If there was any suspense regarding the outcome of the Region 2-A/AA high school wrestling tournament at Hixson, it was gone before the championship and consolation finals took place Saturday. And that suited Red Bank just fine.
The Lions capped a dominating performance in the two-day event by having five champions crowned as they cruised to 239 points and a 101-point victory over runner-up Hixson.
Red Bank was in command from the start of the tournament and with nine headed to championship finals had the team title in hand with 201 points to Hixson’s 129 and five headed to title bouts.
“We were ready. We looked like a state-championship team last night,” Red Bank coach Shane Turner said. “We looked like a state-championship team today, for the most part.”
The top four finishers in each of the 14 weight classes are advancing to the traditional state tournament this coming weekend at Franklin. The Lions are sending 13.
“I’d have to say that’s successful,” Turner said.
Red Bank’s individual champions were William Reichel (113 pounds), Jonah Bird (132), Devin Crawl (195), Devon Suddeth (220) and Anthony Ottinger (285). Suddeth and Ottinger won with pins.
Turner specifically had praise for Bird, who decisioned Hixson’s Isaac Yates 3-1 in what tournament officials chose as the tournament’s best match. Bird’s second-period escape was the only point until Yates made an escape inside the final half minute of the bout. Then Bird answered quickly with a winning takedown.
“Jonah Bird winning the 132-pound weight class was not expected by anyone,” Turner said. “A sophomore came in and beat a senior and returning region champion. That was huge for him, and huge for the team.”
Hixson’s Landon Goforth, a winner by pin in 3:09 at 145, was voted the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler by the coaches. He was the Wildcats’ only winner among the five who competed in championship finals.
“We fell off a little bit today, but they fought hard and wrestled strong,” Hixson coach Garrick Hall said of his wrestlers. “Some of the outcomes weren’t what I wanted. Now we’ve got to get refocused and get ready for next week.
“Red Bank is going to be hard to beat. They’ve worked hard to get where they are. But all we can worry about is us. I’m worried about Hixson and what Hixson does next weekend.”
Notre Dame’s Luke Mullin (126) in 1:11 had the quickest pin in a championship bout, and East Ridge’s Kashawn Casey (120) was next in 1:55. Central’s Alonso Heyward had the only major decision in a final, winning 15-5 at 152.
Signal Mountain crowned decision winners at 138 and 182 in Daniel Dawson and Seth Petarra. Others winning championships by decision were Notre Dame’s Jeremy Holloway (106), Boyd-Buchanan’s Zane Williams (160) and East Ridge’s Darian Smith (170).
Contact Kelley Smiddie at sports@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie