Wrestler: Trevor Herron
Bradley Central coaches once considered Herron to be lacking in strength, athleticism and aggressiveness. But he wound up a team captain, a two-time state medalist and 35-0 with a state title as a senior. What endeared him to head coach Steve Logsdon was his unwillingness to quit even after he lost a challenge match and wound up wrestling junior varsity last year – after having placed in the state in 2008. “The most outstanding thing about him was how he handled that situation,” Logsdon said.”He didn’t pout. Here’s a kid that was third in the state as a sophomore, but he never got down in the dumps. He didn’t have a chip on his shoulder. He had goals, and when he lost some of those he never thought about leaving the sport. Instead, he supported his teammates.” Herron won the Southern Slam in Greenville, S.C., and the Bradley and Soddy-Daisy invitationals before
Coach: Steve Logsdon
A second straight undefeated season boosted the veteran coach’s record to 356-25. He says wrestling never gets old, though. “The lessons remain the same, but the faces are always changing,” he said. The Bears have now won three straight state championships, which Logsdon said is a tribute to the volunteers, the wrestlers and his coaching staff. “Bradley fans owe a lot to the wrestlers but also a lot to the assistant coaches – Ben Smith, Hank Rains, Brandon Forrester and Jared McDaniel – who get so little recognition,” he said.
Matt Roderick
Bradley Central
Senior
171 pounds
The first-year starter for the Bears won a region title and was 31-8 for the season.
Tyler Pitts
Bradley Central
Junior
125 pounds
He won the Region 3 title after finishing second at the Bradley and Soddy-Daisy tournaments.
Aaron Lopez
Cleveland
Freshman
135 pounds
He went 37-11, won the Beech tourney and finished second in the region and fifth in the state.
Marvin Lopez
Cleveland
Junior
130 pounds
A 38-1 season with four championships, including the region and state, made him 89-13 for his career.
Chip Norwood
Cleveland
Senior
189 pounds
A region champion, he was 36-4 with two losses in the state tournament, where he finished fifth.
Austin Oliver
Cleveland
Freshman
103 pounds
The region and state runner-up won Independence and Beech titles and was 41-3 with 24 pins.
Bailey Jones
Cleveland
Senior
160 pounds
The area takedown leader was 37-6 and won his first state title and a second region crown.
Ethan Hames
Bradley Central
Junior
119 pounds
He won region and state tournaments, finished first in the Bradley Invitational and wound up 33-2.
Jericho Crutcher
Bradley Central
Sophomore
112 pounds
He was a region champion and state runner-up with a 34-6 season record as a 10th-grader.
Bradley Colbaugh
Bradley Central
Junior
140 pounds
A third-place state finish left the Bradley and Soddy-Daisy tourney champion with a 35-4 record.
Chris Aguilar
Bradley Central
Senior
152 pounds
He was 37-1 with two invitational titles, the Region 3 “most outstanding” honor and a state title.
Vince Aguilar
Bradley Central
Senior
145 pounds
He was second in the region and fourth in the state after having dislocated his elbow in the state duals.
Patrick Benson
Bradley Central
Sophomore
285 pounds
He won the Soddy-Daisy tourney before finishing second in the region and fifth in the state.
Tucker Bolton
Bradley Central
Junior
215 pounds
The likely Division I football prospect went 35-4, finishing second in the state after a region title.
Second team
Jacob Bailey: Bradley Central, sophomore, 160 pounds
Ethan Beddingfield: Rhea County, sophomore, 171 pounds
Quinton Carter: Rhea County, senior, 135 pounds
Cole Dias: Walker Valley, junior, 145 pounds
Javier Francisco: Cleveland, sophomore, 140 pounds
Haden Hamilton: Cleveland, freshman, 119 pounds
Chris Hood: Bradley Central, senior, 189 pounds
Caleb Langford: Walker Valley, freshman, 103 pounds
Dylan Mills: Walker Valley, senior, 285 pounds
Isaiah Nichols: Cleveland, junior, 152 pounds
Tyler Schuch: Bradley Central, sophomore, 130 pounds
Joel Simpkins: Cleveland, freshman, 112 pounds
Isaiah Simpson: Walker Valley, senior, 215 pounds
Brandon Strickland: Cleveland, sophomore, 125 pounds
Teams of the year
1. Bradley Central: The Bears went undefeated and won Class AAA state traditional and duals titles.
2. Cleveland: The Blue Raiders finished second in the Class AAA state duals and the traditional state.
3. Walker Valley: The Mustangs started well but lost some starters as they approached the postseason.