Leavell wins state title in overtime
The 2023-24 season ended on a high note for the Clinton High School’s wrestling team on Saturday at the Class A State Championships.
Not only did the Dragons close their season with four athletes in medal contention on the final day of the two-day event, but sophomore Deameion Leavell was the last man standing in his weight class.
Leavell, a sophomore who competes in the 165-pound weight class, won the state title in dramatic fashion as he scored a takedown in sudden death overtime to nab a 3-1 decision victory over Pigeon Forge’s Wyatt Howard.
It was the Dragons’ first ever individual state championship and head coach Channing McDonald said that Leavell’s title has already changed the direction of the program.
“This changes everything for our program. Now, he’ll be in the first picture that anybody will see when they look in our trophy case,” McDonald said.
Leavell, a sophomore in his first year at Clinton High School, is no stranger to competing on the big stage, He finished seventh at the Kentucky State Championships as a freshman last season.
With his championship, Leavell, who comes from a wrestling family, carried on the family tradition and achieved a lifelong dream. His father, Damien, was a Kentucky State Champion in 1999, and currently serves as an assistant coach on McDonald’s staff.
In addition to Leavell’s state title, Clinton had Riley Silk (150 pounds), Justice Snyder (120), Dalton Kendall (215) and Hayden Harrell (144) in contention for podium finishes in their respective weight divisions.
All this left McDonald optimistic about the program’s future.
“I feel like, with the addition of facilities and the addition of a girls coach, we’ll continue to get better every year,” he said. “We’re really starting to solidify our program and build a tradition.
“Hopefully, the kids will see this and come out if they want to challenge themselves and be challenged.”