Soddy Daisy Second After 7 Straight Titles
by John Hunt
posted February 9, 2008
) Photo by Greg Davick Soddy-Daisy's Brandon Lane tries to control Red Bank's Cassidy Altice. |
The Owls came in as favorites to dethrone seven-time defending champ Soddy Daisy and they did, but it didn’t come without a major challenge from the Trojans.
The day started off kind of slow for Ooltewah as “we were flat and not very focused” according to Weathers. But they finished a long day’s work in spectacular fashion, winning nine of their final 12 matches to claim the championship plaque with 208 points and a dozen wrestlers qualifying for next week’s State Tournament, which will be held at UTC’s McKenzie Arena on Feb. 14-16.
Soddy Daisy never gave the Owls a chance to relax and were in the hunt until the end before finishing as the runner-up with 201 points. The Trojans will take 10 individuals next week.
Notre Dame was a distant third with 140 while Hixson and East Ridge rounded out the top five teams with 128.5 and 96.5 points, respectively.
The action began at 4 p.m. Friday. By the time it finally ended just a few minutes before 2 a.m. on Saturday, the wrestlers, coaches, fans, referees and tournament workers had gotten their money’s worth and most were ready for some much-needed sleep.
Soddy Daisy’s Mikey Fuller, who bumped up to 152 pounds after being at 140 most of the year, earned one of three pins in the finals and became the only four-time Region champ. His record stands at 34-2 for the season.
Notre Dame’s Tee Boone, East Ridge’s Larry Baliles and Ooltewah’s Cody Sliger all remained unbeaten with their titles as Boone improved to 44-0 with a major decision at 125 for his third Region championship.
Baliles is now 11-0 after notching an impressive major decision at 112 while Sliger has now won 22 straight at heavyweight after missing almost two months with a severe cut on his right leg.
Sliger, who has already committed to wrestle for coach Chris Bono’s Chattanooga Mocs next year, won all three of his matches by pin, the quickest in 32 seconds and the slowest of 1:53 in the championship match. He earned the Outstanding Wrestler award for his effort as he claimed his third Region title.
Red Bank’s Danny Tolbert improved to 43-2 with a hard-fought 4-2 win over Ooltewah’s Jake Young in the 171-pound final. It was sweet revenge for the talented Lion after suffering both losses to Young earlier in the season. They were honored with the Best Match award.
Other champions included Soddy Daisy’s Dustin Gardner at 103, Notre Dame’s Mac Richmond at 119, Ooltewah teammates Cody Hood (130) and Danny Wild (135), Red Bank’s Jamarcus Mobley at 140 and Soddy Daisy’s Brandon Lane at 145.
Additional champs included Soddy Daisy’s Tristan McCroskey at 160, Notre Dame’s Patrick Flynn at 189 and Soddy Daisy’s Billy Zimmerman at 215.
Ooltewah’s Weathers was slap-dab worn out when the tournament finally ended, but he also had a smile on his face, indicating his pleasure with the effort his team put forth.
“We came in flat and didn’t seem to be real serious at the start. We lost a couple of heartbreakers early and I think that may have woke us up, but we got came in here as chumps and we’re leaving as champs.
“That last round was the best we’ve wrestled all year. We can’t afford to have another start like that and I hope it’s a lesson well-learned, but winning this tournament means an awful lot to us. Winning the Region Duals was big, but I think this one might be even more significant,” Weathers added.
Soddy Daisy coach Steve Henry has been struggling all year, trying to help his young team reach their potential after winning state titles for the last two years. They made great progress in this tournament. With 10 qualifiers, Henry had reason to be proud.
“We gave it a good run, but we just came up short. I’m both happy and unhappy with the way we wrestled. There were some spots where we looked mighty good and other places where we need to be tougher.
“Mikey Fuller was impressive at 152 and I was proud of Tristan (McCroskey), who came in unseeded and won at 160. And what about Billy Zimmerman, who won his first Region title at 215 and had a great tournament. We have 10 going next weekend and I’m happy about that,” the veteran Henry added.
McCroskey handed top-seed David Jordan of Ooltewah a loss in the opening round in a nerve-racking 14-12 decision, but Jordan rebounded nicely to finish third, winning his final three matches by pin.
He was the only top-seed to lose in the first round, although three other number one choices lost in the finals, including Soddy Daisy’s Justin Hammonds at 119, Ooltewah’s Young at 171 and Hixson’s Todd Worley at 215.
While Ooltewah had the most state qualifiers with 12 and Soddy Daisy second with 10, Notre Dame will carry seven, East Ridge five, Hixson and Red Bank with four apiece and Silverdale and Chattanooga Christian with one each.
2008 REGION 4 WRESTLING RESULTS
LEGEND AND FINAL TEAM SCORES
1. Ooltewah (O) 208; 2. Soddy Daisy (SD) 201; 3. Notre Dame (ND) 140; 4. Hixson (Hix) 128.5; 5. East Ridge (ER) 96.5; 6. Red Bank (RB) 89.5; 7. Silverdale (Sdale) 22; 8. Chattanooga Christian (CCS) 21; 9. Lookout Valley (LV) 12; 10. Whitwell (W) 9; 11. Howard (How) 6; 12. Temple (T) and Brainerd (B) both failed to score.
