Staff Report

The Elizabethton and Happy Valley wrestling teams will be spending their Saturday along with 14 other teams at Viking Hall as the 8th annual Brawl in the Hall will be taking place in Bristol.

The individuals will start off with round robin wrestling before they are placed in brackets to determine the winner.

Happy Valley coach Eddie Morrell is looking forward to the wrestling filled Saturday as this will provide his team with a good gauge as to where they stand.

“It is going to be a tough tournament,” Morrell said. “This will be a measuring stick for us within our region. Because I feel comfortable that if our kids can place in this tournament, that they can place in the region and earn a spot at state.”

Even though the event is filled with tough competition, Cyclones head coach Donnie Shipley believes his squad could do well this weekend.

“There are a lot of Tri-Cities and Southwest Virginia teams,” he said. “. . . The real big team that is probably going to be the tough one in the tournament is Ravewood, out of Middle Tennessee. I think they finished fifth in the state last year. So, they are a pretty tough school. . . I think we have a good shot of performing well in the tournament. I would like to see us finish in the top ten there. I think if we do that, it would exceed most people’s expectations for us.”

Coach Shipley is also hoping big things for senior wrestler Seth Malone.

“Being a state medalist and a two time medalist this year, I would really like to see him, at some point this year, be able to win a tournament,” Shipley said. “I know that is a big goal of his.”

For Happy Valley, Morrell thinks that he could have a wrestler that might catch some people off guard.

“I’ve got a sleeper, my 106 pounder, Wesley Reed has been wrestling up at 113, but has moved down to 106 and is just tearing it up,” Morrell said.

Reed moved down after Christmas because of the two pound allowance that is given to the wrestlers after the holidays.

One team that will catch no one off guard is Cave Springs (Va.). The Virginia team along with Ravenwood, who is the defending champions, are the favorites according to tournament director Tim Marshall.

Fans of the teams that are unable to make the trip can follow the action live at trackwrestling.com, click the tournament tab and search for Brawl in the Hall.