Pigeon Forge, Hixson One-Two In A-AA State Wrestling

Central's Alonzo Heyward Voted Outstanding Wrestler After Winning At 160

  • Saturday, February 18, 2017
  • John Hunt
Hixson's Truman Ross defeated Devon Suddeth by an 8-4 decision to win the Class A-AA 220-pound championship at the TSSAA state wrestling tournament Saturday night at the Williamson County Ag/Expo Center in Franklin, Tenn.
Hixson's Truman Ross defeated Devon Suddeth by an 8-4 decision to win the Class A-AA 220-pound championship at the TSSAA state wrestling tournament Saturday night at the Williamson County Ag/Expo Center in Franklin, Tenn.
photo by Dennis Norwood

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The Pigeon Forge came into the A-AA division of the traditional state wrestling tournament as one of the early favorites after winning the State Duals title two weeks ago and now they have the second team title as well.

The Tigers finished with three champions and one second-place finisher among six medalists as they finished a successful two-day run here at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Center with 123.5 points.

Hixson was second with 102.5 while Forrest was third with 89.  Greeneville and Alcoa were fourth and fifth with 81 and 77.5 points, respectively.

Greg Foreman has been the Pigeon Forge coach for 15 years and he now has six state titles, three duals and three traditionals.  He felt like his team had a point to prove after prevailing two weeks ago in the State Duals.

“Today was a good day for us,” Foreman said after his team’s latest big win.

“Everyone fought hard as we felt like we had something to prove.  We believe in what we do and they work awfully hard to get it, so I couldn’t be any more proud of what we did here this weekend.

“Every match didn’t go our way, but overall we did just fine.  Now we’re going to kick back, have a nice meal and enjoy it for a little bit,” Foreman smiled.

The three champions for the Tigers included Caleb York at 120, Gavin Hutchens at 132 and Anthony Baiamonte at 195.

The rest of the championship hardware was spread out across the board as Hixson and Greeneville were the only teams with more than one champ and they had two each.  Cederick Harris and Truman Ross captured titles for the Wildcats at 138 and 220 while Greeneville’s two included Bryson Hux at 126 and Trent Knight at 170.

Eight other teams had one champion each.

Notre Dame’s Cade Holloway was the winner at 106 while Jeffrey Gross of Forrest was first at 113.  The others included Red Bank’s Jonah Bird at 145, Boyd-Buchanan’s Zane Williams at 152, Central’s Alonzo Heyward at 160, Houston Tywater of Page at 182 and Alcoa’s Samson Evans at 285.

Heyward was voted the Outstanding Wrestler after posting a technical fall in the finals while the 106-pound final where Notre Dame’s Holloway beat Signal Mountain’s Daniel Uhorchuk by 3-2 in overtime was voted as the Best Match.

The Hixson Wildcats had a huge turnaround after a forgettable experience two weeks ago when they didn’t win a match at the state duals.

“What a total team effort as it took all 11 of our guys to do what we did,” said veteran coach Garrick Hall.

“We brought 11 and placed seven with two champions.  What a remarkable comeback from two weeks ago.  We challenged these kids two weeks ago and they responded, but to do what we did this weekend was really special and it says a lot about our seniors as all six of them earned medals today.

“It was a very good weekend for the Hixson Wildcats,” Hall concluded.

While Harris and Ross were the champs for Hixson, Jacob Newman and Jonas Shackleford both finished fourth.  Tucker Gill and Bubba Palacio both took fifth while Jordan Lewis was sixth.

While Holloway was Notre Dame’s only champ, Grant Speer and Ned Warwick both placed third and Daniel Hodges fourth.

Red Bank’s Bird was joined by teammate Devon Suddeth, who was second at 220, and Jackson Hash, who was sixth at 182 while Central’s Heyward was joined by teammates Isaac Coffman, who was second at 145, and Haiden Dill, who was fifth at 106.

Isaac Tate and Daniel Dawson joined Uhorchuk as medalists for Signal Mountain while Scott Weaver and Will Watkins were medalists for Boyd-Buchanan to go along with Williams, the first-ever state champ for the Buccaneers.

Chattanooga Christian’s two medalists included Justin Wheeler at 152 who was second and Alex Hundley, who was fourth at 170.

Whitwell had two medalists in Allen Ashworth, who was fifth at 170, and Jaren Thames, who was sixth at 120. 

A-AA FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Pigeon Forge 123.5; 2. Hixson 102.5; 3. Forrest 89; 4. Greeneville 81; 5. Alcoa 77.5; 6. Harpeth 76; 7. Greenbrier and Notre Dame tied with 72; 9. Signal Mountain 59.5; 10. Central and Red Bank tied with 53.5; 14. Boyd-Buchanan 39; 16. Chattanooga Christian 34; 22. Whitwell 25.

