Heritage High School wrestler Landon Reed.Heritage High School wrestler Landon Reed will sign a wrestling scholarship today with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
While Wednesday was the first day athletes could sign in sports other than football, wrestlers signing with the Mocs weren’t expected to receive their papers until this morning.
In addition to Reed, UTC coach Heath Eslinger also is expecting to receive signatures from heavyweight Caleb Denny of Cincinnati Moeller and projected 125-pounder Zachary Bridson of Timberlane High in Plaistow, N.H. Also, Parker Smith from Centennial High in Franklin, Tenn., has committed to the Mocs.
Reed is a returning Georgia state champion, going 57-5 in 2010-11 for a high school record of 144-29. Of the 144 wins, 113 brought bonus points to the Generals. Reed also has fourth- and fifth-place state finishes, three region championships and a region runner-up trophy.
“He’s a great kid and a hard worker,” Heritage coach Kenny Hill said. “He wrestles pretty much year-round. He’s a good student, pretty much straight A’s.”
The 132-pounder also wrestles freestyle and Greco-Roman in the school offseason.
“He is not a boisterous leader and never has been,” Hill said. “He leads more by example, but he is also good about showing moves to his teammates. Once he gets in a college [wrestling] room, I think his wrestling ability will show because he is such a hard worker.”
Reed is projected to wrestle 141 or 149 pounds for the Mocs.
Bridson won the New Hampshire 112-pound championship last year (his third) and improved his career record to 135-15. He visited Edinboro, Lockhaven, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Bucknell and Rutgers before settling on the Mocs.
“It’s a perfect fit for me and it makes me feel good about how hard I’ve worked,” Bridson told the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass. “I want to go [into the] FBI, and their criminal justice program is considered the second best in the country. [UTC] really had everything I was looking for.”
Also a football player, Denny is a two-time state qualifier. A member of the Academic All-Ohio team, he had 20 pins in a 33-16 junior season.
Zach Watson, the Baylor wrestler who’ll be seeking his fifth state championship, announced his intention to sign with Virginia earlier this year.