Tallassee tops competition at Julian McPhillips

Story by Griffin Pritchard | Publisher

Photo courtesy of Tallassee High Wrestling

CENTRAL ALABAMA SCOREBOARD OFFICE – The Tallassee High Tigers took to the mats and scrambled their way to a tournament victory, winning the annual Julian McPhillips Invitational. With several purple-clad grapplers adding gold to their collection, Tallassee finished the affair with 200 team points, besting the host St. James Trojans by 23 points. Beauregard (148.5), Prattville Christian (122) and Stanhope Elmore (118.5) rounded out the top five.

The tournament – an event that has grown throughout the years into one of Central Alabama’s most competitive – this year featured a litany of teams from throughout the state. The 2023 field featured:

• ·         Beauregard             Brew Tech               Dothan
• ·         Elmore County        Holtville                   Homewood
• ·         Houston Academy  Indian Springs         Jeff Davis
• ·         Catholic                   Piedmont                 PCA
• ·         Lee (Montgomery)  Reeltown                 Russell County
• ·         St. James                St. John Paul II       Stanhope Elmore
• ·         T.R. Miller               Tallassee                 W.S. Neal
• ·         Westminster Christ. Wetumpka              White Plains

Rutland Phillips (108 pounds), Mason Nelson (115), Ethan Jones (138 pounds), Christian McCary (152 pounds), Caden Griffith (184 pounds) and Nathan Addeo (194 pounds) all left Montgomery heavier than they arrived, finishing the day with championships.

Phillips defeated Reeltown’s Drake Wood in the 108-pound championship 10-4. Nelson followed suit with a 4-2 win over Beauregard’s Kaiden Holloway. Jones added the third championship to Tallassee’s collection, pinning Catholic’s Andrew Ingalls in the second period. McCary added another win to his collection, knocking off Elmore County’s Tyler Payton in the second period.

Brody Pugh – the Prattville Christian Academy unbeaten standout at 147 pounds – battled Elmore County’s Carson Thomas until the third period before scoring the pinfall victory. Griffith improved to 27-2 on the year, pinning Elmore County’s Clark Wood early in the third period. Addeo was the final Tallassee wrestler to earn a first-place finish in their weight class. In the 197-pound final Addeo pinned. St. James’ AJ Alozie in the second period.

While the Tigers proved tough to tame in the team category, there’s a Mustang that’s been unbreakable this season. Wrestling at 172 pounds, Connor Russo (Stanhope Elmore) remains unbeaten at 22-0 and has yet to give up a point in a match.

Russo – in the championship – pinned Houston Academy’s Andrew Gil in the second period.

Below are the individual results from the Julian McPhillips Invitational

108 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Rutland Phillips of Tallassee
• 2nd Place – Drake Wood of Reeltown
• 3rd Place – Reid Ledbetter of Beauregard HS
• 4th Place – Thomas Patterson of Tallassee

1st Place Match

• Rutland Phillips (Tallassee) 27-2, Sr. over Drake Wood (Reeltown) 23-2, 7th. (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match

• Reid Ledbetter (Beauregard HS) 21-6, So. over Thomas Patterson (Tallassee) 9-3, 8th. (Fall 2:46)

115 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Mason Nelson of Tallassee
• 2nd Place – Kaidan Holloway of Beauregard HS
• 3rd Place – Will Mashburn of Indian Springs
• 4th Place – Trent Mcgougin of T. R. Miller

1st Place Match

• Mason Nelson (Tallassee) 25-3, So. over Kaidan Holloway (Beauregard HS) 3-1, So. (Dec 4-2)

3rd Place Match

• Will Mashburn (Indian Springs) 12-9, Jr. over Trent Mcgougin (T. R. Miller) 20-5, Jr. (Fall 2:37)

122 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Reese Thorn of Beauregard HS
• 2nd Place – Braylen Corley of St James
• 3rd Place – Brysen Pugh of Prattville Christian Academy
• 4th Place – Brady Adams of Tallassee

1st Place Match

• Reese Thorn (Beauregard HS) 22-3, Fr. over Braylen Corley (St James) 11-1, So. (Fall 0:52)

3rd Place Match

• Brysen Pugh (Prattville Christian Academy) 8-1, Fr. over Brady Adams (Tallassee) 18-8, 7th. (Fall 1:51)

128 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Logan Hartson of St James
• 2nd Place – Brody Edwards of Beauregard HS
• 3rd Place – Avery Brantley of Tallassee
• 4th Place – Michael Barringer of Stanhope Elmore

1st Place Match

• Logan Hartson (St James) 16-0, Jr. over Brody Edwards (Beauregard HS) 21-4, Fr. (Fall 0:31)

3rd Place Match

• Avery Brantley (Tallassee) 7-1, Fr. over Michael Barringer (Stanhope Elmore) 19-6, Jr. (Dec 1-0)

134 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Joseph Rodriguez of Montgomery Catholic Prep School
• 2nd Place – Shawn Colvin of Elmore County School
• 3rd Place – Brody Hayes of T. R. Miller
• 4th Place – Matthew Post of Prattville Christian Academy

1st Place Match

• Joseph Rodriguez (Montgomery Catholic Prep School) 8-4, Sr. over Shawn Colvin (Elmore County School) 15-9, Jr. (Fall 3:40)

