Patrick MacCoon makes five predictions for this weekend’s TSSAA state traditional wrestling tournament in Franklin.
1. Sweet victory for first time champions
Wrestling presents one of the toughest tests of sheer will power in all of sports. This weekend is the ultimate test of a wrestler’s strength. For some it may take a full six minutes or even overtime to capture a state title. Emotions can overflow when one completes their ultimate dream of becoming a state champion. The celebrations with their coaches and teammates are priceless when everything comes to fruition. Soddy-Daisy senior Elijah Turner and Cleveland junior Cy Fowler are two of potentially many I believe will experience the ultimate thrill in becoming state champions.
2. Country’s best
We are witnessing perhaps a future Olympian destroy opponents on the mat in Cleveland’s Piper Fowler. I can see her winning all four of her matches with first-round pins on her way to landing her third individual state title. She has never been beaten in her prep career and could be 64-0 with the Lady Blue Raiders by Saturday night. I can only imagine the fear or feeling of helplessness when opponents go against her.
3. Trojans are all the way back
Soddy-Daisy has been dominant on the mat all season and will breeze to their second state title this month. No one in Class A has come close to touching the Trojans this season, who qualified all 14 of their wrestlers to this weekend’s state championship. That is four more than any other program in the field. Soddy-Daisy will leave no doubt who the top dog is in Franklin.
4. Blue Raiders streaking
Is there any more room for state tournament trophies at the Jones Wrestling Center at Cleveland High School? The Blue Raiders are going to storm to the program’s 26th all-time state championship this weekend. Fourteen of those state titles will have come over the last seven years, as Joey Knox’s program has swept the state duals and traditional team titles every season he has been at the helm. With a junior-loaded team, next year is expected to be more of the same.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Cleveland High School could have won 14 straight state championships over the last seven years with another clean sweep of the state tournament this weekend in Franklin.5. 20 individual state champions
I would not be shocked if there are more than 20 individual state champions this weekend from the Chattanooga area that win in the Class A, AA and Girls’ Championship brackets. Our area has long been at the top of the wrestling ranks in the state. The sheer dominance for many of these programs and wrestlers starts at a very young age. Having great coaches in the area and a recent Southern Conference powerhouse wrestling program in the area certainly helps.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.