Wrestling 12/13/2025 1:30:00 PM

Phoenix Roll Through Field at Rocky Top Duals

GATLINBURG, Tenn.--No. 10 Cumberland put together a dominant weekend at the Rocky Top Duals, rolling through its slate of competition at the Gatlinburg Convention Center with a series of lopsided victories that showcased the Phoenix's firepower.

Cumberland started the duals off with a dominant performance, rolling past RV Rio Grande by a 42–6 final in a lopsided dual that featured bonus points in eight of the ten bouts.

The Phoenix set the tone early at 125 pounds as No. 21 Chase Walker overwhelmed Josh Morrison, scoring a 15-0 technical fall in just 3:47 to put Cumberland on the board quickly. Bentley Ellison followed with a gritty showing at 133, edging Trey Allen 4-1 in sudden victory to extend the lead. Momentum continued at 141 where No. 3 Sammy Shires wasted little time, pinning Conner Blessing in 1:42 to push the Phoenix advantage to 14-0.

Cumberland kept piling on at 149 as No. 2 Victor Guzman earned a forfeit, before Elijah Griffin controlled the action at 157 with a 5-1 decision over Mackandle Freeman. At 165, No. 18 Ethan Gomez secured a 17-2 tech fall against Pate Eastin to stretch the lead to 28-0.

The bonus-point surge continued at 174 where No. 15 Anthony Pyron recorded a first-period pin in 1:29 over John Walters. At 184, No. 7 Rocco Horvath earned a major decision, defeating No. 25 Justin Bartee 15-6, while No. 10 Tyler Rowland followed at 197 with a 13-0 major decision against Ashton Simison to cap Cumberland's scoring run.

Rio Grande avoided the shutout in the heavyweight bout as No. 19 Bruce Wagers pinned Evan Dixon in 34 seconds, but the result did little to change the outcome as the Phoenix cruised to the 42-6 team victory.

Cumberland continued their momentum with a dominant performance on the mat, sweeping Williams Baptist 57–0 behind pins in eight of the 10 bouts to secure the decisive dual victory in their second match of the day.

The Phoenix opened the dual in emphatic fashion at 125 pounds as Kaleb Ruhl pinned Jimmy Singleton in 3:26 to give Cumberland an early lead. That momentum only grew at 133, where Bobby Estrada needed just 53 seconds to put Ezekiel Gasca away, before No. 3 Sammy Shires followed with a first-period fall at 141, pinning Landon Holmes in 1:36 to push the advantage to 18-0.

Cumberland continued to pile on bonus points at 149 as No. 2 Victor Guzman recorded a fall in 2:07 against Clay Crane. At 157, Elijah Griffin rolled to a 17-1 technical fall over Tevin Minney to extend the lead. Logan Brown kept the pressure on at 165, pinning James Opitz in 1:44 to make it 35-0.

The second half of the dual mirrored the opening stretch, as No. 15 Anthony Pyron cruised to a 19-4 technical fall over Tripp Price at 174, while No. 7 Rocco Horvath followed at 184 with a 17-2 technical fall against Matthew Russell. At 197, No. 10 Tyler Rowland added another pin to the total, sticking Roman Corral in 1:53.

Cumberland capped off the shutout at heavyweight as Evan Dixon pinned Micah Oltmanns in 1:37, sealing the 57-0 team victory and completing a dominant effort that featured eight falls and two technical falls.

Cumberland closed out the duals with another dominant showing on the mat, sweeping Pikeville by a 59–0 final behind a flurry of first-period falls and bonus-point victories across all 10 weight classes.

The Phoenix wasted no time getting started at 125 pounds as No. 21 Chase Walker pinned Brandon Didat in just 30 seconds to open the dual. Bentley Ellison followed at 133 with a hard-fought fall over Bryce Looney, securing the pin at 6:31, before No. 3 Sammy Shires continued the momentum at 141 by sticking Christian Nesby in 2:06 to push Cumberland out to an 18-0 lead.

Cumberland kept the pressure on at 149 as No. 1-ranked 141-pounder Jared Dinh made quick work of Hayden Canady, recording a fall in 51 seconds. Elijah Griffin followed at 157 with another pin, taking down Darrion Evans in 2:14, while No. 18 Ethan Gomez turned in one of the fastest bouts of the day at 165, pinning George Lemaster in just 42 seconds.

At 174, Thomas Magness added a technical fall to the bonus-point parade, earning a 17-0 victory over Chase Price in 2:52. Logan Heckert then needed only 24 seconds at 184 to pin Randall West, before No. 10 Tyler Rowland followed with a 2:08 fall against Payton Lyons at 197.

Cumberland closed out the sweep at heavyweight as Evan Dixon pinned Lincoln Griffith in 1:11, sealing the 59-0 team victory and capping a match that saw the Phoenix record nine falls and one technical fall in a dominant dual performance.

