Pigeon Forge wrestlers celebrate on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (Photo by Danny Parker)
You’re here to see what all happened this week in the TSSAA State Wrestling Championships in Chattanooga.
Got it.
Well from Pigeon Forge’s three-peat to individual history made at Anderson County, we got you covered below.
By JESSE SMITHEY
The margin of victory wasn’t as expansive as last year’s, but the result was all the same.
The Pigeon Forge boys’ wrestling team weathered the change in venue and the delayed start date of this year’s TSSAA Wrestling State Championships and claimed yet another team title.
Just weeks after a three-peat bid came up shy at the state duals, the Tigers three-peated as the Class A/AA traditional tournament state champions Wednesday, tallying 193 total points at the Chattanooga Convention Center to top Signal Mountain’s 174.5 and Greeneville’s 172.
Gibbs finished sixth at 109.
Covid-19’s ripple effect caused the tournament to move from its normal host site (Franklin) to Chattanooga; and winter weather complications in the midstate and West Tennessee prompted a week’s delay.
But that didn’t stop six of Pigeon Forge’s wrestlers from reaching the finals Wednesday in their respective weight classes. Four claimed individual state championships.
Garrett Foreman, a junior who was the 138-pound class champion and Class A/AA Most Outstanding Wrestler in last year’s state meet, won the 152-pound championship Wednesday.
Ethan Sutton won 195, earning the TSSAA’s Most Outstanding Match on Wednesday for his 7-6 decision over Signal Mountain’s Preston Worley.
Mustafi Algarawi, an All-5Star Preps football selection and all-state football player, notched a victory in the 285-pound class.
Andy Cable claimed the title at 120 over Gibbs freshman Spencer Reep.
Josh Parton, who was champion in 132 last season, moved up to 145 this season and finished second. Gibbs’ J.A. Pittman took third in 145.
Elizabethton’s Deuce Morton, an all-state football player, once again proved his worth on the mat Wednesday, recording his third individual championship of his career. After two titles in the 195 weight class the last two years, he moved up to 220 this time around and knocked off Pigeon Forge’s Caleb Wolfe to capture another championship.
Kodiak Cannedy is also now a three-time state champion in his three years at Greeneville. The junior took first in the 160-pound class on Wednesday. He was first in 126 as a freshman in 2019 and first in 145 as a sophomore.
Other notable finishes from the area: Carson Reep (Gibbs) third in 160; Porter Finstad (Gibbs) second in 102, LeAndre Dabney Jr. (Greeneville) second in 113, Hunter Johnson (Greeneville) second in 132, Hunter Mason (Greeneville) first in 139, Morgan Lowery (Greeneville) third in 170.
FRIDAY CLASS AAA AREA RESULTS
Anderson County senior Stone Cummins was the area’s lone state championship winner on Friday, the final day of the TSSAA State Wrestling championships.
Cummings defeated Walker Valley senior Jadon Langford to win the 285 weight class, 3-1 in the first sudden-victory period.
By doing so, he became the first state-champion wrestler in Anderson County program history.
Cummins, an all-5Star Preps football selection, will play football and wrestle in college at Coe University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Other area Class AAA standout performances Friday were: Landon Fisher (Jefferson County, second, 145), Logan Fisher (Jefferson County, second, 160), Matheson Meade (Bearden, second, 170), Thomas Stadel (Maryville, third, 195), Ryver Shelton (Maryville, third, 220).
Cleveland won the Class AAA state wrestling competition by nearly 100 points. Jefferson County finished eighth and Halls 10th.
Class AAA Heavyweight Wrestling State Champion….Stone Cummins! @5StarPreps @ACSchoolsTN #GoMavs pic.twitter.com/0UT6hkn9JP
— Ben Downs (@BenDownsACMAVS) February 27, 2021
THURSDAY WRESTLING TAKEAWAYS
While no teams won state titles in Thursday’s docket of competition — which featured girls’ wrestling and Division II wrestling — the list of standout individual performances from this area was a lengthy one.
Claiming individual state championships in girls’ wrestling were: Jenna Baines (Greeneville, 112), Jailynn Tindall (Carter, 140) and Ella Murphey (HVA, 190). Haley Redmond (Gibbs, 132) and Hailey Webb (Farragut, 160) claimed silver in their respective weight classes.
Northwest won the girls team competition. Greeneville (eighth) and Hardin Valley (ninth) were the lone girls’ wrestling squads that cracked the top 10.
The Lakeway Christian Academy boys finished fifth in a loaded Division II field, thanks to a handful of top-three-or-better finishes by its team.
Keyveon Roller (120 weight class) and Brayden Ivy (138) came in as ones to watch and walked away with individual state championships in their weight classes.
Jay Eversole (113) claimed a second-place finish while Tim Charpenter (132) and Luke Estes (195) each finished third in their weight classes for Lakeway.
Webb School of Knoxville senior Brik Boruff finished runner-up in the Division II 220 weight class.
Baylor won the Division II competition with 216.5 points. Lakeway had 96 points. CAK was eighth at 41.5.