Semifinals bound
- Updated: January 17, 2020
Alexandria, Oxford both reach semifinals of their respective State Duals brackets with pair of victories Thursday; Weaver looks to join them Friday
By East Alabama Sports Today
Defending champion Oxford and county runner-up Alexandria both reached the semifinals of their respective brackets in the State Duals Tournament with a pair of victories Thursday night.
Oxford took down Northridge 57-24 and Benjamin Russell 42-32 to reach the Final Four in Class 6A. Alexandria handled Mortimer Jordan 58-18 and Moody 48-28 and will put its undefeated duals record on the line at powerful Arab in the 1A-5A semifinals Tuesday.
“They just really impressed me,” Alexandria coach Frank Hartzog said. “They went out there like any other dual and they wrestled their butts off.
“I was nervous as everything but they went out there and they performed well. That’s what worried me: I knew it was possible (to advance), it depends on how people wrestle. We had some people step up for us.”
Although there was little drama in either match, Hartzog was proud of the way senior Dakota Medders finished off the Moody victory that clinched their semifinal berth and Kaleb Mathews “was huge to me” coming from behind to win his match against Mortimer Jordan to swing momentum the Cubs’ way.
The two wins kept the Valley Cubs undefeated in dual matches this season, but Hartzog knows there is still a lot of work to do.
“I told them it doesn’t matter what we are, we go in there and get beat nobody’s going to care,” Hartzog said. “You’re going to have to at least make it to the semifinals for people to say you’re one of the top teams in the state. They proved they are one of the top. We beat people at the top of the bracket, now (they have Arab).”
Oxford coach Kyle Routon felt the same way after his team advanced.
“The wins tonight mean nothing if we don’t carry it on next Tuesday,” he said. “It’s just unfinished business.”
The county champion Yellow Jackets trailed 18-9 early in the Northridge match, then won the next seven weight classes to win going away. The Benjamin Russell match was tighter longer. It was tied 18-18, but Tristan Latham’s pin at 162 put the Jackets ahead for good. Hezekial Hunter’s 5-4 decision over Reed Hill – handing Hill his first loss of the season – made it 24-21, then Keeshon Siaosi scored his second pin of the night to virtually seal the victory.
“When Benjamin Russell won I took the team in and told them this is when letdowns happen,” Routon said. “When you crush a team (as they did in the region tournament) and it comes back and bites you because you relax. I thought it’d be hard fought and we’d have to be prepared and ready to go.”
Oxford will host Tuesday’s semifinals against an opponent to be determined. The possibilities are Spanish Fort, Stanhope Elmore, Gulf Shores or Wetumpka; they wrestle Friday at Wetumpka.
Weaver will attempt to join the 1A-5A semifinals opposite Gardendale during Friday’s matches against Elmore County and the winner of Montevallo and host Ranburne.
STATE DUALS TOURNAMENT
CLASS 1A-5A
Thursday’s scores
Region 5 vs. Region 6, Moody
Alexandria 58, Mortimer Jordan 18
Moody 45, Southside-Gadsden 44
Alexandria 48, Moody 28
Region 7 vs. Region 8, Jasper
Arab 53, Corner 21
Jasper 66, Madison County 15
Arab 36, Jasper 34
Friday’s matches
Region 1 vs. Region 2, Beauregard
Tallassee vs. Saint James, 5:30 p.m.
Brewbaker Tech at Beauregard, 5:30 p.m.
First-round winners, 6:30 p.m.
Region 1 vs. Region 3, Ranburne
Montevallo at Ranburne, 6:30 p.m.
Elmore County vs. Weaver, 6:30 p.m.
First-round winners, 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 6A
Thursday’s scores
Region 3 vs. Region 4, Oxford
Benjamin Russell 43, McAdory 30
Oxford 57, Northridge 24
Oxford 42, Benjamin Russell 32
Region 5 vs. Region 6, Chelsea Middle
Gardendale 54, Helena 21
Chelsea 60, Clay-Chalkville 18
Garrdendale 45, Chelsea 30
Friday’s matches
Region 1 vs. Region 2, Wetumpka
Spanish Fort vs. Stanhope Elmore, 3 p.m.
Gulf Shores at Wetumpka, 3 p.m.
First-round winners, 4 p.m.
