be different this time around to give the Red Devils a better chance at the state meet.

“A lot of the times, you can’t learn the lessons unless you’re testing yourself against the top caliber of competition,” Sayne said. “So you don’t know there’s a problem until you go up against the top teams. If that’s not until the end of the season, it’s too late.”

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Mustangs turn focus to state traditionals

WALKER VALLEY 152-pound wrestler Joey Vecchione works for the pin against Soddy-Daisy's Bobby Vincent in the Region 4 wrestling tournament Thursday, at Bradley Central High School.

BANNER PHOTO, LYNNAE ROBERTS

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Posted Friday, January 26, 2018 10:08 am

By RICHARD ROBERTS

Walker Valley came to wrestle, and it showed.

The bad news was, the Mustangs faced powerhouse Soddy-Daisy in the semifinals of the Region 4 duals Thursday at Bradley Central.

The District 8 champion Trojans picked up nine wins including seven pins against the District 7 runner-up Mustangs on their way to a 45-27 victory. The Trojans went on to battle Cleveland for the Region 4 championship with Cleveland taking the trophy after a 35-26 victory.

The Mustangs battled to wins with a pin by Joey Vecchione at 152 and Heath Tanksley (160). Zeth Haynie won a decision at 138 and Cody Duggan battled to a win at 195. Tanksley's victory for the Mustangs pushed the Mustangs to an 18-15 lead sending a ripple of concern across the Soddy-Daisy bench.

The Trojans recovered with back-to-back pins to take the lead for good. Walker Valley picked up six points after a Soddy forfeit at 106 and the Trojans received forfeits at 126 and 106 that made it a 45-27 final.

“We're down guys still. We're filling in with backups, but overall I was pleased with the fight. There were spots I felt we could have done better, obviously, but that's part of it this time of year,” said Mustangs coach Al Morris. “I think we took a step and made a statement the guys can carry on.”

With the duals season in the books and the traditionals region coming up, Morris said it's time now to see which Mustangs want to wrestle as the top four wrestlers from each weight class will earn a trip to the state championships.

The Mustangs will wrestle once more before the individuals tournament rolls around hosting Ooltewah Tuesday for Senior Night.

“We've got a long time to get healthy. Tonight is something we are going to take and try to build something positive on for the region,” said Morris.

“We can start focusing more on individuals and see what happens.”

TROJANS 45, MUSTANGS 27
(Meet started at 120)
106 — Jacob Allen (SD) win by forfeit; 113 — Chandler Davis (WV) win by forfeit; 120 — James Jur (WV) dec. Jacob Pratt, 6-5; 126 — Jacob Kilgore (SD) win by forfeit; 132 — Briston Hatfield (SD) dec. Tyler King, 7-3; 138 — Zeth Haynie dec. Landon Lewis, 9-8; 145 — Tony Wilson (SD) pinned Joshua Anderson, 1:05; 152 — Joey Vecchione (WV) pinned Bobby Vincent, 1:05; 160 — Heath Tanksley (WV) pinned Brandon Davis, 4:43; 170 — Hayden Maynor (SD) pinned Kallum Lowe, 1:40; 182 — Bryce Settles (SD) pinned Tristan Mason, 3:21; 195 — Cody Duggan (WV) dec. Brent Settles, 11-6; 220 — Ty Boeck (SD) pinned Nick Buck, 1:35; 285 — Addison Roberts (SD) pinned Jordan Langford, 1:40.

_______________________________

Cleveland Beats Soddy Daisy For Region 4 Duals Title

Blue Raiders Improve To 30-1 With 35-25 Victory Over Never-Say-Die Trojans

Thursday, January 25, 2018 - by John Hunt

CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The once-beaten and top-ranked Cleveland Blue Raiders are the Region 4 Duals wrestling champions for 2018, but they had to beat two pretty good teams here at Bradley’s Jim Smiddy Arena Thursday night to do so.

Cleveland, improving to 30-1 for the season, opened the action with a 33-24 victory over Bradley in one semifinal while Soddy Daisy advanced to the finals with a 45-27 win over Walker Valley.

Then in the championship, the Blue Raiders bolted out to a 21-3 lead after the first six matches before defeating the Trojans by a 35-25 final.

Cleveland and Soddy Daisy both advance to the AAA division of the State Duals, which will be held next weekend in Franklin.

Bryce Pond had a first-period pin at 126 to give Cleveland the early lead over Soddy Daisy before Garrett Stevenson and Logan Whiteside added regular decisions for a 12-0 lead.

Austin Sweeney added a pin and Zach Brezna a tough 5-4 decision to give Cleveland a 21-3 lead before the Trojans started their comeback.

Bailey Faires had a decision at 170 before Cleveland’s Jack Hicks posted a win by technical fall at 182 for a 26-6 lead.

Brent Settles and Addison Roberts sandwiched pins around a technical fall by Ty Boeck to get Soddy Daisy within 26-23, but Cleveland regained the momentum and basically won the match when Trae McDaniel won by decision at 106.

Jackson Bradford then put a little icing on the cake with a pin at 113.

Several members of Cleveland’s team have been battling the flu this week and were obviously not at full strength, but they were able to dig down deep and beat two of their biggest rivals.

Cleveland coach Joey Knox was anxious to head home for some much-needed rest after the second match, but he was just thankful that his kids found a way to win when it would have been just as easy to do otherwise.

“A bunch of us have had the flu for the past week and it showed, but we were somehow able to battle through it,” Knox said before the championship plaques had been handed out.

“I was sort of surprised that we wrestled that last match as we haven’t in recent years, but we’re a whole lot better than we showed. The pressure is off a little bit, but our job is to get healthy so we can get ready to take care of business next weekend.

“We knew that Soddy Daisy would be a battle and it was probably our toughest match of the year so far,” Knox concluded.

Soddy Daisy had lost a dual meet at Cleveland on Jan. 4, but Trojan coach Jim Higgins felt like his team is capable of wrestling with the Blue Raiders then and he feels more convinced now than ever.

“We just want one more shot, but we came up here to wrestle tonight and that’s what the fans paid to see. We really didn’t have anything to lose and I feel really good about the way we battled them,” he began.

“We lost a couple of matches that I felt could have gone either way and we had more than enough opportunities to win. They still haven’t seen our best team yet, but now we just need to capitalize on our opportunities next weekend,” he concluded.

Bradley won the first match against Cleveland when 120-pound Daniel Mroz claimed a 4-1 decision, but the Blue Raiders then reeled off six straight wins and seven wins in eight matches for a 27-6 lead following a pin from Hicks at 182.

