A bracket breaker is defined differently for different states and sometimes differently by classification in the same state. Mostly it comes down to how large the bracket is as to what defines a bracket breaker and where they finish. So read each state first to understand how I have chosen to define it. Broadly speaking … it is a wrestler that comes in under the radar and goes on to win matches they either “shouldn’t” win (according to their previous weeks finish).

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South Carolina

Five wrestlers (out of a possible 56) were able to come from a non-Upper or Lower State Champ position to claim a state title in South Carolina. With just a 6-man bracket … the threshold to make “bracket breaker” was climbing all the way to the top step.

1A-2A: No bracket breakers in 1A-2A. Every champ had won either a lower state title or an upper state title the weekend before.

3A: No bracket breakers in 3A. Every champ had won either a lower state title or an upper state title the weekend before.

4A:

• Lane Schrader (Eastside) - Finished 2nd in Upper State to Brice Carron. Won by tech fall over Destin Freeman, a 5-4 decision over Drew Vigh, and then a fall of Alan Powell to claim the 4A 126 lb. State title.

• Jack Wyland (Eastside) - Finished 2nd in Upper State to Adam Clinemeyer. Pinned Danchez McNeal and Naszeir Bellamy to make the finals. Downed Upper State 3rd place finisher Spencer Cox 2-1 to claim the 4A 132 lb. state title.

• Nygel Moore (South Pointe) - Finished 2nd in Upper State to Foster Lambert. Pinned Chris Snowden before grinding an 8-7 decision over Lower State Champ Navruz Ibragimov 8-7 in the semis. Moore then pinned Aaron Miller in 2:58 to claim the 4A 182 lb. state title.

• Daniel Esparza (Eastside) - Finished 2nd in Upper State to Karrington Charles. Pinned DJ Rayzor in 1:03 and then won by decision over Lower State Champ Triston Williams 6-3, and then beat Upper State Champ Charles 3-1 in sudden victory to claim the 4A 285 lb. state title.

5A:

• Brayton Killiri (Summerville) - Finished 2nd in Lower State to Brandon Flory. Killiri pinned Vandiver in the 2nd period and cruised to a 10-1 major decision of Upper State Champ Colton Holmes before beating Flory 8-3 for the 5A 126 lb. state title.

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Tennessee

Tennessee had different size brackets for different classifications … meaning the definition of a bracket breaker changed based on classification. Division 2 and Girls each had 8 wrestler brackets … so a #3 or #4 from either the East or West Regions that made the state finals were considered “bracket breakers”.

In 1A-2A (16-man brackets) - any wrestler that was a #3 or #4 from their region and finished top 4 at the state tournament made the list. 3A was a bit different because there are 8 regions and only the #1 and #2 advanced to the finals. Bracket breaker in 3A was any #2 that finished top 4.

D2:

• Jay Eversole (Lakeway Christian) - Eversole, the #4 out of the East, downed West Region Champ Joseph Jones in the 1st round and East Region Runner-up Tate Williams in the semis to advance to the 112 lb. finals opposite Nick Corday of Baylor. Eversole finished 2nd at the state tournament after finishing 4th in the East Region the weekend before.

• Lauren McDonald (McCallie) - McDonald, the #3 out of the East, pinned Gabriel Croom and East Region Champ Max Fisher before falling to West Region Champ Parker Petersen in the 285 lb. finals. McDonald finished 2nd at the state tournament after finishing 3rd in the East Region the weekend before.

Girls:

• Hailey Webb (Farragut) - Webb, the #3 out of the East Region, had a fall of Crysalyn O’Connor and a 26-9 tech fall of East Region Champ Trinity Hunt to reach the finals in the Girls 160 lb. bracket. She lost to Brielle Bissonette to take 2nd at 160.

• Katie McNabb (Sale Creek) - McNabb, the #3 out of the East Region, had a fall of Lily Chantler and Isabel Petty to make the Girls 170 lb. final. She lost to defending State Champ Shelby Zacharias to finish 2nd.

• Chukwuedom Odeigah (Collierville) - Odeigah, the #3 out of the West Region, had a 3rd period fall of Gabriella Gray before downing the defending State Champ Ariyanna Anderson 14-9 in the semis. She lost to Ella Murhpey of Hardin Valley in the 190 lb. Final.

1A-2A:

• Dakota Pattee (Nolesville): Pattee entered the 1A-2A 126 lb. bracket as the #3 out of Region 3. He won by fall and then a 4-0 decision over Region 4 Champ Dylan Davenport put him in the semis. A loss to Lewis, but wins over Region 1 Champ Charles Dabney and Davenport (again) put him on the 126 lb. podium in 3rd. 3rd in Region 3 and 3rd in the state.

• Perrin Clark (East Ridge): Clark entered the 1A-2A 132 lb. bracket as the #3 out of Region 3. Clark lost in the 1st round to Garrett Haley and then proceeded to win 4 in a row (3 by fall and a forfeit) to make the consolation finals. Clark was 3rd in Region 3 and finished 4th in the state tournament at 132 lbs.

