For the second straight year, Blackman grapplers walked away with the Region 5-AAA traditional wrestling championship. The Blaze hosted the two-day tournament last weekend at Blackman High.
The winning effort by the Blaze included four individual region titles and a total of ten wrestlers qualifying for the upcoming state tournament. Blackman scored 220 points. Oakland (179) was second and Tullahoma (125) was third.
Fourteen schools from Region 5 were in attendance and a combined 145 wrestlers all competed for the chance to make it to state. The atmosphere at Blackman High School was as good as it gets. Place in the top four at this tournament and you go to state.
Blackman’s four Region champions were Daniel Bradford (138), Jalen Brown (152), Landon Fowler (170) and Ryan Heath (195).
Bradford’s championship match was over before it even started as Stewart’s Creek’s Trevor South abstained from the finals with what appeared to be a broken nose.
Jalen Brown defeated Siegel’s Michael Moultry in a very close and exciting 3-2 decision. Moultry and Brown have been competing with one another for years and it is usually close. This match lived up to the hype and was decided by only one takedown.
Landon Fowler surprised no one and won his 4th region title over Kenneth Phillips from Siegel. Phillips is very strong and put up quite an effort in the first two periods but #1 ranked Fowler relentlessly worked for the pin and got it in the third period. Fowler wrestled four matches and had four pins. He would go on to be named most outstanding wrestler in the upper weights.
Senior Ryan Heath ended his region title drought with a determined effort and a pin against Riverdale’s Luis Ramirez. Heath sustained an injury at last year’s regions tourney where he was the favorite to win. This season, he got would not be denied and he put away Ramirez in the second period.
Blackman State Qualifiers
106 – Alex Rose – 3rd in Region 5
113 – Peyton Adams – 4th in Region 5
138 – Daniel Bradford – Region 5 Champion
152 – Jalen Brown – Region 5 Champion
160 – Anthony Gomez – 4th in Region 5
170 – Landon Fowler – Region 5 Champion
182 – Spencer Layne – 3rd in Region 5
195 – Ryan Heath – Region 5 Champion
220 – Bowdy Boyce – Region 5 Runner-Up
285 – Jamil Highes – Region 5 Runner-Up
Each season, the best and most dominate forces in Region 5 are given a special and deserved award. The 2018 superlative awards were gives as follows:
Best Match: 132 – Cameron Henderson (Smyrna) over Luke Price (Tullahoma)
Outstanding Wrestler Lower Weight: James Harcum (Cookeville)
Outstanding Wrestler Upper Weight: Landon Fowler (Blackman)
Outstanding Freshman: Jeremiah Savage (Blackman)
Wrestler of the Year: Christian Salter (Siegel)
Assistant Coach of the Year: Eric Sacharczyk (Blackman)
Coach of the Year: Josh Harris (Oakland)
Congratulations to all of those who were recognized.
Blackman is preparing for the TSSAA State Tournament THIS WEEKEND at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center. Make sure you get out to Franklin and cheer on the Blaze!!!
Photos from the Region 5 Championship (including all champions) can be found on our PHOTOS page.
FINAL RESULTS
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
106 – Tyler South (Stewarts Creek) 33-12 over Brandon Leyva (Smyrna) 33-18 (Fall 2:51)
113 – Kenny Harless (Stewarts Creek) 25-4 over Devin Whitehead (Lawrence Co.) 16-13 (Fall 1:13)
120 – Lucas Gaines (Stewarts Creek) 30-2 over david medina (Riverdale) 26-4 (Dec 5-3)
126 – Luke Dezember (Lawrence Co.) 27-2 over Brandon McClure (Riverdale) 14-7 (Fall 1:19)
132 – Cameron Henderson (Smyrna) 46-6 over Luke Price (Tullahoma) 29-7 (Dec 15-10)
138 – Daniel Bradford (Blackman) 37-6 over Trevor South (Stewarts Creek) 25-5 (Inj. 0:00)
145 – James Harcum (Cookeville) 29-2 over John Bonee (Tullahoma) 27-9 (MD 11-1)
152 – Jalen Brown (Blackman) 34-6 over Michael Moultry (Siegel) 16-3 (Dec 3-2)
160 – Ryder Gebhardt (Oakland) 38-9 over Brenden Adkins (Tullahoma) 23-7 (Dec 12-5)
170 – Landon Fowler (Blackman) 43-2 over Kenneth Phillips (Siegel) 23-8 (Fall 4:58)
182 – Christian Salter (Siegel) 32-1 over Dyllan Houser (Cookeville) 23-8 (Dec 8-2)
195 – Ryan Heath (Blackman) 27-7 over luis ramirez (Riverdale) 23-9 (Fall 3:32)
220 – Branson Boone (Oakland) 38-3 over Bowdy Boyce (Blackman) 25-8 (Fall 3:36)
285 – Luke Champion (Tullahoma) 30-1 over Jamil Hughes (Blackman) 33-8 (Dec 4-2)
CONSOLATION FINALS
106 – Alex Rose (Blackman) 29-9 over Derico Jimerson (Cookeville) 28-9 (Fall 2:16)
113 – Tyler Vanderheyden (Oakland) 22-16 over Peyton Adams (Blackman) 25-12 (Fall 0:15)
120 – Dominic Williams (Lawrence Co.) 14-1 over Samaj Burton (Oakland) 28-11 (Dec 4-2)
126 – Kalani Meckes (Stewarts Creek) 29-11 over Desmond Stepp (Oakland) 3-3 (Fall 3:57)
132 – Jordan Fenton (Siegel) 20-9 over Joe David Bell (Oakland) 28-19 (Fall 1:55)
138 – Andrew Farrar (Oakland) 36-11 over Sam Dean (Tullahoma) 19-15 (Fall 4:54)
145 – Daniel Derryberry (Smyrna) 34-16 over Michael Williams (Shelbyville Central) 17-10 (Fall 2:57)
152 – Richard Gers (LaVergne) 17-13 over Alton Johns (Cookeville) 14-10 (Dec 6-4)
160 – Charles Bos (Cookeville) 15-8 over Anthony Gomez (Blackman) 18-8 (M. For.)
170 – Conner Coughran (Oakland) 21-14 over kurt scothern (Riverdale) 18-7 (Dec 7-2)
182 – Spencer Layne (Blackman) 31-6 over Brian Nelms (Tullahoma) 21-13 (Fall 4:37)
195 – Jacob Dubberly (Lawrence Co.) 18-8 over Caleb Perkins (Oakland) 22-18 (Fall 1:51)
220 – Hector Feleciono- Torres (LaVergne) 24-10 over Akil Hicks (Tullahoma) 17-7 (Fall 4:28)
285 – Jackson Riley (Oakland) 34-9 over Austin McBee (Shelbyville Central) 17-9 (Dec 6-3)