EVENSVILLE, Tenn. – There was no settling of scores between the state’s top high school wrestling teams Thursday night.
Top-ranked Cleveland, by virtue of two regular-season victories over No. 2 Bradley Central, walked out of the gym at Rhea County with the Region 4-AAA duals championship plaque by mutual agreement of the coaches – Cleveland’s Josh Bosken and Bradley Central’s Ben Smith.
That was after semifinal wins for both. Cleveland gained its state berth with a 39-28 victory over Soddy-Daisy and Bradley rolled past Walker Valley 77-6.
“What either of us had to gain was minimal,” Smith said, “and whatever maximum gain we (Bradley) got was dependent upon two other regions. Best case – we win our region, Tennessee High wins its region and Wilson Central wins its, we would be in the top (half of the bracket) and Cleveland would be there with Tennessee High and Wilson Central.
“I think Cleveland and us are the best two teams in the state, and I really don’t think it matters which side of the bracket either of us falls on.”
He did so with a grimace, but Smith said the region championship plaque should go to Cleveland, which has beaten Bradley twice this season (by a total of two points).
“They beat us and they deserved that plaque,” he said. “It’s hard for me to swallow that pill, and a 25-year-old Ben Smith wouldn’t have done that, but we’ve wrestled matches in the past that didn’t need to be wrestled and it cost some kids because of injuries.”
Bosken was agreeable with the arrangement.
“Neither one of us surrendered,” the first-year Blue Raiders coach said. “We just said, ‘It’s not worth it.’ We’re both going to the state duals and we’ll see each other (next) Saturday night.”
Suffice it to say, though, that the Chattanooga area will once again be sending a powerful one-two combination to the state duals, which begin a week from today at the Williamson County Agricultural Expo in Franklin.
Cleveland and Bradley Central have jockeyed back and forth all year for the top spot in the Tennessee Wrestling Coaches Association poll, the latest of which has the Blue Raiders just a handful of points ahead of Smith’s Bears. Both teams, though, have been banged and bruised over the past month with matches against each other and Soddy-Daisy thrown into the mix.
“Knowing my team and where we’re at right now, six-seven-eight days of rest will be good for us,” Smith said. “Mentally, emotionally we’re in a good spot, but physically we’re in a position where we have some things to take care of.
Added Bosken in a reference to a possible rematch for the state title: “I hope they’re healthy and I hope we’re healthy, and I hope we meet at 7 o’clock on (next) Saturday night.”
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.