Tuesday, November 20 will be a day coach Garrick Hall remembers for the rest of his life.
He took his Hixson wrestling team to Crossville to face teams from Cookeville and Stone Memorial.
The Wildcats won both, beating the Cavaliers by a 42-27 final before topping the Panthers by a 52-27 margin, handing Hall his 300th dual-meet victory in the process.
“It took a while, but I finally got it,” Hall said during a cell phone conversation while his team was on the bus coming home Tuesday night.
“I thought we did well as we approached this strictly as a business trip. I challenged them on the way up and they took it to heart. We had lost to Stone Memorial by three points last year and we had to be ready, but a lot of younger kids stepped up and looked better than I expected for our first two matches of the season.
“I’m really excited about the season. We have a bunch of walking wounded right now. We’re young in spots and might not be a good dual-meet team, but we have a chance to do well in tournaments. These guys worked hard all summer and I’m proud we could get started with two big wins,” Hall added.
This is Hall’s 13th season as the Hixson head coach. During that time, his teams have won two state titles with teams in 2009 and 2010 winning state duals championships and his team in 2014 winning a traditional title.
The Wildcats will be in action on Saturday when they host the Vandergriff Duals at Hixson High and Hixson Middle Schools. First match is set to begin about 10 a.m.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)