Hixson Chasing Pigeon Forge In A-AA State Wrestling

Tigers Looking For A Three-Peat While Wildcats Are Battling For Second

  • Saturday, February 18, 2017
  • John Hunt
Chattanooga Christian's Justin Wheeler, rear, executes a takedown of Signal Mountain's Daniel Dawson in the 152-pound Class A-AA championship semifinal match Friday night at the TSSAA state wrestling tournament being held at the Williamson County Ag/Expo arena. Wheeler won by a 11-2 Major Decision.
Chattanooga Christian's Justin Wheeler, rear, executes a takedown of Signal Mountain's Daniel Dawson in the 152-pound Class A-AA championship semifinal match Friday night at the TSSAA state wrestling tournament being held at the Williamson County Ag/Expo arena. Wheeler won by a 11-2 Major Decision.
photo by Dennis Norwood

FRANKLIN, Tenn.  – It’s one thing to win a team’s first state title and it’s yet another to come back the next year and repeat.  And it’s even tougher to win three straight, but that’s the goal for Pigeon Forge Tigers as they close in on a three-peat after Friday’s action here in the traditional wrestling state meet being held at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Center.

The Tigers have a tight grip on first place with 116.5 points while second-place Hixson is a ways back with 84.5.  Alcoa is third with 75.5 while Forrest and Greenville are fourth and fifth with 71 and 67 points, respectively.

Pigeon Forge coach Greg Foreman is like many other coaches in the wrestling community.  He would rather get caught with his hand in the cookie jar than admit that his team had a championship wrapped up before the final day of competition.

“I schedule the toughest competition I can find as that’s what makes weekends like this possible.  Nobody remembers what you do in December and January as it’s all about what you do in February,” he began following the championship semis Friday night.

“Overall, we’ve done well today as all have fought hard and given 100 percent, even those who lost.  Our team score just proves that we came here this weekend to battle, but we have five in the money and that’s what I’m most proud of,” he nodded in reference to the guys who will be competing for medals on Saturday.

The Tigers advanced four to Saturday night’s finals, including Caleb York at 120, Gavin Hutchens at 132, Ethan Olinger at 170 and Anthony Baiamonte at 195.  Colton Poole is the only Pigeon Forge still alive in the consolation rounds.

Hixson advanced two to the finals as did Central and Red Bank.

Cederick Harris is looking for a title at 138 while Truman Ross is doing the same at 220. 

Tucker Gill, Jacob Newman, Jordan Lewis, Jonas Shackleford and Bubba Palacio will be battling for consolation honors.

Hixson coach Garrick Hall is more concerned about those earning medals than team scores.

“It’s been a pretty good day for Hixson, all things considered,” he said while waiting on Palacio to wrestle his final consolation match.

“I’m more worried about kids placing than the team score.  We have two in the finals and I wish we had five.  But we’ve done the very best we could so far and that’s all I ever ask,” he added.

There are four matches in the finals Saturday night that will feature both kids from Chattanooga, including the fights at 106, 145, 152 and 220.

Notre Dame’s Cade Holloway will face Signal Mountain eighth-grader Daniel Uhorchuk for the 106-pound title while Central’s Isaac Coffman will challenge Red Bank’s Jonah Bird at 145. 

Chattanooga Christian’s Justin Wheeler then faces Boyd-Buchanan’s Zane Williams in the 152-pound final while Red Bank’s Devon Suddeth will battle Hixson’s Ross.

Central’s two include finalists include Coffman at 145 and Alonzo Heyward at 160 while Red Bank’s two include  Bird and Suddeth. 

A-AA TEAM SCORES FOLLOWING FRIDAY ROUNDS: 1. Pigeon Forge 116.5; 2. Hixson 84.5; 3. Alcoa 75.5; 4. Forrest 71; 5. Greeneville 67; 6. Harpeth 65; 7. Red Bank 53.5; 8. Greenbrier and Notre Dame tied with 52; 10. Central 49.5.

OTHER CHATTANOOGA  AREA TEAMS: 11. Signal Mountain 47.5; 12. Boyd-Buchanan 39; 16. Chattanooga Christian 27; 19. Whitwell 22; 32. East Ridge 7.

CLASS A-AA SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

106 – Daniel Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain) pinned Elijah Hicks (Sullivan East), 4:58;

106 – Cade Holloway (Notre Dame) pinned Colton Poole (Pigeon Forge) 1:56;

113 – Jeffrey Gross (Forrest) won by technical fall over Scott Weaver (Boyd-Buchanan), 5:38;

113 – Wyatt McLemore (Eagleville) major dec. Tucker Gill (Hixson), 13-5;

120 – Dylan Pendley (Forrest) dec. Jaren Thames (Whitwell), 11-4;

120 – Caleb York (Pigeon Forge) pinned Nathan Ford (Greenbrier), :12;

126 – Bryson Hux (Greeneville) major dec. Grant Speer (Notre Dame), 10-0;

126 – Thomas Hatcher (Harpeth) dec. Brendon Jarvis (CAK), 6-4;

132 – Gavin Hutchens (Pigeon Forge) major dec. James Jones (Fairview), 9-1;

132 – Garrett Lay (Knoxville Grace) dec. Jonas Shackleford (Hixson), 5-4;

138 – Michael Mora-Colon (Alcoa) dec. Dymond Smith (Pigeon Forge), 8-2;

138 – Cederick Harris (Hixson) dec. Mohamed Muday (Stratford), 10-4;

145 – Isaac Coffman (Central) dec. Mitchell Camper (Sycamore), 3-1;

145 – Jonah Bird (Red Bank) dec. Dallas Prater (Cheatham Co.), 6-1;

152 – Justin Wheeler (Chattanooga Christian) dec. Daniel Dawson (Signal Mountain), 9-4;

152 – Zane Williams (Boyd-Buchanan) dec. Elijah Davis (Fulton), 5-3;

160 – Alonzo Heyward (Central) major dec. Wesley McCoy (Forrest), 19-7;

160 – Daelyn Rose (Harpeth) dec. Daniel Hodges (Notre Dame), 8-2;

170 – Ethan Olinger (Pigeon Forge) pinned John Noe (Page), 3:22;

170 – Trent Knight (Greeneville) pinned Alex Hundley (Chattanooga Christian), 3:09;

182 – Houston Tywater (Page) pinned Chris Taylor (Elizabethton), 2:23;

182 – Noah Evans (Alcoa) dec. Drew Carlisle (Forrest), 5-0;

195 – Anthony Baiamonte (Pigeon Forge) dec. Tanner Lynch (Greenbrier), 7-2;

195 – Zach Diviney (Sycamore) dec. Grant Brace (Alcoa), 5-3 in overtime;

220 – Devon Suddeth (Red Bank) pinned Nicholas Foster (Greeneville), 4:17;

220 – Truman Ross (Hixson) dec. Toby Lynch (Greenbrier), 5-4 in ultimate tie breaker;

285 – Samson Evans (Alcoa) major dec. Eric Lee (East Nashville), 18-8;

285 – Zach Schlessman (Greenbrier) dec. Devin Spence (Harpeth), 3-2.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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