Wrestling Updates and Tidbits...

[Sommers]

• •  

 

Photo Credit:

Scottie Boykin, Hunter Gamble, Kyle Ruschell and Nick Brascetta.

Ruschell Announces UTC Wrestling Coaching Staff

Sep. 21, 2018 Wrestling

New University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Kyle Ruschell officially announced his staff for the 2018-19 season today.  These changes have been in place since he was hired on Aug. 10, and include familiar faces. 

Former All-American Nick Brascetta is elevated to the top assistant position, while Hunter Gamble moves from volunteer to full-time assistant coach.  Former Southern Conference Champion and UTC alum Scottie Boykin joins the group as the volunteer coach.  All three are currently pursuing Master's degrees at UTC.

"I am very excited about this group," stated Ruschell.  "They all have a passion for wrestling and you can tell they all care about our student-athletes. 

"We have been working hard over the last month to prepare for the upcoming season, and it is evident that they have the knowledge and skills to help continue to winning tradition of our program."

Brascetta is a 2016 graduate of Virginia Tech and is entering his third year with the Mocs.  He came to Chattanooga as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development and was elevated to assistant coach last season. 

"Nick and I hit it off from the beginning," stated Ruschell.  He has a great reputation as a wrestler and is growing his resume as a coach.  He has a strong attention to detail on the administrative side of things and will be a tremendous asset to me for years to come."

Gamble is in his second year at Chattanooga after a standout career at Gardner-Webb.  He spent last season as the volunteer assistant.  Gamble was the 2013 SoCon Champion at 174 pounds and was an All-SoCon pick and two-time finalist in his other three years with the Bulldogs.

"Hunter is great for our guys in the room," added Ruschell.  "He was a tremendous Southern Conference wrestling and brings a championship mentality to every workout."

Boykin was a two-time SoCon Champion during his UTC career (2014-18), making three appearances at the NCAA Championships.  He graduated with a degree in Sport Administration in 2017 and was a Dean's List honoree throughout his career.

"I am excited to have the opportunity to keep Scottie around," said Ruschell.  "The guys have a tremendous amount of respect for him and he can help set the tone for success, both on and off the mat."

The Mocs open the 2018-19 season with the Blue-Gold Match at the First Tennessee Pavilion prior to the Homecoming football game against VMI on Oct. 27.  The first home dual is against North Carolina on Nov. 11.  Season tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com through the "Tickets" tab at the top of the page. 

[sideliner1]

On ‎9‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 11:44 PM, Sommers said:

• •  

 

Photo Credit:

Scottie Boykin, Hunter Gamble, Kyle Ruschell and Nick Brascetta.

Ruschell Announces UTC Wrestling Coaching Staff

Sep. 21, 2018 Wrestling

New University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Kyle Ruschell officially announced his staff for the 2018-19 season today.  These changes have been in place since he was hired on Aug. 10, and include familiar faces. 

Former All-American Nick Brascetta is elevated to the top assistant position, while Hunter Gamble moves from volunteer to full-time assistant coach.  Former Southern Conference Champion and UTC alum Scottie Boykin joins the group as the volunteer coach.  All three are currently pursuing Master's degrees at UTC.

"I am very excited about this group," stated Ruschell.  "They all have a passion for wrestling and you can tell they all care about our student-athletes. 

"We have been working hard over the last month to prepare for the upcoming season, and it is evident that they have the knowledge and skills to help continue to winning tradition of our program."

Brascetta is a 2016 graduate of Virginia Tech and is entering his third year with the Mocs.  He came to Chattanooga as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development and was elevated to assistant coach last season. 

"Nick and I hit it off from the beginning," stated Ruschell.  He has a great reputation as a wrestler and is growing his resume as a coach.  He has a strong attention to detail on the administrative side of things and will be a tremendous asset to me for years to come."

Gamble is in his second year at Chattanooga after a standout career at Gardner-Webb.  He spent last season as the volunteer assistant.  Gamble was the 2013 SoCon Champion at 174 pounds and was an All-SoCon pick and two-time finalist in his other three years with the Bulldogs.

"Hunter is great for our guys in the room," added Ruschell.  "He was a tremendous Southern Conference wrestling and brings a championship mentality to every workout."

Boykin was a two-time SoCon Champion during his UTC career (2014-18), making three appearances at the NCAA Championships.  He graduated with a degree in Sport Administration in 2017 and was a Dean's List honoree throughout his career.

"I am excited to have the opportunity to keep Scottie around," said Ruschell.  "The guys have a tremendous amount of respect for him and he can help set the tone for success, both on and off the mat."

The Mocs open the 2018-19 season with the Blue-Gold Match at the First Tennessee Pavilion prior to the Homecoming football game against VMI on Oct. 27.  The first home dual is against North Carolina on Nov. 11.  Season tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com through the "Tickets" tab at the top of the page. 

Loved to Boykin wrestle! 

[cbg]

Sorry to see that Ethan Reeve is no longer with the UTC program.  

[THEANIMAL]

HE IS TILL WORKING WITH THEM AS A VOLUNTEER. 

 

THE ANIMAL

[RMC]

Buford senior Logan Ashton to wrestle for Stanford University

• From Staff Reports

  sports@gwinnettdailypost.com

 

Buford senior Logan Ashton has accepted a scholarship offer from the Stanford University wrestling program.

Ashton, a three-time state finalist, has one state championship and a 137-11 record in his high school career. He is a two-time National High School Coaches Association All-American, as well as a Flo Nationals All-American and a champion at the Kansas City Stampede.

Ashton, projected as a 125-pounder at Stanford, also maintains a 3.9 GPA. He is the son of Eric and Caroline Ashton.

Edited October 12, 2018 by RMC
correct layout

[Sommers]

There's something like four or five Tennessee wrestlers (and others many of you may know) mentioned in this FALL CLASSIC MI High School Elite Division article posted nationally....

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

Grappler Fall Classic Elite Division Preview

 

ByEarl Smith

Posted on 10/11/2018

photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com

by – MI Grappler

It is the 9th year of the Grappler Fall Classic with the largest field in event history featuring over 1000 wrestlers coming from 17 different states as well as Canada to #GETSOME.

The event goes down on Saturday, starting at 8:00am in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University’s Jenison Fieldhouse. The highlight of the tournament is definitely High School Elite Division, which features 160+ all-state wrestlers from across the country including 15 wrestlers currently ranked nationally in their weight class by FloWrestling and/or TheOpenMat.Top 10 nationally ranked wrestlers to watch include #1 ranked Alex Facundo of Davison, MI fresh off his impressive win at FloWrestling’s Whos #1 event last weekend. Facundo is the #1 pound for pound sophomore in the country and a returning GFC Champion.#3 ranked Purdue commit Travis Ford-Melton of Illinois, #4 ranked Nebraska commit Kevon Davenport of Michigan, #8 ranked Fargo Champ Josh Edmond of Michigan, and #13 ranked returning GFC Champ Nic Bouzakis of Florida are other big names to watch this weekend in East Lansing.

ELITE DIVISION WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT PREVIEW

98lbs

Wrestlers to Watch – Carson Laughery (Texas), Sam Goin (Indiana), Dylan Gilcher (Michigan)
Breakdown – The lightest weight offers an early look at up and coming talent. Laughery, a returning 106lb state qualifier in Texas, is the only entry with major high school accolades but Goin, Gilcher, and others come in with some major youth accomplishments on their resume.

105lbs

State Champions – Sean Spidle (Michigan), Danny Nini (Florida)
Others to Watch – Casey Swiderski (Michigan), Stephen Roberson (Illinois), Kamariyon Nelson (Indiana), Nolan Gessler (Ohio), Kai Owen (Florida)
Breakdown – Spidle is a 2x state champ, most recently up at 112 last year, so he has to be the favorite. However, guys like Swiderski, Roberson, Gessler, Luna, and Owen come in with major national wins under their belt. Swiderski and Owen were freestyle All-Americans in Fargo last year. Gessler from St Paris Graham is a former GFC Middle School Champ, and Ninni is a Florida State champ pre-seeded 8th in this deep weight.