• Gaberial Pennington (Eagleville): Pennington entered the 1A-2A 138 lb. bracket as the #3 out of Region 3 (notice a trend?). He had a fall of Yarbrough and a 4-1 decision over Roby Thomas to advance to the semis - where he lost to 2x State Champ Hunter Mason. Pennington then beat Magourik 9-3 and Kale Albritton 16-14 to take 3rd. 3rd in Region 3 and 3rd in the state tournament at 138 lbs.

• Lucas Taylor (White House Heritage): Taylor entered the 152 lb. bracket as the #4 seed from region 4. He beat Region 2 Champ Jonas Vandergriff of Hixson by fall in the 1st round, Region 1 3rd place Dawson Jones by fall in the quarters and Region 4 Champ Daniel White by fall in the semis. He lost to returning State Champ Garrett Foreman in the finals, but finished 2nd after starting the tournament as a #4 out of Region 4.

• Dalen Kimble (Sycamore): Kimble was the #3 out of Region 4 and won his 1st round matches before falling to Foreman in the semis 4-0. He won his consi semi match and his 3rd/4th place match over Daniel White to finish 3rd. 3rd from Region 4 and 3rd at the state tournament.

• Carson Reep (Gibbs): Reep entered the 160 lb. bracket as the #3 from from Region 1. Reep won his 1st two matches before losing in the semis to runner-up Malachi Bennett. Reep pinned Roberts in the consi semis and then downed Region 2 Champ Kobie Smith 8-7 to finish 3rd.

• Zach Sinner (Nolensville): Sinner entered the 170 lb. bracket as the #3 from Region 3. He beat Elijah Hubbs 5-0 and Region 2 Champ Kylar Chadwick by fall to make the semis. He lost to Kaden White 9-7, but beat Kyle Watts to make the consi finals. Sinner started the tournament as the #3 out Region 3 and finished 4th in the state at 170.

• Nathan Montpool (Nolensville): Montpool entered the 195 lb. bracket as the #3 from Region 3. He had two falls before losing to eventual Champ Ethan Sutton 9-4 in the semis. He bounced back with a 9-8 win over John Geist and a fall over Arie Donaldson to finish 3rd.

• Rob Atwood (Trousdale County): Atwood entered the 220 lb. bracket as the #3 from Region 3. He had a 1st round fall over Jeremiah Cope before losing in sudden victory to eventual Champ (and ultimately a 3x State Champ) Jonathan Morton of Elizabethton in the quarters. Atwood then won 3 in a row to make the consi finals before losing to defending State Champ Parrish Pacetti 6-0 for 3rd/4th.

3A

• Logan Fowler (Cleveland): The chances that Fowler was going to make this list was pretty high. He was one of the top 106’s in the state entering the tournament even though he had finished 2nd to Bryson Terrell in Region 4. What might have been a bit unexpected was that he ran through the bracket … 2 1st period falls and a 15-0 tech fall before beating Terrell 10-8 in the finals to claim the title.

• Ethan Lipsey (Bradley Central): Lipsey entered the tournament as the #2 at 113 from Region 4. He lost his 1st round match to Region 6 Champ Nicholas Mercante of Wilson Central, but then won 5 in a row (including a 3-1 decision over Mercante) to finish 3rd.

• Chas Stokes (Oakland): Stokes entered the 3A 113 lb. bracket as the #2 from Region 5. He had a fall and a 7-5 decision over Devin Lozdoski before falling to Bentley Ellison in the semis. He beat Owen Gobel 7-2 in the consi semis to make top 4 in a very deep 3A bracket.

• Easton Lipsey (Bradley Central): Lipsey entered the 126 lb. bracket as the #2 out of Region 4. He had a forfeit and an 11-0 decision before falling to 3x State Champ Trey Bates in the semis 7-3. Lipsey beat Justin Noll 6-2 and Wemawamungu Moktani 7-2 to take 3rd.

• Wemawamungu Moktani (Munford): Moktani entered the 126 lb. bracket as the #2 out of Region 8. Moktani lost his opening match to Mason Sells 2-1 before winning 4 in a row (including a sudden victory win over Sells) to make the consi finals.

• Riley Fort (Wilson Central): Fort entered the 132 lb. bracket as the #2 out of Region 6. He beat Adam Tibotski 12-0 and pinned Taron Patterson before falling in the semis to Brennan Watkins 3-2. Fort pinned Hunter Davis in the consi semis before losing to Sam Shires and finishing 4th in a deep weight.

• Luke Belcher (Bradley Central): Belcher entered the 138 lb. bracket as the #2 out of Region 4. It wasn’t a surprise to see him handle the bottom side of the bracket as he had a fall, a 6-3 decision over Jacob Roaten, and a 9-1 major decision of Alan Fort before getting a rematch with Cleveland’s Trae McDaniel. McDaniel won the rematch 10-3 and Region 4 went 1st and 2nd at 138.

• Anthony Lynn (Bradley Central): Lynn was 2nd out of Region 4 at 145. He won his 1st two matches by fall before losing to Landon Fisher of Jefferson County in the semis. A 2-0 win over Alex Rose of Blackman in the consi semis put him on the podium at 145.

