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Tullahoma Boys wrestling team are “Back-to-Back State Duals bound” after winning the TSSAA Division 1 sectionals Sunday afternoon. 

The Wildcats faced a familiar foe, the Green Hill Hawks, whom they beat in last year’s sectionals as well.  This time a much different team but the same results. 

The match started at heavy weight with Bob Tatum earning a last minute come-from-behind decision, 2-1, to give the Cats a 3-0 team score lead. Green Hill roared back with pins at the 106 and 113 weight classes, taking the lead 12-3. Justin Frank wrestled up at 120 lbs. to fill a hole in the lineup and wrestled very well but lost 8-7 on a last minute takedown. With the lead at 15-3, Nolan Stroop and Caden Mears both were able to get third period pins which evened up the score at 15-15. The match of the day came at 138 lbs., where Beau Banks was able to pull off a last second miracle and get a pin with three seconds on the clock while trailing 5-3. This pin was followed up by a major decision from Cody Agnell and a decisive pin by Caleb Adkins, giving the Wildcats a commanding 31-15 lead. Jerzy Hendrix had to medical default his match, which gave Hill six more points narrowing the lead to 31-21. With a forfeit at the 170 lbs. weight class, the Hawks were slowly creeping up to 31-27 heading into the 182 lbs. match. Connor Avans was able to pull off a first period pin for the Wildcats, giving them 37-27 lead. 

It came down to the last two matches of the afternoon. Chandler Kile gave up a decision 7-3 but helped seal the deal. Nathan Jones put an exclamation point on the day with a first period pin, giving the Wildcats a 43-30 win, to make it back-to-back state qualifying for the boys’ team but a first for new head coach, Sean Adkins. 

The Wildcats travel to the Franklin Ag Center where they will take on Sycamore in the first round of the TSSAA Division 1 class A State Dual Championships Saturday, Feb. 4, at 9 a.m. The Tullahoma fire and police departments will escort the team out of town on Friday 2/3 at 1 p.m. The community is invited to line North Jackson Street with confetti, posters, and cheers for a sendoff celebration.

Photos courtesy of the Tullahoma High School Wrestling team.