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Star Correspondent

Entering the 2024-2025 wrestling season, Elizabethton head coach is as excited as a child on Christmas morning—and for good reason.

For the first time in his coaching career at EHS, Morrell will fill each weight classification with wrestlers who have come up through the youth wrestling program. He also has several wrestlers he believes can be state qualifiers in both duals and individual competition.

“We are starting to reap the benefits of these kids coming up through the youth programs with this team,” Morrell said. “We have some freshmen that are going to be extremely competitive.

“We only have one senior on the team, Gavin Kodak, while everyone else is a junior or younger, with a vast majority being freshmen and sophomores.”

Morrell is realistic and understands that with so many freshmen and sophomores, the start of the season may be like a rocky road with several bumps and bruises. However, he is counting on the athleticism of this year’s team to compensate as the season progresses.

“We are going to take some lumps because we are young,” Morrell said. “For example, I have Brock Mosley in the 215 weight class, and he is a freshman. Anytime you cross that threshold between 135 pounds and up, you are a boy in a man’s land.”

The Cyclones will have several returners and others with youth league and middle school experience to set the tone for this season’s outcome.

“Kodak, along with Jacob Clevenger, who is in ninth grade and wrestled up as high as 157 pounds in eighth grade—I have him down to 132 pounds, and he placed at state at 157, so at 132 he should be going to the state tournament,” Morrell said, continuing to highlight others he will count on.

“Cooper Cole at 106 should have a decent shot, and the numbers at 106 work for you because you just don’t have as many wrestlers at that weight class. Cooper is dedicated, strong, and knowledgeable, so I feel good about him.

“Matthew Hehn is wrestling at 165 and played football at 190. He has been in the weight room all year round and has been looking forward to this day for a long time. With that kind of drive and dedication, I can see these kids going farther than people think they can.”

Morrell is also confident about his girls’ wrestling program, which returns a state qualifier in Sadie Kellerman.

“On the girls’ side, Sadie Kellerman is a returning state qualifier,” Morrell said. “For Sadie, there is nothing less than a medal—that’s her goal, and that is what we are going to push her to. On the girls’ side, if you are a solid athlete and have sound fundamentals, you can go far. We proved that with Sadie last year.

“Elizabeth Tucker is an upcoming freshman who wrestled in our middle school program, and she will wrestle at either 145 or 165 pounds. She is a very solid athlete.

“Natalie Kodak is a sophomore in the 114-pound class who wrestled for me in the youth program. She didn’t wrestle in middle school but has come back, and I am glad to have her. We are working on her fundamentals, repetition, and muscle memory. I feel like she can be competitive.”

Reviewing the region, Morrell said the top teams will continue to be Tennessee High and Greeneville. The Vikings will be reclassifying in 2025, but they still bring 55 wrestlers to the mats. Greeneville has a new head coach this season, and David Crockett can never be counted out, according to Morrell.

“I can see us being there in the thick of things,” Morrell said. “Will we compete for a regional title—possibly. I predict that we will definitely have more at state this year than last year. I am looking at three or four who can make it there.”

2024-2025 Elizabethton High School Wrestling Schedule
Nov. 9, 10:00 a.m. Science Hill Pre-Season @ Science Hill HS
Nov. 16, 10:00 a.m. West Ridge Tournament @ West Ridge HS
Nov. 22, 6:00 p.m. John S. Battle Pre-Season Quad @ John Battle HS
Nov. 30, 10:00 a.m. Rising Stars @ Greeneville HS
Dec. 3, 6:00 p.m. Virginia HS, Tazewell HS @ Virginia HS
Dec. 4, 6:00 p.m. Quad: Avery County, East Burke, East Wilkes @ Avery County HS
Dec. 7, 9:00 a.m. Border Duals @ Viking Hall
Dec. 10, 6:00 p.m. Chuckey-Doak, West Ridge @ Chuckey-Doak HS
Dec. 13-14, TBD Indian Classic @ TRIBE Athletic Complex
Dec. 18, 6:00 p.m. Holston, Marion, Richland @ Holston HS
Dec. 19, 6:30 p.m. Sullivan East @ EHS
Dec. 19, TBD Girls Only – Sullivan East @ Sullivan East HS
Dec. 28, 10:00 a.m. Girls Only – Volunteer HS @ Volunteer HS
Dec. 31, 6:00 p.m. Volunteer Quad @ Volunteer HS
Jan. 3-4, TBD Brawl in the Hall @ Viking Hall
Jan. 7, 6:30 p.m. Volunteer, Eastside, Greeneville @ EHS
Jan. 7, 6:30 p.m. Girls Only – David Crockett @ EHS
Jan. 9, 6:00 p.m. West Ridge HS @ West Ridge HS
Jan. 10-11, TBD Fandetti @ Science Hill
Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m. Jefferson County, Providence Academy, David Crockett @ EHS
Jan. 16, 6:00 p.m. Quad: Morristown East, Morristown West @ Morristown East HS
Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. Klock Duals @ EHS
Jan. 25, 9:00 a.m. Boys JV Round Robins & Girls Round Robins @ Alcoa HS
Feb. 8, TBD Regional Individuals @ Volunteer HS
Feb. 15, TBD Boys District Individuals @ Chuckey-Doak HS
Feb. 15, TBD Girls District Individuals @ Northview Academy
Feb. 21, TBD State Tournament @ Nashville
March 8, TBD Freshman/JV State Tournament @ Nashville