Sycamore's Dylan Davenport, 157lbs, finished second at the state tourney (Photo; Angela Camper)
Sycamore High School and Cheatham County High school wrestlers competed in the TSSAA State Wrestling Tournament on February 23 and February 24, 2024, at the Williamson County Agricultural Center. Of the 13 wrestlers competing (nine from Cheatham and four from Sycamore), three finished on the podium. Landon Morris, 215lbs, of Cheatham County Central High finished fourth, Trey Moreland, 132lbs, of Sycamore High finished fifth, and Dylan Davenport, 157lbs, of Sycamore High finished second.
The Father-Son Dynamic (Angela Camper)
While the opportunity for a state title is no longer an option for this year’s seniors, they all have received something much more meaningful to last a lifetime. Most of us remember a special coach, teacher or community member that helped us fine-tune skills, gain confidence in ourselves, encourage positive life choices, and help us grow into the people we are today. Three special senior wrestlers from Cheatham County Central High and Sycamore High (Dylan Davenport, Ethan Steele, and Sumner Boyd) have something more in common than just a passion for the sport of wrestling as each of these wrestlers have had the privilege of being coached by their fathers. What makes these father-son wrestling relationships even more special is two of these fathers (Jeremy Davenport and Justin Steele) also wrestled for Cheatham County Central High and also competed in the State Wrestling Tournaments during their high school wrestling careers while being coached by current Cheatham County Central High Head Wrestling Coach, Jeremy Boyd.
Cheatham's Sumner and Jeremy Boyd (Photo: Angela Camper)
A 1989 Dickson County High graduate, Boyd has been teaching and coaching at Cheatham County Central High for 27 years. Although he never made it to the state wrestling tournament as a wrestler, he enjoyed the sport and wrestled throughout his high school career. His son, Sumner, competed in the state wrestling Tournament and will be a 2024 graduate of Cheatham County Central High. Boyd said, “There have been many ups and downs coaching my son, Sumner. You always want what is best for them and push them towards that, but they don’t always see it the same way. You try to mold them into what you think they should be, but in the end, they really mold themselves. It is their choice after all. Coaching Sumner has never been about making him a champion, I just want him to be a good person and have different experiences.”
Some of Sumner’s earliest memories with his dad took place on the wrestling mat. “For the past 18 years, my entire life, I have been Coach Boyd’s son, and for the last eight years I have been on his wrestling team. My dad’s expectations of me are high. At times, it has not been easy to be the coach’s kid. Being coached by a parent can be tough, especially after a hard practice or match, when your coach comes home with you. However, I would not have been able to make it to the TSSAA State Wrestling Tournament this year without the dedication that my dad has poured into my wrestling career throughout middle and high school."
"Being coached by dad has allowed me to spend quality time with him, that I would not have had otherwise. I have had a front-row seat watching him build his legacy as a coach. Wrestling seasons can be tough and long, but no matter how tired dad may be, his admiration for his athletes is always clear. Being the coach’s son has given me a unique opportunity to learn from someone who has genuinely cared about my growth and success both on and off the mat," he added.
Cheatham's Ethan and Justin Steele (Photo: Angela Camper)
Justin Steele, father of Ethan Steele, is a 2002 graduate of Cheatham County Central High and has been a coach at Cheatham County Middle school for three years and an assistant coach at Cheatham County Central High for four years. Steele was a one-time state qualifier and placed fifth in a 32-man bracket his senior year under the coaching of Jeremy Boyd. Steele began coaching Ethan fourteen years ago, when he was seven-years old. Steele said, “I started coaching not only for the love of the sport, but also due to the lack of qualified coaches in the area at the time. To be able to coach your son throughout his athletic career and see his accomplishments is truly an amazing opportunity; but to be able to be back at your old high school to coach him and have your high school wrestling coach still there is a special situation all together.”
Ethan, a first-time state qualifier, said, “Having your dad coach you is a special experience. Not everyone has someone there who knows what you are experiencing. I would like to give back and coach one day as well.”
Sycamore's Jeremy and Dylan Davenport (Photo: Angela Camper)
Jeremy Davenport graduated from Cheatham County Central High in 1999 as a one-time state qualifier in a 64-man bracket under the Coaching of Jeremy Boyd. Davenport has been able to coach his son, Dylan, for the past 13 years: four years as the assistant coach at Sycamore High. three years as the assistant coach at Sycamore Middle, and six years during Dylan's elementary school years through AAU wrestling.
When asked what coaching his son has meant to him, Jeremy stated, “It has been the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever been able to do. I’ve done it for 13 years and it is hard to look forward without having that.”
Dylan’s high school wrestling career record stands at 197 wins and 17 losses with 143 of his wins coming by pins. He is a four-time state qualifier and a four -time state placer for Sycamore High. He finished fourth place as a freshman, third place his sophomore year, six place as a junior (due to a dislocated shoulder) and second place this year as a senior. Over the last thirteen years, Dylan has wrestled over 1000 matches, and his father was only unable to attend three of those matches.
Coach Boyd further shared, “Having these former wrestlers come back to coach, not just their own kids but the others as well, means a lot to me. I like to think I made a difference in their lives, and now they want to do the same for others. I wish there were more that would do the same. It is truly something very special!”