112lbs

State Champions – Riley Bettich (Indiana), Blake Jackson (Nebraska), Trey Bates (Tennessee), Chase Ayers (Florida)
Others to Watch – Brenden Ferretti (Michigan), Ashton Anderson (Michigan), Joe Haynes (Michigan), Pacey Najdusak (Ohio)
Breakdown – Bettich and Ferretti have made GFC finals appearance in the past and look to win a title this time around. Bates was extremely impressive in Tennessee last year going undefeated en route to a state title. Jackson was 4th at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals last year, and this weight has good depth with 12 returning all-staters in all.

119lbs

State Champions – Nic Bouzakis (Florida), Corey Gamet (Michigan), Connor Williams (Florida)
Others to Watch – Tristan Lujan (California), Jayden Gomez (California), Jake Wolhtman (Florida), Andrew Hughes (Michigan), Jaekus Hines (Florida), Charles Huffman (Florida)
Breakdown – Bouzakis and Gamet are both nationally ranked and the class of this weight. Bouzakis won this tournament last year and is a fun young guy to watch while Gamet, a former Fargo Freestyle Champ, just committed to North Dakota State. Lujan and Gomez are both top 5 in the state in California while Wolhtman, Hines, Huffman, and Williams are all state finalists in the Sunshine State. Hughes has been top 4 in Michigan’s big school division twice. 17 total all-staters to be aware of this weight class!

125lbs

State Champions – Thomas Deck (Kentucky), Noah Gochberg (Texas), Ethan Turner (Ohio), TJ Daugherty (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Travis Ford-Melton (Illinois), Jesse Mendez (Indiana), Brayden Littell (Indiana), Jake Canitano (Ohio), Jordan Strimska (Texas), Logan Heil (Ohio)
Breakdown – This weight is extremely deep with over 20 returning all-state guys. Ford-Melton is the biggest name, ranked #3 in the country, and a recent Purdue commit. Mendez is one of the best incoming freshman in the country and one to keep an eye on. Littell and Gochberg have both placed in Cadet Freestyle in Fargo and Ohio state placers Canitano and Heil are not to be forgotten.

130lbs

State Champions – Bretli Reyna (Florida), Jordan Hamdan (Michigan), Brayden Palmer (Tennessee), Chris Rivera (Florida), Noah Horst (Tennessee), Vincent Mannella (Georgia)
Others to watch – Henry Porter (California), Logan Bailey (Indiana), Sammy Spencer (Illinois), Josh Barr (Michigan)
Breakdown – One of the marquee weights in the tournament with 6 state champs including 3x champ Hamdan and 2x champs Reyna, Horst, and Mannella. Reyna, #17 in the country, is the only currently ranked nationally, however many others right on the outside looking in and ready to break into the top 20. Porter and Bailey were 2nd and 3rd in the state in the always tough one-division formats of California and Indiana state tournaments. 7 guys in this weight who’ve placed in Fargo or NHSCA Nationals in their career, Josh Barr is one of the best 8th graders in the country so keep an eye on him, and Sammy Spencer was 5th in IL last year and took 3rd at the Dvorak.

135lbs

State Champions – Malyke Hines (Florida), Frankie Tal-Shahar (Florida), Josh Edmond (Michigan), Justin Rivera (Florida)
Others to watch – Shannon Hanna (Florida), Kyle Kantola (Michigan), Jared Riggins (Michigan), Matt Gimson (Indiana), Dom Lomazzo (Michigan)
Breakdown – The toughest weight in terms of national rankings with 3 Top 16 guys on the bracket. Edmond is #8 nationally after a very impressive run in Fargo winning the Cadet Freestyle title with relative ease. Hines is a returning champ and Lehigh commit along with nationally ranked Florida champs Tal-Shahar and Rivera. Tal-Shahar was a UWW Cadet Freestyle Runner-Up last spring. Kantola, Riggins, Hanna, and Hernandez are all state finalists, and Lomazzo is a very accomplished sophomore from Detroit Catholic Central. 22 returning state medallists in this weight!

140lbs

State Champions – Cayden Rooks (Indiana), Skyler Crespo (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Chase Saldate (California), Noah Castillo (Florida), Alex Martin (Ohio), Gentry Deck (Kentucky), Chase Warden (Texas)
Breakdown – Only 2 state champs here is deceiving as Saldate and Castillo are both ranked nationally with some major national accomplishments. Crespo is a 2x champ from Michigan and Deck is a returning GFC Champ. Martin is another work-horse stud from St Paris Graham who was state runner-up as a freshman and placed at the Ironman and Warden was a double All-American in Fargo.

145lbs

State Champions – James Whitaker (Michigan), Derek Gilcher (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Manzona Bryant (Indiana), Avry Mutschler (Michigan), Ben Durocher (Wisconsin), Matthew Grant (Michigan), Micah Wiginton (Texas), Aaron Lofton (Texas)
Breakdown – Whitaker exploded nationally last year as a junior, starting with this tournament where he won the GFC 140lb title. He went on to place at Super 32 and won FloNationals and is now ranked #15 in the country and committed to the University of Virginia. Gilcher was impressive last year winning the big school division state title in Michigan and Mutschler, committed to Kent State, has been good throughout his career with Folkstyle Nationals and FloNational All-American honors on his resume. Bryant is a phenom in Indiana placing as a freshman and sophomore and will be one to watch in this weight for sure. Wigington and Lofton are state finalist Texans to watch here as well as Grant, a Michigan, state runner-up.

152lbs

State Champions – Kevon Davenport (Michigan), Austin Wolford (Michigan)
Others to watch – Bailey Flanagan (Florida), Caleb Fish (Michigan), Victor Schoenner (Michigan), Kevin Contos (Ohio), Noah Ewen (Ohio), Manny Rojas (Michigan), Daniel Vizcarra (California), Christian Killion (Michigan), Darian Estevez (Florida)
Breakdown – Davenport is the heavy favorite – he is 3x state champ ranked 4th nationally committed to Nebraska who has done it all nationally including a GFC title here two years ago. The rest of the field is deep with 16 other state placers from various states. Flanagan, Vizcarra, Ewen, and Rojas have placed at Fargo or NHSCAs. Fish, Estevez, Killion, and Schoenherr were all state finalists last year.

160lbs

State Champions – Alex Facundo (Michigan), Nick South (Indiana), Alec Rees (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Ben Pasiuk (Ohio), Jack Chesman (New York), Kyle Mosher (New York), Elliot Rodgers (Indiana), David Ferrante (Illinois), Nathan Villareal (California)
Breakdown – Facundo is as hot as anyone in the country right now after taking the #1 ranking at this weight over last weekend at Whos Number 1. He will be tested though with Indiana State Champ South, Michigan champ Rees, and NHSCA All-Americans Chesman, Mosher, and Villareal to name a few. Rodgers is a state runner-up in one-division Indiana and Ferrante was 3rd in Cadet Freestyle in Fargo two summers ago. The tournament pre-seeds have at least 5 un-seeded state placers getting drawn in, so a fun bracket to watch from the beginning.

171lbs

State Champions – Kai Bele (Florida), Alex Cramer (Illinois), Ashton Habeil (Florida)
Others to Watch – River Shettler (Michigan), Gabe Martinez (California), Graham Calhoun (Indiana), Aiden Cramer (Illinois), Colin Jagielski (Michigan), Jimmy Colley (Michigan)
Breakdown – Bele, Alex Cramer, and Martinez are all ranked nationally. Bele recently committed to NC State as a junior and Cramer is an Old Dominion commit, they are the favorites to meet in the finals but will have a very deep field of battle-tested hammers to get through. 2x FL champ Habeil was NHSCA runner-up last year, California runner-up Martinez is ranked nationally by TheOpenMat and Michigan runner-up Shettler knocked off Martinez over the summer. Some other nationally proven guys include NHSCA champ Calhoun, Cadet Greco Champ Aiden Cramer, Double Cadet All American Jagielski, and Cadet Folkstyle All American Colley. This is as deep a 171lb bracket as you will find amongst pre-season national tournaments.

189lbs

State Champions – Logan Andrew (Florida), Ethan Weatherspoon (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Nick Benton (Florida), Cal Stefanko (Michigan), David Harper (Tennessee), Jose Valdez (Florida)
Breakdown – Andrew is the most proven, a returning state champ who placed here last year. Harper is one of the top P4P frosh in the country after placing in Fargo last summer he is a freak for his age, and this will be a good look at him against top-tier high school competition. Weatherspoon is an MI state champ looking to make a splash nationally here. Stefanko and Valdez are state finalists to watch, and Benton was 3rd in the state after 5th at GFC last year.

215lbs

Wrestlers to Watch – Ryan Reyes (California), Brent Paulus (Ohio), Cody Goodman (Illinois), Honour Kline (Michigan), Taye Ghadiali (Michigan), Hunter McCall (Michigan)
Breakdown – Reyes comes in highly touted from California after placing 3rd in state and winning the Freshman and Sophomore NHSCA Nationals the last two years. Paulus has placed in Fargo in both styles and Goodman was also an NHSCA Sophomore champ last year. Ghadiali, Kline, and McCall round out the returning state placers in the weight.

285lbs

Wrestlers to Watch – Nick Villareal (California), Blake Coffell (Michigan), Tyler DeLoof (Michigan), Alex Coleman (Ohio), Blake Querio (Michigan), Blake Wingate (Michigan), Brian Soto (Michigan)
Breakdown – While heavyweight is traditionally a smaller bracket, this weight has some proven big men vying for the title. Villareal was 6th in Cali last year and won the NHSCA Freshman Nationals – he is ranked nationally and the guy to beat. Coffell won this tournament last year and recently committed to Lake Erie. Deloof has performed well at many national events, and Coleman placed in both styles as a Cadet in Fargo including a Greco title. Wingate is a returning big school state runner-up in Michigan and Querio is also a Michigan state placer.

https://news.theopenmat.com/high-school-wrestling/grappler-fall-classic-elite-division-preview/69834

[Sommers]

There's something like four or five Tennessee wrestlers (and others many of you may know) mentioned in this FALL CLASSIC MI High School Elite Division article posted nationally....

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

Grappler Fall Classic Elite Division Preview

 

ByEarl Smith

Posted on 10/11/2018

photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com

by – MI Grappler

It is the 9th year of the Grappler Fall Classic with the largest field in event history featuring over 1000 wrestlers coming from 17 different states as well as Canada to #GETSOME.

The event goes down on Saturday, starting at 8:00am in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University’s Jenison Fieldhouse. The highlight of the tournament is definitely High School Elite Division, which features 160+ all-state wrestlers from across the country including 15 wrestlers currently ranked nationally in their weight class by FloWrestling and/or TheOpenMat.Top 10 nationally ranked wrestlers to watch include #1 ranked Alex Facundo of Davison, MI fresh off his impressive win at FloWrestling’s Whos #1 event last weekend. Facundo is the #1 pound for pound sophomore in the country and a returning GFC Champion.#3 ranked Purdue commit Travis Ford-Melton of Illinois, #4 ranked Nebraska commit Kevon Davenport of Michigan, #8 ranked Fargo Champ Josh Edmond of Michigan, and #13 ranked returning GFC Champ Nic Bouzakis of Florida are other big names to watch this weekend in East Lansing.

ELITE DIVISION WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT PREVIEW

98lbs

Wrestlers to Watch – Carson Laughery (Texas), Sam Goin (Indiana), Dylan Gilcher (Michigan)
Breakdown – The lightest weight offers an early look at up and coming talent. Laughery, a returning 106lb state qualifier in Texas, is the only entry with major high school accolades but Goin, Gilcher, and others come in with some major youth accomplishments on their resume.

105lbs

State Champions – Sean Spidle (Michigan), Danny Nini (Florida)
Others to Watch – Casey Swiderski (Michigan), Stephen Roberson (Illinois), Kamariyon Nelson (Indiana), Nolan Gessler (Ohio), Kai Owen (Florida)
Breakdown – Spidle is a 2x state champ, most recently up at 112 last year, so he has to be the favorite. However, guys like Swiderski, Roberson, Gessler, Luna, and Owen come in with major national wins under their belt. Swiderski and Owen were freestyle All-Americans in Fargo last year. Gessler from St Paris Graham is a former GFC Middle School Champ, and Ninni is a Florida State champ pre-seeded 8th in this deep weight.

112lbs

State Champions – Riley Bettich (Indiana), Blake Jackson (Nebraska), Trey Bates (Tennessee), Chase Ayers (Florida)
Others to Watch – Brenden Ferretti (Michigan), Ashton Anderson (Michigan), Joe Haynes (Michigan), Pacey Najdusak (Ohio)
Breakdown – Bettich and Ferretti have made GFC finals appearance in the past and look to win a title this time around. Bates was extremely impressive in Tennessee last year going undefeated en route to a state title. Jackson was 4th at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals last year, and this weight has good depth with 12 returning all-staters in all.

119lbs

State Champions – Nic Bouzakis (Florida), Corey Gamet (Michigan), Connor Williams (Florida)
Others to Watch – Tristan Lujan (California), Jayden Gomez (California), Jake Wolhtman (Florida), Andrew Hughes (Michigan), Jaekus Hines (Florida), Charles Huffman (Florida)
Breakdown – Bouzakis and Gamet are both nationally ranked and the class of this weight. Bouzakis won this tournament last year and is a fun young guy to watch while Gamet, a former Fargo Freestyle Champ, just committed to North Dakota State. Lujan and Gomez are both top 5 in the state in California while Wolhtman, Hines, Huffman, and Williams are all state finalists in the Sunshine State. Hughes has been top 4 in Michigan’s big school division twice. 17 total all-staters to be aware of this weight class!

125lbs

State Champions – Thomas Deck (Kentucky), Noah Gochberg (Texas), Ethan Turner (Ohio), TJ Daugherty (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Travis Ford-Melton (Illinois), Jesse Mendez (Indiana), Brayden Littell (Indiana), Jake Canitano (Ohio), Jordan Strimska (Texas), Logan Heil (Ohio)
Breakdown – This weight is extremely deep with over 20 returning all-state guys. Ford-Melton is the biggest name, ranked #3 in the country, and a recent Purdue commit. Mendez is one of the best incoming freshman in the country and one to keep an eye on. Littell and Gochberg have both placed in Cadet Freestyle in Fargo and Ohio state placers Canitano and Heil are not to be forgotten.

130lbs

State Champions – Bretli Reyna (Florida), Jordan Hamdan (Michigan), Brayden Palmer (Tennessee), Chris Rivera (Florida), Noah Horst (Tennessee), Vincent Mannella (Georgia)
Others to watch – Henry Porter (California), Logan Bailey (Indiana), Sammy Spencer (Illinois), Josh Barr (Michigan)
Breakdown – One of the marquee weights in the tournament with 6 state champs including 3x champ Hamdan and 2x champs Reyna, Horst, and Mannella. Reyna, #17 in the country, is the only currently ranked nationally, however many others right on the outside looking in and ready to break into the top 20. Porter and Bailey were 2nd and 3rd in the state in the always tough one-division formats of California and Indiana state tournaments. 7 guys in this weight who’ve placed in Fargo or NHSCA Nationals in their career, Josh Barr is one of the best 8th graders in the country so keep an eye on him, and Sammy Spencer was 5th in IL last year and took 3rd at the Dvorak.

135lbs

State Champions – Malyke Hines (Florida), Frankie Tal-Shahar (Florida), Josh Edmond (Michigan), Justin Rivera (Florida)
Others to watch – Shannon Hanna (Florida), Kyle Kantola (Michigan), Jared Riggins (Michigan), Matt Gimson (Indiana), Dom Lomazzo (Michigan)
Breakdown – The toughest weight in terms of national rankings with 3 Top 16 guys on the bracket. Edmond is #8 nationally after a very impressive run in Fargo winning the Cadet Freestyle title with relative ease. Hines is a returning champ and Lehigh commit along with nationally ranked Florida champs Tal-Shahar and Rivera. Tal-Shahar was a UWW Cadet Freestyle Runner-Up last spring. Kantola, Riggins, Hanna, and Hernandez are all state finalists, and Lomazzo is a very accomplished sophomore from Detroit Catholic Central. 22 returning state medallists in this weight!

140lbs

State Champions – Cayden Rooks (Indiana), Skyler Crespo (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Chase Saldate (California), Noah Castillo (Florida), Alex Martin (Ohio), Gentry Deck (Kentucky), Chase Warden (Texas)
Breakdown – Only 2 state champs here is deceiving as Saldate and Castillo are both ranked nationally with some major national accomplishments. Crespo is a 2x champ from Michigan and Deck is a returning GFC Champ. Martin is another work-horse stud from St Paris Graham who was state runner-up as a freshman and placed at the Ironman and Warden was a double All-American in Fargo.

