Top 20 Programs In The State (all divisions)

[cowcatcherII]

I got this idea from an ESPN article and thought it would be interesting to start a conversation around what people view as the best programs around the state for all divisions. I have compiled data from the duals and traditional tournaments over the past 5 years and considered numerous factors such as recent success, current roster, coaching, tradition, middle school/kids club, expectations, facilities, support/resources, and how hard/easy it is to win. I categorized what I viewed as the top 20 programs in state based on these factors into 5 tiers…

I will preface all this by saying that all the below is relative to success and winning at the team’s current classification. I by no means am trying to say I think Boyd Buchanan would beat a big school team that may not be included on the list for example.

Tier I—The Perennial Powers: Cleveland, Baylor, Father Ryan, Bradley Central, Pigeon Forge, Signal Mountain

Tier II—Proven Contenders: CBHS, Wilson Central, MBA, Blackman

Tier III—Rising Stars: Summit, Dobyns-Bennett, Brentwood, Halls

Tier IV—Sleeping Giants: McCallie, Soddy Daisy, Science Hill

Tier V—Under the Radar Gems: Lakeway, Maryville, Boyd Buchanan

My Top 20 programs in order…

KEY

Year (dual finish/traditional finish)

DNQ—Did Not Qualify

DNS—Did Not Score

E8—Elite 8 for duals

S16—Sweet 16 for duals

1. Cleveland

The business model Allan Jones devised has been revolutionary and situates the Blue Raiders at #1 in these rankings. Cleveland is the only program in the state to have won both the duals and traditional tournaments in each of the past 5 years of data that I analyzed. Led by former NCAA qualifier Joey Knox, the Raider’s coaching staff is second to none. Josh Bosken’s success at the kid’s club level has paved the way for the program’s rein at the high school level. With the unbelievable backing and support that donors and the community show for this program, I do not expect this dynasty to slow down for the next 10-20+ years.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (1/1), 2022 (1/1), 2021 (1/1), 2020 (1/1), 2019 (1/1)

2. Baylor

Baylor’s business model centered around recruiting and importing talent at the high school level may be the opposite of Cleveland’s but it has shown to be just as successful. The Red Raiders would have matched Cleveland in winning both the duals and traditional tournaments each of the past 5 years if it were not for Father Ryan’s historic upset over Baylor in this year’s state duals final. Baylor’s tradition is second to none and has the resources to travel and compete nationally. Three different coaches (Jim Morgan, Ben Nelson, and Rex Kendle) have won multiple state titles at Baylor in the past 20 years proving it will be difficult to derail this big red freight train.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (2/1), 2022 (1/1), 2021 (1/1), 2020 (1/1), 2019 (1/1)

3. Father Ryan

Father Ryan has been the only team in the state to consistently challenge Baylor in DII. Pat Simpson is the longest tenured coach in the state and arguably the best, and he continues to produce top end talent year over year. Despite all his success, the Purple Irish had not won a title in the past 5 years until their recent upset over Baylor in the duals this year. The Nashville Catholic Wrestling Club has provided a powerful pipeline of talent. While Father Ryan remains the premier program in middle TN, it will be interesting to see where we will view them in 5-10 years from now with the emergence of other programs in the area that may potentially pluck some of that talent.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (1/2), 2022 (2/2), 2021 (4/3), 2020 (E8/4), 2019 (4/4)

4. Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge is led by Greg Foreman who I believe is best coach in the state behind the previously mentioned Simpson at Ryan. Foreman’s program has dominated the small school division since the big/small school split. Pigeon Forge won either the duals or traditional 6 of 7 years spanning from ’15-’21 and has failed to finish worse than 3^rd in the traditional tournament under Foreman’s leadership. Before Soddy Daisy upset the Tigers this year, they had qualified for the duals every year since the big/small school split. I do think that the inception of Lakeway in 2020 hurt Pigeon Forge, but this is undoubtedly a top 5 program in Tennessee right now.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (DNQ/3), 2022 (3/3), 2021 (2/1), 2020 (1/1), 2019 (1/1)

