Lakeway Christian Academy produces two state champions in first TSSAA tournament appearance
WHITE PINE, Tenn. (BVM) — The Lakeway Christian Academy wrestling season was going to be a historic one regardless of how the team ended the year as it marked the first campaign the program had as a member of the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association, making it eligible for statewide championships for the first time. However, the LCA wrestling team was not just satisfied with being a member of the TSSAA and strived to compete in the state tournament. They did just that during the TSSAA Division II State Wrestling Tournament at the Chattanooga Convention Center on Feb. 25 when six members of the team made it into the event.
“It was positive,” LCA head wrestling coach Tony DeAngelo said. “I know it was something our kids looked forward to all season long. Last year, we had a couple of kids training that didn’t have that opportunity because we didn’t qualify for the TSSAA. … It was neat for them to finally make it to that event two years later. It was a long time coming for some of those boys and all the work they put in and showcase that to the state.”
Though it was the wrestlers’ first time being at the state championships, they were not fazed by unfamiliar territory. Facing perennial powers like Baylor School and Christian Brothers High School, the Lions were going to have an uphill battle to prove they belong against some of the state’s more well-established programs. The Lions did that and then some.
“It was important for us too as far as proving ourselves as a team that’s going to be around for a while and we’re not a team to take lightly,” DeAngelo said. “It was good for us to compete against those teams and get an opportunity to do that. It was fun.”
Juniors Keyveon Roller, who wrestled in the 120-pound class, and Brayden Ivy, who wrestled in the 138-pound class, would both work their ways through the tournament field. Roller would start his day by pinning Brandon Poindexter of Briarcrest in the quarterfinals before winning by 14-1 major decision over Judson Jarrett of Baylor. In the state championship match, Roller would again win, this time by 4-2 decision, over Wills Bronson of Christian Brothers Academy. The win gave Roller, a University of Virginia commit, a perfect 13-0 record to end the season.
Congratulations to @KV_Roller on winning the state championship in 120lbs! #champions pic.twitter.com/2Cmk4xuxYE
— NHoffmeisterAOC (@nhoffmeister1) February 25, 2021
Not to be outdone, Ivy also looked to finish his year unbeaten. After winning his quarterfinals match by forfeiture, Ivy pinned Hart Gowen of Memphis University by fall in the semifinals. In the state championship match, Ivy defeated Micah Tisdale of Baylor by 17-1 tech fall. With the victory, Ivy finished the season with an unblemished 20-0 record.
Congratulations to @BraydenIvy2 on becoming @AthleticsLCA1 state champion in the 138lb weight class! @TonyDeAngeloTN #champion pic.twitter.com/W9caU3KwCI
— NHoffmeisterAOC (@nhoffmeister1) February 25, 2021
With the two championship victories, Roller and Ivy became the first wrestlers in program history to win state titles.
“As a coach, you can’t ask for anything more than those two,” DeAngelo said. “Those guys work hard and they don’t do it for themselves, they do it for the kids around them. You take a kid like Roller or Ivy and they’re a difference maker right away just building up those kids around them. Just setting the example of Lakeway wrestling for other kids.”
I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you to @LakewayLions, the faculty, administration, and student body for the outpouring of support to LCA Wrestling. @nhoffmeister1 @BruceFowler22 @DavidMcVicker we appreciate you guys making the trip to Chattanooga!!! #bannerboys 🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/uxou8Tvkby
— Keyveon Roller (@KV_Roller) February 27, 2021
Although there wouldn’t be any more state championships for the Lions, the team had four other wrestlers make the podium at the event. Eighth grader Jay Eversole finished in second place in the 113-pound class after falling to Nick Corday of Baylor in the championship match. Seniors Tim Carpenter and Luke Estes would finish in third place in both the 132-pound and 195-pound classes, respectively. Finally, eighth grader Cole Gumlick would finish in fifth place in the 106-pound class.
“As far as peaking goes and competition goes, I think our process and what we’ve done was something right and something we’ll continue to do because we showed out,” DeAngelo said. “It’s hard to say it was one kid because they all came out and wrestled to the best of their ability that day and it showed.”
With the finishes, LCA scored 96 points, good for a fifth place team finish out of 20. That is a pretty successful ending for a team that was at its first state championship tournament.
“For me, it wasn’t a surprise,” DeAngelo said. “I think it was a surprise to a lot of teams, to a lot of coaches that didn’t know about Lakeway. For me, like I said, it was a long time coming for these kids. I knew the potential and I knew what skills they had, it was just getting an opportunity to showcase it.”
Division II Wrestling Final Team Scores (Top 10)
1Baylor 216.5
2Christian Brothers 187.5
3Father Ryan 130
4McCallie 127
5Lakeway Christian 96
6Memphis University 69.5
7Montgomery Bell 53
8Christian Academy Of Knoxville 41.5
9Notre Dame 41
10Boyd Buchanan 39— TSSAA (@TSSAA) February 26, 2021
By making strides in its first season as a member of the TSSAA, the LCA Lions have put the rest of the Division II wrestling community on notice. With another year of experience on the mat, while also having the return of two state champions, the Lions should be expected to have similar success next season. As the team gains its footing through the TSSAA schedule over the next few campaigns, it wouldn’t be surprising to see LCA become a staple in the state championships for years to come.
“A state title at Lakeway we want that to be a common thing,” DeAngelo said. “We want to turn out a state champion every year. … We’re in good hands. Hopefully we just build upon it and it continues to come and it’s not uncommon for freshman and sophomores to find their ways into state finals when they come to Lakeway.”
