Weaver (AL) – Weaver won the Gene Taylor Memorial Tournament for the second year running with some help from its friends
Al Muskewitz
Andy Fulmer and the Weaver Wrestling Team have always had a lot of respect for Carson Hall, Ranburne heavyweight. But they had even more reasons to pull for the Bulldogs senior Saturday.
Weaver would win the Gene Taylor Memorial Tournament title, for the second consecutive year, if Hall beat Mason Wilson of Ashville in the final match.
Hall won to extend his streak of consecutive wins. He also pinned Wilson in 2:32 to win the final race for the Bearcats.
Weaver is the No. 1 team in the state. 1 team in 1A-4A scored 165.5 points, and won its tournament by 4.5 over No. 2 Ashville. No. No. 3. Ohatchee (147), was third. Hall’s Bulldogs came in solid fourth. Weaver’s J.D. Johannson (170), won the tournament’s championship belt as the most valuable wrestler.
Fulmer stated, “It’s very similar to the feeling we had last season in Huntsville (at state tournament)”. We had to have Ohatchee win but they couldn’t win by more that a decision. As long as it wasn’t a pin or something like that, it was OK.
Competing is part of the fun. It’s important to have some help, like the one we received last year at our state tournament. It’s great that it worked out today. That’s a positive.
Throughout the second half, the team race was back-and-forth. Weaver led Ashville by 6.5 points and held that lead through seven finals. The Bulldogs won the match with Tyler Ebner’s pin at the 152 title match, and also a pin at the 145 consolation final.
Johannson brought the Bearcats back to the front with a pin at the 170 final. They lost the top rope to Ashville, who won a decision at 160 consy. However, they regained the lead after Anthony Usry’s third-period pin at the 182 final. Usry’s match against Ohatchee’s Cody Freer ended in 0-0 going into the final.
Usry stated that every match is different. However, when I go out there, I try not to wrestle for me, but I do try to wrestle to support my team. I would rather have team hardware than personal. When I find myself in difficult positions, I know that if I continue to wrestle and work as hard as possible, good things will come.
“I knew we were neck-and–neck going into my match, and I knew that I would have to do more to help our team win.”
Although the Bearcats had a chance at winning in the two following matches, they were defeated in both. This left the Hall-Wilson heavyweight match in charge and was out of their hands.
Fulmer stated, “Obviously we want the tournament to win. But at the end it was just not meant to be.”
They were successful as Hall managed to take care of business during the second period.
Johannson stated, “We have known Carson for a while and he has always been the king of that heavyweight slot.” “We all know that (Wilson), is a great wrestler, but he was not going to beat Carson so we had confidence.”
Johannson won the big prize. Johannson was the most valuable wrestler, having pinned his four opponents in just 6 minutes and 50 seconds. His three first matches failed to make it past the first period, and his middle two pins took 47 seconds.
Now he has a championship belt to match the one his sister Lena won last week as MVW at Saks’ Ms. Wil Girls Tournament.
He said, “It’s more than just winning the tournament.” “We invited all teams from the region. It just represents them, so it’s a pleasure to receive it.”
GENE TAYLOR MEMORIAL TURNAMENT
Team scores: Weaver 165.5, Ashville 161, Ohatchee 147, Ranburne 127, Corner 108, Deshler 102, Alexandria 99, Saks 92, Cleburne County 85, St. John Paul II 85, Prattville Christian 82.5, Madison County 73.5, Oak Grove 72.5, Wellborn 62, St. James 61, Piedmont 36, ASB 23, J.B. Pennington 8, West End 6.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
106: David Hill (Oak Grove), pinned Dalton Fink, Weaver, 1:51
113: Briley Carter, Ohatchee, pinned Hunter Hulsey(Ranburne), 4/36
120: Devin Pennington (Deshler), pinned Trent Hopkins at 5:13
126: Preston Jones (Alexandria) pinned Truth Thurman (Saks), 1:25
132: Logan Hartson, St. James dec. Julian Lowe, St. John Paul II
138: Austen Mayfield (Cleburne County), pins Gavin Hare, Ashville, 0:58
145: Brody Pugh (Prattville Christian), pinned Jack Von Eschenbach (2:27).
152: Tyler Ebner (Ashville), pinned Matthew King, Ohatchee, 5:07
160: Devon Jeffreys (Deshler) maj. dec. John Bussey (Saks), 15-1
170: J.D. Johannson (Weaver) pinned Matthew Briscoe (Corner), 4:24
182: Anthony Usry, Weaver, pinned Cody Freer(Ohatchee), 5 :21
195: Mason Ellis (Madison County), pinned Brandon Joliff, Weaver, 1:43
220: Tristin Kiker (Ohatchee) pinned Hayden Ransom (Weaver), 0:48
285: Carson Hall (Ranburne), pinned Mason Wilson, Ashville, 2:32
