Brothers key Rams' wrestling resurgence

Basketball's loss was Tyner wrestling's advantage.

Deangelo James wanted to be a basketball player, but there isn't much call for a 5-foot-6, 115-pounder. So once he was cut during middle school basketball tryouts, James turned to wrestling. His younger brother by a year, Tony Walton, followed in his footsteps.

"They're the heart and soul of this program getting back up off the ground and moving in a positive direction," Rams wrestling coach Wayne Turner said. "They have created interest among others, and they've helped increase the numbers."

This year alone the brothers have 57 wins between them, with just one loss. James, a 113-pounder, is 28-0 and has received outstanding wrestler awards at each of the four tournaments the Rams have entered. He has stood between Walton and the award in at least three of the tournaments.

"I don't know if that's good," James said. "It was easy and maybe I'm used to it. If I had done it just, once it might be different."

Because of the brothers, Turner wrestled with the idea of entering stronger tournaments, such as the McCallie, Bradley or Soddy-Daisy invitationals as opposed to events at Gordon Lee, Chattanooga Christian, Central and St. Andrew's-Sewanee. The Rams finished first at SAS last weekend.

The coach decided, though, that the team being competitive was more important.

"It would have been good for these two," Turner said, "but I thought everybody having some success was more important as far as rebuilding the program."

Despite his record, James likely will be the No. 2 seed at 113 pounds in the region tournament, especially if Soddy-Daisy's Jacob Stevens goes to 113. It was Stevens who handed James his first loss a year ago, that coming in the Region 4 finals.

"He'll be the first seed for sure because he's a returning state champion, but I plan on wrestling him in the finals," said James, who has given up one takedown all year.

What the brothers have done for Tyner wrestling, Turner believes is immeasurable. They are the Rams' first state qualifiers since Tyner moved back to Region 4 against the likes of Soddy-Daisy, Ooltewah, Notre Dame and Hixson, and they are flirting with a winning dual-meet record, something that hasn't been done since Hardin Satterfield coached the Rams in the 1980s.

Each brother was a win away from reaching the medal rounds at the state tournament last year. James especially seemed to lose interest after losing a match at Franklin.

"With me it's all about being first. I lost my focus after that first loss," he said. "Losing in the region wasn't so big because I was going to the state. We'll see at the end of the day, but my plans are not just to place at the state but to win it. I'm more confident than I was last year."

The brothers tried to explain their success this year.

"We're going to make you work. We'll give everybody a challenge, and you're going to be hurting if you beat us," Walton said. "We're both going to make people work for their wins."

Turner agreed.

"When Tony's on his game, he can lock anybody down," the coach said of his 145-pounder. "But the key for both of these guys is that they're warriors. There's no quit. They're going to bring it every time."