Pin-happy Bradley wrestlers roll Soddy-Daisy

Bradley Central coach Ben Smith instructs his wrestler from the bench in a match at Soddy-Daisy.
Bradley Central coach Ben Smith instructs his wrestler from the bench in a match at Soddy-Daisy.

Bradley Central is gearing up for a wrestling state duals championship run.

The Bears improved to 19-2 and won their district championship with a 53-19 victory over limping Soddy-Daisy.

"It sets us up for a No. 1 spot in (Thursday's) region duals," Bradley coach Ben Smith said.

The Bears will square off against Walker Valley on Thursday while Soddy-Daisy will wrestle Cleveland. Those meets will begin at 6 p.m. and will be wrestled at Soddy-Daisy High rather than the Trojans' regular wrestling home on Old Dayton Pike. The winners, already guaranteed spots in the state, will wrestle at about 8 p.m.

Payback was definitely on the Bears' mind Tuesday.

"The last time we wrestled in this gym two years ago we thought we had a chance to win and they took it to us. Our thing about coming back in this gym this time was to fight, show some heart and do what we can do," Smith said. "I think we saw a good Soddy-Daisy team."

The Bears won 10 of the 14 matches and rolled up bonus points match after match. Bradley finished the event with seven pins and a technical fall.

"They have a very solid team. They looked good right now, and they wrestled really well and we didn't," Trojans coach Jim Higgins said. "We're trying to keep the big picture in mind."

The Trojans were without two starters, but Higgins offered no excuses.

"This is the most pins we've given up by far this year," he said. "Our fight has been there all year long, and tonight we just didn't show up. I don't know if having some guys out of the lineup kicked their legs out from under them or what. I know this was not the team I know that showed up tonight."

Although he received a forfeit victory at 160 pounds, it's unlikely that unbeaten Tucker Russo (160) would have wrestled for the Trojans. He still is recovering from an injury suffered while winning the G.P. West tournament at Brentwood. Missing were 170-pound Chase Rogers and heavyweight Trace McNew.

It wouldn't have mattered.

The Bears got pins from T.J. Hicks (113), Ryan McElhaney (120), Joshua LaCoe (126), Knox Fuller (138), Edward Elkins (170), Brett Brown (195) and D.J. Adams (285). They also benefited from 152-pound Donnie Beyer's technical fall and decisions from Austin Matthews (145) and Hunter Parker (132).

Soddy-Daisy winners were Landon Wheaton (106), Russo, Ty Boeck (182) and Addison Roberts (220).

"I know Jim Higgins is a competitor. He put a team out there and we put a team out there and we fought. We were a little better in some spots," Smith said.

A highly anticipated matchup was at 138 pounds, and Fuller scored a defensive pin over Emory Holcomb. They were in a scoreless tie 18 seconds into the second period when Fuller got the call.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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