Wrestling: Pinson Valley wins fifth consecutive Jefferson County Schools Championship
Published 1:34 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2016
- Pinson Valley's Cameron Hamby looks for the signal from referee Don Adkins that he has pinned Fultondale's Chase Melton in the 126-pound final bout Saturday at the Jefferson County Schools Championships. Hamby got the pin and won the gold medal, as the Indians captured their fifth consecutive county title.
McCALLA — The push for a fifth consecutive Jefferson County Schools Wrestling Championship ended in success for Pinson Valley.
The Indians won the title going away over the weekend at McAdory Middle School, scoring 294½ points — a full 94 points ahead of runner-up Clay-Chalkville and 101½ ahead of third-place Mortimer Jordan.
Pinson Valley, which also claimed its fourth tournament title of the season, led the standings from the opening round onward, and took complete command by the quarterfinal round. In all, 10 Tribe wrestlers made it to the championship bout in their weight class, and three — Cameron Hamby (126 pounds), Tate Brannan (152) and Zac Cole (170) — came away with gold medals, and 14 placed in the top four of their class, including two classes where a pair of Pinson wrestlers placed.
Gardendale finished fifth in the team standings with 119 points, three points ahead of Fultondale in sixth. Corner was ninth with 66 points.
Even though they competed with just nine wrestlers in 14 classes, the Wildcats had four medalists and two champs. Macon Edwards defeated the Indians’ George Vasquez in the 106-pound finals (and was also named the most outstanding lightweight wrestler), and Timothy Murphree pinned the Tribe’s Josh Walker at 120 for the gold medal.
The Blue Devils’ Braxton Worthington was the champion at 138 with a pin of Gardendale’s Ian Smith in the final bout.
For the Rockets, Andrew Freeman took gold at 220 pounds with a final-bout pin of Reynard Ellis of Shades Valley. Freeman was also named the most outstanding wrestler for the heavier weights (145 pounds and up).
“Like I told the team, this might not have been the toughest tournament, but winning four tournaments with 14 medalists is something to build off these tournaments that matter,” Indians coach Gene Richardson said. “When they get in those finals, they understand and believe in themselves that they can beat those guys. To be the best you’ve gotta be the best.”
The Tribe tangles with Jordan again at the Devils’ own tournament this weekend, along with Hayden and Gardendale plus over-the-mountain powers Vestavia Hills and Spain Park. In all, 21 teams were slated to take part as of Monday.
