Cleveland, Tenn. | December 2025
Day 2 of the 2025 Bradley Invitational delivered a historic finish for Blackman wrestling. Against a 33-team field loaded with ranked programs, the Blaze crowned two champions, and 4 other medalists! Blackman piled up bonus points across the lineup, and surged to a program-best 3rd-place team finish with 198.5 points — the highest finish Blackman has ever recorded at Bradley.
After sitting 4th at the end of Day 1, Blackman made a major move on Saturday, closing the gap on the top two teams and finishing just 13 points out of first place.
Morning Grind: Consolations Set the Tone
Day 2 opened with consolation rounds, and Blackman wasted no time building momentum. Wrestlers who had suffered narrow losses on Friday responded with grit, stacking wins and bonus points early in the day. Pins, tech falls, and tough decisions added up quickly and began to close the gap on the teams ahead.
This stretch of the tournament is often the most demanding — short rest, back-to-back matches, and no margin for error. The Blaze leaned into it, with multiple wrestlers stringing together wins to keep themselves alive.
Semifinals – Two Blaze Punch Finals Tickets
At 11:00 AM, the spotlight shifted to the championship semifinals, where Blackman had two wrestlers still unbeaten.
- Andrew Workman (126) advanced to the finals after receiving a medical forfeit, preserving his energy and keeping the Blaze rolling.
- Landon McLean (144) followed with a statement performance, controlling the match and earning a major decision to book his place in the finals.
With two finalists secured, Blackman’s title hopes were officially alive — but the bulk of the day’s points were still to be decided.
The Blood Round: Medal Dreams on the Line
As the tournament moved deeper into Saturday, attention turned to Consolation Round 5 — the blood round. Win, and a wrestler guarantees a medal. Lose, and the tournament ends one match short of the podium.
Blackman had several wrestlers fighting in these high-pressure matches:
- Eli Goodin (150) delivered one of the day’s biggest moments, winning his blood round match by tech fall and launching a run that would end with a third-place finish.
- Carter Hughes (132) battled through the consolations, winning his blood round match with a pin and securing a top-six finish.
- Douglas Barksdale (138) powered through the blood round pinning Hicks from Warren County and ultimately claimed fifth place.
- Peyton Pickens (157) won his blood round bout with a Fall over Bremen and continued on to place sixth.
Not every match went Blackman’s way.
- Mason Davison (106) and Germaia Ewida (113) both fought into the blood round and came up just short in hard-fought losses, narrowly missing the podium after strong weekends.
- Trevor Steffy (165) also fell in the round just short of placing after putting together multiple wins earlier in the day.
Those losses stung, but they were also emblematic of how deep Blackman wrestled into the tournament — with athletes competing late into Saturday afternoon across nearly every weight class.
Placement Matches: Points Pile Up
Once the medalists were set, Blackman continued to score in the placement rounds:
- Goodin capped his run by winning the third-place match, avenging an earlier loss.
- Hughes wrestled in the third-place match after an impressive consolation surge.
- Barksdale finished strong with a pin in the fifth-place match.
Every win added to the scoreboard, and by the time the finals arrived, Blackman had climbed firmly into third place.
Champions Rise to the Top
Blackman was led by two dominant championship performances, both built on bonus points and big-match execution.
Andrew Workman (126) – Champion
Workman capped an outstanding tournament with a Bradley Invitational title at 126 pounds, scoring 33 team points along the way.
- Opened with two quick falls in less than 2 minutes
- Advanced to the finals via medical forfeit in the semifinals
- Closed the tournament with a commanding 11–2 major decision in the championship match over GA State placer Mikey Castro.
Workman was in control all weekend and consistently delivered bonus points when the team needed them most.
Landon McLean (144) – Champion
McLean put together one of the most impressive individual runs of the tournament, finishing 21-0 and scoring a team-high 34.5 points.
- Three straight pins to reach the semifinals
- Major decision in the semifinals
- Tech fall in the finals to secure the title over Soddy Daisy State Champ Ayden Jenkins.
McLean wrestled a complete tournament, defeating high-level opponents and setting the tone for the Blaze on Day 2.
Big Finishes Across the Lineup
Blackman’s depth showed throughout Saturday as multiple wrestlers fought deep into the consolation rounds and placed:
- Eli Goodin (150) – 3rd Place, 30 team points
Goodin put together a tremendous bounce-back run, winning six straight consolation matches, including multiple tech falls, and capped it with a decisive win in the third-place match, avenging his only loss against Soddy Daisy’s Colin Bull. - Carter Hughes (132) – 4th Place, 27 team points
Ask any Coach, “Carter Hughes is a dawg!” There is no doubt as Hughes recorded four pins on the weekend and battled all the way back to the third-place match after an early loss in the quarterfinals. - Douglas Barksdale (138) – 5th Place, 22.5 team points
Barksdale responded after a quarterfinal loss with a strong consolation run. He had a Fall and a Tech Fall before a narrow loss in the Coni-Semis, finishing with a pin in the fifth-place match. - Peyton Pickens (157) – 6th Place, non scoring
Pickens wrestled deep into Saturday, stacking wins and bonus points through the consolations. He reeled off 4 in a row before running into tough late-round competition.
Key Contributors & Gritty Performances
Several Blaze wrestlers played important roles by battling back, winning key matches, and adding crucial team points:
- Mason Davison (106) – multiple pins and a strong consolation run
- Germaia Ewida (113) – tech fall and multiple close wins against quality opponents
- Trevor Steffy (165) – four straight consolation wins
- Luke Fisher (144) – tech fall and major decision
- Aiden Pascoe (215) – Saturday pin in consolations
- Kyngston Russell (285) – heavyweight pin and hard-fought matches
Every point mattered in a tight team race, and Blackman consistently found ways to score.
Final Team Standings (Top 10)
- Huntsville – 211.5
- Bradley Central – 205.0
- Blackman – 198.5
- Athens – 172.5
- Warren County – 170.0
- McCallie – 161.0
- Science Hill – 141.0
- Soddy Daisy – 134.0
- Knoxville Halls – 101.5
- Walker Valley – 99.5
A Statement Weekend
Blackman proved it belongs with the state’s elite programs. With two champions, multiple placers, and contributions from top to bottom, the Blaze were firmly in the title hunt until the final rounds.
In a tournament where lineup decisions and depth often decide championships, Blackman left no doubt about its growth and ceiling. The team walked away proud, battle-tested, and having posted its best Bradley Invitational finish ever.
Coach Heathcott praised the team’s performance
“Proud is an understatement here at the halfway point of the season. We came in busted, sick, a little short handed but these guys made no excuses. Everyone competed and left it all out there. They were in each others corners all day and their bond is something special. As a coach this is everything you want. A lot of these guys are finding next level success because they earned it. They have made the deposits necessary and it’s there when they need it. We are gonna take a little break, enjoy the holidays and come back recharged and refocused.“
A special weekend, a special effort — and a benchmark performance for the program!!. Go Blaze!!
Previous Year Bradley Finishes
- 2024 – 18th
- 2023 – 4th
- 2022 – 5th
- 2021 – 12th
- 2020 – COVID
- 2019 – 5th
- 2018 – 6th
- 2017 – 4th
- 2016 – 7th
- 2015 – 13th