The Baylor School wrestling program looks to be under great leadership yet again.
After having to patiently wait for this season’s opener, the Red Raiders started a new era under first-year head coach Rex Kendle with a commanding 37-26 home victory over Bradley Central on Tuesday.
Back-to-back first round pins by 195-pounder David Harper and 220-pounder Heath Snodgrass, who won in just 17 seconds, opened a 30-3 lead Baylor would not lose sight of.
The match opened at 138 with a valiant fight by the Red Raiders’ Micah Tisdale, who scored clutch points in the third period off an escape, a reverse and a takedown to defeat Taron Patterson in a 7-5 decision.
Baylor’s Garrison Dendy picked up a first-round pin in the 145-pound match, while Nick Corday picked up points in a 13-4 major at 113.
Bradley Central picked up wins at 170 by Knox Watson (6-4 decision), 285 by Austin McClure (1:50 pin) and 132 by Luke Belcher (18-2 tech fall), while forfeits were held at 106 and 120.
Kendle is just the fifth head coach since 1949 for the the Red Raiders, who have won 26 TSSAA team championships since 1978 and have an all-time record of 1,041-217-10. He joined Baylor wrestling in 2010 as an assistant coach.
Kendle was a four-time All-American wrestler at Michigan State University and takes over for Ben Nelson, who handed over the program this past April after winning eight state championships and 190 dual matches after taking over for the legendary Jim Morgan in 2011.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
* East Hamilton 84, McMinn County 54: Darwin Randolph and the Hurricanes (6-1, 1-0) erupted in the second quarter outscoring the Cherokees 25-5 to secure a home District 5-AAA win Tuesday night. The senior led all scorers with 24 points, while teammate Jordan Harris added 18. McMinn County’s Hayden Beavers scored 12 of his 15 points in the first quarter when he also hit four 3-pointers.
* Northwest Whitfield 97, Ridgeland 67: Jack Brock led five Bruins in double figures with 19 points, eight coming in the first period. Will Buckner had nine of his 16 points – all on 3-pointers – in the opening quarter, while Collin Hall had 13 points, Payton Baker 12 and Jaiden Graham 10 for Northwest. Zack Harrison led Ridgeland with 13 points.
* Heritage 57, Pickens 56: Cooper Terry’s 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds to play lifted the Generals, 3-0 in Region 7-AAAA, to the win. Terry and Carson Palmer ended with 13 points each for Heritage, which also got 11 from Carter Bell.
* Christian Heritage 72, Boyd Buchanan 56: Jax Abernathy had a game-high 29 points for the 4-0 Lions, with Cash Hare adding 13 and Zundra Jackson 12.
* Lakeview-F.O. 59, Ringgold 29: JaMichael Davis led the Warriors to the Region 6-AAA win with 16 points, followed by Brent Bowman with 12.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
* Van Buren 58, Silverdale Baptist 47: A 26-point fourth quarter helped lift Van Buren County to a non-district home victory on Tuesday night. Emily Allen scored 22 points and connected on a trio of fourth quarter 3-pointers. Silverdale was led by Ryleigh Hoover’s 13-point effort while Tessa Gibson and Lauren Kugler each supplied 11 points.
* Ringgold 63, Lakeview-F.O. 43: Riley Nayadley had 24 points and Maggie Reed 17 as the Lady Tigers won the Region 6-AAA Catoosa County game. Christina Collins and Heidi Johnson led LFO with 17 and 15 points, respectively.
* Mt. Zion 48, Gordon Lee 29: Jordan Kierbow led the winners, while Emma McGraw and Emma Langston led Gordon Lee with nine each.
BOWLING
* Bradley Central 20, Signal Mountain 7: The Bears defeated the Eagles with a total pin fall advantage of 3,014-2,771 over three games. Bradley Central’s Hunter Framer rolled a high series of 607 while teammate Josh Smith rolled a 188 in game three. Signal Mountain’s Landyn Sanders led all with a three-game score of 645 (234 high game).