BY JESSE SMITHEY
Repeating as state champions is supposed to be a difficult feat.
Lakeway Christian Academy’s wrestling program did it with ease Saturday afternoon at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin, Tenn.
The Lions trounced Chattanooga Christian, 51-30, in the Division II-A/AA championship match to further its dominance in the dual state meet, though the school is still very much a newcomer to TSSAA athletics.
Lakeway has now made four consecutive state dual appearances and has won three state dual wrestling championships (2022, 2024, 2025). In 2023, Lakeway finished state runner-up.
The Lions finished the 2024-25 state dual season with a 16-2 record.
They opened Saturday with a semifinal match against Battle Ground Academy but cruised to a 56-21 victory.
In the finale, Lakeway met Chattanooga Christian School, having beaten them in 2022 for the program’s first championship. And the Lions got 4.0 points or more in nine of the weight classes to coast to victory.
The following wrestlers earned points for Lakeway in Saturday’s title round: Cameron Helton (144 weight), Trenton Casto (150), Brody Casto (165), Jay Eversole (190), Hannah Hawkins (106), Cade Riddle (113), Luke Kibelbek (126), Cole Gumlick (132), and Kaden Dressel (138).
The traditional TSSAA State Wrestling tournaments will be held Feb. 21-22 at the Expo Center in Franklin, Tenn.
IN OTHER AREA STATE DUAL RESULTS…
Pigeon Forge fell in the Division I, Class A, winner’s bracket semifinals, 47-26 to Signal Mountain. But the Tigers rebounded. They knocked off Anderson County, 33-32, in a consolation bracket match. And then topped Tullahoma, 49-28, to claim third place overall in Division I-A.
Knoxville Halls reached the Division I, Class AA, winner’s bracket semifinals but dropped a tough contest to then a one-loss Summit program by a 45-27 mark. Ravenwood then ousted Halls in the consolation bracket, preventing the Red Devils (18-9) from possibly reaching the third-place match.
In girls duals, Maryville finished in fourth place. Halls reached the winner’s bracket semifinals but fell to Clarksville. The Lady Red Devils then lost to 37-36 to Maryville in the consolation bracket semifinals. West Creek beat Maryville in the third-place match.