Region 2-A championship Saturday
Snyder, Derry, Dye win region titles; 13 qualify for sectionals
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Clinton High School’s Haden Harrell won a decision over Ezra Terry from Scott High School in the quarterfinal round of Saturdays Region 2-A meet at Seymour High School. Harrell also won by decision over Lucas Burnette of Seymour, but lost to Max Cable of Pigeon Forge in the championship round. - Tony Cox
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Anderson County’s Max Wolfey won by fall over Union County’s Charles Cunning- ham in the quarterfinal round of Saturdays Region 2-A meet at Seymour High School. Wolfey won by decision over Christopher Puryear of Gibbs, but lost to Lukas Pratt of Pigeon Forge in the championship round. - Tony Cox
A successful 2023-24 season continues for the Clinton High School wrestling team as the Dragons had five athletes qualify for this weekend’s state sectional meet in Corryton.
Clinton’s 120-pounder, Justice Snyder, won the region championship, while Hayden Harrell, who competes in the 144-pound weight class, and Riley Silk (150) and Deameion Leavell (165), all posted runner-up finishes in their respective divisions last Saturday at Seymour High School.
Dalton Kendall (215) and Aaron Solberg (106) finished third, and Parker Sanchez might’ve qualified had he not been injured in his 138-pound semifinal bout.
Those wrestlers all advance to this Saturday’s state sectional championships at Gibbs High School in Corryton.
Wrestling begins at 11 a.m. at Gibb, and Clinton third-year head Coach Channing McDonald is hoping that all his remaining wrestlers will qualify for the state championships at the Williamson County Ag-Expo Park in Franklin, which begin on Friday, Feb 23, and conclude the following day.
“I feel really good about where we are, going into sectionals, and I think all five of our guys have a good shot at going to state,” McDonald said. “I thought we wrestled well at the regionals.
“We dealt with some injuries. Parker got a concussion in his semifinal match.”
Clinton’s coaching staff, which also includes Damien Leavell, John Nikitas and Wes Kendall, was honored as the region’s Coaching Staff of the Year.
“I’m just happy to have the four assistants that I have,” McDonald said.
“We were honored as the coaching staff of the year and they’ve all had a great impact on the program.”
Two Anderson County wrestlers were crowned region champions Saturday at the Region 2-A championships.
ACHS also had seven other athletes qualify for this weekend’s state sectionals.
Ayden Derry, who competes in the 190-pound weight class, and Morgan Dye, who wrestles in the 215-pound division, both won regional titles for the Mavericks Saturday at Seymour High School.
Anderson County, which finished third at the meet behind host Seymour and Pigeon Forge, had a pair of runner-up finishers, including Tripp Haire (113 pounds) and Max Wolfley (138).
Five ACHS grapplers came in third in their respective classes.
They included Michael Mattson (106 pounds), Emery Presson (144), Evan Prewitt (150), Josh Bingham (165) and Eli Bratton (285).
The state sectional championships will be held at Gibbs High School in Corryton.
ACHS Coach Matt Slone is looking for all of his sectional qualifiers to reach the 2023-24 Class A State Tournament, which begins Friday, Feb. 23 at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin.
“Hopefully, all nine of our guys will have a shot to get to state, and hopefully we can get a sectional champion or two in there,” Slone said. “That will improve our seeding at the state tournament.
“Everybody performed well, and our region is probably the deepest. The other region has Signal (Hill) and Soddy (Daisy), and those are probably the two best teams.
“But our region has five really competitive teams. You have Anderson County, Clinton, Seymour, Pigeon Forge and Gibbs.”
The state sectionals begin at 11 a.m. Saturday.