The Tallassee wrestling team will forever go down in history with the plethora of accolades it accrued this year.
The Tigers ended the season with a perfect 43-0, 13 state qualifiers and five individual state championships, all accumulating in a state championship for the squad. At the helm of the operations is John Mask, the 2025 Elmore County Wrestling Coach of the Year.
Mask has been a part of Tallassee wrestling for the past 25 years, serving as head coach for 23 years. Even with a revolving door of seniors departing, one thing remains consistent — Tallassee will remain at the top, proving it is all a testament to the culture Mask has created with the Tigers.
“Last year we graduated eight seniors and the year before that, we graduated eight seniors,” Mask said. “So even though we lose those seniors every year, the expectations don't change. This year's seniors and I mention Land (Bell), Mason Nelson and Jude Rogers. The legacy they leave behind is the way they led this year and the expectations and the way they support one another and love one another.”
Of course, the senior class leaves a lasting impact with how they lead their underclassman, but they also led Tallassee to another milestone for the program.
“A lot of people may not realize it, but in dual matches, we haven't lost in 151 regular-season matches,” Mask said. “I mean, this senior group has led Tallassee to 151 straight wins in the last four years of the regular season. The senior class in the last four years, they are 141-3, and the only three losses are coming in the playoffs of the dual state championship and those are in the finals.”
Heading into this year, the team had a list of things they wanted to accomplish and through the year slowly but surely checked every box.
“The senior group, their expectations going in was, we're going to win it all,” Mask said. “We're going to win the team dual title and the individual, in Huntsville, win that one the Blue Mat. They were the driving force, the seniors, pretty much would reiterate what I said at every practice. They would have their own meetings and reiterate it. And they really drove home to everybody that the expectations were to win it all.”
Tallassee’s strong performances were not just limited to Alabama. Mask carefully constructed a schedule in which his wrestlers would take on other teams from neighboring states, where yet again, Tallassee finished on top.
“In Alabama, there are different wrestling styles,” Mask said. “You have some teams that ride legs, some teams that's more neutral, they do different takedowns. So going and seeing teams from all across the southeast, to me, helps better prepare the men that when they do see the best in Alabama; they’re ready; they feel confident; they've seen it all. They're prepared.”
The Tigers will lose seven seniors from this year's squad, but even so, the expectations will not change. The rising seniors will have the same goals as the class before them, with the trend flowing all the way down to the middle school level.
“Next year, when we lose these seven seniors, the ones coming back, and then the ones that've been in second-third string, are gonna step up,” Mask said “We're going to expect no less. We're going to expect to keep winning. That's the culture, and that's what we expect here. The seniors next year, Avery Brantley, Tra’Mel (McCoy) and Nolan (Addeo), those guys are going to push the younger guys, the ones that maybe didn't start, and they're going to let them know we don't expect anything less than you to come in and win and give your best and keep growing in the sport.”
