CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The high school wrestling season entered its individual tournament phase with a pair of region championships at West Creek High School over the weekend. The girls held the inaugural Girls Region 4 tournament Friday night, then the boys met Saturday for the Region 6 Class AA tournament.
Schools from as far as Memphis and Hendersonville participated, but the hometown teams had an excellent showing. Nineteen Clarksville wrestlers won region championships out of a possible 26, with almost 70 advancing to the next level.
Rossview High was the big winner overall, boasting a total of seven champions and the most team points in both tournaments. This was only the second time their boys won the region championship, but it was the fifth consecutive year for their girls to do so. Clarksville High was close behind with a combined six champs and a runner-up finish both nights.
Girls tournament
Clarksville area schools have dominated girls wrestling since its inception, with Rossview and Clarksville High facing off last week in the nation’s first-ever state dual (team) championship.
Now, looking at individual wrestlers, three state champions from 2021 – and one from 2020 – returned to action and earned berths in the 2022 state tournament. Thirty more girls from the host city advanced to the state tournament for a total of 34. Wrestlers from CMCSS schools, combined with Clarksville Academy, claimed 1st place in 10 of the 12 weight classes.
For girls, the top four wrestlers in the region advance directly to the state tournament Feb. 24-26. Here’s the breakdown by weight class of which local girls are going to state:
100 lbs
Rossview’s Ava Teasley captured her first region championship by defeating Shyanne Michalski of Northwest, 1-0. Both advanced to state, but the third and fourth place wrestlers who will go on came from out of town.
107 lbs
The 2021 state champion, junior Ella-Lina Gonzalez of Clarksville High, continued her reign by pinning Rossview’s Caitlyn Miller in the championship match. This was Gonzalez’s third region title. She moved to 34-0 on the season and goes to state as a big favorite. Montgomery Central’s Gracie Tuberville grabbed 3rd place to continue her season.
114 lbs
Clarksville High’s Emma Stewart squared off with Collierville’s Betsy Nations. Stewart pinned Nations to claim the championship for the Wildcats. Mahkenze Bonczek of Rossview finished fourth and will have a go at the state tournament.
120 lbs
All four girls advancing to state in this weight class came from local schools. The title bout saw 2020 state champion Annalynn Rakett of Clarksville Academy face off with Northwest’s Roseanna Vaughn. This match had some history behind it: In 2021, Vaughn dethroned Rakett to earn her own state championship, but Rakett has been victorious in more recent showdowns. This was a closely contested match, with Rakett claiming the region championship, 3-2. In the third place match, Clarksville High’s Caila Weatherspoon defeated West Creek’s Jes’Onla Barefield to complete the sweep of the weight class by Clarksville schools.
126 lbs
Rossview’s Evelin Ochoa won her semifinal match for a place in the championship, but was injured in the process. Content with a berth in the state tournament and looking to rest, Ochoa forfeited the championship to Kristen Allsup from Dickson County. Meanwhile, Clarksville High’s Grace McIntyre came out on top of Northwest’s Christina Newsom in the third place match, with both moving on to state.
132 lbs
Everyone in this weight class who advanced to state also calls Clarksville home. Ty Bryant from Clarksville Academy looked dominant and physical, pinning Clarksville High’s Lilli Cobb for the title. In the third place match, Kelsey Mize of Rossview emerged victorious over Najette Mojica-Soto from West Creek.
138 lbs
Rossview’s Gabby Wilkinson assumed the title by defeating Clarksville High’s Alexia Escobedo, 8-3. In the consolation match, West Creek’s Syriana Berrios defeated Julia Easter from Montgomery Central, making this the third weight class where everyone at state will come from Clarksville.
145 lbs
This weight class was home to Bartlett High School’s Maggie Graham, a two-time state champion, this season’s Region 4 Wrestler of the Year, and an absolute brick wall. Analise Jetter of Rossview met Graham in the championship match and walked away with 2nd place. In the third place match, Clarksville High’s Madelin Allen defeated Lily Peters from Montgomery Central.
152 lbs
Montgomery Central’s Genesis Gilmore, junior, earned her third trip to the state tournament by pinning sophomore Alyssa Adamo of Rossview, who advanced to state for the second time. Gilmore was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament. Meanwhile, Clarksville High’s Kayla Powers finished in 4th place.
165 lbs
In a 7-3 decision that was voted the best match of the tournament, senior Brette Spink of Northwest won the title over Collierville’s Chukwuedun Odeigah for a return to state. Two local girls faced off for third place, with Alexis Mize of Rossview overcoming Montgomery Central’s Crysalyn O’Connor.
185 lbs
Only one local girl in this weight class moves on to state, but she did it in style. Rossview’s Katie McMillan, who had a great tournament showing a lot of resilience and determination, pinned Ariyanna Anderson of Creek Wood to earn the title of region champion.
235 lbs
Rossview vs. Clarksville High for the championship, a tale as old as last week. And just like last week, Wildcat Shaniayha Wysinger defeated 2021 state champion JT Nikolao. Expect to see these two duke it out one more time in two weeks with the chance of a state title on the line.
Girls Team Title
At individual tournaments, wrestlers still score points for their schools based on how they perform. Local schools won the top four spots. With 234 points, Rossview’s girls won the region for the 5th consecutive year. Clarksville High came in 2nd with 216, Montgomery Central in 3rd with 127, and Northwest barely trailed at 125 points for 4th.
