After a perfect 13-for-13 Region 3 champions the weekend before, nationally-ranked Cleveland saw 11 top finishes in Saturday's Section 2-AA competition, at McMinn County High School.
Down a wrestler at 106, the remaining twelve region champs from a week ago advanced to the final match with all but one claiming the crown.
With a 262 team points to take Saturday's team tally, the Raider dozen move forward to next weekend's TSSAA State Traditional Championships, in Franklin. Cleveland will be looking for its 17th straight TSSAA champion in the two-day event, that starts Friday morning.
With seven matmen advancing to the state event as well, Bradley Central claimed second place in the team race with 106 team points.
Cleveland's region champ Dominic Cordero was unable to participate at 106, opening the door for fourth-ranked Bear freshman Qwyntan "Q" Dyer to take the title with a technical fall over Blackman's Germaia Ewida in the title tilt.
At 113, Cleveland's top-ranked defending state champion Jose Cordero defended last week's region championship victory with a technical fall win over Warren County's Burgess Galligan.
In a closer duel than the opening two title matches, Cleveland's two-time defending state champion and top-ranked Chase Walker won by a 6-0 decision at 120 over Blackman's Drew Workman, ranked third in the state poll.
Junior teammate third-ranked Colt Maughon put in a dominant 15-0 tech fall win at 126 to make it three consecutive Blue Raider wins.
Perhaps the most anticipated match of the entire day, Cleveland's top-ranked Zac Bosken wrestled Siegel's second-ranked Chase Creque at 132.
The pair finished second and third at last year's State Traditionals.
Neither wrestler scored in the first period, but Bosken turned it on in the final two frames for an 8-1 decision victory.
In a rematch of the Region championship the Saturday before, the Raider four straight individual title streak ceased at 138, with a low-scoring slugfest having second-ranked freshman Kellen Sanders deadlocked at 1-1 with East Hamilton's Luke Carpenter.
With under ten seconds left in regulation, Carpenter earned a takedown of Sanders to upset the freshman 4-1 in a reversal of their previous meeting.
Cleveland wouldn't be quiet for long, with each of its seven remaining wrestlers taking home title victories.
Fourth-ranked junior Blake Congdon (144), freshman Joshua Pulley (165) and third-ranked junior Gabe Moore (215) won by major decisions.
Nationally-ranked defending state champions Cy Fowler (175) and Tyson Russell (285) won by tech falls.
Fourth-ranked freshmen Gary High pinned Bradley's sixth-ranked Kyle Hogg at 150, freshman Rock Shurette won a close decision 4-3 over Blackman's fourth-ranked Blaise Meeks at 190.
In one of only two weight classes without a Raider participant at 157, McMinn County's Dakota Guffey won by an 8-3 decision, earning the sectional's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award in the process.
Out of the aforementioned seven Bear wrestlers advancing to state, Dyer earned the lone title win, but three teammates - senior sixth-ranked Kyle Hogg (150) and juniors Trent Crisp (165) and second-ranked Wiley Suskowicz (175) - finished in second place.
Bear senior Houston Davenport (138), sophomore Brandon Harris (145) and junior Caden Williams (215) brought home fourth-place finishes, which were within the threshold to advance to next week's traditional championships.
For the Mustangs, both heavyweights extended their season - senior Troy Dyszkiewicz finished in 3rd place at 215 with a pin of Williams in the third place match, while fellow senior teammate Jeremiah Townsend also put in a third-place finish with a first-round pin at 285.
MATCH SUMMARIES
TSSAA Section 2-AA
Boys Championships
Saturday, Feb. 15
at Athens
Championship Finals
106 — “Q” Dyer (BC) tech fall Germaia Ewida (BHS) 19-3, 4:46; 113 — Jose Cordero (CHS) tech fall Burgess Galligan (WCHS), 2:58; 120 — Chase Walker (CHS) dec. Drew Workman (BHS) 6-0; 126 — Colt Maughon (CHS) tech fall Aiden Lindsay (CCCH), 4:57, 15-0; 132 — Zac Bosken (CHS) dec. Chase Croque (SHS) 8-1; 138 — Luke Carpenter (EH) dec. Kellen Sanders (CHS), 4-1; 144 — Blake Congdon (CHS) major dec. Landon McLean (BHS), 11-3; 150 — Gary High (CHS) pinned Kyle Hogg (BC), 2:44; 157 — Dakota Guffey (MCHS) dec. Logan Potts (STEW) 8-3; 165 — Joshua Pulley (CHS) major dec. Trent Crisp (BC), 12-0; 175 — Cy Fowler (CHS) tech fall Wiley Suskawicz (BCHS); 5:17; 19-4; 190 — Rock Shurette (CHS) dec. Blaise Meeks 5-4; 215 — Gabe Moore (CHS) major dec. Zerek Keel (WCHS), 11-1; 285 — Tyson Russell (CHS) tech fall Xavier Simmons (WCHS), 3:59, 21-5.
Third Place
Matches
106 — Martin Rezkalle (STEW) win by forfeit; 113 — Cooper Stout (SHS) pinned Ka'lel Fuller (RHS) 0:38; 120 — Nycco Jones (LHS) dec. Jaylen Clayton (WCHS) 4-0; 126 — Dylan Frazier (OA) win by forfeit; 132 — Alex Roberts (OA) dec. Statom Relford (STEW) 7-1; 138 — Isaiah Thephavong (BHS) pinned Houston Davenport (BC) 1:36; 144 — Nathan Barbee (OA) dec. Brandon Harris (BCHS), 14-11 OT; 150 — Patrick Richardson (STEW) win by injury Luke Richardson (EH) 3:24; 157 — Daniel Loizeaux (OHS) tech fall Thomas Ainsworth (RCHS), 2:24, 17-1; 165 — Brody Thomas (STEW) dec. Tyler Lowe (OA) 8-6; 175— Elijah Reams (RHS) dec. Martin Campos (RC) 5-2; 2:31; 190 — Jonathan Santel (SHS) UTB Madsen Harmen (EHHS) 4-3; 215 — Troy Dyszkiewicz (WVHS) pinned Caden Williams (BCHS) 2:30; 285 — Jeremiah Townsend (WVHS) pinned Ayden Hedgepeth (LCHS) 1:26.