Thirty-three Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestlers vying for 10 starting spot competed in wrestle-offs Monday afternoon.

The finalists in each weight class meet again Friday night at the annual Blue-Gold match in Maclellan Gym at 7 p.m.

If the finalists are 1-1 after Friday night, a final wrestle-off will be next Monday. The Mocs open the season at Va. Tech on Nov. 7, followed by the first home match on Nov. 14 with Gardner Webb and Anderson.

125: Josh Statum (Jr.) dec. Paul Garza (So.), 7-0 … Statum faces Demetrius Johnson Friday night … Statum was 10-8 at 133 last year … Garza was 3-10 at 125 last year … Johnson was 11-8 as the starter at 125 last year and SoCon champ and NCAA qualifier.

133: Cody Hood (Fr.) pinned Logan Biddy (Fr.) … Josh Sandoval (redshirt Fr.) then dec. Hood, 10-4 ...
Sandoval and Hood meet again Friday … In a match of two state champs, Biddy led 4-3 after one period, but Hood scored a reverse and a fall in the second … Sandoval was a two-time state runner-up in Texas.

141: semis: Cody Cleveland (Sr.) pinned Joe Burns (Fr.) … Ben Johnson (RS So.) dec. Jeremy Sandoval (Fr.), 6-2 … finals: in meeting of two former state champs, Cleveland major dec. Johnson, 10-0 … Cleveland and Johnson meet Friday … Sandoval was also a Texas state champ.

149: semis: Dean Pavlou (RS Fr.) major dec. Carlos Baron (Jr.), 11-3 … Alex Hudson (Fr.) dec. Kelly Felix (Jr.), 5-2 … finals: Pavlou dec. Hudson, 7-2 … they meet again Friday … good takedown attempts by both wrestlers in opening period, but no points … Pavlou led 2-0 after second period on a reverse … Pavlou scored a takedown to start the third, countered by Hudson's reverse … Pavlou closed it out with an escape and take down … Pavlou, Hudson and Felix were state champs

157: semis: Joey Knox (Sr.) major dec. Cody Stokes (Jr.), 11-2 … Josh Condon (RS Fr.) dec. Bond Davis (Jr.), 4-2 … finals: Knox dec. Condon, 1-0 … Knox rode Condon in the second and had an escape in the third … they meet again Friday … Knox is a SoCon champ and NCAA qualifier … he and Condon were state champs in Ga., while Davis was a Tenn. State champ.

165: semis: Brandon Wright (RS So.) pinned Alex Platt (Fr.) … Mikey Fuller dec. Wiley Davis (Fr.) 4-1 … finals: Wright dec. Fuller, 10-3 … they meet again on Friday.

174: semis: Jake Young (Fr.) pinned Hunter Scott (Fr.) … Mark Rogers (Jr.) dec. Camron Couch (Fr,), 5-2 … finals: Young dec. Rogers, 4-2 OT … Rogers had second period escape and Young escaped in the third … Rogers gained early escape in first overtime, but Young scored a takedown for 3-2 lead … then had escape in second overtime period.

184: Jason McCroskey (RS So.) pinned Stephan Garrett (Jr.) … finals: McCroskey dec. Tyler Roberson (RS So.), 8-2 … they will wrestle again on Friday … were teammates at Soddy Daisy.

197: Niko Brown … no challenge match ... will wrestle Stephen Garrett Friday.

285: Matt Lettner (Jr.) dec. Tom Minwell (Jr.), 2-1 … wrestle again Friday night.

Coach Heath Eslinger's comments to his team after the wrestle-offs:

“If you did not win today, you can find a way to fix it,'' said Eslinger. “Ninety-nine percent of the time it comes down to you fixing things. It's about you.''

“Ask yourself what do you bring to the table to make this a championship team?''

“The good part about wrestling is that you find out who wants to go to war with you.''

(At 149) ''Hudson wrestled well and Dean responded great. Should be a good match on Friday.''

Coming to UTC: Baylor senior Cole Hayes has verbally committed to UTC … Red Raider teammate Trey Stavrum and Cullen King (Cordova) are also verbal commits.

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net