As a handful of seniors closed the books on outstanding wrestling careers, Baylor head coach Ben Nelson wrote a pretty impressive first chapter in his opening act at the Chattanooga prep school.
While Baylor posted a state record 315 points, McCallie senior T.J. Duncan became the state's first five-time state winner with a 15-6 major decision against Spencer Craig (Baylor) at 160.
Nelson and company had a full contingent of medalists (14), including its six champions in winning its 14th traditional title and easily out-distanced runner-up Christian Brothers with 256 points and two winners.
McCallie was third (222 pts, three champs), Father Ryan was fourth (201.50, 2 champs) and Montgomery Bell Academy was fifth (184 pts.) in the 18-team field.
Baylor champions were Cole Holloway (103), Brandon Brunner (119), Zach Watson (125), Alex Manley (130), Stuart Doster (140) and Barrett Gouger (285).
Christian Brothers had Tate Robinson (112) and Kaleb Baker (135) stand atop the medal stand.
McCallie winners were Michael Hooker (145), T.J. Duncan (160) and Chase Martino (171).
Hooker to Ryan: Due to family obligations in Nashville, McCallie junior Michael Hooker will withdraw from McCallie on Monday and has tentative plans to enroll at Father Ryan on Tuesday.
Hooker defeated Mark Marchetti (Father Ryan), a sophomore, in the 145-pound class final.
Hooker could fill a void at 152 as Ryan state champion Chris Agnew graduates or go to 160 where Brandon Zeitlin also graduates.
Marchetti is a sophomore and should improve greatly with one of the best in the state in the middle weights in his practice room.
D-II Championship Finals
103 - No.1 Cole Holloway (Bay) vs. No.3 Adam Connell (McCallie)
Holloway gains initial takedown, 2-0 with :40 seconds remaining ..
Holloway leads 2-0 after one … Holloway takes down … caution Connell (1) …
Holloway gains reverse with :42 seconds remaining, 4-0 … caution Baylor (1) … third period, Connell takes down … Connell works for reverse, but Holloway fights it off … blood time Baylor with :24 remaining … caution Baylor (2) … Holloway rides out for first state title
First Takedown: Holloway
Cole Holloway (Bay) dec. Adam Connell (McC), 4-0
112 - No.1 Tate Robinson (CBHS) No.2 Alex Elsea (McCallie)
Robinson takedown, 2-0 early … Robinson works for cradle … but nothing … Robinson 2-pt NF, 4-0 after one … Robinson down for second period ... Robinson escape and takedown, 7-0 gains the fall at 2:59
First Takedown: Robinson
Tate Robinson (CBHS) pinned Alex Elsea (McC), 2:59
119 - No.1 Brandon Brunner (Bay) vs. No.3 Danny Maloney (Brentwood Acad.)
Brunner takedown, 2-0 at 1:30 of first, … warning Maloney (1) … Maloney escape, 2-1, Brunner gets second takedown, 4-1 … end of one … Brunner down for second … Brunner gets escape (5-1) quickly followed by third t.d., 7-1 … warning Maloney (2) .. one pt for Brunner, 8-1 …. Third period …Maloney takes neutral … takedown Brunner late, 10-1
Brunner has won state title in D-I and D-II
First Takedown: Brunner
Brandon Brunner (Bay) major dec. Danny Maloney (Brentwood Acad.), 10-1
125 - No.1 Zach Watson (Bay) vs. No.2 Alex Ward (McCallie)
Watson takedown at 1:17 , 2-0 … end of one … Watson takes down … escape Watson, nice escape as Ward had him up in the air … 3-0 … similar move he did in the dual match at Baylor … t.d. Watson (2), 5-0 … end of two …
Blood time Ward … Ward takes neutral … Watson t.d. (3), 7-0 … warning Ward (1) at :50 … Ward warning (3) .. 1 pt to Watson …
Watson wins his fourth state title .. 8-0
First Takedown: Watson
No.1 Zach Watson (Baylor) major dec. No.2 Alex Ward (McCallie), 8-0
130 - No.1 Alex Manley (Bay) vs. No.2 Cole Moseley (Father Ryan)
No takedown in first… Moseley takes down … Moseley works for sit out but almost caught on back … then gets escape, 1-0 … Manley gets t.d. (1) .., 2-1 with 1:05 left ..
Manley down for third … Manley escape, 3-1 … Cole shoots but Manley blocks and then stalemate … Manley gets takes down (2), 5-1
Manley wins his second. Ends career with 229 wins... state career record
First Takedown: Manley
No.1 Alex Manley (Baylor) dec. Cole Moseley (Father Ryan), 5-1.
