UTC Mocs logoFRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Tennessee's wrestling community, especially those in the midstate area, suffered a tragic loss when Blackman wrestler Daniel Winters was killed in an auto accident last Sunday morning after he qualified for the Class AAA state tournament.
Winters' brother, Hunter, and the driver of the car, teammate Michael Brobeck, also qualified for the state tournament but are not competing this weekend.
A Blaze teammate who is competing is 160-pound Tyler Garrison, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga commitment who is unbeaten the past two seasons.
Garrison wasn't allowed to wrestle in last year's state although he was undefeated and a region champion, because of a blister/skin issue on his lip. Beyond that motivation, Garrison is paying tribute to his lost teammate this weekend. He was asked by Winters' mother to wear her son's wrestling shoes in his state matches.
Garrison is one of four UTC commitments in this weekend's tournament. The others are Cleveland 132-pounder Chris DeBien, Alcoa sophomore heavyweight Samson Evans and Maryville 182-pounder Chad Solomon.
Pigeon Forge penalized
Pigeon Forge, the odds-on favorite to win the A/AA tournament, saw its fortunes take a dive in the morning round Friday when returning champion Gavin Hutchens was disqualified from the tournament.
During a match with East Ridge's Hunter Owens, Hutchens was penalized for an illegal hold and Owens was unable to continue, thus winning the match by disqualification. Hutchens went ballistic, as did a Pigeon Forge assistant coach. The assistant threw a chair from the coach's corner of the mat and then kicked another chair onto an adjoining mat.
Both were ejected from the tournament, and the team was penalized a total of seven team points.
"We'll be looking at the officials' report to determine if any other disciplinary action is warranted," said Mark Reeves, the TSSAA executive assistant whose responsibilities include wrestling.
It was later learned that TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress already had contacted the Pigeon Forge administration. A source close to the TSSAA said there indeed would be further penalties.
A/AA paying off
The addition of the A/AA classification is beginning to show growth dividends, and tiny Whitwell is proof.
The Tigers, still lacking a full 14-man lineup, took their 10 competitors to Knoxville earlier this season and won the Fulton Duals. They also placed third in McMinn County's Duals.
They posted what is thought to be the school's first winning season in the sport (16-13) under first-year coach John Weiss, the school's first faculty coach.
There was much construction to be done from the get-go. The Tigers reportedly started the year with just over $100 in the wrestling account and had no singlets. Not only do they have two sets of singlets now, but Weiss said all 10 are in good academic standing.
Tigers who qualified for the state are Greg Layne (145), Bailey Blaylock (182), Seth Cumby (195) and Chase Cantrell (285).
"I am very thankful for the dads -- Jerome Roberts, Kevin Shrum, Chad Cantrell and Eric Davis -- that have helped with the program at the high school, middle school and AAU levels. Without them there would not be a program," Weiss said. "My next goal is to raise enough money to purchase a mat so we can host home matches and field a full team."
Weiss's email address is jweiss@mctns.net.
Whitwell isn't the only team looking for funds to purchase a mat. Brainerd is in a similar situation and coach David Moore has started a fundraiser also. Contributors can contact him at moore_david@hcde.org.
Reid's knee back in place
Ooltewah linebacker Tyler Reid, wrestling at 170 pounds for the Owls, was on the verge of gaining the Class AAA semifinals when he suffered a dislocated knee, thus ending his state-title hopes.
"The knee is back in place but we don't know extent of the damage until we get him back to see a specialist," Owls coach Bryant Blackmon said.
The junior entered the state with a 26-11 record including a third-place finish in the Region 4 tournament last week.
Lions' Comeaux 'no-show'
Red Bank's Trent Comeaux, top, wrestles Hixson's Spencer Groves during their wrestling meet match Jan. 13, 2015, at Hixson High School.Red Bank 113-pounder Trent Comeaux, a returning state runner-up, was a no-show Friday and Lions coach Shane Turner was tight-lipped about the reason.
"Just say he's not here and let it go at that," he said.
Comeaux had a thumb injury, but sources close to the team felt it was nothing that should have kept him from competing. Comeaux was in the bracket as his weight class's No. 2 seed. He won a Region 2-A/AA title last week.
Holcomb update
Soddy-Daisy's Emory Holcomb, injured during a Thursday round-of-16 match, did not weigh in Friday morning.
Holcomb likely will need a second surgery on his elbow, either to repair the ulnar collateral ligament or to reposition the nerve that runs through the elbow.
Black-eye Ben
Baylor coach Ben Nelson was sporting a black eye when the Red Raiders arrived at the venue Friday night, and there wasn't even any banter about his wife putting him in his place.
"Aw, I was wrestling one of the melon-heads and he bopped me with his head," Nelson said.
Red Raiders heavyweight Cooper Reiniche looked up and grinned, quickly adding, "It was an accident."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.