NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There are tournaments that test depth. There are tournaments that test toughness. And then there is the Johnny Drennan ’85 Memorial Tournament at Father Ryan High School — a two-day crucible that exposes exactly who a program is when the lights burn hot, the brackets stretch deep, and nothing comes easy.
After one grueling day inside one of Tennessee’s most unforgiving wrestling environments, Blackman Wrestling walked off the mats not unscathed, but unshaken — firmly planted inside the Top 10 of a 57-team field, with 12 of 14 wrestlers still alive and momentum building as the tournament turns toward its decisive second day.
A Tournament That Doesn’t Forgive
The Drennan Memorial is not a tournament where survival is assumed. Day one alone demands that wrestlers fight through championship quarterfinals and deep consolation rounds, often against ranked opponents from across the Southeast and Midwest. Teams from Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Wisconsin flooded the brackets alongside Tennessee’s toughest public and private school programs.
Simply making it to Saturday is an accomplishment. Blackman didn’t just make it — they asserted themselves.
Entering with a full lineup across all 14 weight classes, the Blaze finished Day 1 with 103.5 team points, sitting 10th overall, surrounded by nationally recognized powers and perennial state contenders. The scoreboard told part of the story. The grit told the rest.
Setting the Tone Early
At 106 pounds, Germaia Ewida wasted no time announcing Blackman’s presence. After a first-round bye, Ewida tore through the bracket with a first-period fall and a dominant 17–0 technical fall before running headlong into Cleveland standout Ace Chittum in the quarterfinals. Even in defeat, Ewida’s work produced 9.5 critical team points, keeping him alive and dangerous moving forward.
One weight later, Mason Davison delivered an early jolt with a first-round pin before being pulled into the unforgiving churn of the consolation bracket — a reminder that no draw at Drennan comes without consequence.
Workman, McLean, and the Heart of the Lineup
If there was a constant for Blackman throughout the day, it was pressure — applied early and often.
At 120 pounds, Andrew Workman put together one of the most efficient performances of the tournament. Three straight bonus-point victories — including two falls and a tech — propelled him into the semifinals, totaling 16.5 team points. Workman’s three pins and techs came in just 3:52, one of the best combined times in the entire field.
At 144 pounds, Landon McLean authored one of the day’s most complete performances. Tech fall. Major decision. Two razor-thin decisions in the quarterfinals. McLean stacked up 13.5 team points, logged 58 total match points (tied for 4th overall), and posted a 21-point single-match performance, tying for eighth-best in the tournament.
McLean didn’t dominate — he endured. And at Drennan, endurance matters.
Violence in the Middle Weights
The middle of the lineup brought controlled chaos.
At 126 pounds, Thomas Connor Rose answered an early championship-round setback the only way the Drennan Memorial allows: by surviving. Rose battled through the consolation bracket with a fall and a medical forfeit, keeping his tournament alive and adding 7 valuable team points in a weight class loaded with state-level talent. His ability to regroup after adversity helped stabilize the middle of Blackman’s lineup as the day wore on.
Carter “Hitman” Hughes ignited the building at 132 pounds with the fastest fall of the tournament (0:13), followed by another pin before dropping a high-scoring 18–13 decision to Father Ryan’s Braxton Eason. Hughes responded the only way this tournament allows — by pinning his way forward, staying alive and banking 11 team points.
At 138, Douglas Barksdale continued the theme, scoring bonus points in three of his four bouts and adding 10.5 points to the team total.
At 150, Eli Goodin powered into the quarterfinals with a fall and a major decision before being halted by World Champion, National Champion, multiple State Title Winner Jordyn Raney from Union County, KY — another example of Blackman wrestlers consistently pushing into championship rounds against elite competition.
At 157 pounds, Abraham Nadeau provided a steady presence in the heart of the lineup. After opening with a first-round fall, Nadeau ran headlong into Ravenwood’s Maddox Eskew — one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the bracket — before being pulled into the grind that defines the Drennan Memorial. His 6 team points and willingness to wrestle forward against elite opposition helped maintain Blackman’s momentum through one of the tournament’s most volatile weight classes.
Heavyweights, Heavy Stakes
Further down the lineup, Blackman continued to scrap.
Trevor Steffy delivered a technical fall in under two minutes and posted the 17th-fastest tech fall of the tournament, while Aiden Pascoe, Ethan Clark, and Kyngston Russell each fought through consolation rounds to stay alive, refusing to let early setbacks end their weekends.
At 190 pounds, Jerison Daniel faced one of the toughest draws in the tournament, dropping early bouts but refusing to exit quietly. While the points didn’t come on Day 1, Daniel’s willingness to step back onto the mat against deep, physical competition reflected the kind of resolve required just to endure this event — a reminder that not every contribution shows up on the scoreboard.
By night’s end, Blackman had 40 wins against just 14 losses, good for a .740 winning percentage, ranking 10th overall — a statistic that underscored both consistency and depth.
By the Numbers — and Between the Lines
Blackman finished Day 1 ranked:
- 9th in most pins (13 in 30:15)
- 10th in tech falls
- 10th in combined pins and techs
- 9th in total match points (284)
Not flashy. Not dominant. Just relentless.
In a field led by national heavyweight McCallie and Ohio powerhouse Lake Catholic, Blackman didn’t try to win the tournament on Friday night. They positioned themselves to matter on Saturday morning.
Coach Heathcott expressed his optimism and appreciation for the competition at the Johnny Drennan.
“We love the competition this tournament always brings. Heck, Eli wrestled the best wrestler in the country at his weight class. Germaia wrestled a nationally ranked kid as well. We got tested early and often today and our boys were ready to apply the pressure right back. We’ve got a bunch of work to do tomorrow on a quick turnaround. We will be ready.
The Real Test Awaits
At the Johnny Drennan Memorial, Day 1 is about survival. Day 2 is about legacy.
Twelve Blackman wrestlers remain in the hunt. The margins will get thinner. The matches will get meaner. And the spotlight will get brighter.
Blackman has already proven they belong in it.
Saturday will decide how far they’re willing to go.