The Harding wrestling team competed in the HVAC Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, November 18 at Pope Prep in Hendersonville. The Hawks had two finalists in Luke Anderson '24 and Ben Lucas '25 with Anderson winning the HVAC title at his weight class. Lucas made the finals for the second consecutive year and came away with a respectable second place finish. 

Luke finished the HVAC season with only one loss, finishing 10-1. His only loss was to a returning HVAC champion. He dominated in his 3 matches in the tournament to win the championship.  Lucas took out the second seed from Pope Prep who had beaten him earlier in the year and wrestled the top-seeded and undefeated MBA wrestler tough in a 5-2 decision. 

Brody Maddox '25 also avenged a loss from earlier in the season and came in 4th place for the Hawks. Other competing wrestlers were Blake Sweeter '26, Finn Castle, Elijah Johnson '24, Griffin Hassan '26, and James Held '26. Harding finished in a respectable 6th place given only 8 wrestlers competed in the tournament. 

It was a season full of progress and improvement for the team of young wrestlers. The future looks bright!! Go Hawks!!

Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Ensworth in HVAC Tournament
Our playoff journey started with an exhilarating win. The game was a see-saw battle until Ensworth took the lead in the first half. They extended their lead in the second half, and it seemed like our run was over. However, with only ten minutes left, Holden Thomas scored for our team with an assist from Jameson Meriwether. Walt Sanders then scored to tie the game and send it to sudden death overtime, with another assist from Jameson Meriwether. The first five minutes of overtime were a stalemate, but we continued to battle back and forth. It looked like we were headed for penalty kicks, but with only seven seconds left, Smith Morris scored on an assist from Walt Sanders, securing our spot in the semifinals on Monday.

Varsity Boys Soccer Takes on CPA in HVAC Tournament
Our playoff run came to an end last night with a tough loss to CPA. The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams fighting for the lead. Elijah Westbrook, Riley Bundren, Christopher Topping, Avin Burditt, and Smith Morris displayed a swarming style of defense to deny most attempts on goal. For the few times something got through Ricky Reynolds made numerous outstanding saves, keeping us in the game. On the offensive end, Robert Topping, Walt Sanders, and Jamison Meriwether constantly pressured CPA's defense, creating several scoring opportunities through counter attacks. A free kick cross from Smith Morris turned into an assist when Drake Gambill found the back of the net from the top of the box to tie the game up just before halftime. The second half continued to be a competitive battle, but a few unfavorable calls went against us, allowing CPA to score two more goals from resulting free kicks. Although it wasn't the ending we had hoped for, we can be proud of our impressive playoff run, which concluded an outstanding season. We have set a high standard for the next season, and I am excited for what lies ahead.

Varsity Girls Soccer Finishes Season vs. Pope Prep
Girls' soccer finished their season last night in the HVAC semi-finals. Despite multiple scoring attempts, JP II held on to finish out the game 2-0. The Hawks finished their season 4-4. Thank you to our 8th graders, Hilary Fremont, Hannah Sides, Claire McDaniel, Annie Thurman, Margaux Brown, Margie Clark, Charolette Heffernan, Cece Hardin, Maya Florie, and Anne McCarley. We will miss you all! GO HAWKS!

The Harding wrestling team has been through an intense period of competition over the course of the past week. Starting last Friday, the Hawks have completed dual meets against MBA, FRA, BGA, and Ensworth. It has been great preparation for the season-ending HVAC Tournament at Pope Prep on Saturday, Nov. 18. 

The Hawks encountered some stiff competition against MBA who has over 60 wrestlers on their team. Luke Anderson '24,  Elliott Mangano, and Connor Gunnels won matches for Harding. Next up, Harding took on FRA in a very evenly matched dual meet. Although the final score ended up in a 30-30 tie, FRA won on criteria having given up less forfeits. Winning matches for the Hawks were Blake Sweeter '26, Luke Anderson '24, Ben Lucas '25, Elijah Johnson '24, Connor Gunnels '27, and Mac McKenzie '26.

The final two matches this week saw Harding come up short against BGA and Ensworth although the fight was certainly there against both opponents who had full teams. The Hawks traveled to Franklin on Tuesday, Nov. 14 to take on Battleground Academy. Winning matches for the Hawks were Blake Sweeter '26, Luke Anderson '24, Ben Lucas '25, and Finn Castle. In the final home dual competition of the 2023 season, Harding welcomed Ensworth to Roberts Gymnasium on Thursday, Nov. 16. Ensworth raced out to a 24-0, but Harding evened the score at 24 after 4 straight pins by Ben Lucas '25, Brody Maddox '25, Finn Castle and Elijah Johnson '24. Ensworth was able to outdistance the Hawks 54-24 on the strength of 5 forfeits, which accounted for 30 points. 

Luke Anderson leads the wrestling team into the HVAC tournament with a 7-1 conference record and the number 2 seed at his weight class. Ben Lucas is 6-2 and the number 3 seed at his weight class. Finally, Harding has 3 #4 seeds in Finn Castle (5-3), Elijah Johnson (4-3), and Blake Sweeter (4-3). Go Hawks!!