Franklin, TN | February 2026
The 2026 TWSA State Tournament kicked off at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning, and Blackman High School opened the day with five wrestlers in championship action.
First Round – Championship Round of 16
106 lbs – Germaia Ewida vs. Nettleton (Arlington)
Blackman began the day with Germaia Ewida, who faced Gabe Nettleton from Arlington High School.
The match was tight from the start. Late in the first period, Nettleton earned a takedown, but Ewida answered with a reversal before the buzzer, ending the period 3–2. The rest of the match turned into a defensive grind. Ewida fought hard for a third-period escape that would have tied the match, but couldn’t break free, falling in a narrow 3–2 decision.
120 lbs – Drew Workman vs. Caden Acuff (Knoxville Halls)
Blackman’s momentum quickly shifted in the next match, where Drew Workman took on Caden Acuff from Knoxville Halls High School.
Drew dominated from the start, securing an early takedown and then pinning Acuff at 1:38 of the first period—an emphatic win and a strong start to his tournament.
138 lbs – Doug Barksdale vs. Gary Boyd (Hendersonville)
Next up, Doug Barksdale faced Gary Boyd of Hendersonville High School.
Boyd, short and compact, contrasted sharply with Barksdale’s tall, lean frame. Doug broke through with a takedown late in the first period, added a slick duck-under takedown in the second, and after a quick escape by Boyd, finished with a final takedown late in the match. He earned a convincing 9–1 victory.
144 lbs – Landon McLean vs. Leland Moranski (Clarksville)
Top-seeded Landon McLean opened his tournament against Leland Moranski from Clarksville High School.
McLean controlled the match throughout, scoring two takedowns before finishing the bout with a pin at the one-minute mark, securing a smooth advance to the quarterfinals.
150 lbs – Eli Goodin vs. Bryson Wilhjelm (Science Hill)
Rounding out the first round, Eli Goodin faced Bryson Wilhjelm of Science Hill High School.
The first period ended scoreless, and Wilhjelm chose bottom to start the second. Goodin capitalized, turning him for three nearfall points. In the third, Eli added four more nearfall points to take a commanding 7–0 lead before Wilhelm earned a late reversal. Goodin closed out a solid 7–2 win.
After Round 1:
Blackman advanced four of five wrestlers to the quarterfinals, with Ewida dropping into the consolation bracket.
Quarterfinals – Championship Round of 16
120 lbs – Workman vs. Christian Hernandez-Perez (West Creek)
Workman opened the quarterfinals against Christian Hernandez-Perez of West Creek High School.
Drew scored takedowns at will—one at 0:11, another at 1:30, and a third shortly after—before pinning Hernandez-Perez at 1:08. The win guaranteed him a medal and sent him to the semifinals against Jack Howard of Bartlett High School.
144 lbs – McLean vs. Trapper Lippincott (Nolensville)
McLean’s quarterfinal was a rematch with Trapper Lippincott from Nolensville High School, who had pinned him earlier in the season.
After a scoreless first period, Lippincott escaped to lead 1–0. McLean answered with an early third-period takedown, allowed an escape, then sealed the match with a late takedown to win 6–3—avenging the earlier loss and earning a trip to the semifinals.
150 lbs – Goodin vs. James Sink (Kirkwood)
Goodin faced James Sink of Kirkwood High School, who had beaten him twice already this year.
Sink stormed ahead 9–4 after one, but Goodin chipped away in the second, closing the gap to 9–8. Sink escaped early in the third to lead 10–8, and as the clock wound down, Gooden trailed by two. With one second remaining, Eli scored the winning takedown to pull off a dramatic 11–10 comeback and reach the semifinals.
After the Quarterfinals:
Blackman earned three state medalists as Workman, McLean, and Goodin all advanced to the semifinals.
Consolation Round – First Round
106 lbs – Germaia Ewida vs. Adriel Roland (Harding Valley)
In consolations, Ewida met Adriel Roland from Harding Valley.
Ewida led 5–0 through two periods, then exploded in the third with takedowns and nearfall to earn a dominant 16–0 technical fall, advancing to the next round tomorrow.
Semifinals – Friday Night Session
120 lbs – Drew Workman vs. Jack Howard (Bartlett)
Workman returned to face Bartlett freshman Howard, who proved stronger than expected. Drew struck first with a late first-period takedown, then added another early in the second to go up 6–0 before giving up a reversal. Howard chose top in the third, but Workman reversed him and closed out an 8–2 victory—earning a spot in the state finals for the second straight year.
144 lbs – Landon McLean vs. Kaden Clopton (Science Hill)
McLean met Kaden Clopton of Science Hill.
The first period ended 0–0, and the second began with immediate controversy as a caution and a stalling call were issued in the first eight seconds. Clopton escaped for a 1–0 lead, but McLean quickly scored a takedown and transitioned straight into a pinning combination, earning the fall with 1:24 left.
McLean moved into the state finals for the second consecutive year.
150 lbs – Eli Goodin vs. Ryan Dietrich (Ravenwood)
Goodin closed the semifinal session against Ryan Dietrich of Ravenwood High School, a two-time state medalist.
Dietrich took control early with a takedown and nearfall for a 7–0 first-period lead. Eli rode him out the entire second period, but Dietrich surged in the third with a takedown and two four-point nearfalls to secure an 18–0 technical fall.
Goodin moves into the consolation semifinals tomorrow with a third place medal still within reach.
End of Day 1 Summary
Blackman began the tournament with five wrestlers—and all five are still alive heading into Day 2.
- Two finalists: Drew Workman (120) and Landon McLean (144)
- Three wrestlers in the consolation rounds: Eli Goodin (150), Germaia Ewida (106), and Doug Barksdale (138)
It was a strong, high-energy opening day marked by comebacks, avenged losses, and three state medalists already secured. Blackman enters Saturday with championship opportunities and multiple medal paths ahead.
GO BLAZE!!