The return of the TSSAA state traditional tournaments to Chattanooga was provided a historic start by a trio of brothers who wrestle for Signal Mountain.
For the first time in TSSAA history, three brothers won a state championship in the same season as Caleb, Daniel and Ethan Uhorchuk climbed to the top of the podium to the cheers of their teammates, friends and family inside the Chattanooga Convention Center on Wednesday as the Class A/AA tournament wrapped up.
The three brothers who have made wrestling a lifestyle were dominant as they combined for eight pins in 10 matches. They were vital in helping Signal Mountain finish second in the team standings with 174.5 points, with the Eagles trailing Pigeon Forge (193).
"This is a very special day for our program," Eagles coach Joe Jellison said. "For four of our seniors, they have been wrestling up (on the high school varsity level) since eighth grade. Our guys came out here and showed how tough they are and that they were here to fight for a championship.
"The Uhorchuk brothers set the tone and did something that has never been done. They left a lasting legacy here today and have helped this program set its identity in a big way."
Ethan fired up his brothers as the tough 106-pound eighth grader was locked in, pacing back and forth before his final. He used powerful takedowns to build a 6-1 lead early before pinning his opponent with a cradle in the first round, to which his oldest brother let out a yell of joy.
Caleb displayed toughness in his 113-pound championship bout as his stellar technique to fight on bottom showed in a 9-4 decision over Greeneville's Leandre Dabney Jr.
While many were looking forward to seeing future Army wrestler Daniel Uhorchuk go against Hixson's Trevor Lewis in the 126-pound final, what turned out to be a forfeit was handled in a classy way. Lewis - a three-time state runner-up who won a title as a sophomore - came out to the center of the mat fully suited up despite having his ankle heavily taped and feared to be broken after hurting it in warmups before the championship round.
Both Daniel Uhorchuk and Lewis had pinned through their first three matches and were set for a rematch against one another after Daniel won 3-0 in last year's 120 final.
Nonetheless, a fourth straight state championship for Daniel was special.
"I never imagined I would be a four-time state champion when I was younger, or that me and my brothers would all make history in the same season," said Daniel, who ended his high school career by winning 105 consecutive matches. "After losing in the state finals as an eighth grader wrestling for the high school team, I decided I wanted to be a four-timer. That pushes me even now. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Losses make us who we are. I used it to mold me and work harder in everything I do."
Signal Mountain's Preston Worley was awarded the best match for his 7-6 loss to Greeneville's Ethan Sutton in the 195-pound final. It was the third straight runner-up finish for Worley.
Worley was one of four seniors for the Eagles who was called up as an eighth grader, along with Kevin Muschel, Kale Albritton and Daniel Uhorchuk. Muschel took third place at 182 on Wednesday, while Albritton fought hard but fell 11-9 in the semifinals and 16-14 in the third-place match at 138.
The Eagles qualified nine wrestlers for the tournament and eight of them medaled, including 120-pounder Noah Shriner, who was fourth, and 145-pounder Brock Shipley, who was sixth.
"Everything has kind of come full circle," Jellison said. "It's been amazing to see these guys grow and mature as wrestlers and people. You got to see the grand finale for some of them today and what they are made of. This is a special group."
Hixson finished fifth in the team standings with 110 points as Caleb Miller (fifth), Kobie Smith (fourth), Parrish Pacetti (third) and Landon Moore (fourth) medaled along with Lewis.
Whitwell's Brice Barton placed third, while teammates Benton Magourik, Mason Keel and Keanun Cummings were all fifth.
Other local state medalists included East Ridge's Perrin Clark (fourth), Red Bank's Kyle Harper (sixth) and Polk County's Benjamin Stone (sixth).
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.