Champ
Leavell’s gold is Dragons’ first wrestling state title
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Deameion Leavell (left) and father, Damien Leavell, celebrate the gold medal that Deameion won at the TSSAA wrestling state championship meet in Franklin. Leavell won in the 165-pound class, and became the first Dragon wrestler to win a state championship. - Tony Cox
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Dameion Leavell (Clinton) wins by fall over Hayden Moore (Greeneville) during the individual region match to qualify for a trip to the TSSAA State Championship meet in Franklin. - Tony Cox
He’s only a sophomore, but he already has etched his name in the record books of Clinton High School athletics, and wrestling history.
Deameion Leavell, who helped the Dragons have their most-successful wrestling season to date, culminated his 2023-24 campaign by winning the Class A state championship on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin.
Leavell, who competes in the 165-pound weight class, won the bracket’s state championship when he notched a sudden-death overtime victory over Pigeon Forge’s Wyatt Howard, prevailing 3-1, by recording a takedown.
Leavell, who also stars on the gridiron at Clinton, finished his sophomore year and his first season with the Dragons with a 32-4 record as he won Clinton’s first individual state title in history.
He hails from a wrestling family as his father, Damien, was a Kentucky State Champion in 1999. Damien is an assistant wrestling coach on Channing McDonald’s staff.
As a freshman, Deameion Leavell, who was also the Region 3-5A Returner of the Year in 2023, while helping the CHS football team reach the Class 5A State Quarterfinals for the first time since the early 1990’s, earned a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky State Championships.
He came to Clinton with aspirations of winning a state title, and carrying on a family tradition.
“Ever since I was in the seventh grade, I wrestled varsity and I always had the goal of winning a state championship,” he said. “I wanted to peak with that goal that my dad set for me.”
McDonald said that Leavell will now hold a special place in CHS wrestling lore.
“This is huge for our program. Now, his picture will be the first picture that everybody will see when they look at our trophy when they look for wrestling,” McDonald said.
After winning the state title, Deameion glanced in his father’s direction. It was an emotional moment.
“After I won, I looked over and we both had smiles on our faces,” Deameion said. “We both had tears in our eyes, and they were happy tears.
“This feels really good and it was special to have my dad there. It was exciting because my dad has always been in my corner for wrestling.”
Leavell, the newly-crowned TSSAA 165-pound State Champ, said he knows that with his championship comes responsibility.
But he doesn’t feel any extra pressure.
“It’s big to have a state champion in our (wrestling) room and this means a lot for our program,” he said.
“Anytime you have a state champion in the room, it’s good for the underclassmen and the younger guys.
“I don’t feel any pressure because I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. It’s just something that I’ve got to do,” Leavell said.