CLASS A-AA CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

106 – Cade Holloway (Notre Dame) dec. Daniel Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain), 3-2 in overtime;

113 – Jeffrey Gross (Forrest) dec. Wyatt McLemore (Eagleville), 2-0;

120 – Caleb York (Pigeon Forge) pinned Dylan Pendley (Forrest), 1:49;

126 – Bryson Hux (Greeneville) dec. Thomas Hatcher (Harpeth), 6-2;

132 – Gavin Hutchens (Pigeon Forge) major dec. Garrett Lay (Knoxville Grace), 10-0;

138 – Cederick Harris (Hixson) dec. Michael Mora-Colon (Alcoa), 7-4;

145 – Jonah Bird (Red Bank) dec. Isaac Coffman (Central), 5-3 in overtime;

152 – Zane Williams (Boyd-Buchanan) dec. Justin Wheeler (Chattanooga Christian), 4-3;

160 – Alonzo Heyward (Central) won by technical fall over Daelyn Rose (Harpeth), 4:14;

170 – Trent Knight (Greeneville) dec. Ethan Olinger (Pigeon Forge), 5-2;

182 – Houston Tywater (Page) dec. Noah Evans (Alcoa), 10-7;

195 – Anthony Baiamonte (Pigeon Forge) dec. Zach Diviney (Sycamore), 9-5;

220 – Truman Ross (Hixson) dec. Devon Suddeth (Red Bank), 8-4;

285 – Samson Evans (Alcoa) pinned Zach Schlessman (Greenback), 1:18.

 CONSOLATION FINALS FOR THIRD PLACE

106 – Elijah Hicks (Sullivan East) dec. Colton Poole (Pigeon Forge), 8-1;

113 – Isaac Tate (Signal Mountain) dec. Dylan Becker (Harpeth), 8-3;

120 – Nathan Ford (Greenbrier) pinned Jacob Newman (Hixson), 1:30;

126 – Grant Speer (Notre Dame) dec. Brendon Jarvis (CAK), 4-2;

132 – James Jones (Fairview) dec. Jonas Shackleford (Hixson), 9-7;

138 – Ned Warwick (Notre Dame) dec. Mohamed Muday (Stratford), 7-2;

145 – Montez Booker (Pearl Cohn) dec. Kilroy Hill (Elizabethton), 20-13;

152 – Garrin Shuffler (Greeneville) dec. Daniel Dawson (Signal Mountain), 5-2;

160 – Wesley McCoy (Forrest) dec. Daniel Hodges (Notre Dame), 8-3;

170 – John Noe (Page) dec. Alex Hundley (Chattanooga Christian), 6-5;

182 – Drew Carlisle (Forrest) dec. Joshua Ortiz-Derrick (Fairview), 3-1 in overtime;

195 – Ethan Rainey (White House) major dec. Tanner Lynch (Greenbrier), 10-1;

220 – Toby Lynch (Greenbrier) dec. Nicholas Foster (Greeneville), 2-1 in overtime;

285 – Eric Lee (East Nashville) dec. Devin Spence (Harpeth), 3-2.

CONSOLATION FINALS FOR FIFTH PLACE

106 – Haiden Dill (Central) pinned Alex Beasley (Harpeth), 4:11;

113 – Tucker Gill (Hixson) won by forfeit over Scott Weaver (Boyd-Buchanan);

120 – Sevaughn Orr (ML King) dec. Jaren Thames (Whitwell), 5-4;

126 – Braxton Hunter (Fairview) dec. Jordan Lewis (Hixson), 4-1;

132 – Abdi Yusuf (Stratford) dec. Gavin Cagle (CAK), 4-1;

138 --  Liam Dougherty (Hume Fogg) dec. Dymond Smith (Pigeon Forge), 4-1;

145 – Dallas Prater (Cheatham Co.) pinned Mitchell Camper (Sycamore), 2:36;

152 – Tristan Heckert (Goodpasture) major dec. Elijah Davis (Fulton), 11-3;

160 – Gunner Griffith (Sullivan East) dec. Will Pendelton (Sycamore), 5-3;

170 – Allen Ashworth (Whitwell) pinned Austin Geeting (Forrest), 2:13;

182 – Chris Taylor (Elizabethton) won by forfeit over Jackson Hash (Red Bank);

195 – Grant Brace (Alcoa) dec. Will Watkins (Boyd-Buchanan), 6-3;

220 – Joshua Dailey (White House) dec. Preston Valentine (Northview Academy), 10-4;

285 – Bubba Palacio (Hixson) dec. Eli Chinique (CAK), 3-1 in overtime.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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