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
103 – Dustin Gardner (SD) major dec. Will Allen (O), 18-6;
112 – Larry Baliles (ER) major dec. Nick Millard (ND), 11-0;
119 – Mac Richmond (ND) dec. Justin Hammonds (SD) 5-3 in overtime;
125 – Tee Boone (ND) major dec. Jake Gamble (SD), 19-7;
130 – Cody Hood (O) dec. Taylor Witt (SD), 10-6;
135 – Danny Wild (O) dec. Tony Tolbert (RB), 7-2;
140 – Jamarcus Mobley (RB) pinned Jeremy Vasterling (Hix), 3:55;
145 – Brandon Lane (SD) dec. Evan Hubbs (O), 5-4;
152 – Mikey Fuller (SD) pinned Jerry Logan (Hix), 1:52;
160 – Tristan McCroskey (SD) dec. Eric Henley (CCS), 9-4;
171 – Daniel Tolbert (RB) dec. Jake Young (O), 4-2;
189 – Patrick Flynn (ND) dec. Michael Carter (ER), 11-5;
215 – Billy Zimmerman (SD) dec. Todd Worley (Hix), 8-5;
285 – Cody Sliger (O) pinned Brandon Dusevic (ND), 1:53.
CONSOLATION FINALS
103 – Corey Mansel (ER) pinned Cole Stevens (Hix), 1:51;
112 – Jamie Spencer (O) dec. Curtis Fletcher (Hix), 11-8;
119 – Sergio Herrera (O) dec. Logan Vandergriff (Hix), 10-4;
125 – Cody Corcoran (O) pinned Jordan Hartley (RB), :41;
130 – Dillon May (ND) dec. Curtis Flanagan (Hix) 11-5;
135 – Rodney Fryar (ER) dec. Ben Hodges (CCS), 5-1;
140 – Brent Elliott (O) major dec. Jake Fien (SD), 14-2;
145 – Stefan Nelson (ER) pinned Nick Alemany (Hix), 4:30;
152 – Jared Wolfe (O) dec. Dylan Heath (ND), 7-2;
160 – David Jordan (O) pinned Micah Kidd (ER), 1:58;
171 – Brody Conterino (Sdale) dec. Hanson Melvin (Hix), 6-2;
189 – Ben Young (SD) won by injury default over Mohammad Abdulazeez (RB);
215 – Eric Phipps (ND) pinned B.J. Jones (RB), 2:10;
285 – Me J. Richmond (SD) pinned Allen Burnett (Hix), 3:50.
PRELIMINARY ROUNDS
103 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Dustin Gardner (SD) advanced with a bye; Hershal Patel (ND) dec. Levon Miller (RB), 8-1; Corey Mansel (ER) advanced with a bye; Will Allen (O) pinned Cole Stevens (Hix), 1:24.
Semifinals: Gardner pinned Patel, 1:59; Allen dec. Mansel, 12-5.
Consolation Semis: Mansel pinned Miller, :59; Stevens pinned Patel, 4:29.
112 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Larry Baliles (ER) pinned Jordan Butler (LV), :32; Curtis Fletcher (Hix) pinned Josh Bankston (Sdale), :56; Jamie Spencer (O) major dec. Peyton Pelfrey (SD), 12-1; Nick Millard (ND) pinned Derek Amburn (W), 1:06.
Semifinals: Baliles dec. Fletcher, 6-2; Millard dec. Spencer, 7-1.
Consolation Semis: Spencer pinned Butler, 2:00; Fletcher major dec. Pelfrey, 12-1.
119 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Justin Hammonds (SD) pinned Kelvin Bowser (How), 1:13; Sergio Herrera (O) dec. Justin White (LV), 13-10; Logan Vandergriff (Hix) pinned Samuel Ricketts (Sdale), :54; Mac Richmond (ND) pinned John McIntosh (ER), 1:39.
Semifinals: Hammonds dec. Herrera, 11-7; Richmond dec. Vandergriff, 7-0.
Consolation Semis: Vandergriff dec. White, 10-5; Herrera pinned McIntosh, 1:34.
125 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Tee Boone (ND) pinned Eric Patton (LV), 1:33; Cody Corcoran (O) pinned Jordan Hartley (RB), 3:14; Trey Jones (Hix) major dec. Jason Layne (W), 9-0; Jake Gamble (SD) won by technical fall over Aaron Raybon (ER), 5:47.
Semifinals: Boone major dec. Corcoran, 11-3; Gamble pinned Jones, 3:38.
Consolation Semis: Hartley pinned Jones, 4:53; Corcoran major dec. Raybon, 5-3.
130 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Cody Hood (O) pinned Jake Anderson (Sdale), 1:16; Curtis Flanagan (Hix) won by technical fall over John Davis (ER), 2:24; Dillon May (ND) won by technical fall over Cody Hooks (LV), 2:20; Taylor Witt (SD) pinned Jesse Anderson (T), 1:21.
