Standing in a near empty-gym, victorious Hixson coach Garrick Hall wasn't sure when the last time a Wildcat wrestling team had started the season with a double digit winning streak before this season.

“Not sure what happened in the past, but tonight we are 15-0 and for the most part we wrestled well and it is good to win a tournament, especially this one,'' said Hall, alluding to the specialness of claiming the gold trophy for this one-day, eight-team duals named for former Hixson coach Roger Vandergriff.

Former Hixson coaching colleague and current Signal Mountain head coach Casey Thompson pointed to “the last time'' as the 10-0 start by the Wildcats for the 1997-98 season.

“We won 10 straight before losing at Ridgeland in mid December,'' said Thompson who was Hixson Middle School head coach with Hall as his assistant eight years ago.

Garrick and the 'Cats defeated Thompson and company tonight, 49-24, for Hixson's third crown in the four year history of this event.

“This is our first finals in any duals tournament in our two year program and scoring 24 points against the small school state duals champion is a pretty good accomplishment,'' said Thompson whose Eagles (14-3) were third in this tourney last season.

Using a veteran lineup – eight returners from the 2009 state duals title team – Hixson rushed to a 21-0 with wins in the first four weights (match started at 112).

The Black and Gold then extended that to wins in seven of the first nine for the largest lead – 34 points - of the night and a commanding 43-9 advantage after Wildcat sophomore Justin Mathieson (one of the veterans) pinned Austin Pressley in 1:57 at 171.

“We wrestled well in spots and also have some things to fix,'' said Hall.

Asked about his veteran lineup he was quick to point out that he has worked with several of his wrestlers since their middle school days.

“I have grown up with these juniors and seniors who were on my middle school teams seven years ago and we now reap the rewards of seeds we planted,'' he stated.

After a forfeit win for Giovanti Palacio at 112, Isaiah Hawthorne (up from the junior varsity and with three falls on the day) posted the quickest fall of the finals, stopping Micah Pressley in 14 seconds.

Teammates Curtis Fletcher, Sean Borders, Gary Cosey and Curtis Flanagan (three are vets) also had wins for a 33-3 lead at the half way mark. Logan Henley (125) got the Eagles on the board with a 12-5 win against Drew Schefano.

Senior Nick Alemany's major decision came before Mathieson's fall for the 43-9 score which secured the win.

Signal Mountain then won three of the final four matches – falls by Dane DeWitt (189) and Will Henley (103) sandwiched around a Tyler Montgomery come-from-behind 8-7 triumph against Christian Varner at 215.

Best Match: At 215, the Eagles' Tyler Montgomery trailed 7-3 after two, but used a reverse and a 3-point near fall in the final two minutes and held his opponent scoreless for the 8-7 win.

Kudos to Hixson Tournament director Zac Brown, Hixson assistant principal and athletics director and his staff and booster club members did their usual excellent good job in running the duals, including the ever-popular hospitality for coaches and officials.

Eagle Brothers: Signal Mountain has two sets of brothers in Will Henley (103) and Walker Henley (125) (along with cousin Logan Henley (135), while Brock Pressley (152) and and Austin Pressley (171) are twins - Brock the oldest by 18 minutes, plus younger brother Micah Pressley (119).

Hixson 49, Signal Mountain 24
112 – Giovanti Palacio (H) forfeit win
119 – Isaiah Hawthorne (H) pinned Micah Pressley, :14
125 – Curtis Fletcher (H) dec. Walker Henley, 7-0
130 – Sean Borders (H) pinned Taylor Schmidt, 4:45
135 – Logan Hensley (SM) dec. Drew Schefano, 12-5
140 – Gary Cosey (H) pinned Joe Drennan, :40
145 – Curtis Flanagan (H) pinned Aaron Moore, 2:23
152 - Brock Pressley (SM) pinned Jake Duncan, :31
160 – Nick Alemany (H) major dec. Derrick Usry, 13-3
171 – Justin Mathieson (H) pinned Austin Pressley, 1:57
189 – Dane DeWitt (SM) pinned Thomas Crowder, 4:29
215 – Tyler Montgomery (SM) dec. Christian Varner, 8-7
285 – Alphonso Smith (H) pinned Austin Burke, 1:01
103- Will Hensley (SM) pinned My Le, 2:54
Officials: Eddie Davis, Josh Heffington.

Records: Hixson (15-0), Signal Mountain (11-3)
Next Match: Jan. 5 – Bradley Central at Hixson (match at the middle school gym)

Wins: Hixson, 9-5
Falls: Hixson, 6-3
Tech Falls: 0
Major Dec.: Hixson, 1-0
Regular Dec.: Signal Mtn., 2-1
Forfeit Win: Hixson, 1-0
Most Takedowns: 5 - Nick Alemany (H)
Most Points in a Period: 13 - Curtis Flanagan (H) in the first period. And a 13-2 advantage.
Most Reverses: 2 – Logan Henley (SM)
Most 2-Point Near Falls: 2 – Curtis Flanagan (H), Will Henley (SM)
Most 3-Point Near Falls: 1 – by five wrestlers
Quickest Fall: :14 – Isaiah Hawthorne (H)
Technical Violation: 1 – MyLe (H)

High Drama For Johnny Lennon: Former two-time state champ (1980, 1981 and tournament OW in 1981) Johnny Lennon (Cleveland HS) is the director of the Signal Mountain Middle and High School dept. of theatre and head coach of the middle school wrestling program.

Holding a degree in acting and design from MTSU, Lennon is the school's first director of theatre.

“I see the same mentality needed in a wrestler that is needed for one to succeed on stage,'' said Lennon.

“A teenager is center stage for all the world to see and his or her mama isn't coming to save them when they get in trouble,'' he stated. “It's a great way for someone to stretch as a person.''

Lennon's stage talent produced four individual state champs at Notre Dame, where he taught and coached before his current spot.

“Being at Signal Mountain is a big deal and a good fit for me and it is an honor to have the opportunity to build this program.''

Sell Out: Lennon said that the school's first play “Relevant'' sold out for three nights in early November. The spring play will be “The Foreigner''.

The students worked on the script to convey to the audience, topics relevant to the teenager's lives.

Drama/Wrestling Coaching Fraternity: Wrestling coaches Schaack Van Deusen (Baylor)and Ralph Gabriel (Overton) also direct plays at their respective schools ... Van Deusen is the Baylor assistant, while Gabriel is the Overton head coach.

Pool Play

Pool 1
Hixson 84, Team Combine 0
Hixson 65, Rhea County 13
Hixson 79, Chattanooga Central 0

Rhea County 45, Team Combine 33
Rhea County 46, Chattanooga Central, 27
Chattanooga Central def. Team Combine

Pool 2
Signal Mtn. 72, Sequoyah 6
Signal Mtn. 63, East Hamilton 10
Signal Mtn. 57, Stone Memorial 18
East Hamilton 56, Sequoyah 18
Stone Memorial 78, Sequoyah 5
Stone Memorial 57, East Hamilton 23

Final: Hixson 49, Signal Mtn. 24
Third: Stone Memorial 48, Rhea County 26

Hixson (4-0), Signal Mtn. (3-1), Stone Memorial (3-1)

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