Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Tony Hager on the new plan for Takedown Radio and TheOpenMat

Tony Hager wasn’t exactly looking to carve out a career in wrestling media. Rather, it was his time away from the sport combined with an idea to do something to help people like him understand what was going on around his favorite teams that launched him into the sport’s coverage wing. On Episode 504 of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, I talk with Hager about the foundation of IAwrestle.com and the new brand of content you’ll see on Takedown Wrestling Media, also known as Takedown Radio. Hager catches us up to speed about what’s going on with the ownership of the longtime radio program and what the relationship is with ASM and The Open Mat. Rest of the story at http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/tony-hager-on-the-new-plan-for-takedown-radio-and-theopenmat/?mc_cid=c76314a5c3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

High School OT.com honors Rosewood wrestlers

Christian Decatur, Timothy Decatur and Jordan Todd were named to the first HighSchoolOT.com All-East wrestling team. As a team Rosewood was the 1-A dual-team runner-up, while Christian Decatur, Timothy Decatur and Todd all won invidual state championships. Christian Decatur finished the season with a 55-0 record, while Todd went 39-1. Timothy Decatur was 57-1 and became the NCHSAA all-time career wins record holder. Rest of the story at
https://www.newsargus.com/sports/local-sports-digest-for-mar/article_60bb4376-5215-11e9-93f3-072f32bc73ff.html

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Taking one for the team in the wake of a bombshell that rocked a D2 power

By Andy Hamilton
The circumstances are a little bit weird, and Danny Irwin knows that. He left a program on the cusp of a Division II national title for a team that scored half a point this year at the NCAA Championships. And that’s not even the strange part. Irwin was named the Division II Coach of the Year for his work this season at Wheeling Jesuit, where he took a lineup powered by underclassmen, led a couple individuals to the top of the D2 podium and nearly delivered the school’s first team national title.

The Cardinals finished second to St. Cloud State at the NCAA Championships in March and they barely got their feet back on West Virginia soil before the bombshell dropped: Wheeling Jesuit was in the midst of a financial crisis. “The Monday after nationals, coming back everybody’s excited and they called an all-staff meeting and they dropped the news that they could close the school, they could cut programs — both academically and athletically — and pretty much all options were on the table,” Irwin said. “Everybody was in limbo for three weeks before they came out and said no athletic programs were being cut. However, I think they cut eight majors, which affected some of our guys immediately and they were going to be transferring.” One week Irwin’s program was battling St. Cloud State and Nebraska-Kearney for D2 supremacy. The next, he was having conversations with coaches from both schools, trying to line up contingency homes for his wrestlers. “I was on the phone with guys we just got done competing against and telling them how great our guys are and how lucky they’d be to have them,” Irwin said. “It was difficult in a lot of ways, but at the same time it was it was the absolute truth and I knew if they weren’t with me, I wanted to make sure they were with good people, no matter where that was. Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1555595841565&twSessionId=thfueelhkg&postId=1428524132&mc_cid=c76314a5c3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Rosewood wrestlers reflect on season

By Aviel Smolka
The 2018-2019 wrestling season is in the history books, and it will go down as one of Rosewood High School’s most successful seasons. Rosewood claimed its first trifecta in school history as senior Timothy Decatur (132), senior Jordan Todd (145) and junior Christian Decatur (113) each won individual state champion wrestling titles, while Chris Hill (126) was runner up and heavyweight Nyterrius Williams finished fourth. On Wednesday afternoon, the five Eagles and head coach Hal Kilpatrick sat down to talk about their incredible runs of success. In four years, Timothy Decatur won three state championships, broke Rosewood’s all-time wins record, made his fourth straight appearance in the State Wrestling Championships. As a sophomore, he lost out on a state championship, and he wasn’t about to let that happen again. “It feels good because all the hard work had paid off,” Timothy Decatur said. “I had in my mind I was going to win no matter who they are. I just go out and try my best.”Not only did Timothy Decatur win an individual wrestling title, but he also broke the North Carolina all-time wins record. Rest of the story at
https://www.newsargus.com/sports/rosewood-wrestlers-reflect-on-season/article_2d426814-3b57-11e9-bd2c-070b924e14f6.html

