By Michael Butler

Tallassee senior wrestler Aiden Bridgman knew what was at stake.

“I got told by a teammate that if I win, we clinch.”

It was nitty-gritty time in Birmingham with Tallassee holding a narrow lead over Oak Grove in the AHSAA Class 1A-4A Championship when Bridgman stepped on the mat for the 140-pound match.

“I started to fall behind,” Bridgman said, “but I still had that thought in my head knowing that if I win, we are back-to-back champs for the first time in school history.”

It was a moment of despair indeed with Bridgman trailing by five with less than 30 seconds remaining in the final period.

“I pushed through adversity. I hit a move putting him on his back to put me back in the lead. I wouldn’t have been in this position without God.”

The victory was the program’s fourth state championship under head coach John Mask.

“First and foremost, I want to thank God,” said Mask, who also gave praise to his assistant coaches, athletic department and administration. “They pour time and effort into these kids every single day. I can’t say enough about our athletes. They work extremely hard. They show character and discipline.”

Tallassee (38-1) beat Oak Grove 42-30 for the blue trophy. Its 34-26 win over Alexandria in the semifinal gave Mask his 700th win as a head coach.

“This success is built on the foundation laid by former wrestlers over the years,” Mask said. “We don’t win without the commitment and hard work of these kids. Our culture in the wrestling room continues to thrive.”

The Tigers still have some season left with Senior Night next week and the traditional state finals in Huntsville next month. Tallassee swept both titles last year and had five individual champions crowned in the Rocket City.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team and the hard work we’ve put in all season,” said junior Thomas Patterson, who won the 106-pound title in Huntsville last year. “It means the world to me to see all our effort pay off. For us to be back-to-back champions means even more.”

State Championship Call on WTLS

Schedule/Results

State Finals Results
159 pounds: Brady Adams (Tallassee) over Brantley Thomas (Oak Grove) Fall 1:54
167 pounds: Tra’mel McCoy (Tallassee) won by forfeit
177 pounds: Ethan Jones (Oak Grove) over Hamp Love (Tallassee) TF 18-3
192 pounds: Troy Kelley (Tallassee) over Rylan Covin (Oak Grove) TF 29-9
217 pounds: Brooks Covin (Oak Grove) over AJ Henry (Tallassee) Fall 5:20
287 pounds: Grayson Cole (Tallassee) over Jack Scott (Oak Grove) Fall 2:51
108 pounds: Christian Hill (Oak Grove) over Braxton Alvarez (Tallassee) Maj 11-2
115 pounds: Thomas Patterson (Tallassee) over Case Scoggins (Oak Grove) Fall 0:58
122 pounds: Kellen Mitchell (Oak Grove) over Dylan Alvarez (Tallassee) TF 18-3
128 pounds: Dylan Price (Tallassee) over Kason Yancey (Oak Grove) Fall 0:46
134 pounds: David Hill (Oak Grove) over Karter Armstrong (Tallassee) TF 16-0
140 pounds: Aiden Bridgman (Tallassee) over Skylar Mobley (Oak Grove) Dec 13-12
146 pounds: Micah Woodman (Oak Grove) over Stephen Bridgman (Tallassee) TF 16-1
152 pounds: Avery Brantley (Tallassee) over Luke Wilson (Oak Grove) Maj 17-4