By Rubin E. Grant
Tee Adams can now say he has won as many state wrestling team titles as a coach as he did as a wrestler at his alma mater.
Adams coached Vestavia Hills to the Class 7A state title last weekend in the 2023 AHSAA State Wrestling Championships in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center.
The title was Adams’ third in seven seasons as the Rebels’ head coach and their state record 17th overall. He also led Vestavia Hills to state championships in 2017 and 2021.
Adams was part of three state championship teams when he wrestled for the Rebels in 1999-2001, and he was a two-time individual state champion, in 2001 and 2002.
Vestavia Hills won with 210 points, beating second-place Thompson, which had 195 points. Spain Park was fifth with 116.5 points and Hoover was sixth with 100.
“I’m happy for the school, the fans, the wrestlers and community,” Adams said.
The Rebels had just one individual champion in the final round of the three-day event but had a strong showing from top to bottom to seal the 7A title early.
“It was a complete team effort,” Adams said. “All the guys bought in. It was a tight-knit brotherhood and they went out and got it done.”
Senior Andrew Sykes (18-2) won at 220 pounds with a 3-1 decision over Chelsea’s Kalob Johnstone (42-3) in the championship match to emerge as the Rebels’ only individual winner.
“I can’t say enough about Andrew,” Adams said. “He battled through injuries all season and he battled illness at the state tournament, but he toughed it out.”
The Rebels had three second-place finishers: freshman Stone Phillips (33-8) at 113 pounds, sophomore Andrew Sullivan (28-7) at 145 and senior Harris Mitchell (22-2) at 160.
Spain Park had two individual champions, William Condon at 182 pounds and Rayshod Burts at 285,
Condon (49-1) pinned Hoover’s Jack Lamey (43-6) at 5:01 and Burts (52-3) defeated Hewitt-Trussville’s Zack Chatman (50-16) by a 3-0 decision.
The Jaguars also had three wrestlers to finish second: freshman Bradley Williams (56-4) at 138, senior Jackson Mitchell (42-4) at 170, and senior Kyle Oliveira (34-10) at 195.
Hoover senior Ty Sisson (38-8) won the 126-pound title, pinning Enterprise’s Grier Hunt (53-8) at 4:39.
Oak Mountain senior Camden Tipton (62-7) captured the 113-pound title with a 6-3 decision against the Rebels’ Phillips.
Mountain Brook Can’t Double Up
After winning the Class 6A Wrestling Duals in January, the first wrestling title in school history, Mountain Brook wasn’t able to claim another crown at the state tournament.
The Spartans finished in a third-place tie with Mortimer Jordan, both with 134 points. Mountain Brook had defeated Mortimer Jordan 32-27 in the Class 6A Wrestling Duals Finals.
McAdory won the Class 6A state tournament with 160.5 points and Gardendale was second with 138.5. Homewood finished fifth with 122.
Mountain Brook had two wrestlers reach the finals, but both lost. Sophomore Stephen Springfield (50-10) dropped a 7-4 decision to Pike Road’s John Duncan (31-3) at 113 pounds. Spartans senior Allen Baker (40-9) fell 7-3 to Pelham’s Seth Branham (39-1) at 195.
Homewood had two individual champions, freshman Joseph Marcum at 106 and senior Sam Sutton at 138.
Marcum (50-4) defeated McAdory senior Wesley Miller, McAdory (65-12) by a 9-5 decision. Sutton (53-2) edged Wetumpka senior Chad Strickland (43-3) 1-0.