Boys tournament
Because of the larger number of boys across Tennessee, the top four wrestlers from the region do not advance directly to state. Instead, they will compete in a sectional meet in Hendersonville Feb. 19 to earn a spot at the state tournament in Franklin. A whopping 35 Clarksville-area wrestlers advanced to the next stage, with nine of the fourteen weight classes won by one of our boys.
106 lbs
Cyrus Sanders of Clarksville High took 2nd place for the Wildcats, dropping a 5-2 decision to Beech’s Jacob Hammond in the title match. On the other mat, Nick Collins finished 3rd for Rossview.
113 lbs
Sophomore Garrett Furnas of West Creek continued a stellar season with a region championship following a 4-2 decision over Rossview’s freshman Chris Schroth. Gabe Metz from Clarksville High took fourth place and looks to bounce back at sectionals.
120 lbs
Rossview junior Jacob Miller claimed the first title of the night for the Hawks with a pin over Springfield’s Jurgen Saninez. In the consolation match, West Creek’s Aidan Renken ended up in fourth, keeping his season alive.
126 lbs
Ben Mayberry, Rossview junior, had a good run at the tournament, but he ran into Beech’s Blake Palmer in the championship match. Palmer, touting a record of 31-2, pinned Mayberry for the title while Niko Gottlick of Clarksville High and Kamryn White of Kenwood squared off on the other mat. Gottlick got the better of White, winning 3rd place.
132 lbs
The Hawks and the Wildcats clashed once more for another championship. Clarksville’s Seth Robles controlled most of the match against Rossview’s Max Landrum, eventually coming away with a 3-1 victory and the title of region champion.
138 lbs
Northwest’s Kellon Corkrean secured fourth place to move on, but there’s a buzzsaw running through this weight class, and his name is Sammy Shires. The Rossview senior entered the day with 199 career wins, one shy of a school record. Shires pinned at will in all three of his matches and brought home his 202nd victory for his 3rd region championship. He was named the Region Wrestler of the Year for the boys as well as the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament. At 49-0 on the season, Shires goes into the sectional tournament as a big favorite. He hopes to return to state one last time and write a new story for himself after finishing 3rd for three years.
145 lbs
Two local wrestlers advance to sectionals from this weight class. Aidan Johnson of Clarksville High won over Coen Myers from Beech, 8-4, to claim the championship. Meanwhile, Rossview’s Spencer Potter took third place with a pin in the consolation finals.
152 lbs
Clarksville High’s Jack Stein and Northwest’s Ethan Cunningham faced off in the semifinal bout for this weight class. Stein won, but a bad fall left him on the mat for an extended period of time. While he forfeited the championship match, he has a spot waiting for him next week assuming he bounces back. Cunningham won the third place match.
160 lbs
Aidan Brenot of Clarksville High, who took 2nd in the 2021 state tournament, continued his dominant ways with two pins and a technical fall, 17-2. He vanquished Jackson Vaughn from West Creek in the title match with one of those pins, but these were the only two locals to place in the top four.
170 lbs
At the end of the tournament, the championship bout in this weight class was voted as the best match of the day. Clarksville High’s Deago Buck clashed with John Campbell from Dickson County. The two battled back and forth until regulation ended in a tie, with Buck missing a score by a second, if that. The contest went to double overtime after time was called the instant before another would-be score by Buck. In the end, Campbell found a reversal and walked away victorious for the Cougars. On the other mat, West Creek’s Joshua Ward dropped the match, finishing 4th.
182 lbs
The top four in this weight class were all local athletes. Rossview senior Zack Duessler, who finished 4th in the state in 2021, grabbed his second region championship with a technical over Frederick Ellis of Kenwood, 20-5. Standford Thompson from West Creek defeated Northwest’s Derek Garis in the third place match.
195 lbs
The final clash between Rossview and Clarksville High came in the championship match for this weight class. This time, the Hawks emerged victorious, with Ruben Avalos overcoming Jace Powell, 4-1, to nab Rossview’s fourth and final title of the day. Kevin Shaw from Northwest took 3rd place.
220 lbs
West Creek senior Christopher Carbin brought it home for the host school. He pinned Joseph Gregory of Springfield in the championship match, while in the consolation match, Antonio Moody finished in 3rd place for Northeast.
285 lbs
The final weight class featured three locals in the top four, but none of them took first. Mason Lilly of Hendersonville had that honor, pinning Northwest’s Rolden Timothy to put Timothy in 2nd place. In the 3rd place match, Dominic George from Northeast overcame Rossview’s Trentin Howard.
Boys Team Title
After all the boys matches came to an end and the points were tallied, the top three performances in the tournament were all from CMCSS schools. For the second time in school history, Rossview took 1st with 204 points. Clarksville High came in 2nd with 187.5 points, and West Creek took 3rd with 127 points.
In other awards, Northeast coach Kirk Landon was named the Region Coach of the Year for bringing stability to a program that coaches felt is improving quickly.
Looking ahead
The girls have two weeks to recuperate and prepare for the state tournament. The boys travel to Hendersonville on Feb. 19 for the sectional meet, where the top four will continue to state. You should expect to see a fair number of them make it to the big dance, where several area boys and girls have a shot at winning it all.