Mavericks mat men are state bound
Derry gets win 100 at David Crockett section duals
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Anderson County’s Ayden Derry won his 100th high school match by defeating David Crockett’s Alex Ingle in the 190-pound weight class. Derry’s win scored six points for the Mavericks, who won the match against the Pioneers 39-33. - Tony Cox
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Anderson County’s Tripp Haire got the fall in 1:12 over Seymour’s Germain Valesquez during last Wednesday’s Region Dual at Seymour High School. - Tony Cox
For the second time in school history, the Anderson County High School boys wrestling team is headed to the state duals championship tournament.
The Mavericks, who won their district duals and finished runners-up in their region, will open the one-day tournament Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin.
Anderson County’s Class A quarterfinal opponent will be Station Camp.
The Mavs, by virtue of their second-place finish in the regionals on Wednesday, Jan. 24, qualified for the Section 1-A Duals.
But they had to make a trip to David Crockett on Saturday to face a tough Pioneers squad on the road. Anderson County punched its ticket to the state duals with a 39-33 victory Saturday.
The Mavericks defeated David Crockett by an identical 39-33 score in mid-January to win the Chris Vandergriff Duals, hosted by Knoxville Halls High School.
But ACHS Coach Matt Slone said that while the scores were the same, the two matches weren’t.
“They were two totally different matches,” he said. “We moved some people around and they had some different guys.
“But the outcome was exactly the same.”
In Saturday’s duals match against the Pioneers, Tripp Haire (120 pounds), Emery Presson (126 pounds) and Ayden Derry (190 pounds) all scored six team points as all pinned their respective opponents.
Derry achieved an individual career milestone against the Pioneers as he won his 100th high school match.
Max Wolfley, ACHS’s 144-pounder, also scored six points, as he won by forfeit.
Josh Bingham, the Mavericks’ 165-pounder, picked up five team points as he scored a technical fall.
Evan Prewitt, who competes in the 150-pound weight class, secured four team points as he scored a major decision with his 10-1 win.
In the 220-pound division, Eli Bratton won a 9-5 decision and earned three points for the Mavericks.
At 285 pounds, Morgan Dye also tallied three team points as he won his bout via a 2-1 decision.
In the region championships, the Mavericks split a pair of matches, defeating host Seymour and falling to Pigeon Forge, one of the state’s top programs.
In the district championships on Tuesday, Jan. 23, the Mavericks, enjoyed a first-round bye as the top seed, then earned wins over Carter and crosstown rival Clinton.
It was truly a big week for Anderson County, and Slone said that he couldn’t have been happier.
“We all wrestled so well that it’s almost impossible to single anybody out,” Slone said. “I’m so proud of all of the guys.
“This is the second time that we’ve made it to the state duals, and it’s a lot harder now because they only take eight teams to the state.”