5. Signal Mountain

Signal Mountain has become synonymous with the name Uhorchuk, and I do think that the Uhorchuk name alone has made this a top 5 program over the past 5 years. I will be interested to see how they do once the brothers have all moved on, but for now, they still have two. The hiring of Houston Clements helped the Eagles finally get over the hump as they won the duals in ’22, and he’s done a good job developing a strong supporting cast around the Uhorchuks. Signal and Pigeon Forge may not be able to beat some of the DII and AA teams on this list, but it’s a lot easier to win a state title when you don’t have to go through Cleveland and Baylor every year. That said, Soddy Daisy is on the rise and could have a hold on the division for the foreseeable future.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (2/2), 2022 (1/2), 2021 (3/2), 2020 (E8/4), 2019 (E8/2)

6. Bradley Central

There is no program more prideful in the state of Tennessee than Bradley Central. I would have this program/job higher on my list if it were not for the fact that their biggest rival is Cleveland. The expectations at Bradley are to win titles and their cross-town rival has made that an extremely difficult task to accomplish. Talent at Bradley has never been an issue, but they will need to put more of an emphasis on the development of their kid’s club (Pride) and middle school (Lake Forest) before they can truly challenge Cleveland for the crown. This is undoubtedly a top 10 job and has the potential to be a top 3 job, but new coach Bryant Blackmon will have his work cut out for him. Based on the current roster situation, the Bears are likely to take a step back next season and will undergo a rebuild.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (2/4), 2022 (2/2), 2021 (E8/3), 2020 (3/4), 2019 (2/4)

7. McCallie

I was debating on whether to put MBA here, but although it has been a while, McCallie has a rich history of success in wrestling, and ultimately, I think they have more potential to challenge for a state title than MBA will going forward. McCallie has the same resources as Baylor and can “recruit” kids from all over the country as boarding students. The facilities are incredible. I see McCallie as a sleeping giant that has consistently failed to reach its full potential over the past 15-20 years. Jake Yost’s tenure has been disappointing to say the least. I thought this was a homerun hire at the time. Outside of 2019, the Blue Tornado hasn’t been a true contender since his arrival. Based on the information fed to me on this board, it sounds like the McCallie’s admin. is showing a renewed commitment to bringing in talent and Yost seems to be making the right moves in what will likely be a make-or-break season for him. Again, this program is a sleeping giant and it’s not a question of if they will be back on top, but when.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (DNQ/8), 2022 (DNQ/7), 2021 (DNQ/4), 2020 (3/3), 2019 (2/2)

8. Soddy Daisy

A year ago, I would have considered Soddy Daisy a sleeping giant like McCallie. The Trojans have a long history of winning at a high level, and this entire community loves and supports wrestling. The move down to the small school division certainly makes this job much more attractive and elevates Soddy to a top 10 program in my mind. Following the retirement of legendary Coach Steve Henry, this program experienced a freefall that mirrored my Vols after Fulmer. But also like my Vols, Soddy finally found the right man for the job in Ulric Winesburgh. Winesburgh’s hiring of Shane Turner as an assistant was genius as well. Had it not been for some issues surrounding making weight, Soddy may have won both the duals and traditional this year. The Trojans return 13 of 14 starters and are the clear favorite to win Class A next season. Their middle school and kids club only trails Cleveland in my opinion. The bleached blonde boys from Soddy are back!

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (3/6), 2022 (DNQ/21), 2021 (DNQ/DNS), 2020 (DNQ/19), 2019 (DNQ/48)

9. Wilson Central

Wilson Central is the only team in the top 10 on this list that has never won a state title. They remind me a lot of Signal Mountain a few years ago. They have consistently contended, and it just feels like a matter of time before they finally break through. The difference…the Wildcats won’t have the benefit of Cleveland taking even a small step back like Pigeon Forge did once Lakeway was created. John Kramer is as good of a coach as any and seems to be doing all the right things. His teams have finished no worse than 4th in both the duals and traditional tournaments the past 5 years. They would be higher on my list if it were not for the #1 ranked team standing in their way.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (4/3), 2022 (3/4), 2021 (2/2), 2020 (2/2), 2019 (3/2)

10. CBHS

CBHS is the only team to have won a State Traditional title other than Baylor or Father Ryan since the public/private split…WOW! Although Memphis is not known for its wrestling, CBHS has the geographical advantage of having a firm grasp over all the top talent in the West-TN region. Houston and Collierville will occasionally produce, but when you think of wrestling in the western half of the state, your mind automatically goes to those classic retro purple and yellow warmups. Had Chris Lewis stayed longer, the Purple Wave might be higher on the list. Head Coach Derek Harrison has done a fine job filling some big shoes left behind by Lewis. Unfortunately, they will struggle finding ways to even the playing field as long as Baylor continues to recruit as such a high level.