• Aidan Brenot (Clarksville) - Brenot was 2nd out of Region 6 at 152. He won his opening match against Laxton 8-6 in sudden victory and then pinned Henry Tate and earned a major decision over Elijah Cowan to make the finals. He lost a 10-5 decision to finish 2nd at 152.

• Logan Fisher (Jefferson County) - Fisher was just the 3rd wrestler that was 2nd in his region (Region 1 in this case) to advance to the finals … where he faced the Region 1 Champ in Tre Morrisette. Fisher had two 3rd period falls on his way to the finals including a tight match vs. Justin Brown of Blackman in the semis. He, like Belcher and Brenot (the other two #2’s), would fall in the finals and finish 2nd.

• Anthony Pyron (Mt Juliet) - Pyron, 2nd out of Region 6, won his 1st round match by fall over Region 5 Champ Justin Chew and his quarterfinal over Region 1 Champ Clint Morrisette 11-6. He lost by major decision to Matheson Meade, but rebounded to finish 3rd … not surprisingly the #1 out of Region 6 - Mason Smith was the returning State Champ at 152 and went on to claim his 2nd title.

• Tetoe Boyd (Cleveland) and Owen Zuckerman (Houston) - Boyd and Zuckerman - both #2’s - advanced to the finals at 182. Neither had a particularly easy path, but both came in as returning State Placers. Boyd ended up winning it with a 7-2 decision to become the only 3A wrestler that finished as a Region runner-up to go on to claim a title in 2021.

• Donovan Rich (Beech) - Rich was 2nd in Region 6 and fought his way through the top side to face Dominic Love of Green Hills in the finals. Love was the Region 6 Champ - so we had another region rematch at 195. Love got up 6-3 before getting the fall at the end of the 2nd period to claim the 195 lb. title.

• Austin McClure (Bradley Central) - McClure was 2nd in Region 4 and fought through the bottom side with tough wins over Region 5 Champ Graham Keating and Keimel Redford before losing to Joshua Cummins in the semis. A win over Keating (again) in the consi semis and 2-1 over Harness in the consi finals put him on the podium in 3rd.

• Samuel Harness (Cookeville) - Harness was 2nd in Region 5. He downed Region 6 Champ Jesse Richardson 5-4 and Region 1 Champ Sonny Watson 1-0 before losing to Jaden Langford in the semis. Another hard fought 5-4 decision over Richardson in the consis semis put him in the top 4.

Each state had some absolute hammers at their state tournaments. We routinely recognize hammers throughout the season (in fact we try to do it weekly in December and January). In that case, coaches are asked to submit a wrestler that exceeded their expectations - whether that was on the mat, in the classroom in a leadership position, etc. We believe “hammers” aren’t just those wrestlers that destroy their competition and it is important to recognize those wrestlers that are continuing to push their ceiling.

But in this case - we are looking for those wrestlers that really hammered their way to a state title. These are the wrestlers that left no doubt. Not all State Champs are listed … the names below met 3 criteria: 1) they won a state title, 2) each classification had representatives, and 3) they met the point cutoff. Honestly - some brackets were tougher than others and a wrestler that won 5-4 in the semis and then 3-2 in sudden victory to win a title might be more deserving even though he or she did not score as many team points … I fully recognize that. But to avoid confusion (and to make it as objective as possible) I went with the above criteria.

Point cutoffs for each:

• Georgia 4A: 27.5

• Georgia 5A: 28.5

• Georgia 6A: 26.5

• Georgia 7A: 28.0

• Girls: 31.0

  • Girls NOTE: The wrestlers with larger brackets had more of an opportunity to score than others. But no way to easily calculate which points to include or exclude - so this is a straight cut at 31 points - apologies if you had a smaller bracket but still hammered your way through it.

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The 5A Hammers

Unlikes any other class in Georgia or any other state - I have separated the Georgia 5A hammers out because it seemed like a competition amongst them to see who could get the most falls in the least amount of time.

Gunner Filipowicz (Woodward Academy) - Georgia 5A 170 lb. State Champ

Caleb Henson (Woodland) - Georgia 5A 152 lb. State Champ

Noah Hoffmeier (Cass) - Georgia 5A 220 lb. State Champ

Cole Hunt (Cass) - Georgia 120 lb. State Champ State Champ

Michael Kilic (Woodward Academy) - Georgia 5A 145 lb. State Champ

Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy) - Georgia 182 lb. State Champ

Jaxon Smith (Woodland) - Georgia 195 lb. State Champ

Six of the 7 wrestlers above scored 30 points for their team - the most that could be scored in the tournament (with 4 matches). Hoffmeier had 3 falls in 8:15 to claim the 220 lb. State title, but was out of the most pins in the least amount of time competition early because he got an injury default in his 2nd round match vs. Damio Wasendorf. That left six in the hunt …

• Henson had a 32 second fall in the 2nd round

• Smith had a 44 second fall

• Hunt had a 50 second fall

• Kilic had a 59 second fall

• Singleton had a 1:16 fall

• Filipowicz had a 1:51 fall

Quarters (falls for everyone - time is 2 matches added together)

