Eagles win tourney; Bruins, Raptors headed to G.P. West/Bruins Invite

By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood, Ravenwood and Brentwood Academy wrestling teams are heading into the stretch run, and all are making progress in several ways as big competitions loom ahead including the G.P. West / Bruins Invitational at BHS this weekend.

Brentwood Academy won the Smyrna Invitational wrestling tournament last weekend, then triumphed over Franklin and Antioch in Tuesday’s duals. The Eagles now have a major match with DII-AA East/Middle Region opponent Montgomery Bell Academy on Saturday.

Ravenwood finished fourth in the tough Father Ryan tournament last week, boasting a tourney champion in Jacob Freeman and placing two other finalists. The Raptors also won a district match against Centennial on Wednesday, 41-28, to improve to 20-6 in duals.

Brentwood High School over the weekend competed at the Soddy-Daisy tournament where Nicholas Coffey won his weight class. The Bruins also won Tuesday in their dual matches.

Ravenwood, along with host BHS,  will also be wrestling in the G.P. West / Bruins tournament on Friday and Saturday.

“We have a lot of work to do to catch up to Independence, Franklin and Brentwood – all of whom placed higher than us at the Grand Championship tournament,” RHS Coach Josh Peck. 

The Ryan tournament gave the RHS team “a huge serving of some of the best competition in the state,” Peck said.

Freeman, who won the Ryan tourney at 138 pounds, and Camden Grecco, runner-up at 182 at Ryan, have been the Raptors’ strongest performers this season. They were Ravenwood’s only two placers at the Middle Tennessee Grand Championships, and team pins and victories leader Bowen Reau also made the finals at Ryan in a 9-7 loss that was voted Best Match.

“We have been decimated with Injures but should be getting them all back before the Regional Matches coming soon,” Peck said.

Freeman, Reau, Kyle Kuehnhold, Grant Jones and Jonathan Mabry have all spent time out of the lineup with injuries. Peck hopes to have Kuehnhold back soon to get the team back at full strength.

New national rules changes so far in the weight classes – also adopted by the TSSAA – have hurt the Raptors in duals so far, Peck said. Ravenwood finished third place last year in the state duals.

“I have six of my best wrestlers stuck between 132, 138 and 145 with only three spots there, where it use to be four weights – 130, 135, 140 and 145. Stuck in there are Robin Klingensmith, Freeman, Taylor Warren, Jack Finnegan, Tanner Reynolds and Haydn Jennings.”

Brentwood Academy wrestling coach Rodney Cash, as he predicted at the announcement of the new weight classifications, said the new divisions haven’t had a negative effects on his team.

“We are fine with the new weight classes. We typically have more heavier wrestlers in our program,” Cash said. “It may give us an advantage at the end of the season.”

The Eagles wrestled in three duals at Father Ryan last Friday, winning against Siegel, Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville.

BA then had five wrestlers win titles at the Smyrna tournament on Saturday: Justin Becci, Christian DiLucchio, Danny Maloney, Seth Sirgo and Towler McClellan.  Bryce Bell and Connor Stone were third, winning their consolation finals in helping secure the team title.

Brentwood Academy defeated Franklin 43-29 and dominated Antioch 71-6 in Tuesday’s tri-match, bringing the Eagles’ duals record to 13-3. BA’s only losses have been to Clarksville, MBA and Father Ryan.

Defending state champion Amos Mason came back from break with an undefeated record (17-0, 14 pins) and had already beaten some heavyweight contenders. Malone and Sirgo have been wrestling well and placed at the tourneys BA has attended, including runner-up finishes at Harpeth and in the BA Duals, along with fifth at the MTGC.

Cash relished getting his team rejuvenated in the new year, returning to a routine with both school and practice.

The Eagles had been “wrestling sluggish during the break with all the distractions from the break.” BA also had several wrestlers on vacations during Christmas and New Year’s.

Shon Lumpkin is a wrestler to watch in the final portion of the schedule. Cash said Lumpkin “is improving weekly and should make a splash by the end of the season.”

Brentwood High, an addition to Coffey winning in the championship finals, saw Gabe Hilton and Luke Hamilton place fifth in the Soddy-Daisy tournament.

The Bruins lost to Independence 46-24 in a well fought match on Tuesday. Coffey, Gabe Hamilton and Demetrics Brown all pinned their opponents. Luke Hamilton (132) and Will Sanders (152) both won tough matches.

“We had to give up forfeits at the 113-pound, 126-pound and 160-pound weight classes,” Bruins assistant coach Stephan Slowey said. “The majority of the matches went all three periods.”

 Nick Coffey, Demetrics Brown, and Gabe Hamilton pinned their guys, Luke Hamilton won a tough match in the 132 lb weight class. Lastly, Will Sanders won a tough match in the 152lb weight class.

The annual G.P. West / Bruin Invitation has 22 teams participating including traditional powers Christian Brothers, Clarksville, Cleveland, Franklin, McCallie, Ooltewah, Red Bank, and Union County, Ky.

Other teams are: Antioch, Blackman, Centennial, Cookeville, David Lipscomb, McGavock, Memphis Houston, Montgomery Central, Notre Dame, Overton, Seigel and Tullahoma. Independence, MBA, Ryan and FRA will be bringing JV and freshman teams for a separate competition.

Brentwood and Ravenwood will wrestle in the Battle of the Woods match at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at RHS.

The regional duals will take place Jan. 27 in Division I, while the state duals for both Division I and II are Feb. 3-4 at the Williamson County Ag Expo.

The region individual tournament for Brentwood High and Ravenwood is Feb. 10-11 at Overton. The state individual tournament for DI and DII is Feb. 16-18 at the Ag Expo in Franklin.