135 - No.1 Kaleb Baker (CBHS) vs. No.2 Bennett Reece (Bay)
Baker gets takedown at 1:25, 2-0 … end of one … Baker down … Baker quick escape ... 3-0 … stalemate … back to neutral … t.d. (2) Baker late in period, 5-0 … injury time Baylor … warning stalling both wrestlers … second for Baker, one pt Reece, 5-1 …
Baker wins, 5-1 ... his first state title
First Takedown: Baker
No.1 Kaleb Baker (CBHS) dec. No.2 Bennett Reece (Baylor), 7-1
140 - No.1 Stuart Doster (Bay) vs. No.2 Mick Anthony (CBHS)
Doster takedown at 1:25, 2-0 … end of one … Anthony down . escape, 2-1 . Doster t.d (2), 4-1 … escape Anthony, 4-2 ... third period ... Doster down .. Doster escape and takedown,(3), 7-2 … escape Anthony, 7-3 … takedown Anthony, 7-5, escape Doster, 8-5 … takedown Doster (4), 10-5 . Doster wins his fourth.state title
Doster family has eight state titles … David (1), Stokes (1), Reed (2), Stuart (4)
First Takedown: Doster
No.1 Stuart Doster (Baylor) dec. No.2 Mick Anthony (CBHS), 10-5
145 - No.1 Michael Hooker (McCallie) vs. No.2 Mark Marchetti (Father Ryan)
Hooker takedown (1), 2-0 … 3-pt NF, 5-0 … escape Marchetti, 5-1 … end of one … Marchettti down for second … Marchetti quick escape, 5-2 … takedown Hooker and to his back for 10-2 lead … Hooker gets another 3-pt NF, 13-2 … Hooker down for third … warning Hooker stalling (1) … Hooker reverse, 15-2 … potentially dangerous on pinning combination .. caution Hooker (1) …
Hooker wins 15-2 . his second title .
First Takedown: Hooker … ends season at 50-0
No.1 Michael Hooker (McCallie) major dec. Mark Marchetti (Father Ryan), 15-2
152 - No.1 Matthew Cate (Bay) vs. No. 3 Chris Agnew (Father Ryan)
Cate shoots … but countered and off the mat … takedown Agnew, 2-0 end of one …
Agnew down in second ... escape Agnew , 3-0 … Cate shoots for takedown but countered ... both shoot but nothing … Cate gets takedown at end of period, trails 3-2 .. Cate down for third …
Agnew gets takedown and 2-pt NF late for 9-3 win … Agnew lifts coach Pat Simpson in a bear hug after match
First Takedown: Agnew
No.3 Chris Agnew (Father Ryan) dec. No.1 Matthew Cate (Baylor), 9-3
160 - No.1 T.J. Duncan (McCallie) vs. No.2 Spencer Craig (Bay)
Duncan takedown 2-0 and cuts Craig, 2-1 … takedown (2) Duncan, 4-1 … cuts Craig, 4-2, takedown (3) and escape, 6-3 …. Craig down in second, escape, 6-4 .. Duncan t.d. (4). 8-4..
Duncan 3-pt NF,.11-4 .. blood time Baylor.. escape Craig …takedown Duncan (5), 15-6
Duncan wins a state record, fifth title
First Takedown: Duncan
No.1 T.J. Duncan (McCallie) major dec. No.2 Spencer Craig (Baylor), 15-6
171 - No.1 Nate Rupiper (CBHS) vs. No.2 Chase Martino (McCallie)
No takedown in first ... Martino down and escape, 1-0 ... takedown Martino, 3-0 … end of two ... Rupiper takes down … Martino wins
Third time’s the charm for Chase as he finished second the two previous years …
First Takedown: Martino
No.2 Chase Martino (McCallie) dec. No.1 Nate Rupiper (CBHS), 3-0
189 - No.1 T.J. Holmes (Father Ryan) vs. No.2 Ian Sharbel (MBA)
Holmes gains intitial takedown …
Third period … Holmes leads 4-1 escape Sharbel 4-2 … warning Holmes (1)
Holmes the champion . 4-2
First Takedown: Holmes
No.1 T.J. Holmes (Father Ryan) dec. No.2 Ian Sharbel (MBA), 4-2
215 - No.1 John Mackey (Baylor) vs. No.2 Amos Mason (Brentwood Acad.)
Mason takes Mackey to his back for 5-0 lead at end of one ... Mackey fights off the pin ... second .. Mackey takes down … Mackey gets reverse and Mason escape, 6-2 ...
