GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma wrestling team capped off a fantastic season that saw them travel to Franklin, TN for both the State Dual Championships as well as the State Individual Championships where nine Wildcat wrestlers competed in the event.

State Duals

After a tough opening match against Signal Mountain—losing 44-29–the Wildcats wrestling team eventually placed fourth overall in the 2025 Class A State Duals held in Franklin, TN.

The opening opponent that Tullahoma matched up with was, to say the least, not ideal. Their opening opponent, the Signal Mountain Eagles, has only lost two matches this year, hoisting a record of 21-2. They showed that they were no fraud as they got off to an early 18-0 lead against the Wildcats with three wins by pins. Tullahoma wrestlers Corbin Avans and Kameron Stafford brought some life back to the match, as they picked up some scrappy wins–Avans winning by a pin, and Stafford getting five points in his match, making the score 18-11. This surge of energy from Tullahoma was shut down rather fast following the next two matches, where the Eagles picked up two more wins. Tullahoma continued to fight hard and tried to pick up pin positions any way they could, but as the lead grew for Signal they began to wrestle more defensively, making it difficult for the Wildcats to get back in the match.

The Eagles clinched the game with another streak of three straight wins, thus pushing the hopes of a Dual State title for Tullahoma for another year. With the Wildcats loss, they got moved down to the consolation bracket. The Signal Mountain Eagles went on to finish second in the event, losing to now back-to-back Dual State Champions, Soddy Daisy.

Tullahoma kept their spirits high after the loss to Signal. In their first match in the consolation bracket, they took on Munford High School. They gained a 14-0 lead to start the match, with wins coming from Julian Calcagno, Nolan Stroop, Avans, and Stafford. Tullahoma had quickly erased the previous match from their minds, as they now set their eyes on the third-place plaque given to the winner of the consolation bracket. Carson Avans, Bob Tatum, Sayvion Surles, Cael Treuhaft, and Zachary Murphy all won their respective matches against Munford, helping the Wildcats close out a 40-23 win.

In the second round of the consolation bracket, Tullahoma took on the Station Camp Bisons. The Bisons won their first-round match of the tournament against Millington High School 32-27, but lost in their second-round match against the winners of the tournament, Soddy Daisy–losing 40-31.  So the Bisons were fresh, after wrestling against arguably the best competition in the Class A pool of teams, but Tullahoma showed that despite losing their first-round match loss, when they are at their best they can beat almost anybody.

The Wildcats went on to beat the Bisons 43-33, as they hit a stride in the middle of the match, picking up five straight wins after trailing 9-5. The win thrust the Wildcats into the consolation finals, where they took on Pigeon Forge High School. Tullahoma in the match for third place unfortunately ran out of steam, losing 49-28, giving them fourth place in the competiton.

There is a whole lot to be proud of, as the Wildcats finished fourth not only out of the eight talented Class A wrestling teams at the event, but out of all of the Class A teams in the state of TN. The 26-5 WIldcats undoubtedly made the community of Tullahoma proud.

State Individuals

Nine wrestlers represented the Wildcats in Franklin–Murphy, Avans, Tatum, Stafford, SayvionSurles, Nolan Stroop, Kiivon Butler,  Carson Avans, and Sylas McGowen–and three out of nine of them podiumed.

Zachary Murphy

Tullahoma’s sophomore talent Murphy placed fifth overall in the 132 lb weight class. This gave him his second state medal, as he also finished in the top six of his weight class last year and earned a medal.

Murphy won his first two matches in the main bracket dominantly, winning by a pin and then winning by a 20-5 score line. He, unfortunately then ran into a buzz saw in Signal Mountain Wrestler and eventual A 132 state champion Joseph Uhorchuck. Uhorchuck ended his year with an undefeated 34-0 record with 30 pins.

Murphy suffered an injury earlier in the year, and to bounce back and get to this point is truly remarkable. His junior campaign will be a fun one to watch.

Bob Tatum

The senior Wildcat, Tatum, ended his THS wrestling career with a bang.

He finished fourth overall in the 285 lb division, winning a total of three matches at the event with two of them coming by pin. His second pin in his quarterfinal match against David Lands from Polk County High School gave him his 100th career pin.

Tatum is a hard worker, and everything he has put forth into the sport showed at the state tournament this weekend.

His run in the main bracket,t unfortunately, came to an end against the runner-up of this year’s A 285 division.

Although Tatum’s high school career is now over, 100 pins and a state medal is one heck of a way to go out.

Corbin Avans

Avans made it the farthest out of the nine Wildcat participants, placing second in the 157 lb weight class.

The sophomore Wildcat won three straight matches to establish his shot at a state title for the second year in a row. He took on Wyatt Howard from Pigeon Forge High School, who has won 58% of his career matches by way of pin.

Avans was hanging with Howard in the early goings of the match, he just got caught in an unfortunate position, where Howard was able to lock down Avans in a pin and win the match.

Avans already has two second-place state medals to his name as a sophomore. His drive to be great is there. You can see how badly he wants to win.

With his junior and senior years still awaiting, that first-place medal at state is without a doubt in the cards.

Avans and senior Tatum, after the conclusion of the season were selected to the Middle Tennessee All-State Wrestling Team, as they were recognized for their dominance and success on the mats.