3rd Place Match

• Brody Hayes (T. R. Miller) 26-3, So. over Matthew Post (Prattville Christian Academy) 14-13, Jr. (Fall 2:31)

140 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Ethan Jones of Tallassee
• 2nd Place – James Andrew Ingalls of Montgomery Catholic Prep School
• 3rd Place – Aiden Marky of W. S. Neal
• 4th Place – Miles Zukowski of St James

1st Place Match

• Ethan Jones (Tallassee) 22-9, Jr. over James Andrew Ingalls (Montgomery Catholic Prep School) 10-4, So. (Fall 5:47)

3rd Place Match

• Aiden Marky (W. S. Neal) 18-8, Jr. over Miles Zukowski (St James) 4-3, Fr. (Fall 2:32)

147 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Brody Pugh of Prattville Christian Academy
• 2nd Place – Carson Thomas of Elmore County School
• 3rd Place – Kristian Seals of Stanhope Elmore
• 4th Place – Emmett Rasmussen of St James

1st Place Match

• Brody Pugh (Prattville Christian Academy) 25-0, Jr. over Carson Thomas (Elmore County School) 16-3, Sr. (Fall 5:45)

3rd Place Match

• Kristian Seals (Stanhope Elmore) 19-5, Jr. over Emmett Rasmussen (St James) 12-8, Jr. (Fall 1:31)

154 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Christian McCary of Tallassee
• 2nd Place – Tyler Payton of Elmore County School
• 3rd Place – Jackson Wade of Stanhope Elmore
• 4th Place – Jack Jones of Houston Academy

1st Place Match

• Christian McCary (Tallassee) 24-2, Jr. over Tyler Payton (Elmore County School) 3-1, 8th. (Fall 3:35)

3rd Place Match

• Jackson Wade (Stanhope Elmore) 18-7, Jr. over Jack Jones (Houston Academy) 15-7, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:41 (19-2))

162 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Brady Goodwin of Holtville
• 2nd Place – Ryan Parker of Montgomery Catholic Prep School
• 3rd Place – Jake Huff of St James
• 4th Place – Hughes Williams of Houston Academy

1st Place Match

• Brady Goodwin (Holtville) 27-3, Sr. over Ryan Parker (Montgomery Catholic Prep School) 14-3, Jr. (Fall 4:29)

3rd Place Match

• Jake Huff (St James) 6-1, Jr. over Hughes Williams (Houston Academy) 16-7, So. (Dec 6-2)

172 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Connor Russo of Stanhope Elmore
• 2nd Place – Andrew Gil of Houston Academy
• 3rd Place – Pruitt Conner of St James
• 4th Place – Jace Copeland of Prattville Christian Academy

1st Place Match

• Connor Russo (Stanhope Elmore) 22-0, Sr. over Andrew Gil (Houston Academy) 13-2, So. (Fall 3:17)

3rd Place Match

• Pruitt Conner (St James) 9-3, So. over Jace Copeland (Prattville Christian Academy) 17-10, Sr. (Fall 0:33)

184 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Caden Griffith of Tallassee
• 2nd Place – Clark Wood of Elmore County School
• 3rd Place – Braylin Stidham of W. S. Neal
• 4th Place – Jake Dean of Montgomery Catholic Prep School

1st Place Match

• Caden Griffith (Tallassee) 27-2, Sr. over Clark Wood (Elmore County School) 14-3, Sr. (Fall 4:40)

3rd Place Match

• Braylin Stidham (W. S. Neal) 17-7, So. over Jake Dean (Montgomery Catholic Prep School) 11-5, Sr. (Fall 2:22)

197 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Nolan Addeo of Tallassee
• 2nd Place – Aj Alozie of St James
• 3rd Place – Kameron Kapterville of W. S. Neal
• 4th Place – David Tubbs-hill of Prattville Christian Academy

1st Place Match

• Nolan Addeo (Tallassee) 19-4, Fr. over Aj Alozie (St James) 8-2, Sr. (Fall 3:00)

3rd Place Match

• Kameron Kapterville (W. S. Neal) 21-5, Sr. over David Tubbs-hill (Prattville Christian Academy) 19-7, Jr. (Fall 1:32)

222 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Jacob Clark of Beauregard HS
• 2nd Place – Jake Streeton of St James
• 3rd Place – Kristopher Cole of Holtville
• 4th Place – Victor Davis of R. E. Lee

1st Place Match

• Jacob Clark (Beauregard HS) 23-3, Sr. over Jake Streeton (St James) 7-4, Sr. (Fall 0:52)

3rd Place Match

• Kristopher Cole (Holtville) 22-9, Sr. over Victor Davis (R. E. Lee) 7-4, Fr. (Fall 0:39)

287 Pounds – Guaranteed Places

• 1st Place – Christopher Moore of Jeff Davis Hs
• 2nd Place – Christopher Eyerly of Elmore County School
• 3rd Place – Markel Nicholson of T. R. Miller
• 4th Place – Cameron Hodge of Stanhope Elmore

1st Place Match

• Christopher Moore (Jeff Davis Hs) 8-0, Sr. over Christopher Eyerly (Elmore County School) 22-3, Jr. (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match

• Markel Nicholson (T. R. Miller) 24-3, Sr. over Cameron Hodge (Stanhope Elmore) 12-8, So. (Dec 4-3)