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Cats, Pats brawl at Tigerland

James Lynch Jr. | The News Herald

Draughn High wrestler Nick Barker, in black, and Freedom High wrestler Brett Boston, in blue and red, grapple during a match on Saturday at Fred T. Foard High. Boston won the match.

By Jason Baker

Published: December 20, 2008

Updated: 12/20/2008 10:39 pm

Newton — Wrestling teams from Draughn High and Freedom High got the opportunity to compete in the annual Tigerland Classic on Saturday at Fred. T. Foard High.
It is one of the premier double-elimination individual wrestling tournaments in the Catawba Valley area. This year, the Patriots showed they were the kings of the mountain in Burke County by finishing second with 115.50 points.
The first-year team from Draughn finished eighth with 63 points. The hosts Tigers, however, were the ultimate kings of the mountain, winning the annual tournament with 118 points.
The Patriots finished the night with seven wrestlers in the top four of their weight classes. The Wildcats also had four of their wrestlers represented in top-four weight-class ranks.
Freedom's Brett Boston won the first title of the night in the 125-weight class with a 15-3 major decision over Hibriten High's Eain Kirby. Boston also was voted the most outstanding wrestler in the lightweight division.
Dallas Winters picked up the second first-place finish for the Patriots with a first-period pin over Wilkes Central High's Dylan Adams in the 160-weight class.
In the 215-weight class, Stephen Webb attempted the sweep of first-place finishes with three. Webb, however, fell to Hibriten's Zoi Ouellette in a 4-1 decision. Ouellette was awarded the most outstanding wrestler in the division.
The lone Wildcat that made it to the championship finals was Jeff Byrd in the 275- weight class. Byrd fell to a 4-2 decision to Lincolnton High's Brandon Carpenter.
Seven of Burke County's finest wrestlers competing in the Tigerland Classic that fell short to making it to the championship finals got the chance to bounce back in the consolation tournament.
Six of these seven wrestlers — four Patriots and three Wildcats — won in the consolation finals for third-place finishes. One of the matches, in the 189-weight class, featured a Patriot and a Wildcat. In a rematch from earlier this season, Freedom's Mason Webb pulled out a 6-5 decision in double overtime over Draughn freshman Logan Byrd.
Draughn and Freedom will continue to compete in numerous tournaments before starting grueling conference action. Draughn will open Southern Piedmont conference action at powerhouse West Lincoln High on Jan. 2 and Freedom will open Northwestern 4A Conference action when they host A.C. Reynolds High on Jan. 6.
Here are the results:
103 — 1st — Luke Richardson (Wilkes Central)
2nd — Jeffrey Buchanon (Fred T. Foard)
3rd — Andrew Thompson (Lincolnton)
4th- Dylan Belles (East Lincoln)
112 — 1st — Brock Yackey (Avery County)
2nd — Sam Melton (East Lincoln)
3rd — Cody Dillard (Hibriten)
4th — Dylan Harnish (Hickory)
119 — 1st — Scott Hardiman (Hibriten)
2nd — Dustin Smith (Burns)
3rd — Luis Lopez (Freedom)
4th — Scotty Royal (Wilkes Central)
125 — 1st — Brett Boston (Freedom)
2nd — Eain Kirby (Hibriten)
3rd — Nick Barker (Draughn)
4th — Cole Johnson (Wilkes Central)
130 — 1st — Jeremy Griffin (Fred T. Foard)
2nd — Steven Mitchell (Hibriten)
3rd — Andony Mejia (Freedom)
4th — Matt Wooten (West Caldwell)
135 — 1st — Treigh Triplett (West Caldwell)
2nd — Jordan Handy (East Lincoln)
3rd — Jacob Harper (Fred T. Foard)
4th — Dalton Elmore (Burns)

140 — 1st — Jordan Steffey (Challenger)
2nd — Drew Brodgen (Burns)
3rd — Tyler Carey (Draughn)
4th — Anthony Basini (East Lincoln)
145 — 1st — Matt Mittchell (Wilkes Central)
2nd — Hayden Albert (Fred T. Foard)
3rd — Dalton Oberle (Hickory)
4th — Anthony Varacalli (Avery County)
152 — 1st — Gene Goodson (Lincolnton)
2nd — Zack Vest (Wilkes Central)
3rd — A.J. Devlin (Freedom)
4th — Boe McArn (Fred T. Foard)
160 — 1st — Dallas Winters (Freedom)
2nd — Dylan Adams (Wilkes Central)
3rd — Michael Putman (Burns)
4th — Robert Sparrow (East Lincoln)
171 — 1st — Tripp Patterson (Hibriten)
2nd — Dillon Johnson (Fred T. Foard)
3rd — Timmy Gordon (East Lincoln)
4th — Juan Jimenez (Burns)
189 — 1st — Vincent Beam (Wilkes Central)
2nd — Larry Burgess (West Caldwell)
3rd — Mason Webb (Freedom)
4th — Logan Byrd (Draughn)
215 — 1st — Zoi Ouellette (Hibriten)
2nd — Stephen Webb (Freedom)
3rd — Andy Benesh (Wilkes Central)
4th — Thomas Hopkins (Fred T. Foard)
275 — 1st — Brandon Carpenter (Lincolnton)
2nd — Jeff Byrd (Draughn)
3rd — Christen Taylor (East Lincoln)
4th — Robert Dabbs (Burns)