D.J. Gibson and Kevin Gentry won back-to-back decisions at 195 and 220 before Titus Swafford recorded a 36-second pin at 285 to put Cleveland up, 33-12.

The Blue Raiders then forfeited the final two matches for the final difference of nine points.

Bradley coach Ben Smith doesn’t believe in moral victories, but Thursday’s loss was much closer than the one earlier when the Blue Raiders prevailed, 44-9.

“I think we sealed our fate on Tuesday (a tough 27-21 loss at Soddy Daisy), but I felt like we wrestled well tonight. I felt like we wanted it tonight as all I was asking for was better effort and more fight. We got both. Cleveland is better than we are right now and I wish them and Soddy Daisy the best of luck next weekend.

“The worst part is that two pretty good teams are having to stay home. Now we just need to refocus a little bit and get ready to make a run at the individual tournaments, but I’m confident that we’ll be ready,” Smith added.

Walker Valley gave the Trojans a run for their money in the other semifinal match before the Trojans pulled away at the end.

James Jur gave the Mustangs an early 3-0 lead with a 6-5 decision at 120.

A forfeit to Jacob Kilgore and a decision by Briston Hatfield allowed the Trojans to take the lead at 9-3.

Walker Valley then won three of the next four matches, including pins from Joey Vecchione at 152 and Heath Tanksley at 160 for a 18-15 lead before Soddy Daisy pulled away with four pins in the next four matches for a 39-21 lead following Roberts’ pin at 285.

Each team claimed a forfeit in the final two matches for the 45-27 final.

Walker Valley coach Alan Morris had good feelings about his team, despite the loss.

“We battled the best that we could and I’m really proud of that, but we’re in the toughest region in the state,” he began his comments after his team’s match.

“Soddy Daisy has a good team and there were several spots where they were simply better than us. We got a good win from Heath Tanksley at 160 and I liked what I saw from my guy at 285.

“Jadon Langford is just a freshman who’s worked all season to get his weight down and today was his first varsity match. He got caught in a mistake by a good kid, but I’m really excited about him as he’s our heavyweight for the future,” Morris nodded.

While Cleveland is now 30-1, Soddy Daisy falls to 10-2 with both losses to the Blue Raiders. Bradley is now 15-10 while Walker Valley's record stands at 12-5.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

CLEVELAND 35, SODDY DAISY 25

(Match began at 126 pounds)

106 – Trae McDaniel (Clev) dec. Jacob Allen, 8-4;

113 – Jackson Bradford (Clev) pinned Cole Prestwood, 4:37;

120 – Jacob Pratt (SD) dec. Burns Meagher, 3-2;

126 – Bryce Pond (Clev) pinned Jacob Kilgore, 1:21;

132 – Garrett Stevenson (Clev) dec. Briston Hatfield, 8-3;

138 – Logan Whiteside (Clev) dec. Landon Lewis, 11-4;

145 – Tony Wilson (SD) dec. Cody Mathews, 11-10 in overtime;

152 – Austin Sweeney (Clev) pinned Bobby Vincent, 1:29;

160 – Zach Brezna (Clev) dec. Hayden Maynor, 5-4;

170 – Bailey Faires (SD) dec. Seth Eachus, 3-0;

182 – Jack Hicks (Clev) won by technical fall over Bryce Settles, 4:26;

195 – Brent Settles (SD) pinned Logan Strickland, 5:53;

220 – Ty Boeck (SD) won by technical fall over Wilson Benefield, 4:38;

285 – Addison Roberts (SD) pinned Titus Swafford, 4:38.

SEMIFINAL MATCHES (Both began at 120 Pounds)

CLEVELAND 33, BRADLEY 24

106 -- Glen O'Daniel (Brad) won by forfeit;

113 -- Wes Devaney (Brad) won by forfeit;

120 -- Daniel Mroz (Brad) dec. Burns Meagher, 4-1;

126 -- Bryce Pond (Clev) pinned Gavin Hughes, 3:01;

132 -- Jayce Mullin (Clev) dec. Sergio Hernandez, 6-0;

138 -- Logan Whiteside (Clev) dec. Ian Marchesa, 7-3;

145 -- Cody Mathews (Clev) dec. Andy Robinson, 4-3;

152 -- Austin Sweeney (Clev) dec. Skyler Bradley, 3-2;

160 -- Zach Brezna (Clev) dec. Seth Gerena, 4-1;

170 -- Henley Headrick (Brad) dec. Seth Eachus, 3-0;

182 -- Jack Hicks (Clev) pinned Luke Pace, 3:11;

195 -- D.J. Hicks (Brad) dec. Logan Strickland, 11-4;

220 -- Kevin Gentry (Brad) dec. Wilson Benefield, 3-2;

285 -- Titus Swafford (Clev) pinned Gavin Sewell, :36.

SODDY DAISY 45, WALKER VALLEY 27

106 -- Jacob Allen (SD) won by forfeit;

113 -- Chandler Davis (WV) won by forfeit;

120 -- James Jur (WV) dec. Jacob Pratt, 6-5;

126 -- Jacob Kilgore (SD) won by forfeit;

132 -- Briston Hatfield (SD) dec. Tyler King, 7-3;

138 -- Zeth Haynie (WV) dec. Landon Lewis, 9-8;

145 -- Tony Wilson (SD) pinned Joshua Anderson, 1:05;

152 -- Joey Vecchione (WV) pinned Bobby Vincent, 1:05;

160 -- Heath Tanksley (WV) pinned Brandon Davis, 4:43;

170 -- Hayden Maynor (SD) pinned Kallum Lowe, 1:40;

182 -- Bryce Settles (SD) pinned Tristan Mason, 3:21;

195 -- Cody Duggan (WV) dec, Brent Settles, 11-6;

220 -- Ty Boeck (SD) pinned Nick Buck, 1:35;

285 -- Addison Roberts (SD) pinned Jadon Langford, 1:40.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

________________________

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B_rentodTri-Cities -WRESTLING

The Science Hill wrestling team poses with the Region 1-AAA duals championship plaque.

Science Hill's Jim Kalogeros gains control against David Crockett's Jacob Bowman in their semifinal match.

Dobyns-Bennett's Tre Morrisette is on his way to winning his semifinal match.

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

Science Hill rolls in Region 1-AAA duals

JEFF BIRCHFIELD • UPDATED JAN 25, 2018 AT 10:35 PM

jbirchfield@johnsoncitypress.com

DANDRIDGE — Science Hill wrestling coach Jimmy Miller wasn’t focused on the scoreboard Thursday night at the Region 1-AAA duals.

