Hawks rebuilding for new season
The Hawks, however, will be in a bit of a rebuilding mode this season as they lost several athletes to graduation last spring.
Head coach Matt Bates will begin his fourth season at the helm for the HVA wrestling program, and he’s had success as the Hawks have won multiple team and individual championships since he arrived.
“We’ve had a 106 to 23 duals meet record. We’ve had two district (duals) runner-ups, a district championship, a region runner up and a sectional runner-up to Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett,” Bates said. “We have 35 or 36 guys in the program but we’re young.”
Top returners for the Hawks include: Adriel Roland (sophomore, 106 pounds); Zae Arce (junior, 120 pounds); William Wimer (senior, 157 pounds); Ryland Wilkinson (senior, 165 pounds) and Mikael Arce (senior, 285).
The youth movement might be in full force at HVA, but the program has a winning tradition, so the expectations won’t change for the Hawks.
“We’re young but we’re going to work hard,” said Bates, who is only the second coach in Hardin Valley wrestling history to stay for four years. The school opened in 2008.
“Of all the coaches that we’ve had, only Rudy Furman and me have made it to Year Four,” Bates said.
Hardin Valley has had state champions in both boys and girls wrestling. This season, the Lady Hawks will have seven wrestlers, including a pair of returners from last year’s squad.
“We have the biggest girls program here that we’ve ever had,” Bates said. “We have seven girls, so we’ll be able to fill spots across seven weight classes.”
Sophomore Eden Bradford (107 pounds) and junior Paeton Morehouse (152 pounds) are back and they’ll be joined by five first-year wrestlers.
The Hawks and Lady Hawks will both open their 2025-26 season at Gibbs High School in Corryton. Hardin Valley will wrestle the host Eagles and Stone Memorial.
