The long, long winning streak for the Bradley Central wrestling team grew again Tuesday night.
The Bears boosted their 2010-11 record to 14-0 with a 43-18 win at Ooltewah, and their dual-meet string of victories has surpassed 60 – almost four years long.
“I don’t know the exact number, but I know that it started with the 2008 season after our loss to end 2007,” Bradley coach Steve Logsdon said.
The Bears’ last loss – and the last time someone else won the state duals title – came against Soddy-Daisy in the 2007 state duals. Their win over the Owls sets the stage for a district championship-deciding home meet Thursday at 7 p.m. against Soddy-Daisy.
Top-ranked Bradley, though, has work to do before squaring off against the fourth-ranked Trojans in its most serious challenge to the long unbeaten string.
BRADLEY CENTRAL 43, OOLTEWAH 18(Meet started at 112 pounds)103–Dakota Brumley (BC) won by forfeit; 112–Garrett Sealor (O) dec. Jacob Climer, 6-4; 119–Aaron Hutson (BC) dec. Tyler Harvey, 11-4; 125–Ethan Hames (BC) pinned Jonathon Kell, 1:52; 130–Jericho Crutcher (BC) dec. Warren Moody, 11-4; 135–Tyler Schuch (BC) pinned Elliott Bizzoco, 0:30; 140–Tyler Pitts (BC) dec. Stuart Doss, 6-0; 145–Mathew Sealor (O) pinned Blake Jackson, 4:44; 152–Bradley Colbaugh (BC) major dec. Alex Doss, 11-2; 160–Jacob Bailey (BC) dec. Josh Zink, 10-6; 171–Goose Manning (O) won by forfeit; 189–Lamech Jones (O) dec. Devin McCulley, 4-2; 215–Tucker Bolton (BC) dec. Jay Rudwall, 10-4; 285–Patrick Benson (BC) pinned Adam Dill, 3:21.Records: Bradley Central 14-0; Ooltewah 10-2.
“I’m trying to sort out how I feel,” Logsdon said following the 25-point victory. “On one hand I have no tolerance for mental weakness, and there were some places where we weren’t tough-minded. On the other hand we didn’t practice for five days and we had some kids that had weight issues. They were unable to practice and they were snowed in eight feet from the refrigerator. Some of us were sluggish.”
Ethan Hames must have found somewhere to work out, because he showed no rust whatsoever.
“He has the mindset I want from all of our guys,” Logsdon said.
Hames, wrestling at 125 pounds, pinned Ooltewah’s Jonathon Kell in 1:52.
Also drawing praise from the Bradley coach were Bradley Colbaugh, who got a major decision over 152-pound Alex Doss, and heavyweight Patrick Benson, who rolled to a 12-3 decision before pinning Adam Dill in 3:21.
“Colbaugh wrestled a good kid and he wrestled really tough,” Logsdon said. “Heavyweights are notorious for getting out there and dancing around, and Patrick in that sense is a very different heavyweight. He was using different techniques and he was really working.”
Tyler Schuch, the only other Bear earning bonus points, pinned Elliott Bizzoco 30 seconds into their 135-pound bout.
Both teams forfeited a weight class, Ooltewah at 103 pounds and the Bears at 171.
Ooltewah actually led early with Garrett Sealor gaining a decision over Jacob Climer at 112. However, by the time the Owls scored again — a pin from Mathew Sealor at 145 — Bradley had mounted a 21-9 advantage. Goose Manning’s forfeit win made it 28-15, and Lamech Jones (189) got Ooltewah’s final points with a decision of Devn McCulley.
“All things considered [weather conditions and practice constraints], I felt all of our kids laid it on the line,” Ooltewah coach Wendell Weathers said. “Garrett Sealor set the tone and Matthew creates his victories because he’s a gamer. He’s extremely competitive although he has a rare style that you’d be pushed to call pretty.”