Dual/Traditional Finish Last 5 years: 2023 (4/5), 2022 (3/4), 2021 (2/2), 2020 (2/2), 2019 (3/3)

11. MBA: 2023 (3/3), 2022 (4/5), 2021 (3/7), 2020 (4/5), 2019 (E8/5)

12. Dobyns-Bennett: 2023 (3/5), 2022 (E8/7), 2021 (E8/4), 2020 (E8/5), 2019 (DNQ/12)

13. Summit: 2023 (E8/2), 2022 (4/6), 2021 (3/5), 2020 (DNQ/31), 2019 (DNQ/26)

14. Greeneville: 2023 (S16/4) ,2022 (2/1), 2021 (S16/ 3) 2020 (5/3) 2019 (3/3)

15. Science Hill: 2023 (DNQ/6), 2022 (DNQ/10), 2021 (4/35), 2020 (S16/6), 2019 (E8/3)

16. Lakeway: 2023 (2/4), 2022 (1/3), 2021 (DNQ/5)

(11-16): Young talented coaches Patrick Simpson at MBA and Wes Idlette at DB have elevated their programs since taking over. MBA has a long-standing tradition but has always been on the outside looking in with Ryan, Baylor, and even McCallie until recently. DB and Summit are two programs to keep eyes on the next 5 years. I would expect both to be top 10/borderline top 5 programs/jobs in the next few years. Tony DeAngelo has done a remarkable job building Lakeway into an immediate contender and even won a small/private school duals title in the program’s second ever season. If they can fully overtake Pigeon Forge in that area, watch out! Randy Shelton has made Greeneville a great place and has arguably producer the four most successful wrestlers to come out of TN in the last two decades with the Dupill brothers, Kodiak Cannedy, and Hunter Mason. He was a proven winner prior to their arrival, but his program will enter a rebuild as it only returns one medalist, that being the youngest Dupill, Carson, a 2x State Champion. 

17. Brentwood: 2023 (E8/8), 2022 (DNQ/15), 2021 (DNQ/37), 2020 (DNQ/9), 2019 (DNQ/9)

18. Knoxville Halls: 2023 (1/1), 2022 (DNQ/6), 2021 (DNQ/10), 2020 (S16/13), 2019 (S16/20)

19. Blackman: 2023 (DNQ/9), 2022 (DNQ/3), 2021 (DNQ/6), 2020 (4/3), 2019 (E8/5)

20. Maryville: 2023 (E8/6), 2022 (E8/8), 2021 (DNQ/17), 2020 (S16/29), 2019 (S16/35)

Honorable Mention - Boyd Buchanan: 2023 (1/7), 2022 (DNQ/9), 2021 (DNQ/10), 2020 (DNQ/7), 2019 (DNQ/DNS) 

(17-20, HM): I really like what Damon Smith is doing at Brentwood. With so many quality teams in that general vicinity, this is a tough job, but this program appears to be on the up and up. Halls would be much higher on my list if they were not moving up to big school next year. Still, they have a great kids club and a lot of returning talent on their roster. Maryville will always be a football school, first and foremost, but they have been a mainstay for state duals appearances and will always have a pipeline of upper weight talent. They will need to find some studs in the lower weights if they ever want to become a true title challenger. If it were not for the black cloud and uncertainty surrounding the Blackman program, they would be higher on this list as well. I suspect the recent unfortunate developments at Blackman will take a toll on the program and turn kids away from the sport. It will be imperative that they make a good hire with a new coach that the kids can trust. Mike Sutherland showed that you really can win anywhere this year with his Buccaneers winning the DII small school duals. That program is overshadowed by the others in Chattanooga since it lacks history, but they have talent and do a great job developing kids from a young age.