• Smith (1:22)

• Hunt (2:00)

• Henson (2:02)

• Kilic (2:38)

• Filipowicz (3:48)

• Singleton (4:27)

Two falls under a minute put Jaxon Smith in the lead over Cole Hunt and Caleb Henson. Singleton dropped out of the race after getting a 17-1 tech fall over Paramore in the semis. Each of the others got a fall in the semis:

• Smith (2:06)

• Henson (3:54)

• Kilic (3:53)

• Hunt (3:57)

• Filipowicz (9:29)

Filipowicz had a tough match with 2020 State Runner-up Ethan Kasler in the semis - ultimately getting the fall, but late enough that he was no longer in the race for the most falls in the least amount of time. Leaving 4 with Jaxon Smith having a sizable lead (nearly 2 minutes) on his Woodland teammate Caleb Henson.

Cole Hunt had a 1st period fall of Conner Kimbrough in the 120 lb. final - he had all 4 wins by 1st period fall for a total of 5:34.

Caleb Henson was pushed to the 2nd period for the first time all tournament - getting the fall of Grant Monroe at 2:32 for a total of 4 falls in 6:26.

Michael Kilic was also pushed into the 2nd period by Cage Leddon in the 145 lb. final - getting the fall in 3:17 for a total of 4 falls in 7:10.

Jackson Smith was the only wrestler (besides Hunt) to get 4 1st period falls - the difference was the each of his came under a minute. He pinned Alvin Emfinger in 23 seconds of the 195 lb. final to finish with 4 falls in 2:27.

I could have talked about each of these hammers the same way I did the other classes, but it would have been the same thing - 4 falls in x amount of time or some variation. As I was watching them wreck their brackets I was thinking that they might have been looking to see who could get the most falls in the least amount of time … for those that don’t know that is the Gorrian award. Each dominated their weights and claimed titles in 2021.

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Kaleb Clark (Camden County) - Georgia 7A 132 lb. State Champ

Clark dominated the 132 lb. bracket. He had 3 2nd period falls and then downed Kade Johnson of Cherokee in the finals 7-1. In fact, Clark finished the tournament yielding just 1 point (a 2nd period escape to Johnson) … he outscored his opponents 17-1.

Luke Cochran (Jefferson) - Georgia 4A 170 lb. State Champ

Cochran was sharp early in the tournament - getting falls with relative ease. He had a 44 second fall, and 1 minute and 2 second fall before getting Zak Price in the semis. Cochran went up 7-0 before getting the 2nd period fall to book his ticket to the final. He then ran into Greyson Clark. Clark has had much success around the Southeast this year and the battle for the 170 lb. top spot was one to watch. They finished the 1st two periods with Cochran leading 3-2 - an early 3rd period escape by Clark tied it at 3 … then things got wild. Cochran got a takedown with 13 seconds remaining - Clark had a quick escape (score 5-4 Cochran) before Cochran was hit with a stall call with 5 seconds left in the match making it 5-5. Cochran put that behind him and got the takedown in sudden victory to win 7-5.

Dylan Fairchild (West Forsyth) - Georgia 7A 285 lb. State Champ

Fairchild climbed to the top of the 285 lb. podium a second time - this time we accrued 4 falls in 2:46 including a 25 second fall of Thomas Dossett in the finals. Fairchild, a UGA signee, is one of the best heavyweights in the Southeast … unfortunately we won’t get to see if he is the best in Georgia because he and Horne never crossed paths.

Clint Gilbert (Collins Hill) - Georgia 7A 138 lb. State Champ

Gilbert was outstanding as he cruised in the early rounds - raking up pins of 31 seconds, 1:55, and 41 seconds before having to grind out an 8-4 win over Anthony Doyle of Camden County. Gilbert controlled the action on the feet in the finals vs. Doyle - getting a takedown early, but giving up a reversal to end the 1st period tied at 2. Gilbert added two more takedowns in the 2nd period (while giving up 2 escapes) and led 6-4 heading into the 3rd … a reversal sealed the win and Gilbert claimed the top spot at 138.

Malik Hardy (Spencer) - Georgia 4A 120 lb. State Champ

Only Chase Horne scored more team points in 4A than Malik Hardy. Hardy finished the season 39-0 with 2 falls, a 13-5 quarterfinal win over Tyson Thurmond (in what was his most difficult match) and a 15-0 tech fall of Thomas Termini of Marist in the finals.

Dianna Holmes (North Gwinnett) - Georgia Girls 112 lb. State Champ

Top seed Dianna Holmes navigated a tough (and deep) 112 lb. bracket to claim the top step. She had 2 falls, a 9-0 major decision over Ella Ki, a 7-0 decision over Calli Payton before having to grind out an 8-6 decision over #3 seed Alyssa Valdiva in the finals.