145lbs

State Champions – James Whitaker (Michigan), Derek Gilcher (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Manzona Bryant (Indiana), Avry Mutschler (Michigan), Ben Durocher (Wisconsin), Matthew Grant (Michigan), Micah Wiginton (Texas), Aaron Lofton (Texas)
Breakdown – Whitaker exploded nationally last year as a junior, starting with this tournament where he won the GFC 140lb title. He went on to place at Super 32 and won FloNationals and is now ranked #15 in the country and committed to the University of Virginia. Gilcher was impressive last year winning the big school division state title in Michigan and Mutschler, committed to Kent State, has been good throughout his career with Folkstyle Nationals and FloNational All-American honors on his resume. Bryant is a phenom in Indiana placing as a freshman and sophomore and will be one to watch in this weight for sure. Wigington and Lofton are state finalist Texans to watch here as well as Grant, a Michigan, state runner-up.

152lbs

State Champions – Kevon Davenport (Michigan), Austin Wolford (Michigan)
Others to watch – Bailey Flanagan (Florida), Caleb Fish (Michigan), Victor Schoenner (Michigan), Kevin Contos (Ohio), Noah Ewen (Ohio), Manny Rojas (Michigan), Daniel Vizcarra (California), Christian Killion (Michigan), Darian Estevez (Florida)
Breakdown – Davenport is the heavy favorite – he is 3x state champ ranked 4th nationally committed to Nebraska who has done it all nationally including a GFC title here two years ago. The rest of the field is deep with 16 other state placers from various states. Flanagan, Vizcarra, Ewen, and Rojas have placed at Fargo or NHSCAs. Fish, Estevez, Killion, and Schoenherr were all state finalists last year.

160lbs

State Champions – Alex Facundo (Michigan), Nick South (Indiana), Alec Rees (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Ben Pasiuk (Ohio), Jack Chesman (New York), Kyle Mosher (New York), Elliot Rodgers (Indiana), David Ferrante (Illinois), Nathan Villareal (California)
Breakdown – Facundo is as hot as anyone in the country right now after taking the #1 ranking at this weight over last weekend at Whos Number 1. He will be tested though with Indiana State Champ South, Michigan champ Rees, and NHSCA All-Americans Chesman, Mosher, and Villareal to name a few. Rodgers is a state runner-up in one-division Indiana and Ferrante was 3rd in Cadet Freestyle in Fargo two summers ago. The tournament pre-seeds have at least 5 un-seeded state placers getting drawn in, so a fun bracket to watch from the beginning.

171lbs

State Champions – Kai Bele (Florida), Alex Cramer (Illinois), Ashton Habeil (Florida)
Others to Watch – River Shettler (Michigan), Gabe Martinez (California), Graham Calhoun (Indiana), Aiden Cramer (Illinois), Colin Jagielski (Michigan), Jimmy Colley (Michigan)
Breakdown – Bele, Alex Cramer, and Martinez are all ranked nationally. Bele recently committed to NC State as a junior and Cramer is an Old Dominion commit, they are the favorites to meet in the finals but will have a very deep field of battle-tested hammers to get through. 2x FL champ Habeil was NHSCA runner-up last year, California runner-up Martinez is ranked nationally by TheOpenMat and Michigan runner-up Shettler knocked off Martinez over the summer. Some other nationally proven guys include NHSCA champ Calhoun, Cadet Greco Champ Aiden Cramer, Double Cadet All American Jagielski, and Cadet Folkstyle All American Colley. This is as deep a 171lb bracket as you will find amongst pre-season national tournaments.

189lbs

State Champions – Logan Andrew (Florida), Ethan Weatherspoon (Michigan)
Others to Watch – Nick Benton (Florida), Cal Stefanko (Michigan), David Harper (Tennessee), Jose Valdez (Florida)
Breakdown – Andrew is the most proven, a returning state champ who placed here last year. Harper is one of the top P4P frosh in the country after placing in Fargo last summer he is a freak for his age, and this will be a good look at him against top-tier high school competition. Weatherspoon is an MI state champ looking to make a splash nationally here. Stefanko and Valdez are state finalists to watch, and Benton was 3rd in the state after 5th at GFC last year.

215lbs

Wrestlers to Watch – Ryan Reyes (California), Brent Paulus (Ohio), Cody Goodman (Illinois), Honour Kline (Michigan), Taye Ghadiali (Michigan), Hunter McCall (Michigan)
Breakdown – Reyes comes in highly touted from California after placing 3rd in state and winning the Freshman and Sophomore NHSCA Nationals the last two years. Paulus has placed in Fargo in both styles and Goodman was also an NHSCA Sophomore champ last year. Ghadiali, Kline, and McCall round out the returning state placers in the weight.

285lbs

Wrestlers to Watch – Nick Villareal (California), Blake Coffell (Michigan), Tyler DeLoof (Michigan), Alex Coleman (Ohio), Blake Querio (Michigan), Blake Wingate (Michigan), Brian Soto (Michigan)
Breakdown – While heavyweight is traditionally a smaller bracket, this weight has some proven big men vying for the title. Villareal was 6th in Cali last year and won the NHSCA Freshman Nationals – he is ranked nationally and the guy to beat. Coffell won this tournament last year and recently committed to Lake Erie. Deloof has performed well at many national events, and Coleman placed in both styles as a Cadet in Fargo including a Greco title. Wingate is a returning big school state runner-up in Michigan and Querio is also a Michigan state placer.

https://news.theopenmat.com/high-school-wrestling/grappler-fall-classic-elite-division-preview/69834

AAA

Posted Friday, November 2, 2018 10:12 am

By PATRICK MacCOON

Since the start of the 21st century there has not been a wrestling season where Bradley Central or Cleveland has not competed in the state duals championship match.

Statewide attention continues for the wrestling powerhouses as the new TSSAA season looms near.

Riding a streak of a six straight state duals championships for Bradley County, a half a dozen local wrestlers were ranked No. 1 in the state in Pin-TN.com's preseason wrestling poll.

The defending state duals and traditional champions from Raider Drive have four wrestlers tabbed as preseason favorites: Tre McDaniel (106), Logan Whiteside (132), Austin Sweeney (152) and Dylan Jones (182).

Cleveland is the nation's 48th-ranked program headed into the 2018-19 season by Wrestling U.S.A. Magazine. They are ranked first in the state Class AAA team rankings by Pin-Tn.com.

With 26 state team titles to its credit, Bradley has a pair of preseason No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Wesley DeVaney (120) and DJ Gibson (195).

The Bears are ranked fifth in the dual team rankings to begin the season.

In total there are nine ranked wrestlers from CHS, four for BC, along with one each from Walker Valley and Polk County.

Other program's listed in Class AAA's top-10 preseason poll include: Wilson Central (2), Brentwood (3), Arlington (4), Centennial (6), Blackman (7), Science Hill (8), Oakland (9) and Clarksville (10). 

Wilson Central put up a strong fight in the state semifinals match last season, when they fell 37-29 to Cleveland, which beat Arlington 41-24 in the state finals.

With this week marking the official start of team practices for the winter sports season, the start to the regular season is just around the corner.

Bradley opens the new campaign at the Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) Duals on Nov. 21, while Cleveland will host a four-way meet with Walker Valley, William Blount and Jefferson County on the same day.

Polk County opens at East Ridge Nov. 20.

 

http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/six-local-wrestlers-tabbed-no-1-in-aaa,89303

[Sommers]

Seaman ready to lead Tiger wrestlers

BY NEIL RYE, Hopkinsville KY, New Era Assistant Sports Editor

Nov 7, 2018

First-year Hopkinsville wrestling coach Scott Seaman has been around the sport of wrestling for 15 years. His older and younger brothers both wrestled as well, making it a rite of passage in the Seaman household.

Seaman first began wrestling at Mt. Juliet Middle School and then Mt. Juliet High School in Tennessee where he went to three regional finals, winning two championships, finishing as the state runner-up twice and was on the 2010 Mt. Juliet High School team that made it to the TSSAA State semifinals.

http://www.kentuckynewera.com/sports/article_02ef5876-e254-11e8-b51e-8358cb8414e1.html

 

[Sommers]

From Chattanoogan...

