GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma wrestling team was in attendance at the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, doing a fundraiser for the upcoming 2025 Wrestling season.

Approximately 80,000 people from across the USA were set to attend the Bonnaroo music festival in June of this year. Many festivalgoers arrived on site on June 12 for the first day of the event, and were partying the night away, as some music sets performed that night. Those same party goers woke up to the fear that had been thrown around the air in the days leading up to it. That fear and then reality being that Bonnaroo was canceled.

The site of the event was starting to be heavily flooded for rain, and it looked like it would only get worse, with radars showing non-stop rain for the remainder of the festival. Which ultimately led to the decision to cancel the remainder of the festival.

This was a major bummer for those in attendance, including the Tullahoma wrestling team. The THS program has run a drink stand at the event to raise funds for their season on occasion. They did this last year, and it was a big success. With their earnings from the event, they pay for a lot of their team expenses throughout the season.

With the cancellation of the event, the THS wrestling team had to call an audible. They geared up, got together a group of hardnosed individuals, and set up a stand at the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin.

Through all levels of the THS wrestling program—parents, close friends to the team, wrestlers, and coaches– determination is at the backbone of what they do. They did not let the Bonnaroo news deter their goals; they set up a new track, and as many of the Tullahoma wrestlers do when they face adversity on the mat, they found a way to be successful.

The wrestling season is getting close, and with a big year last year, expectations and eagerness for the upcoming season are at an all-time high. Here is what the head coach of the Tullahoma wrestling team, Bob Callison, had to say on what he is excited about in the upcoming season.

“I am excited for another season.  As I get older, I acknowledge the fact that I get another opportunity to coach a team. There is only 20,000 wrestling teams across the USA, and only one Tullahoma, so every year is just that special.  I am excited to watch our returners improve with another year in our program.  I am excited to watch newcomers, anticipating how they fit into our program. The toughness that it takes to make it through another season it is never easy, nor should it be, because it is the nature of the sport of wrestling.”