If so, he would have been ecstatic after the state’s No. 2-ranked Hilltoppers rolled to a 73-6 win over David Crockett in the semifinals and a 74-6 win over Dobyns-Bennett in the championship round at the Patriot Academy. Instead, he saw areas where his team needs to work on before next week’s state duals meet in Franklin.

“I’m proud for our kids and glad for our program in winning the region again, but we push our kids to excel every day,” Miller said. “We did not wrestle to the best of our abilities and that’s not indicative of our team. We’re going back to the (wrestling) room on Monday and we’re going to get back to work. We’ve got a state tournament to go to and we’ve got something to prove.”

They had already proved plenty to the Indians with Braxton Mann at the 113-pound weight class, Javelle Gillespie at 120, Luke Story at 145, Jacob Morrell at 170, Weston Brown at 195, Denzel Medina at 220 and Jesse Cross at 285 all winning matches D-B elected to forfeit.

Tyler Seeley at 126, Joseph Frye at 132 and Isaac Wright at 138, Chase Diehl at 160 and Will Mooney at 182 all won by pins. Isaiah Ryans scored an 18-11 decision over Tre Morrisette in the 152-pound weight class.

D-B had its only win in the opening match for the 106 class when Brennan Watkins pinned Hayden Bobo at 2:51 of the third period.

“Even on a bad day, we’re wrestling well,” Miller said. “We have to continue to push to get better. If we don’t have the expectations high, we’re going to wrestle to the level of our competition.”

Dobyns-Bennett advanced to the championship round with a 46-25 win over host Jefferson County in the semifinals.

Cade Salyers got them off to a strong start with a 5-2 decision in the heavyweight match. Watkins won by forfeit, Gabe Hawkins and Corbin Bumgarner won by pins and Jackson Hurst took a 4-1 decision to score the first 24 team points.

Tre Morrisette had a major decision, followed by pins for Dillon Lemons and Clinton Morrisette for a 40-7 lead. Jet Harris had a pin for the final six points.

“We challenged our guys this week and they responded well,” Indians coach Wesley Idlette said. “They left everything they had on the table.”

Idlette opted for the forfeits after the Indians lost 55-17 to the Hilltoppers in Monday’s District 1-AAA duals. Both teams advanced to the state tournament by making the finals.

“Science Hill is a talented team and they’re heavy with leadership at the upper weights,” Idlette said. “Wrestling them we got to see how we stack up with the top teams in the state.”

David Crockett finished fourth after losing to Jefferson County 66-18 in the third-place match.

Heavyweight Tony Davis scored the Pioneers’ only win in the Science Hill match, while Brison Livesay at 106, Gavin Russell at 145 and Jacob Bowman at 182 were winners in the Jefferson County match.

To simply reach the Region 1-AAA duals was quite an accomplishment for a young Pioneers squad.

“We’ve got a young team without a senior on the team period, and we’ve been looking forward to the future,” Crockett coach Tod Parker said. “We started a middle school program and they don’t start funneling in until next year. We will have eight or nine coming in and we thought next year is when we make it. But, we beat Tennessee High and it gave us a shot to come a year earlier than we were planning.”

With two wins over defending state champion Bradley Central and one of their losses coming to No. 1-ranked Cleveland, Miller feels good about the Hilltoppers’ chances next week.

“When you go to the state duals, anything can happen,” Miller said. “Last year, we went down there and beat a Wilson Central team which nobody thought we would beat. We did beat them. We’ve beaten Bradley twice and we’re the second-ranked team, but anything can happen and we could get a bad draw and get some bad matchups. We’re not assured of anything other than trying to put out a product we’ve been working for all year.”

______________________

HIGH SCHOOL

Blackman, Oakland wrestling reach state dual meet

Cecil Joyce | USA TODAY NETWORK - TennesseeUpdated 22 hours ago

Show Caption

Blackman's wrestling team will be returning to familiar grounds, and Oakland will be going for the first time in 12 years.

Both will be participating in the TSSAA state wrestling duals next week in Franklin.

636509492085447991-Rand-LaVaughn-FRCO-Branson-Boone-Oakland.jpg

Oakland wrestler Branson Boone is shown in a match earlier this season. Boone picked up his 100th ...more

TOM BECKWITH

The Blaze (23-1) will return for the ninth time and sixth in the past seven years. It's Oakland's first trip to the state duals since 2006.

The state dual meet will be held Friday-Saturday at Williamson Ag & Expo Center in Franklin.

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Stewarts Creek's Alex Wells (left) battles Cascade's Sanders Lovvorn in the Red Hawk Rampage Saturday.

TOM BECKWITH

The Blaze captured the Region 5 championship with a 61-17 win over Oakland (25-4) in the final.

That came after both squads clinched state berths with region semifinals wins. The Blaze defeated Lawrence County 65-17 while Oakland disposed of Tullahoma 45-31.

During Oakland's semifinal win, senior Branson Boone joined teammate Ryder Gebhardt in the 100-win club, notching his milestone win with a 7-2 win over Tullahoma's Akil Hicks.

Boone and Gebhardt are two-time individual state tournament qualifiers.

REGION 5 SEMIFINALS

Blackman 65, Lawrence Co. 17

106: Alex Rose (B) over Hector Gonzalez-Silva (LC) (Fall 2:20); 113: Devin Whitehead (LC) over Peyton Adams (B) (Fall 0:00); 120: Dominic Williams (LC) over Jeremiah Savage (B) (TF 18-2 0:00); 126: Luke Dezember (LC) over Liam Elam (B) (Fall 0:00); 132: Austin Marlatt (B) won by forfeit; 138: Daniel Bradford (B) over Andrew Oliphant (LC) (Fall 0:58); 145: Aaron Fisher (B) won by forfeit; 152: Jalen Brown (B) won by forfeit; 160: Brooks Sacharczyk (B) over Brett Ford (LC) (TF 16-1 0:00); 170: Landon Fowler (B) over Carson Dubberly (LC) (Fall 1:17); 182: Spencer Layne (B) over (LC) (For.); 195: Ryan Heath (B) over Jacob Dubberly (LC) (Fall 1:10); 220: Bowdy Boyce (B) won by forfeit; 285: Jamil Hughes (B) won by forfeit.

Oakland 45, Tullahoma 31

106: Christopher Gardner (T) won by forfeit; 113: Tyler Vanterheylen (O) over Hayden Malone (T) (Fall 0:45): 120: Kenton Smith (O) won by forfeit; 126; Semaj Burton (O) over Xavier Sanson (T) (Fall 1:13); 132: Luke Price (T) over Joe Bell (O) (Fall 3:39): 138: Andrew Farrar (O) over Sam Dean (T) (Fall 5:48); 145: John Bonee (T) over Dejon Glaster (O) (MD 12-2); 152: Charlie Carson (O) over Harvie Halliburton (T) (Fall 1:50); 160: Ryder Gebhardt (O) over Christian Jordan (T) (Fall 1:21); 170: Connor Coughran (O) over Galen Raines (T) (Fall 1:37); 182: Brenden Adkins (T) won by forfeit; 195: Brian Nelms (T) over Nolan Cook (O) (Dec. 9-6); 220: Branson Boone (O) over Akil Hicks (T) (Dec. 7-2); 285: Luke Champion (T) won by forfeit.

