Bearcats claw up

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: January 28, 2023

With four starters out, Weaver bags season’s fourth tournament victory at Piedmont Dogfight, looks primed for postseason run

Weaver’s Anthony Usry tries to gain leverage on Ohatchee’s Cody Freer during their 184-pound final in Saturday’s Piedmont Dogfight at Piedmont Middle School. Usry was one of Weaver’s two bracket winners. (Photo by Joe Medley)

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

PIEDMONT — The Alabama high school wrestling season has rounded the turn toward postseason, and defending Class 1A-4A state champion has that look again.

Resting four starters, the Bearcats rolled to victory in the 21-team Piedmont Dogfight on Saturday at Piedmont Middle School, beating second-place Ranburne 155-120.

Weaver added its fourth tournament victory of the season, including Ranburne’s Bulldog Invitational, Cleburne County’s Rumble in the Jungle and Weaver’s own Gene Taylor Invitational.

“We just have to keep working, but I feel its kind of like it was last year,” senior Anthony Usry said. “We’re getting to that moment where we’re about to peak going into sections and state.”

Usry came away as one of Weaver’s two bracket winners Saturday, holding off Ohatchee’s Freer in 2-0 decision in the 184-pound final. Freshman Dalton Fink won the 108 division, pinning St. James’ Noah Raines.

Sophomore Caden Thornton reached the 162 final.

The Bearcats got a third-place finishes from sophomore Brandon Jolliff (197), and seventh-grader Haiden Hise reached the 115 consolation final.

Resting were senior 172 and two-time state champion Joshua Johannson, sophomore 154 Hunter Hise, junior 132 Kaden Gaines and seventh-grade 126 Dylan Brown. Gaines had just returned from injury, but Weaver coach Andy Fulmer chose to rest him.

“They were just minor things and trying to rest them and get them healthy for sectionals,” Weaver coach Andy Fulmer said.

With sectionals set for Feb. 10-11 and state Feb. 16-18, Weaver looks the part of 1A-4A’s top-ranked team in the Alabama Wrestling Coaches Association poll. The Bearcats entered championship and consolation-bracket finals with a 140-109.5 lead over St.James, and Fink started the finals with his pin of Raines.

Fink had four pins on the day, ranging from 15 seconds to 1:50. None of his matches made it out of the first two-minute period.

“I feel this was the best tournament I’ve had all year,” he said. “I wrestled really good on my feet, something I’ve been working on. I just kind of had good backing and had good teammates pushing myself to do better.”

Usry had three pins on the day, covering 1:28, 1:14 and 2:41 before his final with Freer went the distance. Fulmer called Usry’s victory over Freer “very workmanlike.”

“He’s wrestled Freer five or six times,” Fulmer said. “The more you wrestle somebody, the harder it is to score. It’s always been close.

“He moved a lot but just didn’t have an opportunity to score a whole lot until the last period.”

Match of the day, as voted by coaches, went to Saks’ Trent Hopkins and White Plains’ Tanner Jerrell. Their 115 final went the distance with, Hopkins working out of trouble to prevail 9-4.

“I was up in points in the third and did something I shouldn’t have done that cost me, and I got thrown,” said Hopkins, who also picked up his 100th career victory earlier in the day. “I knew I had to fight back to get up and get a takedown so I could win the match.

“I had to push myself more than I thought I was going to have do.”

White Plains’ Tanner Jarrell and Saks’ Trent Hopkins participated in the Piedmont Dogfight match of the day, as voted by coaches. Hopkins won their 115-pound final in a 9-4 decision. Hopkins picked up his 100th victory earlier in the day. (Photo by Phillip Hopkins)

Piedmont Dogfight
At Piedmont Middle School
Team results: 1. Weaver 155, 2, Ranburne 120, 3. Prattville Christian 115.5, 4, St. James 112.5, 5. Deshler 111.5, 6. Saks 94.5, 7. Cleburne County 90, 8. Montgomery Catholic 85, 9. New Hope 83.5, 10. St. John Paul II 82.5, 11. White Plains 75.5, 12. Madison County 74, 13. Ohatchee 63, Cherokee County 59.5, 15. Susan Moore 56, 16. Satsuma and Wellborn 55, 17. Piedmont 54, 19. Westminster Christian 30, 20. West End-Walnut Grove 9.
Championship finals
108 pounds
Weaver’s Dalton Fink def. St. James’ Noah Raines (Fall, 1:48)
115 pounds (Match of the day)
Saks’ Trent Hopkins def. White Plains Tanner Jarrell (Dec., 9-4)
122 pounds
Deshler’s Devin Pennington def. White Plains’ Mason Hahm (Dec., 8-4)
128 pounds
Westbrook Christian’s Marcus Wright def. St. James’ Logan Harrison (MD, 15-3)
134 pounds
Montgomery Catholic’s Joseph Rodriguez def. Susan Moore’s Camden Hamric (Dec. 8-4)
140 pounds
Cherokee County’s David Herrick def. Deshler’s Brooks Balentine (MD, 11-0)
147 pounds
St. John Paul II’s Jack Von Eschenba def. Satsuma’s Nick Brawdy (Injury, 5:18)
(Von Eschenba Most Valuable Wrestler)
154 pounds
Ohatchee’s Matthew King def. St. James’ Jake Huff (Fall, 3:58)
162 pounds
Deshler’s Devin Jeffreys def. Weaver’s Caden Thornton (Fall, 3:44)
172 pounds
New Hope’s Layton Pohl def. Deshler’s Ross Mills (Fall, 3:45)
184 pounds
Weaver Anthony Usry def. Ohatchee’s Cody Freer (Dec., 2-0)
197 pounds
Madison County’s Mason Ellis def. St.James’ A.J. Alzoie (Fall, 1:43)
222 pounds
Piedmont’s ChrisJon Gurley def. Susan Moore’s Anthony Flores (Dec. 3-2)
287 pounds
Ranburne’s Carson Hall def. Prattville Christian’s Aiden Cockrell (Fall, 1:48)