Chattanooga's Jordan Leen Hall Of Fame Inductee

Former Baylor, Cornell Star One Of Four In Class Of 2019

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - by special to The Chattanoogan.com

Bethlehem, PA – The Hall of Fame Committee of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), college wrestling’s oldest conference, is proud to announce that four new members have been elected for membership into the EIWA Hall of Fame.

Members of the Class of 2019 include James Bennett of Yale University, Mark Kerr of Syracuse University, Jordan Leen of Cornell University and Larry Sheridan of Lehigh University.

The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, immediately preceding the finals of the annual EIWA championships.

 

EIWA Hall of Fame Chairman Jamie Moffatt comments on the new inductees: "The EIWA Hall of Fame Committee has selected four outstanding individuals to be inducted into the 2019 EIWA Hall of Fame.  Each of these inductees have had a tremendous impact on the EIWA.  James Bennett, Mark Kerr and Jordan Leen all won individual NCAA championships as undergraduates and continued to contribute to the sport beyond their college years. Larry Sheridan maintained his life-long close connection to wrestling and the EIWA in various capacities for more than 50 years. We are honored to include these gentlemen into our Hall of Fame.”

 

                                  James Bennett, Yale, Class of 1976

 

Jim Bennett grew up in Corry, Pennsylvania and graduated from Corry Area High School where he competed in cross country, track and field and wrestling, winning three state championships in two different sports. He won two PIAA Class A State Championships in the pole vault and the PIAA State Championship in wrestling.

 

Bennett graduated from Yale University in 1976 with honors in economics and Russian Studies. During his collegiate wrestling career, he amassed a dual meet record of 49 wins and 4 losses. He was named All-Ivy all four of his years at Yale.

 

A two-time EIWA runner-up, Bennett also twice achieved All-American honors. As a junior competing at the NCAA Division I National Championships, he won the NCAA title at 142 pounds. He came from an unseeded position to take home the championship, beating the first seed from Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals, the fifth seed from Purdue in the semifinals, and the third seed from Northwestern in the finals.

 

In 1976, his senior year, Bennett medically defaulted in the EIWA finals to place second. At the NCAAs, he placed fourth in a very tough weight class, coming in behind only Chuck Yagla, Pete Galea and Mark Churella.

 

While studying at Harvard Business School, he was Assistant Coach for the Harvard University Wrestling team. Bennett also trained for the US Olympic team winning the Northeast Regional Olympic Freestyle Trials and finishing in the top eight at the National Trials in 1980. Bennett has been elected to the Corry Sports Hall of Fame, the Erie County Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Hall of Fame.

 

As President of the Yale Wrestling Association he has sought to reinstate Yale varsity wrestling since it was dropped in 1991. He has been actively assisting wrestling programs at the youth, high school, college and national levels through various organizations. Bennett and his wife, Amy, are active in athletic and educational philanthropy through the James and Amy Bennett Foundation. Bennett has been selected as the Team Leader for the USA Women’s National Team for the four-year cycle ending with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

 

After receiving an MBA from Harvard, Bennett began his career in investment banking at Kidder, Peabody. Thereafter, he has worked in the investment business and is the founder and President of Bennett Management.

 

Currently, Bennett resides in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife and their two daughters.

 

                                              Mark Kerr, Syracuse, Class of 1992

 

Syracuse University was known for its NCAA championship ‘big men’ – Art Baker, Jim Nance, Tom Schlendorf – in the collegiate wrestling era of the 1960s. A generation later, Mark Kerr joined that exclusive group.

 

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Kerr played football, baseball, track and wrestling at Toledo Waite high school. He was best at wrestling, winning the Ohio Division 1 state championship at 175 pounds in 1986.

 

Kerr then headed to Syracuse University where he excelled on the mats. Kerr placed second at the EIWA tournament during his freshman year. His sophomore year, Kerr won the 190-pound EIWA title, defeating Lehigh’s future NCAA champion, Matt Ruppel, in the finals.

 

He sat out the following season but came back in 1991 to take home another EIWA title at 190 pounds. Although just a junior, Kerr won the Fletcher Award, presented to the wrestler who has scored the most team points during his EIWA tournament career.

 

Kerr’s senior year was his finest.  He won his third EIWA title at 190 pounds breezing through the tournament by earning bonus points in all his matches. He became just the second wrestler in the history of the EIWA to win the Fletcher Award twice.

 

While shut out at the NCAA tournament during his first three years of qualifying, Kerr dominated the 190-pound NCAA field in 1992 at Oklahoma City. Seeded fourth, Kerr defeated the top-seed, Rex Holman of Ohio State, in the semifinals. He then faced 28-year-old Randy Couture of Oklahoma State, the prior year runner-up, in the finals. Kerr won his NCAA title by recording a 12-4 major decision over the local favorite.

 

Kerr enjoyed a successful Freestyle wrestling career after college. In 1993 and 1994 he was the USA World Team Trials champion. He placed 7th at 220 pounds in the FILA World Championships in 1993 in Toronto. In 1994 Kerr won the USA Senior Freestyle championship at 220 pounds and finished second at the World Cup. He was a silver medalist at the 1995 Pan-American Games.

 

After narrowly missing out on making the 1996 USA Olympic team, Kerr turned his attention to a career in Mixed Martial Arts where he became a two-time UFC heavyweight champion.

 

Kerr resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.

 

                                            Jordan Leen, Cornell, Class of 2009

Jordan Leen is believed to be the first wrestler from the state of Tennessee to be inducted into the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Hall of Fame.

In high school, Leen was four-time state champion at the Baylor School, winning titles in four different weight classes from 2001 to 2004. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament his senior year. Upon graduation, Leen was the all-time winningest wrestler in Tennessee with 214 victories. During his senior year, he was the 130-pound national champion at the National High School Seniors Championships. For his efforts at the nationals, he was featured in Sports Illustrated’s "Faces in the Crowd."

Leen compiled an impressive collegiate record at Cornell University posting a career record of 118 victories against 29 defeats while garnering All-Ivy League First Team honors all four years and NCAA All-American honors in three seasons. A two-time champion, one-time runner-up and one-time third place finisher in the EIWA, Leen qualified four times for the NCAAs. He won the NCAA tournament in 2008, placed third in 2009 and eighth in 2007.

As a junior, Leen entered the NCAA tournament as the eighth seed at 157 pounds.  He caught fire and defeated a returning All-American in the first round, the returning national champion in the quarter-finals and the tournament’s number two seed in the finals to become the NCAA champion. He was named the EIWA Wrestler of the Year for the 2007-08 season

Leen captained Cornell’s EIWA championship teams both his junior and senior seasons. Based on his 3.4 GPA in a pre-med curriculum, he was named to the first team Academic All-American squad on three occasions.

The son of a former college wrestling coach from Oklahoma, Leen’s Hall of Fame career has come full circle, as he now is a college coach himself. He is currently the associate head coach at the University of Pittsburgh after serving as an assistant at Duke University and associate head coach at the University of Virginia.

Leen and his wife, Paige, live in Pittsburgh with their two sons, Judah and Elijah.

 

                                    Larry Sheridan, Lehigh, Class of 1958

 

Larry Sheridan has been around EIWA wrestling for 86 years – his entire lifetime.

 

The son of Billy Sheridan, Lehigh’s iconic Hall of Fame wrestling coach, was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he still resides. As a teen he wrestled for Bethlehem High School (now Liberty High School) and for Mercersburg Academy, winning the National Prep School title at 154 pounds in 1950. He wrestled briefly for Lehigh University, but had to curtail competing in the sport as a sophomore due to repeated knee injuries.

 

Shortly after his graduation from Lehigh, Sheridan became a wrestling official, a position that he excelled at for nearly 20 years. In 1968 he began announcing wrestling matches for Channel 39 in the Lehigh Valley along with EIWA Hall of Famer, Shel Siegel. The twosome covered all Lehigh meets, the EIWA finals, the PIAA finals, several East-West duals and several Russia vs USA matches. He retired from wrestling announcing for Channel 39 in 1994.

 

In 1996, Sheridan succeeded Gene Mills as Chairman of the EIWA Hall of Fame committee, a post that he held for 17 years.