FINALS

Blackman 61, Oakland 17

106: Alex Rose (B) won by forfeit; 113: Peyton Adams (B) won by forfeit; 120: Jeremiah Savage (B) over Kenton Smith (O) (Fall 1:30); 126: Semaj Burton (O) over Liam Elam (B) (Fall 3:51); 132: Austin Marlatt (B) over Joe Bell (O) (MD 14-4); 138: Daniel Bradford (B) over Andrew Farrar (O) (Fall 1:15); 145: Dejon Glaster (O) over Aaron Fisher (B) (TF 18-2 0:00); 152: Jalen Brown (B) over Charlie Carson (O) (Fall 1:02); 160: Brooks Sacharczyk (B) over ryder Gebhardt (O) (Dec 4-3); 170: Landon Fowler (B) over Connor Coughran (O) (Fall 1:55); 182: Spencer Layne (B) over Nolan Cook (O) (Fall 1:59); 195: Ryan Heath (B) over Caleb Perkins (O) (Fall 0:15); 220: Branson Boone (O) over Bowdy Boyce (B) (Fall 3:33); 285: Jamil Hughes won by forfeit.

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

_________________

Signal Mountain Wrestlers Earn First State Duals Berth

Baylor Stuns Second-Ranked McCallie In 40-24 Battle

Friday, January 26, 2018 - by John Hunt

Signal Mountain’s Eli Buttram pinned Leon Stone at 145.
- photo by M. A. Locke

Hard work is finally paying off for the Signal Mountain wrestling team as they were rewarded with their first-ever Region 5-A/AA title on Friday night at Red Bank. As a result, coach Joe Jellison will be taking his Eagles to Franklin next weekend for the state duals.

Jeremiah Welch scored a 1-0 decision in the first match at 285 pounds to give the Lions an early 3-0 lead, but they only won three of the next 13 matches as the Eagles ran away with the 52-19 victory at the John Farr Wrestling Arena.

With the win, Signal Mountain improves to 14-4 while Red Bank is now 6-7.

The Eagles have a young team with mostly freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup. Isaac Tate and Will Davis are the only two seniors and they both responded with first-period pins as Signal Mountain won five of their 10 matches by pin.

Jellison had a hard time containing his happiness once the match ended.

“I’m really proud of our effort tonight as they guys have totally bought into what we’re trying to teach, but we’ve never won a region title before and this is a big deal,” he said while the rest of his team was celebrating and posing for pictures.

“It got kind of crazy at times, but we had to keep our poise and that was a key. Red Bank is a very physical team, but they made some mistakes and we were able to capitalize on them.

“It’s such an emotional feeling right now that it’s really hard to describe, but all of our hard work is paying off. These guys have a lot of fun while they work and they knew just how important this match was, but they were able to keep the fun in it,” the coach added.

While the Lions won the first match, the Eagles got pins from Noah Shriner and Daniel Uhorchuk and a decision from Isaac Tate for a 15-3 lead and it never got much closer.

Gage Evans had a pin at 126 and Caden Cline posted a 16-7 major decision at 138 as Red Bank crept within 18-13, but Signal Mountain then won the next six matches for a commanding 52-13 lead before the Eagles forfeited the final match at 220.

Red Bank coach Nathan Wehunt really didn’t know what to say after his team lost in their final home match on senior night.

“That was tough,” he began his post-match comments.

“We have to change our work ethic around here and we need to start planning for matches like this before the day of the match. Normally, we’re a smarter team than we showed tonight, but Signal Mountain wrestled great.

“We are trying to change the culture here and it’s tough as they’ve had three coaches in the past three years. We have to learn how to take more pride in our sport. I knew this was going to be a tough match and I’m disappointed it wasn’t a little bit closer,” he nodded.

BAYLOR PULLED off a big win with a 40-24 victory over second-ranked McCallie on the Blue Tornado mat Friday night.

The Red Raiders won the first seven matches and had a 31-0 lead before McCallie rallied with five straight wins to get within 31-24.

Andrew Pace then won a 5-2 decision at 138 pounds to seal the deal for Baylor before Austin Atchley finished the match with a pin for a little icing on the cake.

"I've been better," said McCallie coach Mike Newman after his team had lost for only the second time this season.

"We let a couple of close ones get away early and that hurt, but I really felt like we had a chance to win this match. We just have to keep getting better as there's still a lot of wrestling to be done," the veteran coach added.

Connor Duffy, Riley Bodine and Atchley all had pins for Baylor while Jack Braman, Emory Taylor and Cody Chittum all won by pins for McCallie.

Both teams will be in Franklin next weekend for the State Duals.

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN 52, RED BANK 19

(Match Began At 285 Pounds)

106 – Noah Shriner (SM) pinned Kyle Harper, 1:24;

113 – Daniel Uhorchuk (SM) pinned Noah Hudson, :59;

120 – Isaac Tate (SM) dec. Dylan Cagle, 4-3;

126 – Gage Evans (RB) pinned Kale Albritton, 3:02;

132 – Kevin Muschel (SM) dec. Zach Gee, 2-0;

138 – Caden Cline (RB) major dec. Samuel Wickizer, 16-7;

145 – Eli Buttram (SM) pinned Leon Stone, 3:08;

152 – Preston Worley (SM) pinned Alex Cagle, 1:40;

160 – Oliver Goodgame (SM) won by forfeit;

170 – Jake Woodlief (SM) major dec. Ashton Tubbs, 14-5;

182 – Spencer Leonard (SM) won by forfeit;

195 – Will Davis (SM) pinned Gabriel Welch, 1:18;

220 – Jackson Hash (RB) won by forfeit;

285 – Jeremiah Welch (RB) dec. Riley Daniels, 1-0.

