By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The TSSAA Division IA Boys and the Girls State Tournament took place this past weekend in Franklin at the Williamson County Expo Center at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park.
From Feb. 23-25, the best grapplers from the Volunteer State took to the match in the double elimination format in various weight-classes. Boys and girls competed in this format with a State champion being crowned for each division. Here is how the Munford Cougar and Millington Trojan participants fared.
Boys 106
Millington’s Derrick Bolden won his first match over Cornersville’s Joshua Bennett. After a loss to Samuel Comes (Seymour), Bolden beat John Sanchez-Ponce of Alcoa. Bolden’s second defeat came courtesy of Aidan Smith of Tennessee High School.
Boys 113
Dalton Lopez of Millington won his opening match in Franklin over Rylan May from Knoxville Halls. Lopez’s second match saw him succumb to eventual State champion Joseph Uhorchuk of Signal Mountain. Lopez’s final match at State came against Carter High School Aiden Loy.
Boys 120
Millington’s William Howard took on Samuel Everett School’s Colton Relation in his first match. After a loss to Relation, Howard tried to stay alive against Brody Ford of Gibbs. Ford outlasted Howard to survive.
Boys 126
Carter Sisco of Munford won his first match at State over Vayden Moore (Cascade). Then the Uhorchuk of the 126-Division sent Sisco to the Losers’ Bracket with a pinfall win at 1:05. Ethan Uhorchuk would end up as State champ for Signal Mountain in this weight class. Sisco had one more match at State against Tennessee’s Eli Moore. The Munford senior was outlasted by the Tennessee High School sophomore.
Boys 132
Munford’s Logan Bridges met up with Sam Hutchison of Knoxville Halls in the first round in Franklin. Hutchison finally was able to advance over Bridges with a pinfall at 3:22. Bridges was in the survival bracket, losing to Jordan Gainey (Green Hill) in that match.
Boys 138
Millington junior Dylan Chapman started slow at the State Tournament, dropping his first match to Donavan Smith Peters of Sullivan East. Then Chapman bounced back with a pair of wins. Chapman defeated Jackson Owens of Signal Mountain with a 2:35 pinfall.
Grant Hawkinson of Page was up next for Chapman. Chapman advanced to face Tullahoma’s Cody Agnell who brought an end to Chapman’s run.
Boys 145
Trojan grappler Alejandro Gutierrez represented Millington in the 145-Division losing his first match to Aubrey Thompson (Stone Memorial). Gutierrez earned his way into the winner’s circle with a win over Kaden Weitzel of Livingston Academy. Eagleville’s Thomas Solomon proved to be too much for Gutierrez in the next round.
Boys 195
Trojan Rylene Keme took to the mat against Kenny Harris of Alcoa. Keme won by fall at 3:15 to advance to face Nathan Downey of Green Hill. The senior outlasted Keme to reach the next round. Keme’s stay at State came to an end courtesy of John Geist of Livingston Academy.
Boys 285
Munford Cougar Zach Smith was outlasted by Cristopher Flockhart from Cocke County. Smith won his next match, taking down Brayden Vance of David Crockett. The senior’s last match for Munford was against Robert Tatum from Tullahoma.
Girls 100
Mallory Howard represented the Lady Trojans at State. Her historic appearance as the first of the girls program to reach the final tournament of the season started with a match against Alivia Ryan of Dobyns Bennett. Ryan won 7-5 over Howard.
The Millington senior’s distinguished career came to an end courtesy of Molly Cole from Oakland.
Girls 138
Lady Trojan junior Teresa Hutchison won her opening match at State making school history. Hutchison won by pinfall at :22 seconds over Clara Seymore of Polk County.
Brooklyn Long of Independence outlasted Hutchison in the next match. Hutchison picked up two more wins before leaving Franklin, beating Kristyn Harr (Gibbs) and Analise Jeter (Rossview).
Clarksville’s Brooklyn Whiteside was able to earn a victory over Hutchison to close our her stay at State.
