No doubt was left on the mat, that’s for sure.
Tallassee reigned supreme and did so in convincing fashion at the AHSAA Class 1A-4A Duals Championships on Saturday.
Not only did the Tigers defeat St. John Paul 2, 63-16, and Oak Grove, 69-11, to earn the state championship, but they also had 15 combined pins. .
Thomas Patterson (108 pounds), Mason Nelson (115), Aiden Bridgman (134), Land Bell (159), Tra’mel McCoy (167), Zach Crosthwait (192), and Nolan Addeo (217) all won with pinfall in the semifinal against St. John Paul 2.
Nelson, Bridgman, Crosthwait, and Addeo also scored pins in the state championship, finishing a perfect 2-for-2 on the day.
One of the most impressive displays of wrestling on the day was the first match of the state championship between Tallassee heavyweight Jude Rogers and Oak Grove’s Knox Wilson.
Rogers and Wilson went toe to toe for the better part of the six-minute match. It wasn’t until the final moments of the third period when Rogers made a sudden strike to Wilson’s left leg, ultimately pinning both shoulders on the mat.
The match was a thrilling tone setter for what was to come for the rest of the match.
On the lighter side of the things, Nelson was on fire at 115 pounds, pinning St. John Paul 2’s Sam Kostrzewan at 1:30 and Oak Grove’s Christian Hill at 2:47.
Another dominating day came for Crosthwait, who pinned his semifinal opponent in a mere 16 seconds. But it was Crosthwait who secured the ultimate winner for the Tigers. He pinned Jackson Bonnett of Oak Grove in the final bout of the day to help secure the victory for his team.