BAYLOR 40, McCALLIE 24

152 - Alex Atchley (B) maj dec David Fisk, 13-4, 4-0

160 - Connor Duffy (B) pinned Hayden Rowland,3:49, 10-0

170 - Mason Reiniche (B) won by forfeit, 16-0

182 - Riley Westlake (B) dec. Thomas Sell, 10-5, 19-0

195 - Sam Reynolds (B) dec. Walker Robinson, 2-1 OT, 22-0

220 - Stephen Morgan dec. Chase Looper, 3-2, 25-0

285 - Riley Bodine (B) pinned Austin Gentle, 3:33, 31-0

106 - Jack Braman (M) pinned Hunter Banks, :34, 31-6

113 - Christian Morris (M) dec. Porter Kaufman, 2-0, 31-9

120 - Emory Taylor (M) pinned Jacob Weekley, 3:23, 31-15

126 - Cody Chittum (M) pinned Grant Slye, 2:18, 31-21

132 - Alex Whitworth (M) dec. Hayden Hartline, 8-2, 31-24

138 - Andrew Pace (B) dec. Zach Ward, 5-2, 34-24

145 - Austin Atchley (B) pinned Mason Hughes, 3:57, 40-24

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

back on top________

Brentwood wrestling takes down Centennial for region title

Posted by Sam McGaw

Date: January 26, 2018

Brentwood High’s wrestling team was handed its first loss of the season against Centennial less than a week ago.

On Thursday, the Bruins (18-2) enacted their revenge with a 38-21 takedown of the Cougars in the Region 7-AAA duals championship at Independence.

Both teams earned automatic bids to the Class AAA state duals tournament with their region finals appearance.

Brentwood’s Brennan Jennings (113 lbs), Johnny Feldhacker (170 lbs) and Charles Roston (285 lbs) earned wins via fall against Centennial, while teammates Isaac Asselin (138 lbs) and Colby Finch (160 lbs) won by decision.

Brentwood’s Drake Cunningham won via 11-9 sudden victory and Chad Milasauskas (132) won by technical fall.

Centennial’s Stephen McCullough (120 lbs), Nicholas Humphries (145 lbs) and Leo Gearhert (152 lbs) won by decision, while Dylan Ables (106 lbs) and Tyson Lacher (126 lbs) both won by fall.

Brentwood beat Antioch 45-27 in the opening round and Independence 35-29 in the semifinals. Centennial took down Cane Ridge 49-30 and Overton 36-32 to reach the finals.

The Class AAA state duals tournament will take place February 3-4 at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin

Edited January 28, 2018 by Sommers

Sommers · January 28, 2018

North Ga Having Success...

Gilmer earns another wrestling title; Heritage third, Ridgeland fourth

January 27th, 2018by Lindsey Youngin Sports - PrepsRead Time: 2 mins.

ELLIJAY, Ga. — The Georgia Area 6-AAAA wrestling traditional tournament followed a familiar script Saturday as host Gilmer flexed its muscle under new coach Josh Ghabadpoor.

The Bobcats qualified 12 of their 14 wrestlers into next weekend's sectional round and had six individual champions while scoring 214 points. Pickens was a distant second with 121 points and had three champions.

Heritage, despite not having an individual champion, was third with 115.5 points and qualified nine wrestlers for the Class AAAA "A" sectional at Woodward Academy. The Generals were hampered as Jeffery Curtis, the top seed at 220 pounds, had to default for fourth place due to illness.

ADVERTISING

Redshirt removed, true freshman Nick Lee thriving for No. 1 Penn State wrestling program

Penn State's Nick Lee (top) wins a major decision over Purdue's Nate Limmex. Lee, a Mater Dei product, has thrived ...more

Mark Selders, Penn State Athletics

Gordon Engelhardt | Courier & Press12:49 p.m. CT Jan. 27, 2018

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Nick Lee, who got a leg up on his college wrestling career by coming early to Penn State, did not disappoint when his redshirt was removed a few weeks ago.

Lee, a true freshman, beat No. 10-ranked Tommy Thon of Minnesota 13-3 in a major decision, nearly pinning his All-American opponent, a two-time NCAA tournament qualifier, on Friday in the 141-pound division. Lee helped lift No. 1 Penn State to a 35-8 romp over the No. 16 Golden Gophers, its 41st successive dual victory.

The Mater Dei High School product went 4-1 at the Southern Scuffle at Chattanooga, Tennessee as an unattached wrestler, propelling him into the Nittany Lions’ starting lineup. Lee, who made his debut with victories over Sal Profaci of Michigan and then-No. 20 Javier Gasca of Michigan State, made sure he was ready when the opportunity presented itself as he continues to leave nationally-ranked opponents in his wake.

“I think for everyone on the team, there is an expectation to be ready to compete,” Lee said. “That’s the mindset we have. Competition is fun. You always have to be mentally ready.”

Lee has joined Castle graduate Luke Welch as Southern Indiana Athletic Conference products in a Big Ten starting lineup. Welch, a senior, wrestles at 125 for Purdue.

“I do talk to him regularly,” Lee said. “He’s a nice guy, a little bit older. He’s been through the process and willing to offer advice. It says something special about our area that two Big Ten wrestlers are from the SIAC. I think that says big things about the Castle and Mater Dei programs.”

Lee brothers cementing Mater Dei wrestling legacy

He said Welch gave him advice about mental preparation, wrestling technique and “obvious motivational things, anything an older guy would want a younger guy (coming into a new system to know).”

Lee won an Indiana state championship for Mater Dei in 2015 and was second in ’16, both at 132. He placed third at state as a freshman in ’14.

Lee gained his high school degree via home schooling, graduating in December 2016, to get a head start on training for Penn State.

“I couldn’t tell you how much it helped,” Lee said. “It was an unbelievable experience, training with the NL (Nittany Lion) Wrestling Club, the freestyle club here at Penn State. Having the experience of wrestling the tough guys here, the affect it’s had on me has been immeasurable.”

Younger brother Joe Lee has taken a similar path, leaving Mater Dei early to be home-schooled and work out with the NL Wrestling Club, preparing for his upcoming career at Penn State. He won the Indiana state title at 145 in 2016, the same year Nick placed second at 132.

“I think so far the advice I’ve given him is don’t be afraid to wrestle the best guys in the country and some of the best guys in the world,” Nick said. “You’re going to pay the price and that’s part of the process. You should go in with a completely open mind and ready to win and ready to change.”

What he means by that is Joe has to grow technically.

“Joe is a mature guy and he knows what it takes to get where he wants to go,” Nick said.

While Joe will soon join Nick at Penn State, youngest brother Matt is a sophomore at Mater Dei. Joe won state at 145 the year Nick was second at 132.

“We’re all kind of unique,” Nick said. “We have different body types and that helps. I have two brothers in the same sport with two different perspectives other than mine. It helps us improve in wrestling and as people. We’ve always wanted to do the same thing.”

More: Nick Lee 'proves it' in national title defense

More: Egli brothers carry on Mater Dei's wrestling brotherhood

More: Matt Lee looks to leave his own legacy at Mater Dei

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

Here's some Hill topper Hall of Famer's some may remember...

