For the first time in three years, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team will have a meet without both Cody Cleveland and Joey Knox.
The two seniors will be relegated to coach/cheerleader roles because of injuries when the Mocs host 16th-ranked Missouri tonight. The meet starts at 7 p.m. at Maclellan Gym.
Two former state champions, Ben Johnson and Josh Condon, step into starting roles. Johnson, a three-time state champ for Baylor, will replace Cleveland at 141 pounds; Condon, a three-time Georgia AAAAA titlist, steps in at 157 for Knox.
“You hurt for the kids who are out, but the coaches’ mindset doesn’t change,” Mocs assistant Rocco Mansueto said. “Their injuries become opportunities for someone like Ben and Joey to step in and do something special.”
Facing a ranked opponent laden with ranked talent doesn’t change the Mocs’ objectives.
“This is a great opportunity for us to get a big win,” head coach Heath Eslinger said. “We bring these guys in here because we believe we can wrestle with them. I don’t guess it’s like the revenue sports. We’re bringing them in for the opportunity, not the gate.”
Condon has wrestled at both 157 and 165 pounds this year, nipping at the heels of both Knox and 165-pound Brandon Wright. Johnson, who has a career 3-6 record, will be in his first varsity competition of the season.
Tonight’s Matches(Mocs listed first)125–Bucky Johnson (13-8) vs. Eric Wilson (9-5); 133–Josh Statum (10-6) vs. Nathan McCormick (17-10); 141–Ben Johnson (0-0) vs. Nick Hucke (7-8); 149–Dean Pavlou (16-8) vs. Brandon Wiest (11-11); 157–Josh Condon (9-2) vs. Patrick Wright (17-6); 165–Brandon Wright (14-4) vs. Nick Marable (24-2); 174–Jake Young (16-4) vs. Dorian Henderson (17-8); 184–Jason McCroskey (10-8) vs. Todd Porter (13-9); 197–Niko Brown (8-10) vs. Brent Haynes (19-8); 285–Matt Lettner (3-4) vs. Mark Ellis (14-6).
“Josh has done a great job of making and maintaining the weight. He is an exciting wrestler,” Eslinger said. “Ben has had a lot of things going on that hurt his wrestling, but he has those things under control. The sky is the limit for both of these guys.”
Missouri (2-4) has five wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their weight classes, including Condon’s opponent, 16th-ranked sophomore Patrick Wright. Senior Nick Marable, who is 12th on Missouri’s all-time wins list, is ranked 16th at 165 pounds. Marable, who’s from Collierville, Tenn., will meet UTC’s Wright, a Missouri transfer originally from Germantown, Tenn.
Other ranked Tigers are No. 7 heavyweight Mark Ellis, No. 10 Dorian Henderson at 174 and No. 18 Brent Haynes at 197. Henderson will be the only Tiger to face a ranked opponent when he wrestles 16th-ranked Mocs freshman Jake Young.
Max Askren, a two-time All-American at 197 pounds, has been wrestling at 184 pounds this season but will not participate tonight. He and McCroskey wrestled earlier this season at the Midlands tournament with the then third-ranked Askren taking a 7-5 decision.