State of the Program ... Centennial (TN)
Centennial (TN)
Head Coach: Phillip Pelkey (entering 9th season)
Staff: Zach Pelkey, Eric Moore, Steven Fuller
Centennial struggled a bit in 2020-21 - only qualifying Alex Ables for the state tournament (very out of the ordinary for the Cougars). Obviously the 2020 Covid season was tough on different teams - in different ways and with the restrictions on qualifiers, etc. was a different “type” of season. Centennial returns 7 with region experience including 2021 freshmen Elijah Benfield, Elijah Weston, and Nathan Alcock who will look to punch their ticket as sophomores. Keep an eye on Ceron Campbell and Patrick Styblo - both should be in the hunt for a spot on the podium in 2022.
Getting a healthy Jackson Wynne Dossat back is big for the Cougars, but they need those younger wrestlers to step up and continue their development. Watch for Max Munson, Patrick Clingan, and Lane Lewis this season.
“Our goal as a team is the same every year and that is to win the region and make it to the state duals. After 3 straight trips to the TSSAA State Dual Championships (including back to back regional champs) we missed out on going last year. We finished the season 15-3 and lost about half the season so we are excited to get a full season back. We have a bunch of hard working guys in the room that are taking the challenge on. We understand that we are in a really tough deep region and have to bring our A game to every single practice and match we have.”