Blackman wrestling team enjoys success despite practicing for two years in barn

Blackman senior wrestler Landon Fowler will attempt to earn his second consecutive state individual title in the 170-pound division this weekend at the TSSAA state tournament at Franklin's Williamson Ag & Expo Center.

It's a feat he will have to accomplish without using the team's wrestling facility for two years. Located behind Blackman Middle and just across the street from Blackman High, the facility was all but wiped out in a fire in July 2017.

"We haven't practiced in our old building in a long time," said Fowler. "I had been practicing there since I was 3. It was very nice having that. But we get our practices in."

How do the Blaze get their practices in? They can thank Murfreesboro's publicly owned Lane Agri-Park.

Blackman has been practicing at the Agri-Park's Livestock center since the fire displaced the team.

"We are grateful to them," said Blackman wrestling coach Ronnie Bray. The city typically charges $500 a day to rent the facility but offered it to the Blaze for free, Bray said.

"We knew we were going to be displaced, and the high school has so many clubs and sports, there was absolutely no room there," Bray said.

"We tried the middle school and elementary school is also filled with basketball and archery and volleyball ... it was hard to find a place. The coaches got together and drove around the vicinity of the school and came across this. We talked to the city manager (then Rob Lyons) and were fortunate enough to go before the conservation board, and they let us use it.

"It's saved us the last two years."

Not getting to practice at home has certainly presented challenges. Coaches and athletes have to drive (albeit a relatively short one to John Rice Boulevard) to practice, as opposed to walking from school.

"It can be a hassle," Fowler said. "Sometimes we have to pick up mats and move them. It really showed how good we had it before the old building burned down."

The livestock barn, which is considerably smaller than the Blaze practice facility, also has to be converted for the team to practice.

"As grateful as we are to have this, at the end of the day it's still a barn," Bray said. "It's a livestock barn with a mulch floor. We have to put a layer of plastic (over the mulch), then plywood over that where we can put the (wrestling) mats down.

"But it's better than no place at all."

One of the area's top wrestling squads over the past several years, Blackman has enjoyed success despite the challenges. The team finished in the top six in the state duals tournament this season and sent 10 boys and one girl to this weekend's individual state meet.

"We've always had adversity," said Blackman senior Jalen Brown, who is competing in the 152-pound division at state. "We're a family. We've always battled through tough times. We find a place and work hard, no matter the situation. We always come back from it.

"We're going to work with what we have. Sure, our building was nice, but it didn't shape who we were as a team."

Bray said the program is "going through the bid process" on reconstructing the team's home facility. He had no timetable but said "hopefully sooner than later. A lot of hoops to jump through.

"Hard work is going to be hard work, no matter where you practice. We haven't skipped a beat on that."

The 10 Blaze wrestlers who were competing in the individual boys state (which began Thursday) included Fowler, Brown, Adam Tibitoski (106), Alex Rose (113), Liam Elam (126), Austin Marlatt (132), Evan Smart (138), Anthony Gomez (160), Brooks Sacharczyk (182) and Bowdy Boyce (220).

Freshman Alyson Colson was representing the Blaze in the girls division (103), the first female state tournament participant from Blackman.

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

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