Ties that bind
- Updated: January 28, 2017
Oxford wins 6A State Duals, assistant coach shows new look wearing a tie; Cleburne County wins its own Rumble
Oxford coaches Scott Peavey (far left) and Matt Hicks (second left) both sported neckties on the Yellow Jackets’ bench Saturday during the Class 6A State Duals tournament finals. On the cover, the Yellow Jackets rush the mat after winning the trophy.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM — Scott Peavey has never been a big fan of neckties, but after Saturday he may never not wear a tie to a wrestling match he coaches ever again.
The Oxford assistant coach came to the State Duals title match in a yellow tie to adorn his white dress shirt. It’s attire usually reserved for coaches on the final day of the official state championships in Huntsville.
Peavey said before the match he never wears a tie but wanted to change things for the occasion. When the Yellow Jackets beat Southside-Gadsden 40-24 for the first 6A State Duals title he may never take it off.
“Never, ever,” Peavey said. “I made sure I did it this time because my boy (Jack) was wrestling. We had to win that together. We had to wear a tie to make sure my boy got one.
“I’m not a tie guy, never have been and I probably needed to be because I’ve come in second about five times. So this was the time I had to put on a tie so that me and my son could experience something pretty special.”
Jack said “it’s been a while” since he had seen his dad in a necktie and never at a wrestling match. That might change now.
“I’m going to have to wear a tie forever now, dual matches, practice … if it’s going to win a state championship,” Scott Peavey said. “I was following coach (Matt) Hicks. He has won enough state championships with a tie on that I had to do what he does.”
Make no mistake the Yellow Jackets absolutely consider this a state championship.
The AHSAA may not recognize it as such — yet — but there is no debate among the state wrestling community.
“We thought this was a big match for us, we’ve been considering it a state championship since the state decided to do it and nothing’s changed,” said Hicks, reiterating the stance he took in an interview with East Alabama Sports Today after the semifinals. “It’s still a state championship to us — in this format.
“The other format’s yet to be decided, but I think we’ve proved top to bottom my 20 kids versus somebody else’s 20 kids we can wrestle with anybody that 6A puts out there. … In this format every single weight class, every single kid, matters. And that’s what I love about it.”
The Jackets, who beat the Panthers in a four-team dual meet a couple weeks ago in Oxford, went through a bunch of mental gymnastics strategizing their lineup based on a move they thought Southside might make.
The Panthers made that move, bumping Jacob Smith from 120 to 126, but the Jackets were ready having weighed in two wrestlers at both 120 and 126 and it ultimately worked in their favor.
There were three matches Panthers coach Kyle Routon thought could have swung either way (113, 120, 152) and Oxford won decisions in them all. The Panthers also lost points by not scoring pins in wins at 106 and 138.
“They were better than us,” Routon said.
The Yellow Jackets fell behind early in the match, but made up ground quickly in their heavier weights, winning five straight matches from Calhoun County MVP Matt King at 170 to heavyweight Clay Webb to take the lead.
If they were down in the match when they got to 120 and 126 they may have gone in a different direction, but they were ahead and Hicks stuck with what he had planned.
The Jackets clinched it when eighth-grader Jacob Chisholm scored a 4-2 decision over a stubborn Dathan Finley at 120. The 14-point margin in created made it so Southside couldn’t win even with pins from its two hammers in the final two bouts.
Chisholm led his match the entire way, but overcame a penalty point and getting put on his back late in the second period after missing a cradle but not yielding points. He has looking for a pin, but knew a win would clinch and went on the mat and did what he had to do.
“I was so nervous,” Chisholm said. “(The exhilaration of winning the clincher) is something you could never explain. It’s a feeling I’ll probably never feel again in my life.”
AHSAA Class 6A Dual Finals
Oxford 40, Southside-Gadsden 24
106:.Andrew Smith (S 58-3) dec. Chase Hicks (51-18), 11-2.
113: Landon Burrage (O 51-15) dec. Jacob Dease (31-16), 8-4.
120: Jacob Chisolm (O 35-18) dec. Dathan Finley (29-23), 4-2.
126: Jacob Smith (S 57-4) dec. Wesley Slick (20-7), 15-5.
132: Jackson Hurst (O 27-20) pinned Dakota Roddick (36-16), 3:24.
x-138: Colin Edwards (S 9-10) major dec. over Carson Lindsey (36-23), 15-3.
145: Sam Colvin (S 54-3) pinned Kendrick Young (3-1), 1:22.
152: Gryce McDaniel (O 35-19) dec. Kale Venn (36-18), 4-3.
160: Landon Thompson (S 60-2) pinned Andrew Boyles (32-14), 3:06.
170: Matt King (O 48-4) pinned Jacob Hollingsworth (34-20), 1:05.
182: Jack Peavey (O 43-3) dec. Ethan Stevenson (43-24), 18-8.
195: Joshua Thomas (O 16-12) dec. Austin Daugherty (32-30), 8-4.
220: Matthew Muncher (O 28-21) pinned Tyler Farris (17-33), 1:08.
285: Clay Webb (O 43-1) pinned Taylor Chappell (20-36), 0:18.
x-match start
Oxford’s Jacob Chisolm tries to turn over Southside’s Dathan Finley during his championship-clinching 120 match Saturday.
Cleburne County wins Rumble
HEFLIN – Cleburne County brought home gold in four weight classes and finished second in three others, winning its own Rumble in the Jungle that was postponed from earlier this month by inclement weather.
The Tigers scored 210 points to edge Weaver. The Bearcats also won four weight divisions. Leeds finished third.
Most Valuable Wrestler Tyler Mayfield (147) led the Tigers’ list of winners that also included Matthew Williams (122), Hunter Beason (134) and Zac Williamson (140). It was the second time in three years Mayfield won the award at the tournament.
Mayfield. 26-1, scored four pins in the tournament, including the 147 final against Leeds’ Chandler Teems.
Weaver sophomore Caleb Allison’s 3-2 win over Ohatchee senior Caleb Montgomery in the 222 final was voted best match of the tournament.
Rumble in the Jungle
Team scores: Cleburne County 210, Weaver 200.5, Leeds 177, Wellborn 165, Alexandria 144.5, Pell City 123, Ranburne 103, Ohatchee 52, Lincoln 26, Talladega 15.
Weight Class Winners
108: Jaden New, Alexandria
115: Sammy Cotton, Wellborn
122: Mathew Williamson, Cleburne County
128: Nick Souder, Weaver
134: Hunter Beason, Cleburne County
140: Zachary Williamson, Cleburne County
147: Tyler Mayfield, Cleburne County
154: Dawson Anderson, Leeds
162: Brandon Franklin, Leeds
172: Kyle Clapper, Weaver
184: Ryan Dozier, Leeds
197: Christian Knop, Alexandria
222: Caleb Allison, Weaver
287: Conner Uesry, Weaver
County Youth Tournament
Alexandria won the Calhoun County Youth Tournament on Friday. The Little Cubs won all five tournaments they entered this season. Weaver was second, followed by Oxford and Wellborn.
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