Area squads make mat debuts, hope to avoid season stoppage

By Maurice Patton

FRANKLIN – Wrestling coaches from Spring Hill, Summit and host Franklin led their teams into competition Tuesday with one eye on the mat and the other on the schedule, amidst talk that their seasons may be coming to a pause soon.

As positive COVID-19 tests appear to be on the rise across the state, the fear is that the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association will halt activities in the days following this weekend’s BlueCross Bowl state football championships and resume basketball and wrestling after the holidays.

“It’s hard to say anything bad with the situation we’re in,” Franklin coach Andrew Tomlinson said after his Admirals split the tri-match – defeating Spring Hill 75-6 and falling to Summit 43-34.

“Selfishly, you want to stay active, but that decision’s above my pay grade.”

Spring Hill’s Kevin Caraballo sustained an injury on an illegal slam by Summit 138-pounder Austin Noll and received a forfeit by default when he was unable to continue. (Photo by Ric Beu / SM-Tn Sports)

The matches were the first for all three teams, as Summit earned a sweep of the night with a 64-18 win over Spring Hill.

“Our guys have done all the right (pandemic-related) things,” Spartans coach Pete Miller said. “We’re missing zero people. We’re just glad mats are down, officials are here and teams are wrestling. It’s a blessing.”

Pandemic issues have already taken a toll on the Raiders, who were recently quarantined for two weeks and practiced just twice prior to Tuesday’s contests.

“We’re waayyy behind,” Spring Hill coach Beau Moss said. “We’re way out of shape, but it’s out of our control. You ask kids to condition, and they’re forced into quarantine. We’ve got a lot of kids off weight. Our endurance just wasn’t there, against two really good teams.”

On the mat, Isaiah Brooks and Scott Carter came up with the only two Raider victories – Brooks pinning Franklin’s 126-pounder Adam Ethridge in the second period, Carter doing likewise against Summit 152-pounder Justin Arrieta.

Franklin’s Fisher Anderson posted a pair of first-period pins during Tuesday’s tri-match, taking 27 seconds to defeat Summit’s Jordan Nieves. (Video by Maurice Patton / SM-Tn Sports)

The Spartans got two victories each from 126-pounder Justin Noll, 160-pounder Graham Harvey and 170-pounder Luke Justice.

Franklin 285-pound junior Fisher Anderson, one of the state’s top college football prospects in the 2022 recruiting class, recorded a pair of pins in less than 30 seconds – sticking Spring Hill’s Isaac Juarez in 25 seconds and taking just two more to down Summit’s Jordan Nieves.

In the only girls match of the night, Spring Hill 132-pound freshman Natalie Turpin pinned Franklin’s Bella Campbell in just under three minutes.

Dickson County was to have competed Tuesday as well, but the Cougars are in a COVID-related shutdown.

Spring Hill freshman 132-pounder Natalie Turpin recorded a second-period pin during her Tuesday match with Franklin’s Bella Campbell. (Photo by Ric Beu / SM-Tn Sports)

Spring Hill returns to the mat Thursday, facing Watertown and host Cascade. Spring Hill is also scheduled to wrestle in a duals tournament Saturday at Brentwood, while Summit is sending wrestlers to both Centennial for an individual tournament and to Mt. Juliet for a duals event Saturday.

Franklin 75, Spring Hill 6: 138 – J.D. Saulters (F) p. Kevin Caraballo, 2:38; 145 – Audey Fletcher (F) p. Josh Duncan, 3:35; 152 – Josh Samford (F) dec. Scott Carter 13-6; 160 – Gabriel Green (F) p. Jeffrey Jessup, 4:56; 170 – Sawyer Robinson (F) p. Brennan Lara, 1:13; 182 – Dominic Green (F) p. Cayden Buchanan, 3:35; 195 – Max Ponce (F) by forfeit; 220 – Alec Allen (F) by forfeit; 285 – Fisher Anderson (F) p. Isaac Juarez, 0:25; 106 – Nate McCadams (F) by forfeit; 113 – Owen Gobel (F) by forfeit; 120 – Caleb Jay (F) p. Timothy Bilbo, 0:27; 126 – Isaiah Brooks (SH) p. Adam Ethridge, 2:16; 132 – Brock Wittman (F) p. Landon Bingham, 1:09

Summit 64, Spring Hill 18: 145 – Davie Hackert (Su) p. Josh Duncan, 1:14; 152 – Scott Carter (SH) p. Justin Arrieta, 3:43; 160 – Graham Harvey (Su) p. Jeffrey Jessup, 1:30; 170 – Luke Justice (Su) p. Brennan Lara, 3:45; 182 – Cayden Buchanan (SH) by forfeit; 195 – Landon McVay (Su) by forfeit; 220 – Austin Sherman (Su) by forfeit; 285 – Jordan Nieves (Su) p. Isaac Juarez, 3:08; 106 – Grayson Miller (Su) by forfeit; 113 – Jarvis Little (Su) by forfeit; 120 – Wyatt Gellinger (Su) p. Timothy Bilbo, 0:51; 126 – Justin Noll (Su) md. Isaiah Brooks 11-0; 132 – Cael Delahunty (Su) p. Landon Bingham, 1:22; 138 – Kevin Caraballo (SH) by injury default over Austin Noll

Summit 43, Franklin 34: 152 – Gabriel Green (F) md. Davie Hackert 16-6; 160 – Graham Harvey (S) p. Adam Streams, 1:33; 170 – Luke Justice (S) dec. Sawyer Robinson 10-6; 182 – Dominic Green (F) by forfeit; 195 – Landon McVay (S) p. Max Ponce, 3:10; 220 – Alec Allen (F) p. Austin Sherman, 1:44; 285 – Fisher Anderson (F) p. Jordan Nieves, 0:27; 106 – Grayson Miller (S) p. Nate McCadams, 2:45; 113 – Jarvis Little (S) md. Owen Gobel 13-4; 120 – Caleb Jay (F) p. Wyatt Gellinger; 1:34; 126 – Justin Noll (S) p. Adam Ethridge, 0:58; 132 – Landon Desselle (S) p. Brock Wittman, 3:19; 138 – Austin Noll (S) p. J.D. Saulters, 0:19; 145 – Josh Samford (F) p. Justin Arrieta, 1:21

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