Cleveland, Baylor double up as state wrestling champs
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Taking blow after blow to the face, Baylor senior Mason Reiniche kept his composure.
The 170-pound phenom knew he had to stay cool in the final prep match of his wrestling career even though his opponent kept making what many would say were “rule-breaking” shots, according to Baylor coach Ben Nelson.
Reiniche capped off a stout career and helped the Red Raiders become double state champions this year for the first time since 2011. A bloody mouth along with a gash on his forehead and under his eye were worth it if you ask the three-time champion.
“This is a brotherhood and we all fight until the final point,” said Reiniche, who landed two pins in a span of two minutes and capped his final state traditional experience with a 10-2 major decision over Father Ryan’s Parker Peterson. “Our slogan this year was we are a freight train. It was a lot of fun to celebrate with a final choo-choo.”
Reiniche finished a brilliant season with a 35-1 overall record, his loss coming to a fellow nationally ranked wrestler in Kansas. The Cornell signee was one of a program-record-tying six individual champions who helped Baylor amass 207 team points and win the TSSAA Division II championship plaque. Chattanooga rival McCallie was second.
“Mason handled his composure so well,” Nelson said. “He dominated the match even though he was literally in a fight at times. It’s like our team. We fought as a whole, and it’s amazing to see the success we have had. Everyone did their job.”
Meanwhile, Cleveland finished out a season sweep of the Class AAA team awards. The Blue Raiders had four individual champions and 233.5 team points, both setting school
records.
Two area hot sophomore prospects hammered their way to unbeaten seasons in Cleveland’s Trae McDaniel (106) and Signal Mountain’s Daniel Uhorchuk (113).
McDaniel had four pins to go with a 12-4 major decision in the finals, in which he fell by just a point last year.
“I was in the practice room right after I lost last year and learned a lot from wrestling at Fargo (national tournament),” said McDaniel, who went 40-0 this season. “It helps I had a teammate in 113-pound state champ Jackson Bradford to wrestle with as my partner. We always push each other and have worked for this since we were very young.”
Uhorchuk capped a 41-0 season with a clean sweep, as he pinned all four of his opponents in the traditional tournament. He has not lost the past two seasons and is now a two-time champion.
“I do have the mindset I want to win four titles by the time it’s all said and done,” Uhorchuk said. “You have to have the determination to be the best. I challenge myself every time I step into the ring. I am proud of my team, especially my brother (Caleb), who finished second as just an eighth-grader.”
There were 16 state champions from the Chattanooga area Williamson County Ag Expo Center.
McCallie senior Thomas Sell (182) won an instant classic 7-6 tiebreaker decision. One of the Blue Tornado’s four champions, he was awarded the “most outstanding” match for Division II, while Cleveland’s Bradford and Hixson’s Trevor Lewis (120) earned the corresponding honor for hard-fought 7-5 and 8-7 finals decisions in AAA and A/AA.
McCallie’s Alex Whitworth won the “outstanding wrestler” award for Division II with two pins and a 16-0 technical fall on his way to the 152pound title.
Pigeon Forge took the A/AA team championshiip with 166 points, while Signal finished second with 148.5.
“We might have to build a new trophy case soon,” Cleveland coach Joey Knox said after his team’s 16th title. “I couldn’t ask for a better team of wrestlers and coaches. They all have worked so hard.”
For Baylor, it was the program’s 25th all-time team title.
“Our area supports the sport so well,” Nelson said. “It’s fun to see the love they have for it. Our crowd was in it the whole time our guys were out there. It’s a neat tradition and one that will never stop.”