Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

East Carolina Wrestling hosts last Open Workout

As most of you have read, we had a great clinic on Sunday with 65 kids from as far as Davidson and Cumberland counties getting on the mat for 6 hours with our excellent staff.  Granted we’re old! but you won’t find a clinic staff with more experience working with young people on the mat.  Great day of wrestling and those mats sure make the gym floor look better.  Among the Pitt County crowd we seemed to have had more Farmville Central kids than others.  DHC was key to the event since they brought their mat over.  Our last free Open Workout is coming up Sunday, April 13th from 10:00am-12:00 in the SRC on campus at 8th & Cotanche Streets near downtown.  Randy Bieber and I will be running the workout.  Again, if you’ve got several kids coming and want some input on what’s covered, get in touch.
Benefits of TOM (time on mat):

  • Kids that spend extra time on the mat KNOW they deserve to win, and follow through on that.
  • In clinic situations kids get to see a different point of view and may pick up “that one thing” that can make a difference in winning and losing.
  • Kids coming on campus sometimes have a “light bulb moment” in which they realize they could go on to college and get a degree themselves, or even wrestle at the college level.
  • It is very fulfilling to me that I can look back and realize that I gave hundreds of kids a chance to improve themselves in such ways.
  • As a h.s. coach if you have wrestlers go on to compete at the college level they are a great example to generations of wrestlers yet to come, and they come back and work out with your future teams.

Milt Sherman, ECU Wrestling, 341-8980  shermanm@ecu.edu

April 7, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

De’Andre Jones awarded James Johnson Trophy as top wrestler in eastern North Carolina

State Champion De’Andre Jones of New Bern High School was presented the 13th Annual James Johnson Award as the best scholastic wrestler in eastern North Carolina in 2014.  The award is named in honor of three time national champion James Johnson.  TakeDown Report Editor, Martin Fleming presented the award to De’Andre at the New Bern wrestling’s ‘Pin The Date!’ event at the Farmer’s Market along the waterfront. The event was a celebration, fund raiser and award banquet for wrestling families with food, music and awards in which the New Bern fans and supporters could join in.
De’Andre was an undefeated state champion at 195 lbs. in his senior year with 32 victories and he did not surrender a single offensive point over the entire season.  This year was his 3rd time as a state qualifier.  He finished second in the region and second in the state in his junior year at 182 lbs. He received the Most Outstanding wrestler and quickest pin awards at the Fall Beach Brawl and the Swiss Bear Tournaments. At the N.H.S.C.A. Senior Nationals last month in Virginia Beach he was one match away from becoming an All-American.  The presentation was immediately after Jones was awarded the team’s most valuable wrestler award which is named in honor of Raymond Jordan.  Jordan was a state champion for New Bern in 2004 when he won the James Johnson Award

Head Coach Jaime Yezarski stated “We are excited to have you here to present De’Andre with this Award.   De’Andre had an incredible season in which he did not give up an offensive point yet he has just scratched his potential.  He is a sound wrestler who makes few mistakes.  This season he opened up, relaxed some and had more fun.”  The coach beamed with pride as he shared “We are proud of De’Andre  as he encourages the younger guys.”

Jones shared, “I appreciate this award and know that there are many tough wrestlers out there.” And added “it came true what coach has preached all season that attitude and effort make a difference.  He kept us going and more.”  Jones’ college plans are undecided yet he is “considering wrestling at a junior college or small four year college in the Midwest in order to improve my academics and then to transfer eventually to a Division I program.”

Previous award winners were Alex Bray (2013) of Croatan, Jon Wiley (2012) of South Brunswick, Marquin Hill (2011) of Washington H.S., Branden Lietz (2010) of J.H. Rose, Mamour Camara (2009) of Louisburg, Anthony Rogers (2008) of Knightdale, Ngu Tran (2007) of C.B. Aycock, Victor Hojillo (2006) of West Carteret, Raymond Jordan (2004) of New Bern, Shaun Sheffield (2003) of Havelock, David Pelsang (2005), and Paris Dottery (2002) of White Oak.
The TakeDown Report, an on-line publication promotes amateur wrestling in eastern North Carolina, sponsors the Award.  “The award is to recognize the most successful wrestler in the area each year.” Fleming noted, “It encourages the young men from the teams in the eastern part of the state with an opportunity to realize the hard work, determination and discipline it takes to be a top notch wrestler,” he added.  The TakeDown Report is in its’ 17th year of publication in North Carolina reporting wrestling results and encouraging media coverage of the sport.  Contact the TDR at martinkfleming@gmail.com or (252) 883-3311 and http://www.takedownreport.com

James Johnson started wrestling in his junior year for D.H. Conley High School in Greenville with Milt Sherman as his coach.  James was Coney’s 1st state champion in any sport in 1976.  He was North Carolina’s 1st Eastern Junior National Champion in 1975 and North Carolina’s 1st Junior Nationals All-American with 3rd in 1976.  He went on to start four years at the University of Kentucky.  He is now a sports consultant and coach for the Phoenix-based Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. He also specializes in developing unique training for people of all fitness levels with a broad background in public speaking, sports training techniques, and health and fitness.  He was inducted as an “Outstanding American” in the North Carolina State Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was a coach for the U.S.A. Olympic Greco-Roman team in London.

Before developing James Johnson, Inc., James served as a Public Relations/ Community Speaker for Sunkist worldwide.  He was on the USA National Wrestling team for 12 years, winning 3 National Championships, USA Athlete of the Year, AIM Christian Athlete of the Year, Olympic Team Alternate, and numerous accolades worldwide. He has been an Ambassador for the United States Olympic Committee, USA wrestling and The Sunkist Kids Wrestling organization for over 16 years.  More information at or http://jjchamp3x.com/ the trophy can be seen at www.pittsburghtrophy.com/guillotine .

April 7, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment