The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is set to host the 2019 Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Sportswear, on Jan. 1-2.  Billed as the top in-season collegiate wrestling tournament in the nation, the Southern Scuffle is held in the McKenzie Arena. 
 
Gates open at 9:00 a.m. (E.S.T.) and wrestling starts each day at 10:00 a.m.  The full schedule of events and tickets are available on TheSouthernScuffle.com.
 
This is the 15th year of the Southern Scuffle.  It was held in Greensboro, N.C. from 2003-10 and moved to Chattanooga in 2012.  It is the eighth year of the tournament under its current format at McKenzie Arena. 
 
The field is stacked with representatives from 25 teams, including four of this week's NWCA/USA Today Top 25.  These include No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 19 Lock Haven and No. 23 Iowa State.  No. 7 N.C. State, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 14 Virginia Tech, and No. 21 Lehigh are also sending partial representation to the Scuffle.  
 
Others teams participating with Chattanooga include Air Force, Appalachian State, Binghamton, Cal State Bakersfield, The Citadel, Columbia, Drexel, Duke, Edinboro, Gardner-Webb, George Mason, Ohio, Navy, Northern Colorado, Rider, Stanford.    
 
All totaled, there are 19 All-Americans, four NCAA Champions, 50 currently ranked in the top-20 and 25 ranked in the top 10.
 
There are four No. 1 wrestlers in the field, according to the Dec. 17 Flowrestling Top 20 individual rankings.  These include Penn State's Jason Nolf (157), Vicenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Bo Nickal (197).
 
For a complete list of teams and #LetsScuffle news, visit www.TheSouthernScuffle.com.
 
#LETSSCUFFLE
Be sure to use the hashtag #LetsScuffle when tweeting about the Southern Scuffle.  Follow @GoMocs and @UTCWrestling for the most up-to-date information on the 2019 Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Sportswear.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Every match of the Southern Scuffle can be followed live via Flowrestling, the live streaming home for 2019 Southern Scuffle. Get the FloSports iOS app today in the App Store to watch the event live and on-the-go.  Download the FloSports App on iOS, Roku, and Apple TV 4 to watch Southern Scuffle across all screens.  Live scoring and interactive brackets are also available through FloArena.  Links to both are on the TheSouthernScuffle.com and the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com.
 
 
CHATTANOOGA PROBABLE LINEUP
125: Alonzo Allen (Sr. – 10-3)
            Fabian Gutierrez (So. - 12-2)
133: Jake Huffine (Jr. - 13-4)
            Franco Valdes (Fr. - 8-7)
            Colton Landers (Fr. - 3-4)
141: Chris Debien (Jr. - 9-5)
            Aidan Murphy (So. - 6-4)
149: Tanner Smith (Fr. - 3-3)
            Zach Shareef (Sr. - 3-6)
            Mason Wallace (Fr. - 11-4)
157: Ryan Resnick (Fr. - 4-7)
165: Drew Nicholson (Fr. - 4-5)
            Trey Watson (Sr. - 0-4)
174: Hunter Fortner (Fr. - 4-7)
184: Dominic Lampe (Jr. - 9-6)
            Ben Stacey (Jr. - 4-3)
197: Rodney Jones (Sr. - 9-9)
            Jake Johnson (Fr. - 0-0)
285: Connor Tolley (Sr. - 7-8)
 
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT NOTES
125: Senior Alonzo Allen is the returning starter and defending SoCon Champion at 125, but he lost in the finals of the Hokie Open to sophomore teammate Fabian Gutierrez.  Gutierrez is off to a 12-2 start, and is No. 20 in this week's Intermat rankings at 125.        
 
133: Jake Huffine continues his outstanding junior season.  he is 13-4 overall with two SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week honors and another SoCon Wrestler of the Week recognition.  He has a runner-up showing at the Cougar Clash and a sixth place finish at the Wolfpack Open.  Freshman Franco Valdes (8-7) went 4-2 at the Wolfpack Open and is set to take the mat.  Freshman Colton Landers (3-4) is also competing in his third event of the season. 
 
141:  Junior Chris Debien is coming off a strong, runner-up finish at the Cougar Clash and two wins in dual action.  He is 9-5 overall, including a  fourth place finish at the Wolfpack Open.  The 2016 SoCon Champion has won four of his last five matches.  Freshman Aidan Murphy is 6-4 overall and is also competing in his third tournament of the year.
 
149:  Freshman Mason Wallace is 11-5 overall after placing fifth at the Wolfpack Open and holding down the starting spot in the last two duals.  Couple that with a fifth place showing in the underclassmen competition at the Hokie Open and he is off to a hot start.  Senior Zach Shareef won three times at the Wolfpack Open to move to 3-4 overall.  Freshman Tanner Smith is 3-3 and could be back in action for the first time since the Wolfpack Open. 
 
157:  Freshman Ryan Resnick went 3-4 with a third place showing at 157 in the Hokie Open Fr/So bracket.  He is 4-7 overall with a 9-4 decision at Edinboro.   
 
165:  Freshman Drew Nicholson is 4-5 overall.  He has not competed since withdrawing from the Cougar Clash.  Senior Trey Watson stepped in for the Mocs last two dual meets.  He is looking for his first win of the year after four matches. 
 
174:  Freshman Hunter Fortner is looking to snap a two-match slide.  He is 4-7 overall. 
 
184:  Dominic Lampe is back in the lineup after missing the last two seasons of competition.  He redshirted in 2016-17 and was out last year with an injury.  He is 9-6 overall, including a third place finish at the Cougar Clash.
 
197:  Senior Rodney Jones has a third place finish at the Cougar Clash and a pair of sixth place showings at the Wolfpack Open and the Hokie Open.  He is 9-9 overall. 
 
285: Senior Connor Tolley was runner-up in the Wolfpack Open, falling to former NAIA All-American Ceron Francisco in the finals.  He also has a third place at the Cougar Clash and a sixth place finish at the Hokie Open with a 7-8 overall mark. 
 
MOCS AS A TEAM IN 2018-19
UTC is 1-2 in dual matches this season.  They defeated Edinboro (23-15) on Dec. 18, and lost to No. 21 North Carolina (10-23) on Nov. 11 and at Ohio (19-22) on Dec. 20.
 
Chattanooga won three matches against the Tar Heels and actually held a 10-0 lead early in the match in Maclellan Gym.  UTC battled back from a 15-6 deficit at Edinboro and nearly pulled off another comeback at Ohio. 
 
The Mocs have also had a number of placers at the Hokie Open, the Wolfpack Open and the Cougar Clash in the first half of the season. 
 
HEAD COACH KYLE RUSCHELL
Kyle Ruschell was named head coach of the Mocs on Aug. 10, 2018.  He replaced Heath Eslinger, who stepped down to pursue other interests on July 19.  Ruschell joined the Mocs staff in June as assistant coach.  He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin.  A former member of the U.S. National Team (2014-15), he was a two-time All-American for the Badgers (2007-10).
 
MOCS IN THE RANKINGS
Sophomore Fabian Gutierrez climbed into the rankings this week.  He is No. 20 in the Dec. 25 listings.  Gutierrez is 12-2 overall and 2-0 in dual meets. 
 
MOCS AT THE SCUFFLE
This is the eighth time the Mocs have hosted the Southern Scuffle and the 10th time they have competed in the event.  UTC's best showing was a sixth place finish in 2006 in Greensboro, N.C.
2018 - 11th (51.0)
2017 - 11th (46.0)
2016 - 20th (31.5)
2015 - 14th (43.5)
2014 - 16th (34.0)
2013 - 14th (31.5)
2012 - 7th (79.0)
2006 - 6th (75.5)
2005 - 13th (48.5)
 
SCUFFLE NOTES
• Appalachian State, Duke, Navy, North Carolina and The Citadel are the only teams that have been represented at the Southern Scuffle every year since it began in 2003. 
 
• Only five different teams have won the Southern Scuffle, including Cornell (2008, 2009 & 2010 (tie)), Minnesota (2004, 2005 & 2007), Missouri (2003 & 2006), Oklahoma State (2017) and Penn State (2010 (tie), 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018).
 
• There are eight former Scuffle Individual Champions in the field, including Oklahoma State's Kaid Brock (133-'17), Kaden Gfeller (141 - '18) and Chandler Rogers (165 -'17); Penn State's Mark Hall (174-'17 & '18), Vincenzo Joseph (165 - '18), Bo Nickal (174-'16 & '18), Jason Nolf (157-'16 & '18) and Shakur Rasheed (197 - '18).
 
• Penn State's Mark Hall, Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf have a chance to join elite company.  All have won two Scuffle titles.  Only 10 others are three-time champs. 
 
• There are four NCAA Champions set to compete, including Penn State's Jason Nolf (157 - '17 & '18), Vicenzo Joseph (165 - '17 & '18), Mark Hall (174 - '17) and  Bo Nickal (184 - '17 & '18).
 
• Oklahoma State holds the record for points in the tournament with 198 in its 2017 win.  The Cowboys also hold the largest margin of victory in the event with a 198-126 advantage over second place Missouri in 2017.
 
• 11 times a match at the Scuffle was repeated at the NCAA finals later that same year.