Piedmont (AL) – With four starters out Weaver wins season’s fourth tournament win at Piedmont Dogfight. He looks ready for a postseason run

Anthony Usry from Weaver tries to get leverage over Ohatchee’s Cody Freer in their 184-pound final at Piedmont Dogfight at Piedmont Middle School. Usry was one Weaver’s bracket winners. (Photo by Joe Medley

Joe Medley

The Alabama high school wrestling season is now turning toward the postseason. And, this time, the defending champion Class 1A-4A state wrestler has that look again. The Bearcats rested four starters and won the 21-team Piedmont Dogfight at Piedmont Middle School. They beat second-place Ranburne by 155 to 120. Weaver won its fourth tournament win of the season. This included Ranburne’s Bulldog Invitational and Cleburne County’s Rumble In the Jungle. Weaver also won Weaver’s Gene Taylor Invitational. Senior Anthony Usry stated that “we just have to continue working, but it feels kind of like last year.” “We are getting to the point where we’re going to peak going into sections or state.”

Usry was one of Weaver’s two bracket winners on Saturday. He defeated Ohatchee’s Freer by 2-0 in the final at 184 pounds. Freshman Dalton Fink won division 108, pinning St. James Noah Raines. Caden Thornton, a sophomore, reached the 162 final. The Bearcats received a third-place finish from Brandon Jolliff (197) and Haiden Hise (7th grade) in the 115 consolation final.

Joshua Johannson, senior 172, two-time state champion Joshua Johannson and sophomore 154 Hunter Hise, junior132 Kaden Gaines, seventh-grade Dylan Brown and seventh-grade 126.2 Dylan Brown were all resting. Gaines was just recovering from an injury and Weaver coach Andy Fulmer decided to rest him. Andy Fulmer, Weaver coach, said that the injuries were minor and that he was trying to get his team ready for sectionals. Sectionals are set for February 10-11, and state is scheduled for February 16-18. Weaver appears to be the top-ranked 1A-4A team in the Alabama Wrestling Coaches Association poll. With a lead of 140-109.5 over St.James in championship and consolation bracket finals, the Bearcats entered the finals. Fink opened the finals with his pin on Raines.

Fink had four pins in the day’s event, with times ranging from 15 seconds up to 1:50. Fink’s matches did not make it past the second minute. He said, “I felt this was the greatest tournament I’ve ever had all year.” “I was able to wrestle really well on my feet. This is something I have been working on. “I just had good backing and good teammates pushing me to do better.” Usry won three pins that day, at 1:28, 1:14 & 2:41. His final with Freer was the longest. Fulmer called Usry’s victory over Freer “very workmanlike.” “He’s wrestled Freer five or six times,” Fulmer said. It is harder to score points the more you wrestle someone. It has always been close. It’s always been close.

During Saturday’s Piedmont Dogfight, St. James’ Noah Raines is pinched by Weaver’s Dalton Fink. Joe Medley, Photo


White Plains’ Tanner Jarrell from White Plains and Saks’ Trent Hopkins both participated in the Piedmont Dogfight match, as voted for by coaches. Hopkins won the 115-pound final with a 9-4 victory. Hopkins won his 100th win earlier in the day. (Photo by Phillip Hopkins).


Ranburne’s Carson Hall is close to a pin of Prattville Christian’s Aiden Cockrell in their 287-pound final at Saturday’s Piedmont Dogfight. Ranburne was second in the team standings, scoring 120 points. (Photo by Joe Medley).


Piedmont’s ChrisJon Gurley works against Susan Moore and Anthony Flores in their 222-pound title match at Saturday’s Piedmont Dogfight. Gurley won with a score of 3-2. (Photo by Joe Medley).