Bradley Central coach Ben Smith reacts Thursday night during the match at home against Cleveland.CLEVELAND, Tenn. - It's going to get interesting.
Nearing the halfway point of the high school wrestling season, both Cleveland and Bradley Central found their best Tennessee Division I measuring sticks to date Thursday night.
Bradley, the state's top-ranked team according to Pin-TN.com, won 42-21 and took nine of the 14 matches over the visiting Blue Raiders, who are ranked No. 2 in the same poll.
"When you double the score on your crosstown rival, you've got to feel pretty good," assessed Bears coach Ben Smith. "Bottom line, there were two good teams out there."
Yet that good feeling was shadowed by the knowledge that his team is nowhere near ready for the postseason gauntlet coming later this month and next month.
"We won a few close ones and got a few more bonus points, but they're one of the best dual-meet teams in the state," Smith said. "Their team was prepared. Their kids were prepared."
Bradley actually won three pivotal matches by a single point: second-ranked Ryan McElhaney 2-1 over Logan Whiteside at 120 pounds, top-ranked Brett Brown 5-4 over Sammual Garcia at 195 and D.J. Gibson 3-2 over Caleb Flickner at the buzzer at 220.
The Bears got key pins from Joshua LaCoe (126), Knox Fuller (138), Donnie Beyer (152) and D.J. Adams (285) and a forfeit victory at 113 for top-ranked T.J. Hicks.
Cleveland got a pair of pins - from Robert Hicks (170), who upset fifth-ranked Edward Elkins in the first period, and Dylan Jones (182) getting Kevin Gentry in 5:02. Bryce Pond added a decision at 106, top-ranked Colton Landers outscored second-ranked Hunter Parker 7-2 at 132 and Steven Wilson won by decision at 160.
The Blue Raiders were without their starters at 113 and 126.
"I don't feel great but I don't feel bad. We had nine guys wrestling in their first Bradley meet," said Cleveland coach Jake Yost, whose team is the defending dual and traditional state champion. "We've got one senior starter, and he's starting this year for the first time."
The meet started at 126 pounds and Cleveland fell behind before making a run and closing to within 21-18 on a come-from behind win by Wilson (160) and the back-to-back pins from Hicks and Jones.
The Bears answered, though, on wins from Brown, Gibson and Adams to balloon their lead back to 33-18 with Adams' pin locking up the team victory.
"For a green team, I'm pleased," Yost said. "Do we have a lot of work to do? Yes."
Counterpart Smith was eager to get back in the wrestling room.
"We were wrestling straight up - no bumps - and I think we learned some things about them," Smith said. "But there are several technical areas where we need to improve."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.