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Thompson’s Braylyn Johnson, Jordan Weltzin, Kiowa Vines, Jaiden Moore and Barron Criddle joined Oak Mountain’s Quinn Ivey as boys 7A north sectional champions while multiple Warriors and Eagles reached state. (For the Reporter/Dawn Harrison)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

BIRMINGHAM – The Thompson Warriors and Oak Mountain Eagles showed up and showed out at the AHSAA North Sectional Wrestling Championships from Feb 6-8 at Bill Harris Arena as the boys secured 7A North championships to position themselves well for the state championship.

It wasn’t all about the winners though as the top six wrestlers from each weight class advanced to the state tournament, taking place from Feb. 13-15 at the Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.

Thompson’s Braylyn Johnson won the boys 106-pound division after starting the tournament with a first-period pin and earning back-to-back technical falls in the semifinals and finals.

Oak Mountain’s Titus Slaughter reached the state tournament with a fifth-place finish in the Class 7A 106-pound division. After losing in the quarterfinals, he battled back with two first-period falls to qualify for a top-six spot, and he won the fifth-place match by technical fall.

County wrestlers took two of the top three places in the boys 113-pound division as Oak Mountain’s Jameson Thomas earned second place and Thompson’s Brady Walsh took third place.

Thomas reached the finals off a technical fall and a major decision while Walsh bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to the eventual sectional champion with four straight pins, including the last two in the third period.

Oak Mountain’s Griffin Gardner battled through an injury loss in the 120-pound semifinals to earn a technical fall and a second-period pin in the consolation bracket and earn third place. Thompson’s Brody Logan advanced to state with a 5-2 decision win in the fifth-place match in the same division.

Oak Mountain’s Trey Denny earned third place in the boys 126-pound division while Thompson’s Will Atkinson took fourth place. After losing in the quarterfinals, Denny got a technical fall, a 6-1 decision and a win in sudden victory before securing a forfeit win in the third-place match.

Thompson’s Austin Owen took third place in the boys 132-pound division after securing a win in sudden victory and an 8-3 decision in the consolation bracket. Oak Mountain’s James Franklin earned fifth place with a 9-2 decision in the fifth-place match.

Thompson’s Jordan Weltzin won the boys 138-pound division with a technical fall, major decision and 4-0 decision in the run to the finals before securing a third-period pin in the sectional finals.

Oak Mountain’s Quinn Ivey defeated Thompson’s Turner Hutson for the boys 144-pound division title with a 16-7 major decision. Both men reached the finals off a major decision in the quarterfinals and a decision in the semifinals.

Oak Mountain’s Brady Coggin qualified out of the boys 150-pound division thanks to his semifinal appearance in the main bracket. He won his first-round match by technical fall before eking out a 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals to guarantee a top-six finish, and he went on to place sixth.

Thompson’s Kiowa Vines cruised to a first-place finish in the boys 157-pound division. He started sectionals with a 9-0 major decision and secured three-straight first-period pins to grab the sectional title.

Thompson’s Jaiden Moore earned first place in the boys 165-pound division after earning first-period pins in his first two matches before taking 10-3 and 8-3 decision victories in his final two matches of the tournament.

Rylan Davis of Thompson made a big run through the consolation bracket to take fifth place in the 175-pound division. He earned a pair of pins in his first two consolation bracket matches to guarantee a top-six finish, and after losing the consolation semifinals, he won the fifth-place match by a third-period pin.

Thompson’s Wyatt Massey took fourth place in the boys 190-pound division. After reaching the quarterfinals, he went to the consolation bracket and won a pair of first-period falls before securing a 7-1 decision to advance to the third-place match.

Oak Mountain’s Peyton Gamble earned fourth place in the boys 215-pound division. He advanced to the semifinals in the winner’s bracket before running into the eventual champion, Tuscaloosa County’s Blake Christian. However, Gamble secured a second-period pin to reach the third-place match.

Thompson’s Barron Criddle won the boys 285-pound division, earning 2-1 and 2-0 decisions to reach the finals before securing a second-period pin to win the title. Oak Mountain’s Evan Smith came in sixth in the same division after winning a second-period pin and 8-5 decision in the consolation bracket.

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