Chase Horne (West Laurens) - Georgia 4A 285 lb. State Champ

Horne provides significantly less to write about - because he dominates his opponents. He is the only wrestler in 4A to tally 4 consecutive falls on his way to the title and he did so in a total of 4 minutes. Despite only being on the mat for 4 minutes - he had 8 takedowns, 3 sets of nearfalls, and only gave up points on “escapes”.

Rylan Ibold (Buford) - Georgia 6A 106 lb. State Champ

Ibold is one of the few freshmen to make the list … he was superb on his way to the 6A 106 lb. State title. He pinned Bullard in 43 seconds before pinning Brunswick Senior Trent Burke in 3:21 (good match that was 4-2 midway through the 2nd period when Ibold got the fall). He then downed Durban Carpenter 10-1 to setup a final vs. Colin Dragon of Richmond Hill. Ibold got the early takedown and began the 2nd period with a reversal to go up 4-1 before giving up a reversal to make it 4-3. A late escape by Ibold at the end of the 2nd made it 5-3 (and our final score). Dragon chose bottom and couldn’t get away and Ibold won his first title (how many will come for the freshman?).

Sam Johnson (North Oconee) - Georgia 4A 152 lb. State Champ

Johnson had to work for his 152 lb. title. He had a 45 second fall before grinding out a 4-3 quarterfinal win over Kullum Irvin 4-3. From there he had a 1st period fall over Malcolm Collins before another tough match vs. Hoke Poe-Hogan of Jefferson in the finals. Johnson would eventually get the fall late in the 3rd period, but Poe-Hogan led for much of the match and it wasn’t until an escape and a late takedown that Johnson sealed the deal.

Amani Jones (Ola) - Georgia Girls 122 lb. State Champ

Jones demonstrated why she is considered either the best (or one of the best) wrestlers in the SE. She simply broke the 50 girl bracket with little fanfare. She had 3 1st period falls, a medical forfeit and then a 12-0 major decision Reagan Masters in the finals. She outscored her opponents 23-0 over 5 matches to claim the 122 lb. title.

Seth Larson (Flowery Branch) - Georgia 4A 145 lb. State Champ

Larson is one of the few freshmen to make the hammer list. He obliterated the bracket early with a 53 second fall, a 3:22 fall, and a 15-0 tech fall before running into Ayers Honiotes of Jefferson. Honiotes took the lead in their final with a 2nd period reversal, but Larson countered with a takedown in the 3rd. 2-2 sudden victory and Larson got the takedown for his first state title.

Dawson Mathews (Alexander) - Georgia 152 lb. State Champ

Mathews is the only one on this list to make it without getting a fall in the tournament. He had 3 tech falls including a 15-0 win over Sebastian Shered in the finals. Mathews scored 61 points in 4 matches and yielded just 10 (6 of which came in the quarters against his toughest competition - a 12-6 decision of 2020 State Runner-up Jackson Eller).

Hunter McCullough (Lowndes) - Georgia 7A 106 lb. State Champ

McCullough is the only wrestler on this list that climbed to the top step without having done so the week before. He finished 2nd to Daniel Fredericks in the Area 1 tournament and had to battle from a runner-up spot through the bracket. He had a 1st period fall, an 11-0 major decision, a 4:20 fall over Adam Payton, a 7-5 decision in the semis over Joshua Wayland, and a 17-2 tech fall over Reed Walker in the finals.

Josh McCutchen (Valdosta) - Georgia 6A 195 lb. State Champ

I don’t know if it has been done before, but McCutchen beat previous State Champs to claim the 195 lb. state title (and he still made this list). He had a 15-0 tech fall before downing 2020 285 lb. State Champ Parker Bennett 8-6 SV1 in the quarters. McCutchen then downed Brian Maina 8-0 in the semis before taking out the defending 195 lb. State Champ Kaleb Walley with a 2nd period fall in the finals. For those making the argument that others made this list because their bracket wasn’t as hard … well McCutchen proved anyone can make the list no matter how difficult the bracket is.

Chaz McDonald (Jefferson) - Georgia 4A 106 lb. State Champ

McDonald was the spark for the Jefferson “revenge tour” - getting the Dragons off to a quick start in every match they had (including the state tournament). McDonald paved the way with 28 points - 3 falls and an 11-6 decision of Johnathan McDaniel in the finals.

Caitlyn Mixon (Ware County) - Georgia Girls 162 lb. State Champ

Caitlyn Mixon was the only wrestler to make the list that came in unseeded (not seeded in the top 8) to make her way to the top step. Mixon had a 1st period fall over McKellop before taking out #1 seed Sarai Sanders of Hillgrove with a 2nd period fall. She then had a 13-5 major decision, a 2nd period fall of #4 seed Nia Ojuro before pinning #2 seed Kayleigh Hilley in 1:08 to claim the title.

Catherine Mullis (Baldwin) - Georgia Girls 132 lb. State Champ

Mullis came in the top seed at 132 and handled things with relative ease in claiming the top step. She had 4 falls including one at 5:58 in the finals of Geevieve An of Kennesaw Mountain. Her closest match was a 4-1 decision in the quarters over Briana Botts of Creekview.