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Baseball/2018/01/27/Science-Hill-Athletics-Hall-of-Fame-Bios.html?ci=stream&lp=1&p=1

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Wildcats fall to Oakland, 45-31

Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 11:03 am

0

By ZACH BIRDSONG

Sports Editor

After falling behind 18-0 early, Tullahoma was never able to recover, seeing its duals season end sooner than expected in a 45-31 home loss to Oakland on Thursday night in the Region 5 Tournament.

With the win over the Wildcats, the Patriots guaranteed themselves a spot into the TSSAA State Duals, scheduled to get underway in Franklin on Feb. 2. Blackman also secured itself a berth into the state tournament with a 65-17 win over Lawrence County in the Region 5 Tournament.

Tullahoma’s Zack Bonee (right) flips Dejon Glaster during the pair’s matchup in the 145-pound bout on Thursday. Bonee defeated Glaster by way of a 12-2 major decision. However, Tullahoma’s duals season ended against the Patriots, losing 45-31.
-Staff Photo by Zach Birdsong

Blackman went on to capture the Region 5 Title with a dominating 61-17 win over Oakland. More information about the TSSAA State Duals can be found online at tssaasports.com.

With three-straight losses to open up Thursday’s matchup, Tullahoma found itself in an early 18-0 hole against Oakland. Luke Price got Tullahoma on the board with a second-round pin (six points) over Joe Bell in the 132-pound matchup. Already up 12-1, Price pinned Bell with 20.4 seconds remaining in the round, to cut the score to 18-6.

After Oakland notched a victory in the next matchup, Zack Bonee picked up another win for Tullahoma, making the score 24-10. Bonee dominated Dejon Glaster in the 145-pound matchup, but couldn’t quite lock in the pin, winning by way of a 12-2 major decision (four points).

Oakland put the match away with three-straight wins, all of which came by pin, gaining a 42-10 advantage. Charlie Carson pinned Harvie Halliburton with 9.4 seconds left in the first round of the 152-pound bout. Ryder Gebhardt followed by pinning Christian Jordan with 39 seconds left in the first round of the 160-pound matchup. Connor Coughran then pinned Galen Raines with 24 seconds remaining in the first period of the 170-pound bout.

Tullahoma cut into that deficit with back-to-back wins. Brenden Adkins won his 182-pound matchup by forfeit. Brian Nelms then followed with a narrow 9-6 decision (three points) over Nolan Cook 195-pound bout, making the score 42-19.

Oakland added its final points of the day after Brenson Boone won a 7-2 decision over Akil Hicks in the 220-pound bout, putting the Patriots on top 45-19.

Luke Champion (285) and Christopher Gardner (106) scored the final 12 points for Tullahoma, winning their matchups by forfeit.

Wildcats claim sixth-straight District 9 Championship

Before taking on Oakland in the Region 5 Tournament, Tullahoma won its sixth-straight District 9 Title with a sound 45-33 victory at Lawrence County on Tuesday.

Starting at the 106-pound weight class, Lawrence County jumped out to a quick 27-0 lead over Tullahoma. Lawrence County won three of the first five matchups by pin, one by forfeit and another by a decision.

However, Tullahoma answered with six-straight wins, garnering a 33-27 advantage. Landen Willette pinned Tyler Riggs with 10 seconds left in the first round of the 138-pound bout. Sam Dean followed by pinning Gui Miranda with 46 seconds left in the first round of the 145-pound bout. Halliburton then pinned Gus Miranda with 56 seconds left in the 152-pound matchup.

Bonee added an 8-1 decision win over Brett Ford in the 160-pound matchup. Adkins then followed by pinning Carson Dubberly 44 seconds into the third round of the 170-pound bout. Trinton Partin then won his matchup unopposed in the 182-pound class.

Jacob Dubberly tied the score at 33 for Lawrence County, earning his team’s final win of the day. Dubberly pinned Nelms with 11 seconds left in the second round of the 196-pound matchup.

Hicks then won his matchup for Tullahoma by forfeit in the 220-pound bout, making the score 39-33. Champion put the match away for Tullahoma after he pinned Peyton Mills with 52 seconds left in the first round of the 285-pound matchup.

Remaining Schedule

While Tullahoma saw its duals season come to an end on Thursday, the work isn’t done for the Tullahoma wrestling teams. Both the boys and girls team will next head to their respective region tournaments.

The THS girls team was slated to compete in its tournament on Saturday. However, as of press time, the results of those matchups were unavailable.

The Wildcats are scheduled to head to Blackman to get its two-day region tournament underway at 5 p.m. on Feb. 9. The tournament will then conclude starting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 10 in Murfreesboro.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Sommers

RMC · January 29, 2018

Buford rolls to Area 8-AAAAA wrestling title

From Staff Reports

Buford starts quickly for second straight AAAAA duals title 50-18 over Ola

Buford poses for a team photo after winning the state title for Class AAAAA. (Photo: David McGregor)

Buford dominated the Area 8-AAAAA Championships on Saturday, sending all 14 wrestlers to sectionals for the second straight year.

The Wolves, already this year’s State Duals champions, got individual area titles from Nick Cambria, Logan Ashton, Kyle McCullough, Nick Stonecheck, Blaine Bergey, Charlie Darracott, Cooper Roberts, Tristan Bozoian, Billy Barber and John Downing. Alcein Mendoza, Jose Bravo and Quentin Skinner had second-place finishes, and Dylan Bozoian placed fourth.

http://www.gwinnettprepsports.com/schools/buford/buford-rolls-to-area--aaaaa-wrestling-title/article_fb610c4e-04a0-11e8-9c0a-17b7e655e156.html

Sommers · January 30, 2018

Pairings For State Duals Wrestling Announced

Action Begins Friday Afternoon In Franklin

Monday, January 29, 2018 - by John Hunt

The pairings have been announced for the 2018 State Duals wrestling tournament, which begins Friday afternoon at the spacious Williamson County Agricultural Exposition in Franklin.

Six teams from the Chattanooga will be battling for top honors. Cleveland and Soddy Daisy are among the 16 AAA teams while Signal Mountain and Hixson are among eight A-AA teams battling for first place. McCallie and Baylor are the two entries in the Division II contest.

All of Friday's first-round winners will wrestle a second match later in the day while Friday's losers return for consolation matches first thing Saturday morning.The AAA teams hit the mats first with top-ranked Cleveland battling Centennial and Soddy Daisy facing Brentwood. The Cleveland-Centennial winner would face the winner of William Blount and Wilson Central while the Soddy Daisy-Brentwood victor would tackle the Houston-Heritage winner.