Semifinals: Hood pinned Flanagan, 1:52; Witt major dec. May, 15-7.
Consolation Semis: May pinned Anderson, 2:01; Flanagan pinned Hooks, 2:03.
135 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Danny Wild (O) pinned Ben Hodges (CCS), 3:31; Rodney Fryar (ER) major dec. Drew Schefano (Hix), 16-5; Alex Ford (SD) major dec. Ryan Powell (Sdale), 14-5; Tony Tolbert (RB) dec. Jonathan Mayfield (ND), 10-4.
Semifinals: Wild dec. Fryar, 10-3; Tolbert (RB) dec. Ford, 10-4.
Consolation Semis: Hodges dec. Ford, 15-14; Fryar won by injury default over Powell.
140 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Jamarcus Mobley (RB) dec. Quentin Stampfli (ER), 8-4; Jake Fien (SD) major dec. Brent Elliott (O), 17-5; Jeremy Vasterling (Hix) dec. Erik Heider (ND), 6-5; Chris Holloway (Sdale) pinned Jonathan Swafford (W), 2:25.
Semifinals: Mobley (RB) major dec. Fien, 10-2; Vasterling major dec. Holloway, 17-6.
Consolation Semis: Fien dec. Heider, 5-0; Elliott pinned Holloway, 3:30.
145 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Brandon Lane (SD) dec. Cassidy Altice (RB), 7-1; Stefan Nelson (ER) major dec. Josh Bledsoe (ND), 13-5; Nick Alemany (Hix) pinned Justin Hawthorne (How), 1:08; Evan Hubbs (O) pinned Ryan Turner (Sdale), 1:14.
Semifinals: Lane major dec. Nelson, 11-2; Hubbs pinned Alemany, 3:28.
Consolation Semis: Nelson pinned Kilgore, 1:14; Alemany dec. Altice, 4-2.
152 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Mikey Fuller (SD) pinned Peyton Williams (RB), 1:05; Dylan Heath (ND) pinned Zach Ware (Sdale), :51; Jerry Logan (Hix) pinned Chase Steele (ER), 1:39; Jared Wolfe (O) pinned George Dillard (How), 4:33.
Semifinals: Fuller pinned Heath, 1:06; Logan dec. Wolfe, 7-3.
Consolation Semis: Heath won by technical fall over Dillard, 5:00; Wolfe pinned Williams, 4:31.
160 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Tristan McCroskey (SD) dec. David Jordan (O), 12-10; Micah Kidd (ER) pinned Thomas Jones (How), 1:48; Zach McCarter (Hix) pinned Hameal Goodlow (LV), 5:42; Eric Henley (CCS) dec. Orrin Hedrick (ND), 9-6.
Semifinals: McCroskey dec. Kidd, 12-5; Henley major dec. McCarter, 13-2.
Consolation Semis: Jordan pinned McCarter, 3:14; Kidd dec. Hedrick, 4-3.
171 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Jake Young (O) pinned Ethan Nelson (ND), :34; Brody Contarino (Sdale) pinned Jerry Caperton (How), 4:36; Hanson Melvin (Hix) dec. Casey Jordan (SD), 7-0; Daniel Tolbert (RB) won by technical fall over Makal Kidd (ER), 6:00.
Semifinals: Young pinned Contarino, 2:32; Tolbert major dec. Melvin, 16-7.
Consolation Semis: Melvin major dec. Caperton, 11-2; Conterino dec. Kidd, 11-9.
189 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Patrick Flynn (ND) pinned Tyler Toon (O), 2:54; Mohammad Abdulazeez (RB) dec. Ben Young (SD), 4-2; Michael Carter (ER) won by technical fall over Evan Hitchcock (LV), 3:03; Alex Mitchell (Hix) pinned Tavin McDonough (W), 1:30.
Semifinals: Flynn won by technical fall over Abdulazeez; Carter dec. Mitchell, 7-5.
Consolation Semis: Young dec. Mitchell, 11-5; Abdulazeez pinned Hitchcock, 2:56.
215 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Todd Worley (Hix) pinned Aaron Hamlett (O) 2:54; B.J. Jones (RB) advanced with a bye; Eric Phipps (ND) advanced with a bye; Billy Zimmerman (SD) pinned Dale Bates (ER), 1:40.
Semifinals: Worley pinned Jones, 3:48; Zimmerman dec. Phipps, 6-2.
Consolation Semis: Phipps pinned Hamlett, :44; Jones pinned Bates, 3:14.
285 POUNDS
Quarterfinals: Cody Sliger (O) pinned Dirk Green (W), :32; Allen Burnett (Hix) dec. Derrick Witcher (ER), 6-4; Me J. Richmond (SD) pinned Tyler Taylor (How), 1:03; Brandon Dusevic (ND) advanced with a bye.
Semifinals: Sliger pinned Burnett, 1:07; Dusevic dec. Richmond, 3-1.
Consolation Semis: Richmond pinned Witcher, :49; Burnett dec. Taylor, 7-4.
) Photo by Greg Davick CCS's Eric Henley scored back points in his match against Notre Dame's Orrin Hedrick. |
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