Hunter Noland (Dalton) - Georgia 6A 145 lb. State Champ

Noland tied RJ Weston for the most team points scored in 6A with 29.5. He had a 9 second fall, a 26 second fall, before downing Jeremiah Dawson 15-0 in the semis and pinning Patrick Parlato in 1:04 in the finals. Noland gave up just 1 point in 4 matches and was an absolute beast as he claimed the 145 lb. title.

David Panone (Lassiter) - Georgia 6A 132 lb. State Champ

Looking for the definition of a grinder? Watch Panone wrestle. Tough in every position and doesn’t like to give up any points. He had a fall and an 18-1 tech fall before pulling Cullen Kane in the semis. A dominating 14-1 decision pushed him into a final opposite Nick Cambria of Buford. A slick takedown to end the 1st period was all that Panone would need to claim the title - end up winning 3-0. In all he scored 44 points in 4 matches and gave up 4.

Jeremy Paradice (Colquitt County) - Georgia 7A 145 lb. State Champ

Paradice joined West Forsyth teammates Rickert and Fairchild in pinning his way to a state title. Paradice had 10 takedowns and didn’t give up any as he was in control of each of his matches. His falls of Cavazos in the semis and Lobdell in the finals were the quickest falls he had of the tournament.

Ethan Ricket (West Forsyth) - Georgia 7A 160 lb. State Champ

In a most pins in least amount of time with his teammate Dylan Fairchild - Ethan came up just short. He tallied 4 falls in 3:28 (about 45 seconds slower than his teammate). Both were outstanding - obviously. Ethan only crossed the 1 minute mark once - settling for a pin in 1:20 in his 2nd round match to Tyler Gorman. Otherwise he had pins of 52 seconds, 36 seconds, and 40 seconds.

Madden Sanker (South Paulding) - Georgia 6A 285 lb. State Champ

Sanker won a very good 285 lb. bracket and did so in style. He had 2 1st period falls before getting a very tough William Abbott of Brunswick in the semis. A hard fought 1-0 win pushed Sanker into the finals opposite Frankie Valle of Lassiter. Sanker wasted little time in getting a takedown and then the fall to claim the 285 lb. top step.

Samantha Scarbrough (Harris County) - Georgia Girls 142 lb. State Champ

Grit and determination. Scarabrough ran through the 142 lb. bracket early - getting 4 1st period falls including a 1:09 fall over #3 seed Merianye Mercado in the semis. She then pulled Kendra Heroch in the finals and it was a slugfest. Heroch got up early with a takedown and 3 point nearfall before Scarbrough would put points on the board with a reversal at the end of the 1st period. Heroch chose down and Scarbrough put on a tough ride for 2 minutes to not relinquish the position. Scarbrough chose bottom in the 3rd and got an escape and a takedown to tie it up at 5 sending the match to sudden victory. Scarbrough capped off her senior season with a takedown and a comeback win to claim the 142 lb. title.

Kennedy Shropshire (Mountain View) - Georgia Girls 102 lb. State Champ

44 wrestlers entered the 102 lb. weight, but it was 3 seed Kennedy Shropshire that made her way to the top step. Shropshire had 3 falls (2 in the 1st period) before outlasting #2 seed Lisa Glymph 5-2 in the semis and then downing Catarina Velasquez of Chestatee 7-0 in the finals. Shropshire outscored her competition 27-2 throughout the tournament.

Jacob Silka (Cherokee) - Georgia 7A 113 lb. State Champ

Silka joined some select company as he climbed to the top step for a second time - this time at 113. As a Junior, he has an opportunity to join a very select group in 2022 that have claimed 3 titles. He had 3 falls and a 10-0 major decision over Noah Danforth to claim the 113 lb. title. Silka went through the tournament without giving up a point (not even a given escape - outscoring his opponents 18-0).

Riso Webb (Southeast Whitfield) - Georgia 4A 126 lb. State Champ

Webb capped off the 2020-2021 season wit ha 27-1 record and a run through the 126 lb. bracket. He had 3 falls (including a 33 second fall of Xander Argentinis) before grinding out a 10-6 win over Jarrett Greene in the finals. Webb got up early on Greene with a takedown and 2 differents sets of nearfalls to lead 7-1 after the 1st period.

RJ Weston (Lassiter) - Georgia 6A 160 lb. State Champ

Weston bounced back in style after missing last year’s state tournament with an injury. He had 3 falls including a 2nd period fall of Dylan Burton of Alexander in the finals. He also had an 18-2 tech fall of a tough Nick Barton in the semis … leaving Weston with 29.5 points and tied with Hunter Noland for the top spot (in team points earned) in 6A.

