Region wrestling tournament starts on Friday at Eagleville

Anthony S. Puca Sports Editor
Posted 2/10/21

The Region 3A/AA Wrestling Tournament at Eagleville has a new format this season as full brackets will be completed all the way through the championship matches and will be split into two days, beginning on Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Friday’s session begins with the 126-pound weight class flowed by 132, 138, 152, 160, 195, and 285.

The first local wrestler to take the mat will be Forrest junior Asa Nance (6-4), who will wrestle Moore County senior Dustin Thomas (5-2) in the 126-pound weight class.

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Region wrestling tournament starts on Friday at Eagleville

Posted

The Region 3A/AA Wrestling Tournament at Eagleville has a new format this season as full brackets will be completed all the way through the championship matches and will be split into two days, beginning on Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Friday’s session begins with the 126-pound weight class flowed by 132, 138, 152, 160, 195, and 285.

The first county wrestler to take the mat will be Forrest junior Asa Nance (6-4), who will wrestle Moore County senior Dustin Thomas (5-2) in the 126-pound weight class.

Forrest junior Braiden Vanderploeg (19-6) is the fourth-seed and has earned a first round bye at 132 and will take on the winner of the match between Red Bank freshman Chase Gann (12-5) and East Nashville freshman Quincy Grimes (0-0).

Vanderploeg finished fourth at the region tournament last season and went to the state tournament for the second time, but was knocked out in the consolation semifinals by Eagleville’s Brody McLemore.

In the 138-pound weight class, Forrest freshman Seth McCoy (13-7) comes in as the number-two seed and has a first round bye.

McCoy finished in second place at the region tournament last year and went on to medal at the state championships with a fourth-place finish.

McCoy will wrestle the winner of the first round match between Cascade senior Jayden Burns (7-6) and East Nashville's Aiden Summers (2-0).

Forrest junior Forest Ozburn (10-8) is a five-seed in the 152-pound weight class and takes on East Ridge’s fourth-seeded senior Titus Moschkau (0-0) in a second round match. Both wrestlers had byes in the first round.

Also at 152, Marshall County High School junior James Jamison (2-11) takes the mat versus Red Bank junior Hayden Tate (6-8).

MCHS senior Aaron Foster (13-2) earned a two-seed and a first-round bye at 160 and takes on the winner of the match that pits Moore County senior Austin Kirby (2-0) and Sequatchie County sophomore Tavin Birdwell (4-6).

Foster was a fourth-place finisher last year at the region tournament and became the first MCHS wrestler to qualify for the state tournament since 2004.

Also at 160, Forrest freshman Hamen Hileman (5-8) takes on Red Bank junior John Elbakidze (7-6).

In the 195-pound weight class, Forrest junior Alex Harvey (9-5) has a bout with Eagleville junior Matthew Garber (20-10) and Marshall County sophomore Brock Anderson (7-6) wrestles Howard School sophomore Mauricio Francisco (2-7).

The 285-pound weight class will be the final bracket to be completed on Friday and Marshall County freshman Wesley Holder (7-8) wrestles Moore County eighth-grader Aydan Blair (2-3), while Forrest sophomore Kenneth Brown (0-2) takes on Eagleville freshman Joseph Williamson (11-11).

Saturday’s final session at Eagleville begins at 10:30 a.m. and the first weight class to take the mat will be the 106-pound bracket, flowed by 113, and 120. There are no county wrestlers entered at any of the three weights.

Forrest senior Hunter Pendley (16-9) takes the mat in the 145-pound weight class and finished fourth at the region tournament last year to qualify for the state tournament, earning a three-seed and first round bye this year.

Pendley will take on the winner of the match between Howard School freshman Jaleel Choice (1-13) and Whitwell junior Cooper Horton (18-8).

Marshall County senior Bailey Johnson (0-0) wrestles in the 170-pound weight class versus East Nashville senior Ivan Miller (3-0).

At 182-pounds, defending state champion Noah Hill comes in with an undefeated mark of 24-0 and a top seed.

The Forrest senior is also the defending region champion and will take on the winner of the first round match between Whitwell sophomore Ethan Hobbs (12-9) and Cascade junior Conner Huie (11-6).

Also in the 182-pound bracket is Marshall County senior Colton Haun (10-3), who will battle East Ridge freshman Caleb Conn (0-0).

The final bracket of the tournament is 220-pounds and Marshall County freshman Eli Alexander

(0-0) takes on Watertown junior Mathew King (12-3).

The top four qualifiers from the region tournament qualify for next week’s TSSAA 2021 Wrestling State Championships at the Chattanooga Convention Center on Thursday, February 18. The entire Class A/AA Divison will be completed on Thursday with first round matches starting at 9:00 a.m. CST.

Semifinals will start at 12:30 p.m. and after another short break, the championship round commences at 6:00 p.m.