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

C.B. Aycock’s Hughes looks back at successful season

  • Going into this season, Charles B. Aycock junior wrestler Tyler Hughes expected to compete for a state champion. Hughes made the most of his winter campaign by finishing the season with a 56-4 record and a third-place finish at the N.C. High School Athletic Association individual wrestling championships. On Thursday afternoon, Hughes took some time to reflect on what he accomplished this past season as he lays the foundation for a potential championship run next season. “I didn’t meet my biggest goal, which of course, was winning states,” said Hughes. “I think I did pretty good overall winning third.” A wrestler since he was 12 years old, Hughes credits C.B. Aycock assistant coach Mark Bass with pushing him to get on the mat. “Coach Bass was my football coach, and he was big in getting me to wrestler,” said Hughes. “At first, I didn’t really want to, but he pushing me and got me into it. Now I love it and it’s one of my favorite things to do.” Rest of the story at
  • https://www.newsargus.com/sports/c-b-aycock-s-hughes-looks-back-at-successful-season/article_6cb816d2-36a3-11e9-a5d1-a31e948edca1.html

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

C.B. Aycock’s Franklin signs NLI to wrestle at UMO

Excelling both on and off the have always been the goals for Torrence Franklin throughout high school career, and come next fall, he’ll be continuing those goals close to home. On Monday afternoon, with his family and coaches by his side Franklin, a senior at Charles B. Aycock High School, signed a letter of intent to wrestle at the University of Mount Olive. “It’s shocking, I didn’t think I would get this far in my career at all,” a cheerful Franklin said. “I feel really happy that I signed my letter of intent to Mount Olive. “My family has always supported me throughout my wrestling career. It’s pretty helpful to have them cheer me on, and have them encourage me to help win my matches.” While wrestling at the next level has been Franklin’s dream. Franklin said picking Mount Olive was as much about staying near his family as it was about wrestling. Franklin is making history by joining the Trojans. He will be a part of the University of Mount Olive’s inaugural 2019-2020 wrestling team. Rest of the story at
https://www.newsargus.com/sports/c-b-aycock-s-franklin-signs-nli-to-wrestle-at/article_0a797e8c-5ab8-11e9-8c1a-4b2085fe37b2.html

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

An Appreciation of Logan Stieber’s Career

By Earl Smith
It was December of 2006 and I was a borderline obsessed wrestling fan coaching at the high school level. The previous year after my team wrestled in Southeastern Pennsylvania, I had taken a side trip to the second day of the Beast of the East and saw many of the top high school wrestlers of the time. One that caught my eye was the kid my friend and I called, “The Baby Faced Assassin” David Taylor. Just a freshman, at the time, Taylor looked 12 years old but wrestled like he was 22 and beat up the field while winning a Beast title. In 2005/2006 we were in a different place technologically speaking. Matches of the top middle school/high school wrestlers weren’t available at the drop of a hat, so you either needed to get your hands on videos, after the fact, or do the legwork yourself. As the 2006-07 high school season was approaching, rumors on the national message boards, as well as Ohio boards, were that there was an up-and-coming freshman named Logan Stieber that may actually be able to challenge Taylor. Both Stieber and Taylor had won Cadet Freestyle National Titles in the summer of 2006 at back-to-back weights for Team Ohio in Fargo. Even though Logan was slated to attend a small school named Monroeville, he would be attending the Walsh Ironman and wrestling 103, just like Taylor. After checking my schedule and seeing that the team I was assisting would not be competing that weekend, it was an easy decision for me to make the six-hour trek from Northern Virginia to Akron, Ohio, if for nothing else, to see these two 103 lb titans clash. Rest of the story at https://news.theopenmat.com/international-wrestling/an-appreciation-of-logan-stiebers-career/72747?utm_content=buffer9a02d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer&mc_cid=c76314a5c3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Duke head coach Glen Lanham – OTM567

by Jason Bryant
Duke head coach Glen Lanham goes On The Mat
With no scholarships, Duke head coach Glen Lanham has one of the must unique positions in college coaching. Recently, Blue Devil wrestling has seen All-Americans Conner Hartmann, Jacob Kasper and Mitch Finesilver come through the program. Get some backstory on Lanham, as well as a Kasper’s Korner segment. Join Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman as they talk to our guest and topics related to the recent happenings in and around wrestling. Rest of the story and audio at
http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/on-the-mat/duke-head-coach-glen-lanham-otm567/?fbclid=IwAR1a0lwJnUZv0FReF1kbG90C5bomZctP-qojKf7oKQLNCaFEdliIDAhf1Kc

April 19, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment