Nick SardisThe Oklahoman
ENID — The expectations are always high for Tuttle wrestling.
The Tigers entered Friday with 14 straight dual state titles — a state record — and 20 overall since the tournament began in 1989.
Anything short of a championship is simply unfathomable for the team’s wrestlers.
“A couple of years ago, some young kids and parents put it in perspective,” said Tuttle principal and former wrestling coach Matt Surber, who led the Tigers to 11 straight dual state crowns before stepping down. “Their kid knew nothing different from pre-k all the way through that Tuttle was state champion.”
Tuttle added to its dynasty Friday at Stride Bank Center but also made history in the process.
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The Tigers defeated Cushing 44-14 in the Class 4A finals, passing Perry for the most dual state championships in state history.
“It’s awesome, especially for Coach Surber and Coach (Bobby) Williams taking over for him, he’s done a great job,” Tuttle senior 215-pounder Cody Abston said. “So just keeping the legacy going, it’s great.”
Tuttle advanced to the finals after beating Poteau 55-16 in the quarterfinals and posting a 59-15 victory against Sulphur in the semifinals.
In the championship, Cushing struck first as 190-pounder Tyler Hockett beat Noah McDoulett via a 10-2 major decision, but Tuttle won the next five matches as heavyweight Jace Warren, 106-pounder Maxwell Bradley and 120-pounder Chance Fisher each pinned their opponent, while Abston and 113-pounder Cooper Jackson won with decisions.
Tuttle’s other winners were 132-pounder Bode Wilson (decision), 144-pounder Beau Hickman (pin), 150-pounder Beau Tinder (decision), 157-pounder Eli Probst (decision) and 175-pounder Ethan Teague (technical fall).
“I thought we stayed behind each other as a team really well,” Abston said. “Wrestled hard through positions and just wrestled really well as a team all day.”
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Tuttle never really felt threatened in any of its duals Friday.
The Tigers are on another level when it comes to wrestling in Class 4A.
“It was fun,” Williams said. “Guys wrestled well and took care of business today.”
Williams wrestled for Surber during his high school wrestling days before serving as Surber’s assistant.
Williams is in his fourth season as the head coach, and the Tigers haven’t slowed down one bit during that time.
“Just really proud of the continued legacy that we’ve had,” Surber said. “It was a great foundation that was first laid by Coach (Greg) Henning and I came in and kind of continued it on. And now Coach Williams has. We’ve got a great fan base. Our kids understand. They don’t take it for granted. They put in a lot of work.”
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Class 6A: Edmond North wins first dual state title since 2013
Tuttle was dominant Friday, but Edmond North’s championship victory was even more lopsided.
The Class 6A Huskies defeated Bixby 51-9 in the finals as they claimed their second dual state title in school history and first since 2013.
Edmond North smoked Deer Creek in the quarterfinals with a 75-0 victory and beat two-time defending dual state champion Stillwater 51-13 in the semifinals.
“We come in as the one seed, so the first dual we know we’re favored,” Edmond North coach Andy Schneider said. “But you still — the guys got to show up and wrestle. I thought they did that. A great job. Competition builds in the semifinals. Nice to get a win over Stillwater because we got beat by them a couple times last year.”
In the finals, five Edmond North wrestlers — Madden Skidmore (113 pounds), Hunter Hollingsworth (138), Joseph Jeter (150), Kody Rutledge (157), and Ricky Thomas (heavyweight) — pinned their opponents.
Winning via major decision were Jake Goodin (106), Layton Schneider (144) and Oscar Williams (215), while Devon Miller (120), Hudson Hackbarth (132) and Brayden Lucas (165) won by decision.
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A championship victory had kept evading Edmond North’s seniors, but they got over the hump Friday. The Huskies advanced to the semifinals in 2021 and 2022 before losing in the finals last season.
“I think that our work in the room leading up to now has really progressed over the years,” said Thomas, who will continue his career at OU. “Our drilling, our lives get harder and harder every week.”
Edmond North had ample motivation leading up to this point.
The Huskies’ losses last season at dual state and the state tournament stung, and they were determined to outwork everyone following those defeats.
“It’s awesome to finally get it done,” said Hollingsworth, an OU signee. “It’s been a couple years coming. We’ve had some close losses and years where we thought we could have pulled it out and things didn’t go our way, lost some matches that we shouldn’t have lost or lost some 50-50 matches, but it’s definitely awesome to finally get it done and be able to say that we won dual state.”
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Class 6A: Edmond North 51, Bixby 9 (final)
Edmond North wins its first dual state since 2013 and second in school history. The Huskies finished strong as Layton Schneider (144 pounds) earned a 12-4 major decision over Tharyn Hausler before Joseph Jeter pinned Rhys Novosad at 150 and Kody Rutledge pinned Kai Yagami at 157. Edmond North 165-pounder Brayden Lucas beat Colton Kaiser in a 7-5 decision before the final match of the night, which featured a pair of 175-pounders who are signed with OU. Bixby’s Clay Giddens-Buttram came out on top with a 3-1 decision over Jude Randall.
Class 4A: Tuttle 44, Cushing 14 (final)
Tuttle passes Perry for the most dual state titles in state history with 21. The Tigers, who have claimed 15 straight dual state crowns, lost at 138 pounds as Cushing's Andy Collier defeated Kole Parker via a 4-2 decision, but Tuttle won four of the next five matches. Tuttle’s Beau Hickman pinned Cash Stapleton at 144 before Beau Tinder notched a 5-2 decision over Bryce Ward at 150 and Eli Probst earned a 4-2 decision over Tevin Minney at 157. Cushing 165-pounder Beau Lane beat Carter Keesee in a 9-1 major decision, but Ethan Teague recorded a 23-8 technical fall against Kellen Fry to extend Tuttle's lead.
Class 6A updates: Edmond North 32, Bixby 6
Edmond North is pulling away. OU signee Hunter Hollingsworth extended the Huskies’ lead to 32-6 as he pinned Gabe Blankenship at 138 pounds. Before that, Edmond North 132-pounder Hudson Hackbarth won via a 2-1 decision over Isaiah Jones following Bixby 126-pounder Gage Walker’s 10-4 decision against Garrison Sartain. Edmond North’s Devon Miller beat Colden Dyer via a 6-2 decision, and Madden Skidmore dominated for the Huskies at 113, pinning Keller Roach.
Class 4A updates: Tuttle 27, Cushing 7
Tuttle has continued to roll. At 113 pounds, Cooper Jackson added three points to the Tigers’ total as he earned a 7-0 decision over Aydin Machado. Tuttle’s Chance Fisher pinned Cole Vaughan at 120 before Cushing 126-pounder Iziah Tusler defeated Ryelend Slover via a 9-4 decision. Bode Wilson won at 132 for Tuttle, notching a 10-6 decision over Jason Blocker.
Class 6A updates: Edmond North 14, Bixby 3
Bixby started strong as Hank Puckett defeated RL Young in a 9-4 decision at 190 pounds, but Edmond North bounced back as Oscar Williams, a Maryland signee, earned a 13-4 major decision over Justin Kirk at 215. Heavyweight Ricky Thomas, who will continue his career at OU, added to Edmond North’s lead as he pinned Garrett Ritter, and Edmond North 106-pounder Jake Goodin notched a 12-4 major decision over Caleb Crawford.
Class 4A updates: Tuttle 15, Cushing 4
Tuttle lost its first match as Cushing 190-pounder Tyler Hockett earned a 10-2 major decision over Noah McDoulett at 190 pounds, but the Tigers responded with three straight victories. Tuttle 215-pounder Cody Abston beat Michael Cruz in a 3-0 decision before heavyweight Jace Warren pinned Kade Ralston and 106-pounder Maxwell Bradley pinned Owen Collier.
