GRAY DEYOSports Writer

In what was a packed night at the Welsh Wrestling Center on Jan. 6, the Tullahoma wrestling team was able to get a win. They won a crazy back-and-forth match with a dramatic win from senior Wildcat Elijah Horton, stamping a 39-36 victory over Kirkwood High School.

In a gym that can only hold so many people, the Welsh Wrestling Center on Tuesday night might as well have been Lambeau Stadium in Green Bay, Wis. The noise being produced from the excitement and drama of the matches was truly something special.

Tullahoma, who has been virtually unbeatable as a team this season, found themselves in a hole trailing Kirkwood by a score of 30-27. With this, the Wildcats were in desperate need of a victory, with every match from this point out and match having implications to win or lose the match as a whole. Amongst this insane pressure, a 285 lb. match was about to ensue. Tullahoma senior Elijah Horton checked in with the scorer’s table, and just one look at his face, it was clear he was ready for the moment.

Horton was going up against Dylan Robinett from Kirkwood, and the two were trading slight advantageous positions before Horton, at one point in their match, got Robinett in an awkward spot on the mat in which it looked like he could secure a pin. This took place right beside Tullahoma’s bench, as all the players and coaches jumped up and down, cheering on Horton, and the ref watched closely. The Tullahoma fans in the bleachers were also on their feet, cheering on Horton, as Robinett’s back began to flatten. The ref then slammed his hand on the mat, signifying the match win for Horton and as well as signifying the match win for Tullahoma. The noise level at that point at the Welsh Wrestling Center was as loud as it has been all season long.

Outside of Horton’s heroics, other Wildcats played a huge part in taking home this victory. Tullahoma, in total, outside of forfeits, had five other wins. These came from Zach Murphy, Knox Grimes, Neyland Dalton, Dwayne Cook, and Grayson Peacock. Dalton, Cook, and Grimes won their matches by pins, while Murphy won his by majority decision, and Peacock won his by technical fall.

Senior night

Tullahoma also celebrated senior night. The Wildcats’ wrestling program recognized seven wrestlers in the class of 2026—Sayvion Surles, Dwayne Cook, Elijah Horton, Julian Calcagno, Sylas McGowen, Brodie Minor, and Brianna Oswald. It was an emotional moment as they called out Minor’s name, who passed away in a motorbike accident back in 2024. Hearts were heavy in that gymnasium, as the seniors posed for a picture with senior Surles holding up a picture of Minor in the group photo.