On Tuesday, January 26th, the wrestling team lost to Hixson with a devastating team score of 6-46. Coach Ryan Mallory sees room for improvement, but part of the reason the team did not wrestle as well as they should have is because of the weather.

“From a skill standpoint, we lost three opportunities to get better: two practices and a tournament. Missing those three days really hurt because at this point in the season, it is all about fine-tuning our technique. From a weight-management standpoint, we lost two opportunities to weigh-in. This is important because it keeps our wrestlers mindful of their weight,” explained Mallory.

Brian BJ Sledge and Isaac Coffman both won their matches Tuesday night. Coach Mallory has seen much improvement from these two over the course of the season. Mallory remains enthusiastic about state and believes many of the wrestlers have a high chance of taking home a medal.

“BJ wrestled better than he has all year. He still has to find his offense, and he has to wrestle continuously for 6 minutes, but he is on his way to qualifying for the state tournament for the third straight year,” added Mallory. “Isaac Coffman had two really solid matches. He keeps getting better every time out. He is hungry for a medal at the state tournament, and he is working his tail off to get one.”

Coffman has some individual skills he is working on to improve and prepare himself for state.

“I need to work on taking more shots than I normally do and keep constant pressure on my opponent. I have been working on being quicker as I wrestle,” Coffman shared.

The team may have suffered a rough loss, but they are working diligently and progressing each practice. State competition is just around the corner and the team needs encouragement from their peers. Cheer them on along with the Central Digest as they take on schools from all over Tennessee!