Mavericks wrestlers face elite competition at duals
Anderson County High School’s boys wrestling team faced elite competition over the weekend at the Smoky Mountain Duals at the Rocky Top Sports Complex in Gatlinburg.
The Mavericks experienced both triumph and challenge in a tournament featuring top programs from the Southeast and Midwest.
“We saw some really tough competition,” ACHS Coach Matt Slone said. “Lakeway Christian was there, and they have one of the best private school programs in Tennessee. Then you have Heritage.”
The Mavericks had mixed results against those squads, falling to Lakeway Christian 57-21, but edging Heritage 45-36.
Anderson County also faced Cabell Midland, a top team from West Virginia, losing 66-11.
“They were a really good team out of West Virginia, and they wrestle in the top classification there,” Slone said.
The Mavericks endured a close 40-37 loss to Cartersville (Georgia), but bounced back with a narrow 32-30 victory over Gainesville (Georgia).
ACHS also fell to St. John Neumann (Florida), a highly-ranked private school, 57-22, before closing out the event with a 54-21 win over Wayne County.
Standout performances came from 215-pounder Josh Bingham and newcomer Luke Baldwin (106 pounds).
“Josh pinned all of his opponents in the first period, and Luke Baldwin got us a couple of big wins at 106, and we just got him out,” Slone said.
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Mavericks defeated Morristown West 43-30.
In that match, Aiden Reed (120) and Bingham won by forfeit. Zed Houlet (126), Evan Prewitt (165), Isaiah Tuckey (175), and Eli Bratton (190) all won by fall.
Hayden Harrell earned four team points with a major decision at 150, and Tripp Haire (132) won by decision.
Earlier in the week, ACHS shut out South-Doyle 70-0, capping a challenging yet rewarding stretch of competition.
