Baylor's Micah Tisdale is thankful to be back on the mat this weekend, wrestling in the TSSAA Division II state traditional tournament at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy.
Even better for the senior 145-pounder and team captain: He's scheduled to be on the mat for Saturday's finals at 5 p.m. Eastern as he seeks to finish his high school career with his first individual state championship.
Tisdale, who had a first-round bye Friday in his 12-man bracket, earned his title bid with a second-period pin of McCallie's Cannon Voiles that was followed by a 4-1 win against Lakeway Christian's Jay Eversole.
Having started for the Red Raiders since he was in eighth grade, Tisdale has been part of four state duals championship teams. Now, having missed this year's state duals two weeks ago when Baylor was runner-up to Father Ryan, he'll try to compete a 5-for-5 run in team traditional titles.
On Jan. 27, though, all the hard work Tisdale has put into his final Baylor season nearly came to a crushing end.
"It was quite the surprise when the morning of the Baylor-McCallie match I woke up to a text from Micah's father telling me Micah was having an emergency appendectomy," Red Raiders coach Rex Kendle said. "Micah is a huge part of this team, and it left a huge hole in our lineup that was really hard to make up with that much experience and talent.
"We were without him for the state duals as well as the McCallie match and weren't sure he would get back in time to qualify for state."
Doctors gave Tisdale clearance to return to action just two days before the Division II East Region traditional tournament last Saturday at Baylor. Despite not being 100%, Tisdale sealed his region championship with a takedown of MBA's Mac Russ in the final six seconds to earn a 4-1 victory in overtime.
To win an individual state title this weekend would mean everything to Tisdale, who also wants to help the Red Raiders avenge their 33-28 loss in the state duals final to Father Ryan.
The past two seasons, Tisdale has been a state runner-up — at 152 as a junior and at 138 as a sophomore — and he finished third at 126 as a freshman and fifth at 120 as an eighth grader. He is 30-4 this season, with one of the losses to the No. 1 wrestler in the country at his weight class, Blair Academy's William Henckel.
"We are out to prove to everyone that Baylor is still atop the state in wrestling," Tisdale said. "To be back out here means so much to me. I have never wanted to be a state champ more. I have come so close over the years. I am ready to take my spot. I want to end my five years here with the greatest memory yet.
"To get a fifth straight traditional team title and an individual title would be so sweet."
Just as Tisdale is in position, so are the Red Raiders heading into Saturday, when the day's wrestling begins with the consolation semifinals at 11 a.m. Eastern, followed by medal matches for third through sixth places before the finals in late afternoon.
Baylor, seeking a TSSAA record-extending 19 state traditional title overall, ended Friday atop the team standings with 182.5 points. Tisdale is one of six Red Raiders in the finals, where he'll be joined by freshman William Phillips (106), sophomores Jacob Bond (113), Nathaniel Askew (138) and Hunter Sturgill (152), and senior Omaury Alvarez (182), who is seeking his first state title in his final chance.
Phillips and Tisdale will each face a Father Ryan wrestler, and the matches could be key to the team race with the Fighting Irish second with 164 points as of Friday night.
MBA was third with 150.5, followed by Lakeway Christian (127.5), Christian Brothers (106), McCallie (84), Chattanooga Christian (64.5) and Boyd Buchanan (64).
An all-Chattanooga final will occur at 113 between Bond and Boyd Buchanan's Nolen Hardman.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.