RRS NOTES: Late invitee wins STJ wrestling tourney; AU football adds to staff

COMBINED REPORTS

The last team to join the tournament was the one that took home the biggest trophy.

Class 7A Baker, a last-minute replacement for Houston Academy, defeated 6A Stanhope Elmore 54-30 in the championship match to win the Julian McPhillips Invitational wrestling tournament at St. James on Saturday.

Baker went undefeated in the morning session, defeating Elmore County, Holtville and Stanhope Elmore. In the afternoon session, the Hornets defeated St. James to advance to the finals against the Mustangs for a second time. 

Stanhope Elmore finished second in the tournament, defeating Holtville, Elmore County and W.S. Neal.

St. James finished third, defeating Catholic 48-24 and Prattville Christian 45-27 before losing to W.S. Neal 48-34. In the afternoon session, the Trojans lost to Baker 63-15. 

Catholic defeated Prattville Christian 42-36 in another match featuring local teams. The tournament was changed this season from 20 teams to eight local teams because of COVID restrictions, with W.S. Neal and Baker as the only teams invited from outside the River Region. The tournament is normally a statewide attraction because of a bracket that highlights individual performances, but COVID restrictions permit just four teams in a gym at the same time, forcing organizers to limit competition to dual meets featuring the teams.

St. James senior Tennison Norton, competing in the 126-pound weight division, was named the tournament’s most valuable wrestler as he swept his competition, pinning three of the four wrestlers he faced despite competing at a higher weight division than his usual 120-pound division.

Norton improved to 25-1 with the victories. 

The Trojans’ only other senior, Taylor Penney, improved to 23-1 with his performance in the heavyweight division. 

St. James improved to 15-7 in dual meets this season. 

Harsin adds to AU staff

Brad Bedell has been named Auburn’s tight ends coach, head coach Bryan Harsin announced Sunday. Bedell spent the past four seasons as Boise State’s offensive line coach, including run game coordinator last season. A former All-American at Colorado, Bedell spent six seasons in the NFL prior to joining the coaching ranks.

Jeff Schmedding was also added to the staff as inside linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator. Schmedding spent the past two seasons on Harsin’s staff at Boise State as the defensive coordinator (play caller) for the Broncos.

Harsin also named Brad Larrondo as Associate Athletic Director and Football Chief of Staff at Auburn. A member of the Boise State athletic department since 1993, Larrondo served in a similar role with the Broncos since 2012.

More games in SEC basketball changed

The Tennessee at South Carolina and Vanderbilt at Missouri men’s basketball games of January 12 have been postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Missouri and South Carolina basketball programs, consistent with Southeastern Conference COVID-19 management requirements. Make-up dates for the two games have not been determined at this time.

With the cancelation of the two games, Tennessee will now play at Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, Jan. 12, on ESPN2. The Volunteers and Commodores will meet again in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Jan. 16, in a previously scheduled game at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.