Mid-South public high school wrestlers completed one of their most successful seasons in many years last weekend at the TSSAA Individual Wrestling State Championships. It began the weekend before, on Feb. 10, as area wrestlers competed in the Region 8 Individual Wrestling Tournament at Bartlett High School. The top four finishers in each weight class advanced to the State Championship Tournament.
The Arlington Wrestling Team led the way, winning their fourth Region 8 Championship in a row. Seven Arlington wrestlers placed first in the region: Reed Cannon (120 lbs.), Caleb Morgan (126 lbs.), Justin Donahue (138 lbs.), Harrison Phillips (145 lbs.), Dalton Cockman (152 lbs.), Austin Antcliffe (170 lbs.), and Jack Lewis (195 lbs.). Other Arlington placers were Luke Kerns (second at 132 lbs.), Josh Worley (third at 160 lbs.), and Jon Worley (third at 285 lbs.). Arlington’s head coach, Jonathan Simpson, was named Coach of the Year for Region 8.
Those 10 Arlington wrestlers, along with wrestlers from Bartlett, Bolton, Cordova, Collierville, Germantown, Houston, Kingsbury, Munford and Southwind, traveled to the Williamson County Agricultural Expo Center in Franklin for the State Championship Tournament for Feb. 15-17. The top six finishers in each weight class medaled.
After battling it out on the mats and literally much blood, sweat and tears, seven Arlington Region 8 wrestlers earned medals, the most from this region in many years.
The AAA Division One state medalists were Gabe O’Callaghan of Bartlett (second place at 113 lbs.), Reed Cannon of Arlington (second place at 120 lbs.), Dalton Cockman of Arlington (fourth place at 152 lbs.), Ndayambaje John of Kingsbury (fifth place at 152 lbs.), Dontae Johnson of Kingsbury (fourth place at 160 lbs.), Austin Antcliffe of Arlington (sixth place at 170 lbs., after an injury in the semi-final match, which prevented him for wrestling for a higher position) and Cameron Oliver of Bartlett (third place at 285).
Region 8 wrestling medalists who advanced to the Tennessee State Championship Tournament included:
- Arlington wrestler Austin Antcliffe at the Tennessee State Championship Tournament, who, after suffering an ankle injury, still placed sixth in Tennessee at 170 lbs.
- Arlington wrestler Reed Cannon, Region 8 Champion, Arlington’s first three-time state medalist and 2018 State Runner-Up (highest placer for Arlington wrestling) in the 120-lb. division
Story provided by Don Kerns.