Signal Mountain takes on Greeneville in the first A-AA match with the winner taking on the winner between Nolensville and Fairview. Hixson faces Gibbs with that winner advancing to a semifinal match with the winner between Alcoa and Greenbrier.

Then in Division II, McCallie will face Brentwood Academy with the winner facing the winner of Christian Brothes and Knoxville Grace. Baylor has MUS in its first match with the winner advancing to face the Father Ryan-MBA winner.

Two of the three defending champions didn't even make the field this year, including Bradley in AAA and Pigeon Forge in A-AA.

Cleveland was runner-up to Bradley last year in AAA while Greeneville was second to Pigeon Forge in A-AA. Father Ryan beat McCallie for the D-II title a year ago while Christian Brothers beat Baylor for third place.

All of the championship matches for all divisions are set for 5:30 (CST) on Saturday.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com

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WRESTLING -- WC wins Region 6 title

TOMMY BRYAN
- Jan 30, 2018 Updated 4 hrs ago

2018 Region 6 Duals Champs Wilson Central

WC's 285-pounder Michael Kramer

Tommy Bryan

Wildcats open in state duals Friday -

A young team by any standard, Wilson Central earned a sixth consecutive Region 6 Dual Championship Thursday, Jan. 25 by sweeping a pair of matches on their home floor.

Sporting a starting lineup that includes five ninth graders and two sophomores, the Wildcats dusted Clarksville High 48-24 in the semifinals, then handled Beech 57-20 in the finals.Now an impressive 39-5 on the season Coach John Kramer's squad advances to the TSSAA State Duals Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4 at the Williamson County Expo Center.

Wilson Central will open the 16-team Class AAA tournament versus William Blount High Friday at 3 p.m.

The winner of the Central vs. William Blount match will take on the winner of Cleveland v. Centennial Friday at 7 p.m.

The loser of the WCHS vs. William Blount match will drop to the consolation bracket and will take on the loser of Cleveland and Centennial Saturday at 9 a.m.

Among the teams on Central's side of the bracket are Blackman, Dobyns Bennett, Anderson County and Arlington.

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Jefferson County gets third but some Fine Coverage...

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FEATURED

Wrestling: Patriots third at Region 1-AAA Duals

By Dave Gentry — Sports Editor
Jan 30, 2018 Updated 7 hrs ago

Jefferson County High senior wrestler Drew Bailey takes down his opponent during the Patriots’ Region 1-AAA consolation match against David Crockett on Thursday night at the Patriot Academy. Bailey pinned Crockett’s Justin Henley at the 4:48 mark of their 152-pound match and the Patriots went on to win the team match by a score of 66-18 to clinch third place in the region.

JEFFERSON CITY — After defeating Dobyns-Bennett High School earlier in the season, the Patriots were unable to repeat the feat last Thursday night in the Region 1-AAA semifinals held at the Patriot Academy.

Jefferson County spotted the Tribe a 24-0 lead, and despite having some of their stronger wrestlers still left in contention, the Patriots were unable to claw back into the match, falling by a 46-25 margin.

Dobyns-Bennett went on to lose to Science Hill in the Region Championship match. However, both the Indians and Hilltoppers earned State Duals berths for advancing to the finals.

The Patriots were able to bounce back from the semifinal loss to soundly defeat David Crockett 66-18 in the Region Consolation match and earn a third place team finish.

Jefferson County’s wrestling team also honored seven members of its team prior to the duals. Despite losing the region semifinal, Patriot head coach Logan Hollingshead was proud of his team for showing up to defeat Crockett in the second match.

“We had some seniors come in and give themselves something they’ll never forget for the rest of their lives. We got to go out on a positive note, which is always good heading into our individual region tournament,” Hollingshead said.

D-B 46 | JCHS 25

The Patriots lost a few unexpected matches early and before they knew it faced a 24-0 deficit to the Dobyns-Bennett Indians in the semifinals.

“We had a few things that didn’t go our way that we thought should have. We had some adversity and didn’t handle it well,” Hollingshead said of the semifinal match. “We started out losing the heavyweight match and then it kind of snowballed and we lost a couple of matches that we won last time. We just never did make up for it.”

Dobyns-Bennett struck first in the opening match, as the Tribes’ 285-pounder Brenton Salyers outlasted Taylor Thomas in the heavyweight bout to earn a 3-0 decision win. Jefferson County didn’t have a 106-pound wrestler, forfeiting the match to give D-B a 9-0 lead.

Continuing the trend, Gabe Hawkins picked up a win by fall over Jefferson County 113-pounder Guillermo Rodriguez to extend the Tribe’s lead to 15-0.

At 120 pounds, Corbin Bumgarner pinned Jefferson County’s Jaycee Reff to further extend the Tribe lead before 126-pounder Jackson Hurst earned a 4-1 decision over Jefferson County’s Landon Fisher to complete the 24-0 start.

“You’re looking at what’s left and you know that you should be okay, but for a 15 or 16-year-old kid looking up and seeing that and not understanding, it’s tough,” Hollingshead said. “That 24 to nothing built up pretty quick and next thing we know, we’ve got some young guys looking up there like ‘this isn’t how it was last time.’”

Patriot 132-pounder Logan Fisher corrected the downhill slide with a 7-2 decision over D-B’s Caleb Fields. Then, JCHS senior Cody Harris won his 138-pound match against Shane Lemons to give Jefferson County four more points, 24-7.

At 145 pounds, D-B’s Tre Morrisette picked up a major decision over Cameron Evon, 14-3, and then Dillon Lemons won the 152-pound matchup over Jefferson County’s Lane Weatherford by fall to put the Tribe up 34-7.

At this point, Jefferson County would have needed to win the remaining five matches to come from behind and beat D-B. However, the Tribe sealed the match victory at 160 pounds, as Clinton Morissette defeated Kaden Worley by fall to make it 40-7.

The Patriots won three out of the last four matches by fall, but the effort came just a little too late.

At 170 pounds, Patriot senior Aaron Lawson dominated D-B’s Mason Bumgarner to win by fall. Patriot 182-pounder Hunter Bryant earned a win by pin over the Tribe’s Matthew Malone. The Tribe picked up their last victory in the 195-pound match as Carson Harris topped Samuel Douglas by fall.

Patriot senior 220-pounder C.J. Pinkston closed out the semifinal with a pin over Dobyns-Bennett’s Randall Whisman to complete the 46-25 final score.

JCHS 66 | Crockett 18

Jefferson County allowed Crockett to win just two contested weight classes in the Region 1-AAA Consolation match, as the Patriots earned a 66-18 rout of the Pioneers.