Cumberland will have nearly a month off before returning to the mats in January. CU's next dual is scheduled for January 14th at home for the team's home-opener.

Weight	Summary	RV Rio Grande	#10 Cumberland
125	#21 Chase Walker (CU) over Josh Morrison (RIO) (TF 15-0 3:47)	0	5
133	Bentley Ellison (CU) over Trey Allen (RIO) (SV-1 4-1)	0	8
141	#3 Sammy Shires (CU) over Conner Blessing (RIO) (Fall 1:42)	0	14
149	#2 Victor Guzman (CU) over Unknown (For.)	0	20
157	Elijah Griffin (CU) over Mackandle Freeman (RIO) (Dec 5-1)	0	23
165	#18 Ethan Gomez (CU) over Pate Eastin (RIO) (TF 17-2 6:38)	0	28
174	#15 Anthony Pyron (CU) over John Walters (RIO) (Fall 1:29)	0	34
184	#7 Rocco Horvath (CU) over #25 Justin Bartee (RIO) (MD 15-6)	0	38
197	#10 Tyler Rowland (CU) over Ashton Simison (RIO) (MD 13-0)	0	42
285	#19 Bruce Wagers (RIO) over Evan Dixon (CU) (Fall 0:34)	6	42
Team Score:		6	42


Weight	Summary	#10 Cumberland	Williams Baptist
125	Kaleb Ruhl (CU) over Jimmy Singleton (WBU) (Fall 3:26)	6	0
133	Bobby Estrada (CU) over Ezekiel Gasca (WBU) (Fall 0:53)	12	0
141	#3 Sammy Shires (CU) over Landon Holmes (WBU) (Fall 1:36)	18	0
149	#2 Victor Guzman (CU) over Clay Crane (WBU) (Fall 2:07)	24	0
157	Elijah Griffin (CU) over Tevin Minney (WBU) (TF 17-1 3:44)	29	0
165	Logan Brown (CU) over James Opitz (WBU) (Fall 1:44)	35	0
174	#15 Anthony Pyron (CU) over Tripp Price (WBU) (TF 19-4 2:42)	40	0
184	#7 Rocco Horvath (CU) over Matthew Russell (WBU) (TF 17-2 5:49)	45	0
197	#10 Tyler Rowland (CU) over Roman Corral (WBU) (Fall 1:53)	51	0
285	Evan Dixon (CU) over Micah Oltmanns (WBU) (Fall 1:37)	57	0
Team Score:		57	0

Weight	Summary	#10 Cumberland	Pikeville
125	#21 Chase Walker (CU) over Brandon Didat (Pikeville) (Fall 0:30)	6	0
133	Bentley Ellison (CU) over Bryce Looney (Pikeville) (Fall 6:31)	12	0
141	#3 Sammy Shires (CU) over Christian Nesby (Pikeville) (Fall 2:06)	18	0
149	#1 (141) Jared Dinh (CU) over Hayden Canady (Pikeville) (Fall 0:51)	24	0
157	Elijah Griffin (CU) over Darrion Evans (Pikeville) (Fall 2:14)	30	0
165	#18 Ethan Gomez (CU) over George Lemaster (Pikeville) (Fall 0:42)	36	0
174	Thomas Magness (CU) over Chase Price (Pikeville) (TF 17-0 2:52)	41	0
184	Logan Heckert (CU) over Randall West (Pikeville) (Fall 0:24)	47	0
197	#10 Tyler Rowland (CU) over Payton Lyons (Pikeville) (Fall 2:08)	53	0
285	Evan Dixon (CU) over Lincoln Griffith (Pikeville) (Fall 1:11)	59	0
Team Score:		59	0

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Players Mentioned

Jared Dinh: 5' 7"; Junior

Evan Dixon: 6' 1"; Sophomore

Ethan Gomez: 5' 4"; Junior

Elijah Griffin: 5' 7"; Senior

Victor Guzman: 5' 8"; Senior

Rocco Horvath: 5' 9"; Junior

Thomas Magness: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Anthony Pyron: 5' 10"; Junior

Tyler Rowland: 6' 0"; Junior

Kaleb Ruhl: 5' 9"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Jared Dinh
: 5' 7"; Junior

Evan Dixon
: 6' 1"; Sophomore

Ethan Gomez
: 5' 4"; Junior

Elijah Griffin
: 5' 7"; Senior

Victor Guzman
: 5' 8"; Senior

Rocco Horvath
: 5' 9"; Junior

Thomas Magness
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Anthony Pyron
: 5' 10"; Junior

Tyler Rowland
: 6' 0"; Junior

Kaleb Ruhl
: 5' 9"; Junior