State of the Program ... Cleveland (TN)

Cleveland (TN)

Head Coach: Joey Knox (entering 5th season)

Staff: Jacob Murphy, Landon Reed, John Weiss

Cleveland has one of the best teams in Tennessee - regardless of class - as well as in the Southeast. They have few (if any holes) in their lineup and have a group that can compete with anyone. The defending 3A Champs move down to 2A (still the largest class in Tennessee) with the realignment, but remain the favorites to claim another title in 2022. The Blue Raiders lost some hammers in the graduation of State Champs Jackson Bradford and Trae McDaniel as well as State Placer Robert Laxton, but this year’s squad might be as good or better than the 2021 group.

The Blue Raiders are Senior heavy with 7 that made an impact a year ago at the Tennessee State Tournament. But this is also a squad that will feature a ton of new faces - this next wave of freshmen will have a huge impact on this program (in 21-22 and into the future). Add in the top 145 lber in the country in Cody Chittum who is a Junior, State Runner-up Bentley Ellison, and State Champ Logan Fowler and Cleveland might be the most complete team from top to bottom in the SE. Ashton Davis, Tetoe Boyd, Arlo Laxton, and Charles Randall are the Seniors and will lead the way in 2021-22. As if Cleveland needed any help - they added Texas State Placer Jax Ernest to the mix as well as a host of freshman to keep an eye on including Zac Bosken, Chase Walker, Cy Fowler, and Lucas Szymborski.

The Blue Raiders also have a nationally-ranked Piper Fowler ready to make a statement for Cleveland at the Girls State Tournament.