 

During his wrestling associated career, Sheridan received awards from numerous professional groups including the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Officials Association, the EIWA Wrestling Officials Association, the EIWA Coaches Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and the National Wrestling Media Association. He has previously been inducted into the following Hall of Fames: District XI (PA); PA Wrestling Coaches; and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Pennsylvania chapter).

 

Sheridan carved out a successful business career in the real estate field. He spent 26 years with Bethlehem Steel, retiring as Assistant Manager of Corporate Real Estate. He then worked for ABE Airport as Director of Real Estate and closed his career as Managing Director for Marquard Real Estate.

 

Sheridan has four children: William (Bill) Sheridan, Meg Fogarty, Mary Kate McKenna and Betsy Sheridan, along with seven grandchildren.  His wife of 58 years, Ellen, passed away in January 2015. 

[Sommers]

Congrats coach Hall...

 

From Chattanoogan...

 

Garrick Hall Gets 300th Win As Hixson Wrestling Coach

Wildcats Start Season With Road Wins Over Cookeville & Stone Memorial

Tuesday, November 20, 2018 - by John Hunt

Tuesday, November 20 will be a day coach Garrick Hall remembers for the rest of his life.

He took his Hixson wrestling team to Crossville to face teams from Cookeville and Stone Memorial.

The Wildcats won both, beating the Cavaliers by a 42-27 final before topping the Panthers by a 52-27 margin, handing Hall his 300^th dual-meet victory in the process.

“It took a while, but I finally got it,” Hall said during a cell phone conversation while his team was on the bus coming home Tuesday night.

“I thought we did well as we approached this strictly as a business trip.  I challenged them on the way up and they took it to heart.  We had lost to Stone Memorial by three points last year and we had to be ready, but a lot of younger kids stepped up and looked better than I expected for our first two matches of the season.

“I’m really excited about the season.  We have a bunch of walking wounded right now.  We’re young in spots and might not be a good dual-meet team, but we have a chance to do well in tournaments.  These guys worked hard all summer and I’m proud we could get started with two big wins,” Hall added.

This is Hall’s 13^th season as the Hixson head coach.  During that time, his teams have won two state titles with teams in 2009 and 2010 winning state duals championships and his team in 2014 winning a traditional title.

The Wildcats will be in action on Saturday when they host the Vandergriff Duals at Hixson High and Hixson Middle Schools.  First match is set to begin about 10 a.m.

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

____________________________________

 

Tradition of mat excellence returns

Posted Tuesday, November 20, 2018 10:05 am

PATRICK MacCOON

As we welcome back the most decorated sport in this area, it's rather astonishing to count the accolades achieved inside the circle.

Exactly 100 times a local wrestler has climbed to the top spot on the state podium between Bradley Central (66), Cleveland (32) and Walker Valley (2).

Meanwhile, a first-year Polk County wrestling program sent several wrestlers to the state tournament last season.

There have been a dozen wrestlers from town earn their class' top honor known as the "best wrestler award."

Just over the 21st century, three wrestlers have become four-time state champions of which there are only 16 in state history.

A desire for greatness has led the Bears to 26 total team championships, with the Blue Raiders up to 14 as they look to continue their recent run of dominance.

Legendary coaches have left their marks along with the financial support of local businessman and passionate wrestling fan Allan Jones.

With strong youth and middle school programs, talent is constantly funneled to the high school level where Class AAA's most decorated programs stand.

Only four times since the 1998 season have either the Bears or Blue Raiders been denied from winning the team state championship.

The keys to success have been covered as accountability, hard work, top-level training and passion have been put on full display.

While there are no guarantees in sports, unless it is predicting Alabama will win the College Football Playoff again, state champions should once again abound from this area for the 2018-19 wrestling season.

Half of Class AAA's No. 1 ranked wrestlers are from Bradley or CHS.

While many expect there to be multiple state champions this season it took every ounce of energy for there to be one individual champion last year in Franklin.

Upcoming senior Austin Sweeney, ranked first at 152, battled through a broken wrist to win via an 8-5 decision over Hardin Valley Academy's Josh Pietarila. 

Pietarila is ranked second and Sweeney takes the top spot in the 152-pound Class AAA preseason rankings.

Wrestling is a sport which challenges the body and both the mind, forcing state champions to be both physically stout and mentally strong.

While trying to drop an opponent and beat them down is a key for some on the mat, great technique is also a match sealer.

Bradley's Wesley DeVaney and Cleveland's Trae McDaniel are prime examples of wrestlers able to run away with a match, thanks to keeping opponents from being able to score many points.

Brute strength will also be on display from talented wrestlers, which will lead to pins in a matter of just seconds.

While not in a part of the country known for wrestling dominance, the Blue Raiders have cracked the national rankings and are one of the top 50 programs in the country.

With only one loss last season to the country's second-ranked power in Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), perfection could certainly be an achievable goal.

A deep and talented lineup for Cleveland was unrivaled by any in the state last season. A Division II power in Christian Brothers was, after all, defeated 47-10 by the Blue Raiders in the Cleveland Duals.

While three third-place state medalists will have to be replaced for CHS, Joey Knox believes his lineup has the chance to reach new heights.

Bradley remains a top threat in AAA, while Walker Valley and its fourth-ranked wrestler in 160-pounder Joey Vecchione will also hold its own.

Just down the road, Polk County looks to build a strong tradition. The Wildcats will be led by James Hollingsworth, who is ranked sixth in A-AA at 195.

Ready to roll, another memorable season on the mats looks to be upon us.

Polk will open the season with a dual match at East Ridge today.

Bradley will travel Wednesday to participate in the Hewitt-Trussville Duals.

Cleveland and Walker Valley participate in a three-way match at Raider Arena Wednesday.

PATRICK MacCOON

 

 

 

 

 

Murfreesboro area high school wrestling preview

 

CECIL JOYCE  |  MURFREESBORO DAILY NEWS JOURNAL

12:03 p.m. CST Nov. 20, 2018

 

 

 

 

TSSAA state wrestling highlights: Smyrna's Cameron Henderson wins at AAA 132

Highlights of Smyrna's Cameron Henderson's win over Halls' Chase Brown in the Class AAA 132-pound division state finals.

CECIL JOYCE

Wrestlers to watch

Joe David Bell, Oakland, Jr.: Reached the state in the 132-pound division.

Bowdy Boyce, Blackman, Jr.: Reached the state individual tourney in the 220-pound division and earned second-team all-area honors.

Justin Bradford, Blackman, Fr.: Has high expectations after a strong preseason.

Jalen Brown, Blackman, Sr.: Earned second-team all-area honors after reaching state in the 152-pound division.

 

Blackman's Landon Fowler battles Siegel's Kenneth Phillips during last year's region tournament. Fowler won the state in the 170-pound division while Phillips is a returning state qualifier. Show less 

 

CECIL JOYCE / DNJ

Andrew Farrar, Oakland, Sr.: The two-time state qualifier was a second-team all-area performer in the 138-pound division.

Hector Feliciano-Torres, La Vergne, Sr.: Reached the state in the 220-pound division.

Jordan Fenton, Siegel, Sr.: Returning state qualifier in the 132-pound division will be one of the Stars' leaders.

Landon Fowler, Sr., Blackman: The all-area wrestler of the year finalist is coming off his first state championship, winning the Class AAA 170-pound division.

Blaine Fussell, Eagleville, Jr.: Finished third in the A-AA 120-pound division.

Lucas Gaines, Stewarts Creek, Jr.: Won a region title and medaled (fourth) at the state in the 120-pound division, earning first-team all-area.

Richard Giers, La Vergne, Sr.: Reached the state in the 152-pound division.

Kenny Harless, Stewarts Creek, Jr.:Finished fourth in the state in the 113-pound division, earning first-team all-area honors.

Cameron Henderson, Smyrna, Sr.: Captured a state championship in the 132-pound division at state and was an all-area wrestler of the year finalist.

Spencer Layne, Blackman, Sr.: A returning all-area second-teamer in the 182-pound division, he is a returning state qualifier.

Brandon Leyva, Smyrna, Jr.: Won a match at state in the 106-pound division.

David Medina, Riverdale, Jr.: Reached the state in the 120-pound division as a sophomore, earning second-team all-area honors.

Brandon McClure, Riverdale, So.:Finished second in the region and won a consolation match at state last season in the 126-pound division.

Wyatt McLemore, Eagleville, Jr.: Was a state finalist as a freshman and finished third in the 132-pound division last season.