Start of third … Mason takes down ... Mason reverse, 8-2 ... Mackey escape, 8-3 … Mason stalling, 8-4
First Takedown: Mason
No. 2 Amos Mason (Brentwood Acad.) dec. No.1 John Mackey (Baylor), 8-4
285 - No.3 Tye Youngblood (McCallie) vs. No.4 Barrett Gouger (Bay)
No score end of one … Gouger takes down … escape Gouger at 1:10, 1-0 … Gouger warning (1) … Gouger gets takedown, 3-0 late in period … Youngblood takes neutral to start third … Gouger warning (2), 3-1 …, takedown Gouger, 5-1
Gouger gains fall at 5:20.
First Takedown: Gouger
No.4 Barrett Gouger (Baylor) pinned No. 3 Tye Youngblood (McCallie), 5:20
All winners gained the intitial takedown …
Seeds: Ten, No.1 seeds won titles … also a No.2 (171 & 215), No.3 (152), a No.4 (285) also won
Notes:
D-II Outstanding Wrestler: McCallie's T.J. Duncan ... he is the fifth McCallie wrestler to win this award.
Previous McCallie OW's were Jon Bennett (1972), David Vance 91990), George Lewis (1992) and Spencer Manley (2003).
D-II Best Match: 152 - Chris Agnew (Father Ryan) dec. Matthew Cate (Baylor), 9-3
Five-Time State Champion: T.J. Duncan (McCallie) ... career record of 206-20
Four-Time Champs: Zach Watson (Baylor), Stuart Doster (Baylor).
Of the eight, four-time state champs, Baylor now has four ... Jordan Leen and Bailey Whitaker were the first two Red Raiders, accomplshing the feat in the last decade.
The other four-timers were Martin Francis (Notre Dame), Phillip Simpson (MBA), Matt Keller (Bradley Central) and Ryan Scott (McCallie).
Doster Champs Doster family has eight state champs; David (1), Stokes (1), Reed (2), Stuart (4).
Mackey Brothers: While Baylor's John Mackey (215) earned a second-place medal, his younger brother, Josh, took fourth at 285 for Silverdale Baptist.
Josh earned his medal with five straight wins in the consolation rounds, before losing to Yusuf Yunis (Rossview) in the third place match.
Mark Simpson's Fifth State Medal: MBA senior Mark Simpson became the first MBA wrestler and the first wrestler in the Frank Simpson household to win five state medals ...
Mark placed third, twice (2007, 2011)and fourth, three times (2008-10).
Duncan's Socks-Retired: Duncan has worn the same pair of dark socks in every match - 190 straight (175-15)- the past four years ... he wore a pair of Penn State socks as an eighth grader.
"It's time to retire these worn-out socks and I will wear a new pair when I wrestle at Maryland next year," said Duncan.
Breakfast of Champions:
T.J. Duncan and his family have gone out to breakfast each year after the weigh-ins on the Saturday morning of each state tournament ... Five breakfasts and five first place medals.
McCallie All-Time Wins: T.J. Duncan is first on the Tornado all-time wins list with 206, followed by Chase Martino (191) and Michael Hooker (junior) at 174 ... Hooker and Duncan are tied for school single-season wins (Duncan, 50-3 in 2010, Hooker was 50-0 this year).
Another Eighth Grader: Baylor's Cole Holloway won the 103 pound class as an eighth grader ... teammate Zach Watson also won his first of four at 103 in 2008 as an eighth grader ... Watson goes for his fifth in 2011.
Youngest Champion: Tennessee School for the Blind's Jody Chamberlain won his first state title in 1963 as a sixth grader (103) ... he had to sit out the 1964 season due to a possible detached retina ... he won his second title in 1965 (112) as an eighth grader, but doctors forced him to give up the sport after that season, due to possible further damage to the retina.
Hunters Lane's Second Champ: While Hunters Lane senior Josue Brown was winning his D-I state title at 145, McCallie co-head coach Mike Newman was coaching Blue Tornado senior Michael Hooker to his second D-II state crown on the adjacent mat.
Newman's interest in Brown's match?
Newman was Hunters Lane's first wrestling state champ at 152 pounds in 1988.
Honoring Past Champions: Prior to the championship finals, TSSAA recognized seven champions from the first state tournament in 1961.
In attendance, were Billy Bunch (98, Red Bank), George Thrash (112, Red Bank), Jim Eldridge (126, Chattanooga City), George Farr (132, Red Bank), John McCall (138, McCallie), Larry Pendergrass (145, Red Bank) and Paul Tessmann (167, McCallie).
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net