Saturday’s matches
Region 7 vs. Region 8, Mae Jemison
Decatur at Mae Jemison, 10 a.m.
Hartselle vs. Fort Payne, 10 a.m.
First-round winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 1A-5A
ALEXANDRIA 48, MOODY 28
162: Donovan Lomax (A) pinned Evan Simpson, 0:41
172: Aaron Grinfield (M) pinned Jason Howard, 1:55
184: Jackson Primm (A) pinned Jarred Norman, 0:22
197: Connor Hall (A) pinned Tyler Darby, 0:51
222: Caleb McCulley (A) dec. Jaden McCrory, 6-1
287: Logan Suggs (M) pinned Juddson Cromer, 3:51
108: Preston Jones (A) pinned Conner Miller, 1:09
115: Kaleb Mathews (A) dec. Erivs Clark, 5-3
122: Cory Land (M) pinned Joseph Lomax, 0:34
128: Parker Dodd (M) maj. dec. over Aden Whittaker, 15-4
134: Ryan Summerlin (M) pinned Landon Bushard, 2:36
140: Jaden New (A) pinned Owen Moore, 2:30
147: Dakota Medders (A) pinned Aiden Pyles, 1:08
154: Connor Norris (A) pinned Skyler Gomer, 1:21
ALEXANDRIA 58, MORTIMER JORDAN 18
162: Luke Jasper r(MJ) pinned Connor Norris, 1:33
172: Tyler McDonald (MJ) pinned Jason Howard, 2:48
184: Jackson Primm (A) pinned Jayden Harris, 5:58
197: Connor Hall (A) pinned Noah Ellison, 0:35
222: Caleb McCulley (A) pinned Dallin Alexander, 5:26
287: Juddson Cromer (A) pinned Malik Barfield, 1:06
108: Brodie Christmas (MJ) dec. Preston Jones, 7-2
115: Kaleb Mathews (A) pinned Gaven Miller, 0:58
122: Kaden Deline (A) pinned Seth Starkey, 3:01
128: Joseph Lomax (A) won by forfeit
134: Aden Whittaker (A) maj. dec. over Conner Horton, 12-3
140: Sebasatian Oswalt (MJ) dec. Dakota Medders, 6-0
147: Jaden New (A) won by forfeit
CLASS 6A
OXFORD 57, NORTHRIDGE 24
108: Jabiz Simmons (N) pinned Zachary Follett, 3:33
115: Kaleb Shelton (O) pinned Horacio Terron, 4:00
122: Michael Howell (O) dec. Leonardo Terron, 10-4
128: Andrew Thigpen (N) pinned Kash Nornsby, 0:50
134: Addysn Kidd (N) won by forfeit
140: Chase Hicks (O) pinned Parker Story, 0:22
147: Jakob Chisolm (O) won by forfeit
154: Kendrick Young (O) pinned Christian Rainer, 1:12
162: Reed Hill (O) pinned Edward Page IV, 0:51
172: Tristen Latham (O) pinned Noah Fuller, 0:31
184: Keeshon Siaosi (O) pinned D’Aldrick Brooks, 1:09
197: Chance Holifield (O) pinned Harrison Temple, 0:43
222: Octavius Adair (O) pinned Jayden Joseph, 3:00
287: Hayden Calhoun (N) pinned Kobe Shumaker, 0:41
OXFORD 42, BENJAMIN RUSSELL 32
115: Kaleb Shelton (O) pinned Lee Leonard, 3:03
122: Kyle Mattox (BR) dec. Michael Howell, 6-4
128: Nyshaad Hannon (BJ) pinned Kash Hornsby, 2:28
134: Braxton Ray (BR) pinned Rodderick Jemison, 3:38
140: Chase Hicks (O) pinned Bobby Charsha, 1:20
147: Jakob Chisolm (O) pinned Young Peyton, 1:06
154: Saxon Coker (BR) dec. Kendrick Young, 6-0
162: Tristan Latham (O) pinned Jackson Hutto, 2:24
172: Hezekiah Hunter (BR) dec. Reed Hill, 5-4
184: Keeshon Siaosi (O) pinned Savon Spradley, 5:16
197: Chance Holifield (O) won by forfeit
222: Octavius Adair (O) won by forfeit
287: Curtis Norris (BR) pinned Kobe Shumaker, 2:54
108: Sandlin Pike (BR) won by forfeit
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