GRAY DEYOSports Writer

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.

The first team that Tullahoma matched up with was, to say the least, not ideal. Their opening opponent, the Signal Mountain Eagles, have 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 bout 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.

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, 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 wins in a row 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 competition.

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 Tennessee. They undoubtedly made the community of Tullahoma proud.