Northwest edged Clarksville and Tullahoma to claim the Girls State Title this past week. I hope to have more details posted in the coming days, but here are the basic results:

Team Scores (Top 10):

1. Northwest 70.0

2. Clarksville 63.0

3. Tullahoma 62.0

4. Rossview 51.0

5. Collierville 50.0

6. Independence 48.0

7. Creek Wood 43.0

8. Greeneville 31.0

9. Hardin Valley 26.0

10. Montgomery Central 26.0

Girls 103

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Ella`lina Gonzalez of Clarksville (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Divine Desilets of Tullahoma (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Rylee Lent of Independence (Girls)

• 4th Place - Anna Fisher of Alcoa (Girls)

• 5th Place - Nevaeh Brinson of Summit (Girls)

• 6th Place - Ella Rimer of Science Hill (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Ella`lina Gonzalez (Clarksville (Girls)) 28-1, So. over Divine Desilets (Tullahoma (Girls)) 19-2, Sr. (Fall 1:31)

3rd Place Match

• Rylee Lent (Independence (Girls)) 23-11, So. over Anna Fisher (Alcoa (Girls)) 14-5, Sr. (Dec 7-2)

5th Place Match

• Nevaeh Brinson (Summit (Girls)) 27-7, Sr. over Ella Rimer (Science Hill (Girls)) 19-5, Sr. (Dec 9-2)

Girls 112

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Jenna Baines of Greeneville (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Betsy Nations of Collierville (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Grace Elliott of Siegel (Girls)

• 4th Place - Amanda Thomason of Cheatham Co. (Girls)

• 5th Place - Agnaee Zavala-gonzalez of Heritage (Girls)

• 6th Place - Livia Kelingos-spain of Fairview (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Jenna Baines (Greeneville (Girls)) 25-5, Fr. over Betsy Nations (Collierville (Girls)) 18-3, Jr. (Dec 9-7)

3rd Place Match

• Grace Elliott (Siegel (Girls)) 14-5, Jr. over Amanda Thomason (Cheatham Co. (Girls)) 19-4, Fr. (Fall 1:49)

5th Place Match

• Agnaee Zavala-gonzalez (Heritage (Girls)) 17-4, Sr. over Livia Kelingos-spain (Fairview (Girls)) 13-10, Sr. (Fall 2:33)

Girls 119

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Roseanna Vaughn of Northwest (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Annalynn Rakett of Clarksville Academy (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Jennifer Pranouphong of LaVergne (Girls)

• 4th Place - Gabriella Rincon of Heritage (Girls)

• 5th Place - Milla Mcnutt of Alcoa (Girls)

• 6th Place - Katie Vail of Farragut (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Roseanna Vaughn (Northwest (Girls)) 29-1, Jr. over Annalynn Rakett (Clarksville Academy (Girls)) 9-6, Jr. (Fall 2:59)

3rd Place Match

• Jennifer Pranouphong (LaVergne (Girls)) 9-4, Sr. over Gabriella Rincon (Heritage (Girls)) 16-5, Fr. (Fall 1:19)

5th Place Match

• Milla Mcnutt (Alcoa (Girls)) 10-4, Jr. over Katie Vail (Farragut (Girls)) 4-5, Sr. (Fall 0:43)

Girls 125

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Monteria Bigsby of Riverdale (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Baylee Peterson of Independence (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Katelynn Hernadez of Northwest (Girls)

• 4th Place - Aeliyha Threed of Stone Memorial (Girls)

• 5th Place - Maryanne Walker of Coffee Co. (Girls)

• 6th Place - Calista Gibson of Sevier Co. (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Monteria Bigsby (Riverdale (Girls)) 13-6, Sr. over Baylee Peterson (Independence (Girls)) 26-5, So. (Dec 3-1)

3rd Place Match

• Katelynn Hernadez (Northwest (Girls)) 25-7, So. over Aeliyha Threed (Stone Memorial (Girls)) 14-4, Sr. (Dec 7-5)

5th Place Match

• Maryanne Walker (Coffee Co. (Girls)) 15-5, Sr. over Calista Gibson (Sevier Co. (Girls)) 7-6, So. (Fall 1:33)

Girls 132

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Rontaysia Payne of Dickson Co. (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Haley Redmond of Gibbs (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Addie Stadler of David Crockett (Girls)

• 4th Place - Erica Moore of Brentwood (Girls)

• 5th Place - Olivia Hogan of Tullahoma (Girls)

• 6th Place - Amelia Malcolm of Sullivan East (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Rontaysia Payne (Dickson Co. (Girls)) 15-0, Sr. over Haley Redmond (Gibbs (Girls)) 16-2, So. (MD 14-0)

3rd Place Match

• Addie Stadler (David Crockett (Girls)) 24-5, Sr. over Erica Moore (Brentwood (Girls)) 20-5, Jr. (Fall 1:20)

5th Place Match

• Olivia Hogan (Tullahoma (Girls)) 18-6, Jr. over Amelia Malcolm (Sullivan East (Girls)) 10-9, Jr. (For.)

Girls 140

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Jailynn Tindall of Carter (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Bryce White of Cane Ridge (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Brooklyn Long of Independence (Girls)

• 4th Place - Brette Spink of Northwest (Girls)

• 5th Place - Morgan Cornelius of Greeneville (Girls)

• 6th Place - Madisen Bryant of Clarksville Academy (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Jailynn Tindall (Carter (Girls)) 19-1, Jr. over Bryce White (Cane Ridge (Girls)) 6-1, Jr. (Fall 2:56)

3rd Place Match

• Brooklyn Long (Independence (Girls)) 23-4, So. over Brette Spink (Northwest (Girls)) 26-3, Jr. (Dec 5-0)

5th Place Match

• Morgan Cornelius (Greeneville (Girls)) 23-7, Fr. over Madisen Bryant (Clarksville Academy (Girls)) 12-8, So. (For.)

