GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Wildcats competed in the TSSAA State Individual tournaments this past weekend, with nine wrestlers qualifying for the event. Out of these THS wrestlers, three of them ended up on the podium in their respective weight classes–CJ Weaver (third place), Kiivon Butler (fourth place), and Corbin Avans (fifth place).

Tullahoma, being well-represented at the biggest stage in TN high school wrestling, provided many memorable moments at the event. The podium grapplers led the way in generating these moments for THS.

Wildcat junior Corbin Avans was the biggest story for Tullahoma going into state. He placed second at state individuals in his freshman and sophomore seasons, but unfortunately, a third appearance in the state finals did not come to fruition. After defeating his first round opponent by a pin while up 11-0 in the 157 lb. bracket, Brandon Johnson of Millington Central High School, he went on to the quarterfinals to face Lane Cope of Samuel Everett High School. He lost this match by a decision by a score of 3-2. This pushed Avans from the championship bracket to the consolation. He fought hard in every match he had left in the tourney, winning three out of four of his remaining bouts. His fifth-place match happened to be against Cope, where he won by forfeit.

With another year left for Avans at THS, he will be primed to return to the individual state tourney for a fourth consecutive year, and with the work ethic he has displayed at Tullahoma, him ending his career as a state champ is by no means off the table.

Butler, on his path to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament won three out of the five matches he competed in. He won his first two of the tournament, beating Rylee Moore from Fairview High School in the first round by a pin and Richard Cox in the second round from Heritage High School also by a pin. He then was one match away from competing in the state championship match, as he faced Jojo Uhorchuk of Signal Mountain High School. He lost to the eventually crowned 132 lb. state champ. Butler then went on to split his matches in the consolation bracket, with his win coming against Gage Goetz of Creek Wood High School, via a pin. The junior Butler dominated this match, leading by a score of 16-4, before his eventual winning pin was locked in.

Weaver, in his run to third, like Butler and Avans, won his first round matchup. He defeated Michah Williams from Cocke County in the opener by a pin. He unfortunately followed this win with a loss in the quarter finals against the eventual state runner-up in the 113 lb. weight division from Soddy Daisy High School, Luke Myhan, losing 9-4.  With Weaver being put into the consolation bracket, he made the most of it. He won his remaining four matches, including the match that gave him his third-place medal, a 5-4 win over Luke Higdon from Signal Mountain High School.

With the performances from these three Wildcats, along with the other five Tullahoma wresters that represented the Wildcats boys’ team at state, THS as a team placed 13th overall at the eventl.

Freshman Kacey Barecky also notably represented the girls’ team in the tournament, after last season, when Tullahoma did not have a girl wrestler qualify for state. At the tournament, she had some great moments. This included her logging a win in her first state appearance, winning by a score of 21-5, earning a technical fall victory against Bella Lowry from McMinn Central High School.

With the Wildcats wrestling program’s 2025-2026 season now in the rearview there is a lot to look forward to next season. With more emerging talent in both the freshman and sophomore classes, along with a plethora of proven grapplers in the junior class returning, there is no cap that should be put on what Tullahoma can achieve going into the 2026-2027 season.