Rumble in the Jungle

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: January 2, 2016

Central-Phenix City wins fifth title of season to spoil Sweatman’s return to the area; Weaver third, Alexandria fourth

Weaver’s Nick Souder (L) looks for leverage against Alexandria’s Lane Trapp in the only title match Saturday between two Calhoun County wrestlers. Souder won a 7-2 decision

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

HEFLIN – Matt Sweatman almost returned a conquering general.

The former Ohatchee wrestling coach returned to the area with his new team – Bob Jones — for the first time Saturday and came oh-so-close to winning Cleburne County’s Rumble in the Jungle.

The Patriots finished three points behind champion Central-Phenix City, which scored 190 points to win its fifth tournament title of the season. Weaver finished third and Alexandria was fourth.

“It was nice coming back and seeing everybody,” said Sweatman, who started the Ohatchee program in 2012 and stayed there seasons. “We actually had the lead going into the finals and we just didn’t finish in the finals matches.

“This is a tough tournament; there’s always a good mix of 1A-5A, 6A and 7A wrestlers here. This is actually my best finish here. We’ve got four kids out, but we had a lot of freshmen step up and wrestle pretty well; our 106 and 113 both weighed 99 pounds.”

St. James’ Richard Williamson (197) was voted most valuable wrestler and the 108 title match between Central’s Studd Morris and Alexandria’s Jimmy Wilson was voted the match of the tournament.

Sweatman’s Patriots entered the championship/consolation round with a 10-point lead, but Central overtook them when freshman Max Kauffman won an 8-3 decision over Daishun Mitchell at 122. It was the only head-to-head matchup between the top two teams in the championship round.

The Red Devils then proceeded to take it over the top when Kristian Scott, Jonboy Storey and Robert Morales won consecutive titles at 140, 147 and 154.

“This is not something we won today,” Red Devils coach Rob Morales said. “We’ve been working at this a long time. The guys have bought into the system and they’ve held each other accountable, they’ve built each other up and at the end of the day we just focus on the process of getting better.

“They just do what they’ve been trained to do, that’s all it comes down to. We’ve been on a good run. We’re just glad that we’re able to see the fruits of our labor.”

Williamson won a close vote for MVW by beating three wrestlers who have a combined record of 86-17, including Weaver’s top-seeded Chase Rodgers in the final with a second-period pin that avenged a loss in last year’s sectionals.

Before the season Williamson weighed 225 and was wrestling 222 earlier in the year, but he dropped the weight and has flourished.

“There were a lot of tough guys in my weight class,” Williamson said. “It takes a lot of hard work and sometimes you just get lucky, and I think that’s one of those times. It feels good to be skinny.”

Weaver’s Nick Souder defeated Alexandria’s Lane Trapp at 115 in the only title bout between Calhoun County wrestlers. Alexandria’s undefeated Christian Knop (172) and Weaver’s Collin Allison (184) were also champions from the county. Knop (26-0) knocked off three ranked wrestlers on the way to his title.

Alexandria’s Aaron Whittaker (134), Saks’ Taylor Brown (154), Weaver’s Kyle Clapper (147), Ohatchee’s Caleb Montgomery (222) and Piedmont’s Jamie Crutcher (287) were runnerups from the county.

Montgomery’s final with Dominic Davis of Bob Jones was the only title match that pitted former and current Sweatman wrestlers. Davis won a tight decision.

“It is rough to coach against one of your old kids,” Sweatman said. “I told him when he came off the mat that’s all right, Caleb, you would’ve beat him if you had a good coach last year.

“Caleb’s a really good kid and a really hard worker, so he’s going to be fine. I’d like to see him in the final of 1A-5A again.”

Ohatchee’s Caleb Montgomery (L) and Bob Jones’ Dominic Davis look for an early advantage in the 222 title match, the only championship match pitting former and current wrestlers of Bob Jones coach Matt Sweatman.

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Team scores: 1. Central-Phenix City 190, 2. Bob Jones 187, 3. Weaver 155, 4. Alexandria 113 , 5. St. Clair County 111, 6. Leeds 101, 7. Holtville 99.5, 8. St. James 95, 9. Cleburne County 87, 10. Saks 83, 11. Beauregard 55, 12. Ohatchee 43, 13. Piedmont 40, 14. Ranburne 27, 15. Lincoln 11.

