Murfreesboro, Tenn. | January 2026
The Blackman Blaze traveled to Oakland High School on Tuesday night knowing exactly what was at stake. With a win over crosstown rival Siegel, Blackman would secure the TSSAA District 8 Dual Championship — and the Blaze delivered.
Oakland was originally scheduled as part of the evening, but with Blackman set to wrestle Oakland again next week at the Region Duals, the decision was made to wrestle just one dual on the night. That one dual was all the Blaze needed.
The night opened with the Blackman girls, who continued their strong season by going a perfect 3–0 against Siegel and setting the tone early.
From there, the boys took over — and they did not disappoint. Starting at 175, Blackman wrestled with intensity from the opening whistle and controlled every contested match. The Blaze won every bout that was wrestled, piling up pins, technical falls, and more pins throughout the lineup. Highlights included lightning-quick pins from Ethan Clark (0:22), Mason Davison (0:51), Trevor Steffy (0:40), and Andrew Workman (0:47), along with dominant technical falls by Kyngston Russell and Germaia Ewida.
At 190 and 215, Blackman was forced to forfeit with both starters sidelined due to the flu. With the team preparing to travel this weekend and again next week, it was best to not to risk further exposure. Those forfeits accounted for the only points scored by Siegel.
Siegel forfeited multiple matches against Blackman — including bouts involving several of Blackman’s top wrestlers — before later fielding a full lineup against Oakland after the Blaze had departed. While speculation circulated regarding seed protection for the upcoming region tournament, it was disappointing not to see those Blaze standouts compete.
Blackman remained focused and took care of business across the board. The final score, 67–12, sealed the night and officially crowned the Blaze as the TSSAA District 8 Dual Champions.
Several wrestlers even found humor in the final score, noting the significance of “67” given all the hype surrounding 6-7 this year — something that didn’t go unnoticed at the conclusion of the dual.
With the district title secured, the Blaze now turn their attention to the postseason.
This weekend, Blackman also heads east to Halls High School for the Chris Vandergriff Duals, where the Blaze will see strong competition from Halls, Dobyns Bennett, Page, Maryville, David Crockett, Heritage, and Powell. This will be the last contest of the regular season. The trip provides a valuable opportunity to measure themselves against teams from the East which they don’t typically see until the state tournament.
On January 22, Blackman will travel to Warren County for the Region 4 Duals. As the No. 1 seed from District 8, the Blaze will face the No. 2 seed from the opposing district in the opening round — expected to be Oakland. If Blackman advances, they will likely face Warren County, the host and projected district champion, in the regional final. Stewarts Creek finished as the No. 2 team in District 8 and will represent the Blaze’s district on the opposite side of the bracket.
The Blaze are rolling into postseason wrestling with momentum, confidence, and a district championship in hand.
2026 District Champs Blackman Blaze – Box Score – Blackman 67, Siegel 12
175: Ethan Clark (BHS) over Gervin Murga Castillo (SHS) (Fall 0:22)
190: Gideon Fowler (SHS) over (BHS) (For.)
215: Ryder Sparbel (SHS) over (BHS) (For.)
285: Kyngston Russell (BHS) over Bennett Morris (SHS) (TF 18-1, 4:00)
106: Mason Davison (BHS) over Amos Fontaine (SHS) (Fall 0:51)
113: Germaia Ewida (BHS) over Cooper David (SHS) (TF 16-1, 4:12)
120: Andrew Workman (BHS) over Cooper Stout (SHS) (Fall 0:47)
126: Connor Rose (BHS) over Jaden Nunez (SHS) (Fall 1:16)
132: Carter Hughes (BHS) over (SHS) (For.)
138: Douglas Barksdale (BHS) over Aiden Roberts (SHS) (Fall 1:39)
144: Landon McLean (BHS) over (SHS) (For.)
150: Eli Goodin (BHS) over (SHS) (For.)
157: Abraham Nadeau (BHS) over Josef Helle (SHS) (Dec 8-5)
165: Trevor Steffy (BHS) over Armando Tapia (SHS) (Fall 0:40)