Toombs County has a strong history across the state when it comes to its wrestling program. Over the last ten years, the Toombs County MatDawgs have placed in the top five in the state a total of 13 times (six times at the Traditional Tournament and seven times at the State Dual Tournament). In the last three years alone, the program has placed in the top three a total of five times (two times at the Traditional Tournament and three times at the State Dual Tournament).
Last year was the program’s first time placing second at the Traditional State Tournament, and they coupled that with a second-place finish at State Duals. With such a successful season last year and graduating five of the starting 14 wrestlers, the MatDawgs had a tough challenge ahead for the 2025-2026 season. “I hate the term rebuilding. You hear people use that term, and it really sets teams up for failure by setting low expectations. The truth is we had a relatively young team coming into this season. We finished with three seniors in the starting lineup,” says Coach Allen of this year’s team. The three seniors were Tyson Brantley, Lucas Coley, and Clark Brannen. Two of the three wrestlers were seasoned veterans on the mat, while Clark Brannen had yet to start in the postseason for the MatDawgs.
Traditional State Tournament
This year the MatDawgs qualified ten of the 14 weight classes to the Traditional State Tournament. The team was poised yet again to make a successful postseason run.
The Traditional State Tournament is a rollercoaster of emotions. If you’ve never experienced it, it is difficult to describe. Each wrestler has their own journey through the tournament, and the fans, parents, teammates, and coaching staff must navigate these emotions. You feel excited for your teammate who just won, while comforting the senior whose wrestling career may have just ended. It is an up-and-down battle unlike any other sport. The MatDawgs experienced every emotion imaginable during the first day of Traditional State. There was the excitement of three individuals winning their first two matches and advancing to the semifinals (Wyatt Bunch, Samson Dobbs, and Lucas Coley), yet also the heartbreak of a senior dropping a match he expected to win (Tyson Brantley). Or the excitement of a freshman heavyweight (Dax Nobles) capturing his first win at the State Tournament, yet a senior finishing his wrestling career (Clark Brannen). The MatDawgs had plenty go “wrong” on the first day of the Traditional State Tournament and were sitting in fifth place as a team after day one. “We left a lot on the table on day one. I was just hoping to earn a trophy,” noted Coach Allen of the day-one performance. The top four teams earn a trophy at the end of the tournament. “Our wrestlers really showed a lot of grit during the back half of the tournament. We had some really gutsy performances on the backside as well as phenomenal performances from our guys on the front side.”
The MatDawgs ended with five state placers on the boys’ side: sixth place—Leeson Allen; third place—Samson Dobbs; third place—Tyson Brantley; second place—Wyatt Bunch; and STATE CHAMPION—Lucas Coley. As a team, the MatDawgs finished in second place with 109.5 points, behind Social Circle with 218.5 points. This is the second consecutive year the MatDawgs have placed second at the Traditional State Tournament.
Lucas Coley led the way with a dominant performance throughout the tournament, recording two falls, one technical fall, and a dominating 8-3 decision win in the finals. “His performance was lights out. He has been the consistent hammer all season for us, and he really proved it in his State Tournament performance,” said Coach Allen of Lucas’s performance. Coley’s match was actually the deciding factor for the team to place second overall. Heading into the finals match, the MatDawgs trailed Commerce High School by three points. Coley’s victory in the finals earned the team four points, pushing them one point ahead of Commerce.
Wyatt Bunch was also stellar throughout the tournament. Wyatt recorded two falls and one technical fall before falling in the finals against a defending state champion from Social Circle. Samson Dobbs reached the semifinals before dropping a match and rallying back to third place. Leeson Allen and Tyson Brantley dropped their matches in the quarterfinals and both battled back to the podium. “Tyson really showed how much heart he had on the backside. After dropping his quarterfinal match, it really broke my heart. He had worked so hard and was so close in his senior year. I just felt for the young man at that moment.”
History was also made as the first-ever Lady MatDawg reached the podium. Jasmine Villegas etched her name in the history books by placing second at the GHSA Traditional State Tournament. Jasmine dominated her way to the finals with a technical fall and two pins. She fell in the finals in a physical battle to earn second place. This is Toombs’ first-ever state placer on the girls’ side and a step they hope to continue building upon in the future. “I can’t say enough good things about Jasmine’s performance. She forged new ground and did things no one in Toombs County has ever done. I am proud of her for paving the way for other girls,” Allen said of Jasmine’s career.
The MatDawgs finish the season as the GHSA State Tournament Runners-Up with five boy state placers and one girl state placer. Congratulations to all the MatDawgs who competed during the season. We are excited for the future of Toombs County Wrestling!