Girls 150

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Maggie Graham of Bartlett (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Elizabeth Champion of Tullahoma (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Genesis Gilmore of Montgomery Central (Girls)

• 4th Place - Kiera Blevins of Bearden (Girls)

• 5th Place - Leann Worley of Jefferson Co. (Girls)

• 6th Place - Forfeit Forfeit of Unattached

• 6th Place - Katie Harr of Gibbs (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Maggie Graham (Bartlett (Girls)) 23-1, So. over Elizabeth Champion (Tullahoma (Girls)) 20-2, Sr. (MD 15-4)

3rd Place Match

• Genesis Gilmore (Montgomery Central (Girls)) 24-4, So. over Kiera Blevins (Bearden (Girls)) 13-3, So. (Fall 3:38)

5th Place Match

• Leann Worley (Jefferson Co. (Girls)) 8-2, Sr. over Katie Harr (Gibbs (Girls)) 8-7, Jr. (Fall 2:08)

Girls 160

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Brielle Bissonette of Clarksville (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Hailey Webb of Farragut (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Alyssa Adamo of Rossview (Girls)

• 4th Place - Ella Tallent of Jefferson Co. (Girls)

• 5th Place - Crysalyn O`connor of Montgomery Central (Girls)

• 6th Place - Trinity Hunt of Sevier Co. (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Brielle Bissonette (Clarksville (Girls)) 28-0, Sr. over Hailey Webb (Farragut (Girls)) 5-6, So. (Fall 1:07)

3rd Place Match

• Alyssa Adamo (Rossview (Girls)) 20-5, Fr. over Ella Tallent (Jefferson Co. (Girls)) 6-5, Jr. (TB-1 8-7)

5th Place Match

• Crysalyn O`connor (Montgomery Central (Girls)) 5-3, Jr. over Trinity Hunt (Sevier Co. (Girls)) 5-3, Fr. (Fall 2:05)

Girls 170

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Shelby Zacharias of Creek Wood (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Katie Mcnabb of Sale Creek (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Lily Chantler of Northwest (Girls)

• 4th Place - Isabel Petty of Tullahoma (Girls)

• 5th Place - Clarire Matthews of Clarksville (Girls)

• 6th Place - Brianna Cook of Union County (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Shelby Zacharias (Creek Wood (Girls)) 24-0, Sr. over Katie Mcnabb (Sale Creek (Girls)) 6-3, Sr. (Fall 0:36)

3rd Place Match

• Lily Chantler (Northwest (Girls)) 23-5, So. over Isabel Petty (Tullahoma (Girls)) 17-7, Jr. (Fall 0:55)

5th Place Match

• Clarire Matthews (Clarksville (Girls)) 18-9, Jr. over Brianna Cook (Union County (Girls)) 6-6, So. (Fall 1:44)

Girls 190

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Ella Murhpey of Hardin Valley (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Chukwuedom Odeigah of Collierville (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Ariyanna Anderson of Creek Wood (Girls)

• 4th Place - Jamya Brewer of Rossview (Girls)

• 5th Place - Makaiya Craig of Northeast (Girls)

• 6th Place - Gabriella Gray of Chattanooga Central (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Ella Murhpey (Hardin Valley (Girls)) 15-0, Fr. over Chukwuedom Odeigah (Collierville (Girls)) 17-3, Jr. (Fall 2:51)

3rd Place Match

• Ariyanna Anderson (Creek Wood (Girls)) 20-3, Jr. over Jamya Brewer (Rossview (Girls)) 14-11, Sr. (Fall 1:31)

5th Place Match

• Makaiya Craig (Northeast (Girls)) 16-7, Sr. over Gabriella Gray (Chattanooga Central (Girls)) 4-4, So. (MD 13-1)

Girls 215

Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place - Justina Nikolao of Rossview (Girls)

• 2nd Place - Valerie Smith of McGavock (Girls)

• 3rd Place - Taliyah Autman of Hillsboro (Girls)

• 4th Place - Emma Tucker of Collierville (Girls)

• 5th Place - Kayla Faulkner of Union County (Girls)

• 6th Place - Nevaeh Nucklols of Chuckey-Doak (Girls)

1st Place Match

• Justina Nikolao (Rossview (Girls)) 17-1, Jr. over Valerie Smith (McGavock (Girls)) 5-1, Jr. (Dec 11-6)

3rd Place Match

• Taliyah Autman (Hillsboro (Girls)) 6-2, Sr. over Emma Tucker (Collierville (Girls)) 11-5, Jr. (Dec 6-4)

5th Place Match

• Kayla Faulkner (Union County (Girls)) 7-6, Sr. over Nevaeh Nucklols (Chuckey-Doak (Girls)) 5-3, Jr. (Dec 9-7)