Bradley Central’s Taylor Kazy (top) grapples with Cleveland’s Austin Stevison during their 132-pound bout at Bradley Central’s Jim Smiddy Arena on Thursday.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – It wasn’t Cleveland’s biggest or most complete win of the high school wrestling season, but it was the Blue Raiders’ sweetest with no doubt.
They scored the first 15 points and won 40-23 Thursday night at crosstown rival Bradley Central. It was the defending state champions’ third straight win over the Bears.
“We’re looking for a gauge for where we’re at, getting ready for the region and state duals,” Cleveland coach Jake Yost said, “and it was nice to come in and get a view of what their lineup is like, because we may see them again in the postseason. We’re not where we want to be. I saw some positions we definitely need to work on.”
The Blue Raiders, coming off a long Christmas break, didn’t compare favorably with the team that last year swept through the state duals and the traditional state tournament, but Yost said there was still time.
“If everybody’s healthy and everybody wrestles to their potential, we have a shot,” he said of a possible repeat in one or both.