108 Results
Championship Match: Studd Morris (Central Phenix City) 29-4, So. def. Jimmy Wilson (Alexandria) 14-1, Fr. (Dec 4-3).
Consolation Match: Dylan Turner (Cleburne County) 15-6, So. def. Zaveian Toney (Bob Jones) 27-6, Fr. (TB-1 7-6).

115 Results
Championship Match: Nick Souder (Weaver) 30-1, Jr. def. Lane Trapp (Alexandria) 11-1, Sr. (Dec 7-2).
Consolation Match: Tristan Watson (Holtville) 26-5, Fr. pinned Zaderian Toney (Bob Jones) 16-6, So. (0:54).

122 Results
Championship Match: Max Kauffman (Central Phenix City) 30-2, Fr. def. Daishun Mitchell (Bob Jones) 13-2, Jr. (Dec 8-3).
Consolation Match: Bryer Stewert (St. Clair County) 33-2, Sr. def. Fletcher Swindall (Alexandria) 23-4, Fr. (Dec 8-2).

128 Results
Championship Match: Max Miller (St. Clair County) 28-7, Jr. def. Preston Jarrell (Cleburne County) 14-4, So. (Dec 6-4).
Consolation Match: Johnnie Swinnie (Central Phenix City) 27-9, So. def. Jordan Whalen (Bob Jones) 17-4, Fr. (MD 12-2).

134 Results
Championship Match: Austin Johnson (St. James) 14-3, Sr. def. Aaron Whittaker (Alexandria) 20-6, So. (MD 10-0).
Consolation Match: Robert Childress (Beauregard) 22-4, Sr. def. Drake Monroe (Weaver) 27-9, So. (For.).

140 Results
Championship Match: Kristian Scott (Central Phenix City) 25-9, So. def. Brandon Franklin (Leeds) 3-1. (Dec 8-1).
Consolation Match: Brady Richardson (Holtville) 27-5, So. def. Andrew Kilgore (Saks) 13-3, Jr. (Dec 3-0).

147 Results
Championship Match: Jonboy Storey (Central Phenix City) 26-5, Sr. def. Kyle Clapper (Weaver) 21-5, Jr. (Dec 7-2).
Consolation Match: Geoffrey Murray (St. James) 15-2, Sr. def. Logan Burch (St. Clair County) 4-2, Sr. (For.).

154 Results
Championship Match: Robert Morales (Central Phenix City) 30-2, So. pinned Taylor Brown (Saks) 12-3, Sr. (3:28).
Consolation Match: Peyton Johnson (Holtville) 21-5, Jr. def. Tyler Palm (St. Clair County) 30-9, Sr. (For.).

162 Results
Championship Match: Griffin Ridgeway (Bob Jones) 29-2, Sr. def, William White (Leeds) 20-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:14 (16-0)).
Consolation Match: Nathan Spillers (Central Phenix City) 33-7, Sr. def. Will Prater (St. James) 16-6, Sr. (Dec 2-0).

172 Results
Championship Match: Christian Knop (Alexandria) 26-0, Fr. def. Arthur Patton (Leeds) 7-3, Sr. (Dec 8-4).
Consolation Match: Samuel Pate (Cleburne County) 17-5, Jr. def. Tyler Moulton (Bob Jones) 22-9, Sr. (For.).

184 Results
Championship Match: Collin Allison (Weaver) 30-2, Sr. pinned Jadarius Johnson (Central Phenix City) 23-13, Jr. (1:11).
Consolation Match: Rodney Reddick (Saks) 8-6, So. def. Logan Smith (Piedmont) 3-2, Fr. (MD 15-4).

197 Results
Championship Match: Richard Williamson (St. James) 20-0, Sr. pinned Chase Rodgers (Weaver) 28-3, Sr. (3:32).
Consolation Match: Bryan Tutton (St. Clair County) 29-6, Sr. def. Ethen Handy (Saks) 11-6, Sr. (MD 12-3).

222 Results
Championship Match: Dominic Davis (Bob Jones) 19-8, Sr. def. Caleb Montgomery (Ohatchee) 27-4, Jr. (Dec 3-1).
Consolation Match: Tre Nation (Leeds) 12-2, Sr. over Jackson Brown (Leeds) 4-2. (For.).

287 Results
Championship Match: Ben Rogers (Bob Jones) 27-2, Sr. pinned Jamie Crutcher (Piedmont) 3-1, Sr. (3:15).
Consolation Match: Caleb Allison (Weaver) 30-2, Fr. pinned Nathan Smith (Holtville) 12-5, Jr. (1:35).