Dragons sending five to State Championship meet on Saturday
Clinton’s Deameion Leavell won by fall over Hayden Moore (Greeneville) in the quarterfi- nal round of Saturday’s sectional meet at Gibbs High School. (photo:Tony Cox )
The Dragons had five athletes advance to this week’s state championships in Franklin this weekend.
Clinton will be represented by Tanner Justice, Hayden Harrell, Riley Silk, Deameion Leavell, and Dalton Kendall at the Class A State Championships, which will be contested Friday and Saturday at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.
Justice won the sectional championship in the 120-pound weight class Saturday at Gibbs High School in Corryton.
Harrell, who competes in the 144-point weight class, and Leavell, who wrestles in the 165-pound division, each finished second in their respective brackets, while Silk (150 pounds) and Kendall (215) each finished third in their respective weight classes.
Dragons’ coach Channing McDonald said that he was pleased with his squad’s showing in Northeast Knox County on Saturday.
“We had six wrestlers make it to sectionals and we’re sending five to the state, so I couldn’t be happier,” McDonald said. “I’m hoping to get some guys on the podium and I’m hoping to have a couple of state champions.
“This is big for our program.”
The Dragons will get a grand sendoff Thursday afternoon as they leave Clinton High to head to the Midstate.
“Our kids have had a great year and we’re going to have a parade for them at the end of the last block (class period) at the school,” McDonald said. “We’re going to have the parade for them about 3:30.”
“This is the first time that we’ve ever taken more than three wrestlers to the state.”