Kalani Meckes, Stewarts Creek, Sr.:The returning all-area second-teamer won a match in the 126-pound division at state.

Gabe Pennington, Eagleville, So.: Won two matches at A-AA state in the 106-pound division.

Caleb Perkins, Oakland, Sr.: Reached the state in the 195-pound division.

Kenneth Phillips, Siegel, Jr.: Reached the state after finishing second in the region in the 170-pound division.

Luis Ramirez, Riverdale, Sr.: Won a match at the state in the 195-pound division.

Jackson Riley, Oakland, Jr.: A returning state qualifier in the 285-pound division and an all-area second-team performer.

Brooks Sacharczyk, Jr., Blackman: Came on strong in 160-pound weight class, particularly during state duals.

Tyler South, Stewarts Creek, So.:Captured the region title and won a state tourney consolation match in the 106-pound division.

Tyler Vanderheyden, Oakland, So.: Won a match at the AAA state tourney in the 113-pound division.

Notes from the mat

Looking for a return: Blackman's boys will be looking for their 10th trip (seventh in a row) to the state duals. Oakland will be looking to return for the second season in a row after earning a trip last year for the first time in 12 years.

The Blaze won their first-round contest last year before falling in the quarterfinals and then in the consolation round. The Patriots fell in both of their state duals matches.

Two out of three: The area had three state champions last year and two of those return. Blackman's Landon Fowler (170) and Smyrna's Cameron Henderson (132) will try to defend their titles this season. Siegel's Christian Salter, the reigning area wrestler of the year, graduated.

Not just the boys: The area returns three wrestlers who qualified for the girls' state tournament last year.

Smyrna junior Kalee Sandberg is a two-time medalist, finishing third last season (103). Siegel senior Kortney Brinkley is also a returning medalist in the 103-pound division, finishing fourth. Stewarts Creek's Rylie Bohannon returns after finishing fifth in the state in the 170-pound division.

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

________________________________

 

 

NEXT UP

 

WRESTLING: LaFayette goes 4-0, Gordon Lee 3-1 in Chickamauga

 

The LaFayette Ramblers improved to 9-0 in dual meets so far this season after they went 4-0 at Gordon Lee High School on Tuesday.

LaFayette collected its wins against Murray County (48-36), Mt. Zion-Carroll (60-18), Gordon Lee (52-18) and Southeast Whitfield (57-22).

Avery Sullivan went 4-0 with four pins on the afternoon. Jake Price and Matthew Wallin were both 4-0 with three pins. Brady Beard was 4-0 with two pins, one forfeit and one major decision. Carson Lanier was 4-0 with a pin and three forfeits, while Karson Ledford went 3-0 with three pins.

Hunter Deal went 3-1 with three pins. Cyrek Jones and Zach Price were both 3-1 with two pins. Hector Velez was 3-1 with one pin, while Jacob Zweiger was 2-1 with one pin.

LaFayette will wrestle again on Wednesday against East Ridge, East Hamilton, Dalton and Soddy-Daisy at East Ridge High School starting at 9 a.m.

The Trojans' only loss of the day was against LaFayette as they defeated Mt. Zion (51-24), Southeast Whitfield (48-30) and Murray County (40-39).

Hunter Burnett, Bryce James and Avery Geer were all 4-0 for the Trojans. Penn Askew went 3-1, while Logan Butler was 2-1.

Gordon Lee will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 5 p.m. with a home tri-meet versus LFO and Whitefield Academy.

npco.com

Edited November 22, 2018 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Cleveland daily banner

Vandergriff Duals

BRADLEY CENTRAL sent its junior varsity wrestling team to Hixson on Saturday for the Vandergriff Duals and the team came home with the championship trophy, defeating five varsity squads in the process.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Posted Monday, November 26, 2018 9:54 am

From STAFF REPORTS

HIXSON — Flexing the muscle of its program, Bradley Central sent its junior varsity wrestling team to compete in the Vandergriff Duals on Saturday, and they claimed the crown with five victories over varsity squads.

"Proud of this group of Bears right here!" head coach Ben Smith posted on Facebook Saturday. "While the majority of the Varsity Bears practiced and finished up some challenge matches this morning, this scrappy group of Bears gave up forfeits at two weights most of the day, several guys wrestled up a weight, and had 10 weights covered by either freshmen or back-up/travel squad Bears went 5-0 on the day and won the Vandergriff Duals hosted by our black-and-gold brothers from Hixson High School. Great event, great hospitality, tons of varsity and exhibition matches, and a ton of fun." 

The JV Bears defeated Chattooga (Ga.) 45-30, Chattanooga Christian 66-18 and Brainerd 66-12 in pool play, before winning a tiebreaker over host Hixson in the semis and downing Signal Mountain 42-34 in the championship meet.

"The semifinal match was 42-42 with Hixson, but we were the winner by NFHS rule tiebreaker criteria H — cumulative total of first points scored. Wow, it was a great match," Smith proclaimed. "The finals against Signal Mountain was a great match as well.

"Being able to give our back-ups and guys still fighting to get in the varsity line-up a chance to compete on the varsity level is something that we started trying to do at Bradley five or so years ago," the coach explained.

"It gives us an opportunity to use our depth and see how our guys backing up the starters and/or still fighting for a starting spot, will compete outside of the practice room and challenge matches. That is invaluable for both athletes and coaches.

"Being able to compete on a varsity level with our back-ups and a few potential starters, much less win a tournament, is big for our program and speaks well for our season and future," Coach Smith declared.

"At this point in the season, it's all about mat time and competition situations. The more opportunities our wrestlers have to compete, whether varsity, JV, or freshmen, the more opportunities they have to prepare themselves for their post-season goals as a team member and individual.

"Today was fun. It's always fun to compete, much less with this young group of Bears who were very eager to get their chance to compete and show themselves worthy of a Bear Paw on the back of their singlets," he added.

"We saw a lot of heart, a lot of fight, and a lot of areas to improve upon competitively and character-wise. We saw a few of our young Bears grow up a little today and that's very exciting for the depth of our team this season specifically as well as for the seasons to come. It's been a good week for the program!"

The Bradley varsity opened their season last week, defeating a trio of reigning Alabama state champs to win the Hewitt-Trussville Duals in Birmingham.

The Bears will travel to McMinn County for a tri-meet Thursday before going to participate in the tough Mountain View Duals in the Atlanta area Saturday.  

_______________

 

The Wilson post reports....

WRESTLING -- 'Cats take on MBA & Ryan

MJHS will host Bear Brawl --

Wilson Central's wrestlers will be on the road Thursday, Nov. 29 participating in a three-way match versus Nashville private school powers Montgomery Bell Academy and Father Ryan. Action is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at MBA.

Coach John Kramer's Wildcats opened the 2018 season Tuesday, Nov. 18 at home, taking a 66-12 decision over visiting Murfreesboro Siegel.

All-Staters Grant Fetters (113) and Michael Kramer (285) were not in the lineup.

Winners in the Siegel match included: Michael Mercante, Hunter Borders, Steven Fisak, TH Oakley, Cullen Belcher, Cole Fort, Alex Pergande, Levi Stone, Matthew Hills, Cade Carson and Jesse Richardson.

Saturday, Dec. 1 the Wildcats will wrestle in the Tullahoma Duels.

6th annual Bear Brawl -- Mt. Juliet High will hold its sixth annual Bear Brawl Saturday, Dec. 1.

Weigh-ins begin at 8 am with competition starting around 9 am.

Admission is $7 per person.

Teams participating include Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Springfield, Page, Coffee County, Pope John Paul II, Siegel and Riverdale.

Looking ahead to next week, Lebanon High will host the Wilson County Duals Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Brandon Gymnasium.

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by Sommers

[Sommers]

Bradley in GA facing high level SE teams...

https://www.gwinnettprepsports.com/sports/mountain-view-wrestling-set-to-host-th-annual-mtn-view/article_5638a013-a346-5bc4-a969-969bf8cfff95.html

Mountain View wrestling will host its 8th Annual Mountain view Duals starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The meet includes at least 11 teams. Class AAA state duals defending champion North Hall and Class AAAAAA duals and traditional champion Richmond Hill will be featured at the meet, in addition to several top-10 finishers in last year’s state championships.