 

Please let me know what you think I missed. I would love to hear what others think! Enjoy!

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by cowcatcherII

[GruncleD]

I believe Cleveland has won 6 years in a row starting in 2018.

[cowcatcherII]

7 minutes ago, GruncleD said:

I believe Cleveland has won 6 years in a row starting in 2018.

You are correct GruncleD. It is truly amazing what they have accomplished!

[Swipes]

Where did you pull data for this from?  Trying to look up a particular School

[cowcatcherII]

1 hour ago, Swipes said:

Where did you pull data for this from?  Trying to look up a particular School

You can access the traditional results here:

https://tssaasports.com/history/results/?sport=wrestling

And the state duals results here:

https://tssaasports.com/history/results/?sport=wrestling-duals

 

[Swipes]

31 minutes ago, cowcatcherII said:

You can access the traditional results here:

https://tssaasports.com/history/results/?sport=wrestling

And the state duals results here:

https://tssaasports.com/history/results/?sport=wrestling-duals

 

Thanks!!!

 

I would have Greeneville in there based off the criteria.  2023 (S16/4) ,2022 (2/1), 2021 (S16/ 3) 2020 (5/3) 2019 (3/3)

[cowcatcherII]

15 minutes ago, Swipes said:

Thanks!!!

 

I would have Greeneville in there based off the criteria.  2023 (S16/4) ,2022 (2/1), 2021 (S16/ 3) 2020 (5/3) 2019 (3/3)

Good point. They should be in there. They’ve definitely been a top program since Hunter Mason and the Dupill brothers arrive. The future is somewhat unclear as to where they go from here though. Where would you place them? 

[Swipes]

1 hour ago, cowcatcherII said:

Good point. They should be in there. They’ve definitely been a top program since Hunter Mason and the Dupill brothers arrive. The future is somewhat unclear as to where they go from here though. Where would you place them? 

I would have them anywhere from 10-15.  I think Soddy Daisy is way to high at #8 based off the last 5 years (other than this year the numbers aren't strong).  I know they return a lot and will continue moving forward just not #8 when it comes to overall program over the past 5 years

 

Before this year Greeneville had won 9 region championships in a row. So they have always been good but Mason and Dupill borther definitely helped them over the last few years but never won a Dual Championship, the 2013 Greeneville team did, 14 team runner up, and 17 team runner up without those big names.  Coach Shelton will always get the best out of his wrestlers so I think they will be putting in work to keep it going.

[Rasslinking]

Wilson Central has a STRONG argument to be in the Top 4….. Last 10 years they have beaten everyone except Cleveland and Baylor (i believe)

 Definitely ahead of Signal Mountain and Soddy Daisy!!! Not even close

[fooseball95]

If you’re going off the last 5 years I wouldn’t even rank soddy 

[FargoStrut]

Based off past 5 years, Soddy and McCallie are too high while Wilson Central and CBHS are too low. Just look at the finishes. If you're looking at just this year or the next 5 yrs potential, then they should stay there. Good stuff CC2!

[cowcatcherII]

Thanks for all of the feedback! I agree with Swipes that G'ville was a miss. I edited my OP and put them in there.

To reclarify, my rankings are of course just based off opinion, which is why I welcome the scrutiny and love hearing everyone's thoughts. The results of the past 5 years were a factor, but if you refer to my OP, I based these on more than just that including recent success, current roster, coaching, tradition, middle school/kid's club, expectations, facilities, support/resources, and how hard/easy it is to win at a given place.

When you consider those factors, I think teams like Soddy Daisy, Signal Mountain, and Pigeon Forge are much better positioned to win titles that Bradley Central or Wilson Central because they don't have a juggernaut like Cleveland standing in their way. I can definitely see Rasslinking's argument to have WC a little higher on the list though. 

I by no means am trying to suggest the small school teams would beat teams like WC or BC. As a matter of fact, I think Cleveland beat Pigeon Forge by 60+ points a few years ago, and BC beat Signal by 20+ last year. This is all just relative to a team's ability to win in their given classification. With Soddy for ex., you can't buy into their results over the past 5 years much since they have moved down a class.

I would love to hear what cbg and Oceansize think. Who would you all have in your top 10?