by B.B. Branton
posted November 20, 2009
On a historic day for high school girls wrestling in Tennessee, the TSSAA Board of Control voted for a girls-only state tournament before the two oldest female programs in the state renewed their long rivalry at night.
The Board of Control passed a rule that to be eligible for the girls state traditional tournament in February, girls can only compete against girls during the season. If a girl competes against boys in a dual match or tournament she will be ineligible to compete in the girls state.
Myself and many other coaches are thrilled that the board of control passed this ruling at the start of the season so all the coaches and wrestlers know what to expect,'' said Soddy Daisy boys and girls wrestling coach Steve Henry prior his Lady Trojans posting a 57-45 win against longtime rival Red Bank.
The Trojans lead the series 10-1 and tonight's match was the closest since the Lions won in 2000.
This is an excellent rule and it puts all the girls who plan to compete in their state tournament on an even playing field,'' said Henry who has guided the Lady Trojans to a 2008 state duals crown and a 2009 state traditional runner-up spot.
If a girl wants to wrestle with the boys that's great, but she can't compete in both.''
The 2010 state traditional tournament for boys and girls is Feb. 18-20 at the Williamson County Ag Center in Franklin.
This is a change from last year, when girls could wrestle against boys up to the boys region tournament and then could decide whether to compete in the boys or girls state tournament.
Henry was also pleased with the way his team wrestled in the season opener known as the ''Battle on Highway 27.''
We wrestled well for our first time out and look forward to the Soddy Daisy Invitational in early January,'' he stated.
The Soddy Daisy Invite is one of several in-season tournaments where girls can compete for a seed at the state tournament.
In tonight's match, the host Trojans won four of the first five matches via fall to lead 24-3.
Red Bank's Marisa Thomasson gave the visitors a brief 3-0 lead with an 8-2 decision of Maddie Oakes, before the Trojans posted falls from Melissa Downs, Summer Lanter, Hayley Moreno and Rachel Albrecht.
The Lions' Rudy Couch got the first of her two wins in the sixth match to make it 24-9 before the hosts won three more for the largest lead of the night at 39-9.
Soddy Daisy's Dakota Johnson picked up her first of two wins with a pin of Shanice Dowdy in the ninth match of the night for that 30 point lead (39-9).
But the Lions were not to be denied and the won six of the next seven matches - all by fall - to even the match at 45-45 with two bouts remaining on the card.
The Trojans Johnson and Joanna Miller closed the door with pins in those final two matches to secure the team triumph.
"I believe we made a good showing tonight and I feel we have four or five girls who can do well at the state tournament,'' said Red Bank girls coach Tony Carlton.
Double Winners:
Soddy Daisy: Dakota Johnson
Red Bank; Danah Tatum, Ruby Couch
Quickest Fall: :23; Danah Tatum (RB) pinned Brittany Price (SD)
Matches: 18
First Period Pins: 10
Second Period Pins: 4
Third Period Pins 1
Injury Default: 1
Decisions: 2
Officials: Don Elsea, Eddie Davis
Site: Soddy Daisy Wrestling Arena
Attendance: 350
In two exhibition matches:
Rachel Albrecht (SD) pinned Kiala Perry (East Ridge) Albrecht scored an opening takedown and ended the match in 47 seconds.
Perry (East Ridge) then wrestled Maria Thomasson (RB) Thomasson led 5-1 after one period and 10-1 after two Perry scored a reverse and 2-pt near fall in the third period for the 14-5 final score.
Soddy Daisy 57, Red Bank 45
* Marisa Thomasson (RB) dec. Maddie Oakes (SD), 8-2
Thomasson scored an opening period takedown and 2-pt near fall and led 4-2 after one Thomasson also scored takedowns in the second and third periods for an 8-2 win Red Bank leads, 3-0
* Melissa Downs (SD) pinned Lindsey Ramsey (RB), 1:27
Downs led 5-1 after the first period with a takedown and 3-pt near fall and scored a fall at 1:27 for the win Soddy Daisy leads, 6-3
* Summer Lanter (SD) pinned Nichole Martin (RB), 1:29
Lanter scored two first period takedowns and Martin had an escape Lanter turns Martin and records the fall at 1:29 .. SD leads 12-3
* Hayley Moreno (SD) pinned Sierra Johnnson (RB), :38
Moreno scores quick takedown and 2-pt near fall for 4-0 lead ... more back points and then ends the match at :38 SD leads, 18-3
* Rachel Albrecht (SD) pinned Destiny Trince (RB), :52
Albrecht starts with a head throw followed by a Trince escape Albrecht has another head throw and gets the pin with 8 seconds remaining in the first
SD has won four straight and leads, 24-3
*Rudy Couch (RB) pinned Brooke Hensley (SD), 1:13
The Lions post their second win of the night as Couch, with a decided weight advantage, scores the opening take down, but Hensley ties the match on two penalty points (full nelson, locked hands) Couch rides strong from the whistle and records the fall at 1:13 SD leads 24-9
*Michelle Towry (SD) injury default win vs Sierra Johnson (RB)
Johnson injures her knee in the opening period and defaults SD leads, 30-9
* Madison Murray (SD) dec. Jamie Swafford (RB), 8-1
Murray scores a take down and then penalized for full nelson leads 2-1 ... Murray uses a half to turn her opponent for 3-pt near fall and 5-1 advantage no score in the second period 3rd period: Murray gets another 3-pt NF at start of third for the 8-1 win SD leads, 33-9
* Dakota Johnson (SD) pinned Shanice Dowdy (RB), 1:48
Dowdy gets two take downs and Johnson had two escapes as Dowdy leads, 4-2 2nd:
each girl gains a reverse as Dowdy leads 6-4 3rd: Johnson has a 2-pt NF to tie the match at 6-6 and gains the fall at 1:48 SD has its largest lead of the night at 39-9.
* Jaharra Dowdell (RB pinned Katie Hall (SD), :35
Dodwell has strong head throw and records the fall in :35 The Lions post the first of four straight falls SD leads 39-15
* Danah Tatum (RB) pinned Brittany Price (SD), :23
Tatum also uses a head throw and posts the fall at :23, the quickest of the night SD leads 39-21
* Destiny Trince (RB) pinned Luisa Hernandez (SD), :56
After a flurry by both wrestlers, but with no takedown, Trince takes Hernandez to her back and has the fall in :56 RB has now won three straight gaining 18 team points SD leads 39-27
* Lindsey Ramsey (RB) pinned Mary Weaver (SD), 1:11
Ramsey gets late first period takedown and 2-pt near fall for 4-0 advantage ... Ramsey scores a second period fall at 1:11 The Lions are within six SD leads 39-33
* Brett Daniel (SD) pinned Nichole Martin (RB), :45
Daniel scores a much-needed fall for the Trojans as she stops Martin in :45 SD leads 45-33
* Rudy Couch (RB) pinned Jordan Marler (SD), :36
Couch uses another strong head throw and gains back points before the fall at :36 RB back within six with three matches remaining ... SD leads, 45-39
* Danah Tatum (RB) pinned Ally Fien (SD), :36
Red Bank's Tatum gets opening takedown and then the fall at :36 match is tied at 45-45
* Dakota Johnson (SD) pinned Heather Millard (RB), :45
Johnson gives Trojans the lead as she pins Millard in :45 Trojans win 52-45
* Joanna Miller (SD) pinned Sierra Johnson (RB), :27
Miller clinches the team win as she records the fall in :27
SD wins 57-45
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net
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