Mountain View will host three out-of-state squads, including Bradley Central (Tenn.), Vestavia Hills (Ala.) and Sarasota Military Academy (Fla.).

_________________________

Reloaded Tennessee High hoping for team success on the mat

• Nate Hubbard | Bristol Herald Courier
• 14 hrs ago

 

Buy Now

THS's Dillon Pendley pins SHHS's Zach Skaggs to take the win in a 2017 match.

DAVID CRIGGER

 

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Dominic Fields gave Tennessee High the glory it had long sought at the individual state wrestling meet last season when he became the first THS wrestler to ever win a state title.

This year, the Vikings have a whole crew set to chase success all winter.

“I think we’re going to be pretty close to a full team,” said THS coach Tim Marshall. “It’s a whole different feeling going into it.”

While Fields’ win provided a cathartic breakthrough for a program that had seen wrestler after wrestler stopped at state silver in recent years, the 2017-18 campaign was in many ways otherwise a trying one for the THS boys squad, which ended up with only nine varsity members by February.

After a three-year run of qualifying for state duals – including a program-best, third-place state finish in 2016 – the Vikings were unable to even make it to regional duals with their shorthanded squad last season.

Numbers aren’t likely to be a problem this time around for THS.

“We’ve always had the same old [undermanned] storyline, right?” said Marshall, who saw only current West Virginia Tech freshman Judson McCray depart from last year’s boys team. “But I’ve got 16 [varsity] kids in the room this year.”

The projected strength of the 2018-19 THS team starts with a five-member senior class headlined by Fields (who won his state crown at 145 pounds last season) and Dillon Pendley, a three-time individual regional champ who placed third in the 132-pound Class AAA state bracket as a junior.

“It’s just chasing down that same feeling again,” Fields said about trying to defend his state title. “Knowing there’s a target on your back that you’re the guy to beat I guess, it’s a little bit of pressure, but it’s still trying to chase down that same feeling as when I won the first time.”

Pendley said he’s eager to give Fields company this season in the exclusive state champion club.

“Obviously I was happy for him, but that’s my goal [too],” Pendley said.

Defending regional champion Logan Ferguson (152 pounds) and 2018 state qualifiers Gavin Hurley (182) and Cooper Jenkins (195) are also back for their senior campaigns for the Vikings.

The strong senior core will be joined by a promising six-member freshman class in Perry Roller, Xander Harris, Keith Ankers, Gaven Canter, Sam Weddington and Mickey Johnson.

“The group of freshmen coming in is probably the best group that we’ve had since back when Dewey Pendley and Bryson Henley and that [Class of 2017] group came in,” Marshall said.

“All of them were on the Vance [Middle School] team so they’ve seen us and they know what the practice is like. Nothing is a shock to them.”

Sophomore Reece Nelson (113-pound regional runner-up in 2018) joins the five seniors as a returning state qualifier.

Dillon Pendley said he’s enjoying the crowded mats these days at Tennessee High’s training facility.

“It’s definitely good for the team,” he said. “It’s a little different than it’s been in the past, which is a positive, but we’re going to train just as hard as we have every year.”

While Marshall has relished the strategic challenge of maximizing his shorthanded squads in dual matches over the years – the 2016 state duals bronze team filled only 11 of the 14 weight classes – he said he’s eager to tinker from a position of strength this year.

“It’s just going to give us more options,” he said. “… Depending on the matchup that we need we can bump kids up and down. It just makes it funner for me from a strategy standpoint.”

Although the Vikings should have numerous individual regional title contenders and little trouble returning to regional duals, simply sauntering to state duals isn’t a likely postseason path.

“It’s probably the most parity in the region that we’ve had since I’ve been around,” said Marshall, entering his fifth season leading the THS program after two years as an assistant. “There always seems to be a clear favorite and I think it could be any of four or five teams this year.”

Science Hill and Tennessee High butted heads in numerous memorable clashes in 2016 and 2017, but Marshall pegged traditional power Dobyns-Bennett, back on the upswing, as the District 1 favorite with District 2 schools Morristown West and Jefferson County regional contenders as well.

Tennessee High begins its season Saturday by hosting the Border Duals at Viking Hall.

________________________

www.gomocs.com

Photo Credit: Frank Mattia

Freshman Drew Nicholson is coming off a third place showing at 165 at the Wolfpack Open.

Mocs Head to Cougar Clash in Edwardsville, Ill.

SIUE Tournament is up next on the UTC wrestling schedule.

Nov. 29, 2018 Wrestling

STORY LINKS

• MATCH NOTES (.PDF)

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team is back on the road for more tournament action the Cougar Clash this weekend.  Action takes place on Sunday, Dec. 2 at the Vadalabene Center at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. 
 
Competition begins at 11:00 a.m. (E.S.T.) with seven teams represented.  Student-athletes from No. 12 Arizona State, Army, Cleveland State, No. 24 Kent State, No. 19 Wisconsin and host SIUE are joining the Mocs on Sunday. 
 
The Mocs are no strangers to competing at SIUE. The Cougars were members of the Southern Conference from 2013-18 before joining the MAC in the off season.
 
Trackwrestling.com is handling the video broadcast and live scoring of the tournament.  Links for both are available on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com.
 
PROBABLE LINEUP AT THE COUGAR CLASH
125
Alonzo Allen (Sr. - 6-2)
Fabian Gutierrez (So. - 9-1)
 
133 
Jake Huffine (Jr. - 9-3)
Franco Valdez (Fr. - 5-4)
 
141
Chris Debien (Jr. - 5-4)
Davion Fairley (Fr. - 8-2)
 
149
Zach Shareef (Sr. - 3-4)
Mason Wallace (Fr. - 9-1)
 
157
Ryan Resnick (Fr. - 3-4)
 
165
Drew Nicholson (Fr. - 4-4)
 
174
Hunter Fortner (Fr. 2-3)
 
184
Dominic Lampe (Jr. - 5-4)
 
197
Rodney Jones (Sr.- 7-5)
 
285
Connor Tolley (Sr. - 5-4)
 
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT NOTES
125: Senior Alonzo Allen is the returning starter and defending SoCon Champion at 125, but he lost in the finals of the Hokie Open to sophomore teammate Fabian Gutierrez.  Gutierrez is off to a 9-1 start, including a major decision against North Carolina.  They both finished in the fifth place match at the Wolfpack Open but did not wrestle head-to-head.      
 
133: Junior Jake Huffine continues his outstanding start to the 2018-19 season.  He is coming off a sixth place finish at the Wolfpack Open and is 9-3 overall.  He went 3-2 at the Hokie Open and also scored a big win on OT against UNC.  Freshman Franco Valdez (5-4) went 4-2 at the Wolfpack Open. 
 
141:  Junior Chris Debien is coming off a strong, fourth place finish at the Wolfpack Open.  The 2016 SoCon Champion at 5-4 overall.  Freshman Davion Fairley has an 8-3 mark that includes a fifth place showing in the Fr/So bracket at the Hokie Open.
 
149:  Freshman Mason Wallace is 9-2 overall after placing fifth at the Wolfpack Open.  Couple that with a fifth place showing in the underclassmen competition at the Hokie Open and he is off to a hot start.  Senior Zach Shareef won three times at the Wolfpack Open to move to 3-4 overall.
 
157:  Freshman Ryan Resnick went 3-4 with a third place showing at 157 in the Hokie Open Fr/So bracket. 
 
165:  Freshman Drew Nicholson placed third at the Wolfpack Open to even his season mark at 4-4. 
 
174:  Freshman Hunter Fortner did not wrestle at the Hokie Open and dropped his first match to UNC.  He went 2-2 at the Wolfpack Open and is 2-3 overall. 
 
184:  Dominic Lampe is back in the lineup after missing the last two seasons of competition.  He redshirted in 2016-17 and was out last year with an injury.  He is 5-4 overall after going 3-2 at the Wolfpack Open.
 
197:  Senior Rodney Jones has a pair of sixth place finishes at the Wolfpack Open and the Hokie Open.  He is 7-5 overall. 
 
285: Senior Connor Tolley was runner-up in the Wolfpack Open, falling to former NAIA All-American Ceron Francisco in the finals.  He also has a sixth place finish at the Hokie Open with a 5-4 overall mark.  Two of his losses are to UNC's 15th ranked Cory Daniel.

 

Edited November 30, 2018 by Sommers