The two teams traded a pair of forfeits at 106 and 113 before Jefferson County won four straight matches by pin to jump ahead 30-6.

Jaycee Reff pinned Isaac Osborne at 120 pounds, before Landon and Logan Fisher each won their matches in the 126 and 132-pound weight classes.

Finally, Cody Harris earned a win by pin over Joshua Goulds in the 138 division to complete the five-win streak.

Crockett picked up its first contested win in the 145-pound division where Gavin Russell topped senior Timothy Johnson by fall at the 2:30 mark despite Johnson battling through several nearfall situations.

Up next, Drew Bailey started another Patriot win streak with a pin over Crockett’s Justin Henley at the 4:48 mark. Then Kaden Worley and Aaron Lawson each earned pins in their respective matches at 160 and 172 pounds. Lawson’s win took just 14 seconds as he made quick work of Crockett’s Caleb Bowman. The Pioneers earned their final points in the 182-pound class as Jacob Bowman defeated Samuel Douglas by fall. Jefferson County closed the consolation with three straight wins by fall from Hunter Bryant, C.J. Pinkston and Taylor Thomas.

Bryant topped Zane Gray in the 195 division, Pinkston pinned Damian Vance at 220 pounds, and Thomas took down Tony Davis in the heavyweight bout to close the victory.

Hollingshead was upbeat about his team’s win and especially his 2018 senior class.

“They’re phenomal kids. It’s been great watching them grow and mature over the last four years. All the work and dedication they’ve put into it — the heartbreak, the sacrifices,” he said. “My goal, whether they are on the state medal podium or not, is that they have a heart of a champion and just hopefully learn how to become a good man.”

The Patriots have two weeks to prepare for the Region 1-AAA Individual Tournament, which is slated for February 9-10. There, wrestlers will attempt to individually qualify in their respective weight classes for the state tournament.

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

No Surprises

Up

in KY....

► The St. Xavier and Union County wrestling teams won titles Saturday at the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association’s State Duals at Lindsey Wilson College.

St. X beat Oldham County 34-21 to win the Large School Division. Union County defeated Walton-Verona 39-28 for the Small School Division title.

Edited January 31, 2018 by Sommers

Sommers · February 1, 2018

Top-ranked Raiders ready for state

TOP-RANKED Cleveland High is riding high heading into the TSSAA State Duals this weekend. The Blue Raiders of head coach Joey Knox (far left) drew Centennial as their opening round opponent in the two-day event.

BANNER FILE PHOTO, JOE CANNON

Buy this photo

Posted Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:04 am

By PATRICK MacCOON

The fearless boys of winter are ready to take to the grand stage, as the TSSAA Class AAA State Dual Wrestling Championship will take place this Friday and Saturday.

For the fate of Bradley County successfully landing a "six-peat" of gold at the Williamson County Expo Center, it will be up to the uber-dominant and top-ranked Cleveland Blue Raiders.

While it was Bradley Central which had won the past two state duals titles following a Cleveland three-peat (2013-15), head coach Joey Knox’s explosive, technical and all-around team has undeniably the best championship odds of any in the final field of 16 this time around.

A chance to build to a wrestling powerhouse’s championship total of 12 is very much at hand.

The "Boys in Blue" have knocked around their opponents on the mats this season to the tune of a 30-1 duals record, which includes a 21-0 mark against in-state competition.

The fight for the golden treasure will begin Friday at 4 p.m. when Cleveland opening round opponent is Centennial (28-8), which will be wrestling in front of its home fans in Franklin.

The Cougars are led by 126-pound junior Stephen McCullough (40-9 record) and 220-pound senior Noah Schwartz (32-8).

The odds seem to point in the Blue Raiders' favor still, as they are 9-0 collectively against opponents in the Class AAA state championship field, with a 455-110 points advantage over those victories.

With a state-high 10 ranked wrestlers, a major target will be on Cleveland’s back as the heavy favorites.

A state quarterfinals showdown with third-ranked Wilson Central (26-4) is expected, which would conclude Friday’s action which starts at 8 p.m.

The Blue Raiders defeated Wilson Central, 55-21, on their way to a Smoky Mountain Duals championship over Christmas Break.

Hoping the flu bug has passed, Knox’s team has proved dominant when at full force against the best from all levels in the state.

After all, on the way to a repeat as Cleveland Duals champions they dealt second- and third-ranked Christian Brothers (47-10) and McCallie (42-23) two of their worst losses of the season.

The Purple Wave and Blue Tornado have 11 state-ranked wrestlers each, with four and five respectively at the top of their weight classes. They are the favorites to battle for the Division 2 state title.

The Class AAA state semifinals will take place Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.

If still alive, the Blue Raiders would face whoever survives the field of No. 10 Blackman, Dobyns-Bennett, Anderson County or No. 5 Arlington.

Wrestling round-by-round will be key, but a state championship finale possibility of Cleveland and No. 2 Science Hill (29-4) is up for play.

The championship bout will begin at 6:30 Saturday evening.

Others on the Hilltoppers side of the bracket are No. 7 Soddy-Daisy and No. 8 Brentwood, which will face off in the opening round, along with Houston/No. 9 Heritage, No. 6 Halls/Beech and their first opponent Oakland.

While the Blue Raiders topped one of Georgia’s longest continuous state champions in Jefferson (17 straight duals championship), 36-30, the Peach State squad beat Science Hill 48-25 in the Smoky Mountain Duals.

With a senior class of six wrestlers, of which four are regular starters, Cleveland is eager to leave no doubt behind and prove to be in a league of its own.

IN AGATE FORM

Projected Starting Lineup

Weight; Wrestler (Record);

State; Rank

106;Trae McDaniel (33-4); No. 2

113;Jackson Bradford (25-2); No. 2

120;Burns Meagher (23-15);--

126;Bryce Pond (26-3); No. 4

132;Jayce Mullin (28-6); No. 4

138;Logan Whiteside (23-5); No. 5

145;Cody Mathews (29-5); No. 4

152;Austin Sweeney (22-2); No. 5

160;Zach Brezna (23-6);--

170;Dylan Jones (17-3); No. 5

182;Jack Hicks (26-3);, No. 3

195;Logan Strickland (18-11);--

220;Wilson Benefield (21-8);--

285;Titus Swafford (24-4); No. 2

Top Subs: Cael Laxton 17-3, Garrett Stevenson 12-3, Jacob Applegate 9-0, Seth Eachus 13-5.

_________________________________________

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Wrestling: Patriots third at Region 1-AAA Duals

By Dave Gentry — Sports Editor
Jan 30, 2018 Updated Jan 30, 2018

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