Madison Co. wrestles away trophy

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: December 29, 2014

Tigers win inaugural Valley Cub Invitational title

Alexandria’s Fletcher Swindall (L) and Weaver’s Nick Souder size up each other in their 106-pound title bout Monday.

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

ALEXANDRIA — Scott Peavey brought a Madison County wrestling team to town that had gotten a late start due to football and wasn’t at full strength in the lineup, but it had plenty to win a championship.

The Tigers claimed their first tournament title of the season Monday when they won the inaugural Valley Cub Invitational. They won five individual titles and scored 192 points, edging runner-up Weaver by seven. Moody finished third, followed by Ohatchee and host Alexandria.

“I didn’t realize how close we were; I’ve been trying to figure it out,” said Peavey, a former Wellborn coach. “This is just the third time we’ve wrestled and we’re missing four of our guys, and two of those are top guys who we should have by the end of the week.”

Still, the Tigers were strong enough to win at 113 (Brantley McHugh), 126 (Stephen White), 152 (Jack Peavey), 170 (Trevor Edwards) and 220 (Colton Parton).

Oxford and Moody won two weight divisions, while Weaver, Alexandria, Saks, Ohatchee and Westminster Christian won one each.

Weaver was looking for its third straight tournament win. The Bearcats had chances with finalists in each of the last four weight classes, but the only bout they won down the stretch came after the outcome was decided. All three losses came to wrestlers who were undefeated.

“We had some really tough finals matches,” Bearcats coach Andy Fulmer said. “Madison County was … just a little better than us today. The opportunity was there, but there were some tough matches. You’re not going to have easy finals matches; if you do, then it’s not a real tough tournament and there were a lot of really good finals matches today.

“We had our chance and couldn’t pull it out. Not a lack of effort, they were just a little better than us today.”

The event was Alexandria’s first effort at hosting a multi-team tournament. Some technical glitches off the mat that created some delays and the Valley Cubs’ team finish muted coach Frank Hartzog’s overall assessment of the day, but at first blush he agreed “there was good wrestling here.”

He reserved a final judgment on the success of the tournament until he sees a financial report, but he already plans for a Saturday tournament next year to dovetail into a junior high event the following Monday.

“We could have wrestled better,” Hartzog said, “but it went well.”

(Cover photo: Madison County’s Brantley McHugh (top) gets close to pinning Alexandria’s Lane Trapp in the 113-pound championship bout Monday.)

VALLEY CUB INVITATIONAL

TEAM SCORES
1. Madison County 192, 2. Weaver 185, 3. Moody 169, 4. Ohatchee 100, 5. Alexandria 99, 6. Oxford 72, 7. Westminster Christian 70.5, 8. Saks 59, 9. Moody B 8.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

106 Results
Championship Match: Nick Souder (Weaver) 24-1, So. pinned Fletcher Swindall (Alexandria) 19-5, 8th.
Consolation Match: Jim Wilson (Ohatchee) 27-4, 8th. pinned Will Patterson (Moody) 23-10, So. (5:55).

113 Results
Championship Match: Brantley McHugh (Madison County) 13-4, Fr. pinned Lane Trapp (Alexandria) 18-2, Jr. (2:00).
Consolation Match: Kevin Griffith (Ohatchee) 23-5, Sr. pinned Garrett Dorsett (Moody) 20-7, Fr. (4:54).

120 Results
Championship Match: Mason Blakeney (Oxford) 25-12, def. Josh Sexton (Ohatchee) 23-6, Jr.
Consolation Match: Westley Stone (Moody) 25-5, So. pinned Matthew Schmaltz (Alexandria) 14-10, Fr.

126 Results
Championship Match: Stephen White (Madison County) 3-0, 8th. pinned Thien Nguyen (Moody) 15-12, Sr. (5:04).
Consolation Match: Aaron Whittaker (Alexandria) 13-7, Fr. pinned Drake Monroe (Weaver) 12-13, 8th. (4:24).

132 Results
Championship Match: Andrew Kilgore (Saks) 15-4, So. def. Christian Pettus (Weaver) 17-5, So., 6-4.
Consolation Match: Dustin Davis, jr. (Moody) 16-9, Fr. pinned Daniel Hutchins (Madison County) 8-7, Sr. (2:01).

138 Results
Championship Match: Jared Monday (Moody) 25-3, Sr. pinned Kyle Clapper (Weaver) 20-6, So. (2:55).
Consolation Match: Gryce McDaniel (Oxford) 2-1, def. Wyatt Sherling (Oxford) 0-2, 5-1.

145 Results
Championship Match: Speed Pitts (Oxford) 3-0, def. Austin Foote (Madison County) 2-1, Jr., 6-3.
Consolation Match: Jacob Howard (Weaver) 22-4, Sr. def. Tyler Glass (Moody) 18-5, Sr., MD 13-3.

152 Results
Championship Match: Jack Peavey (Madison County) 3-0, So. def. Alex Cole (Moody) 25-5, Sr., 3-2.
Consolation Match: Quintin Thies (Westminster Christian) 10-9, Sr. pinned Taylor Brown (Saks) 14-6, Jr. (5:25).

160 Results
Championship Match: Ethan Pippin (Westminster Christian) 20-6, Fr. def. Christian Knop (Alexandria) 21-7, 8th, MD 14-6.
Consolation Match: Jaylon Cowan (Madison County) 3-1, Sr. pinned Logan Johnson (Weaver) 20-9, Sr. (3:10).

170 Results
Championship Match: Trevor Edwards (Madison County) 3-0, Sr. pinned Reid Singles (Westminster Christian) 9-6, Jr.
Consolation Match: Tyler Johnson (Weaver) 17-6, Jr. pinned Ethen Handy (Saks) 13-7, Jr. (5:19).

182 Results
Championship Match: Brett Staggs (Moody) 32-0, Jr. pinned Michael Collin Allison (Weaver) 18-4, Jr.
Consolation Match: Trey Zuchelli (Weaver) 2-1, pinned Dawson Wells (Saks) 7-6, Fr. (5:39).

195 Results
Championship Match: Chase Rodgers (Weaver) 21-3, Jr. pinned Chase Kelly (Moody) 15-8, So.
Consolation Match: Gage Watson (Madison County) 3-1, Jr. def. Caleb Montgomery (Ohatchee) 13-8, So., 3-1.

220 Results
Championship Match: Colton Parton (Madison County) 3-0, Jr. pinned Matt Elston (Weaver) 16-6, So.
Consolation Match: Kendall Farr (Westminster Christian) 18-5, So. pinned Steven Minniefield (Ohatchee) 11-6, Sr.

285 Results
Championship Match: Hunter Barclay (Ohatchee) 23-0, Sr. def. Sean Caleb Allison (Weaver) 22-3, 8th, 5-4.
Consolation Match: Anthony Johnson (Madison County) 3-1, Jr. pinned Joshua Longoria (Alexandria) 5-4, Jr.