• By Maurice Patton Main Street Maury
• Jan 18, 2023 

For so many Columbia Central and Spring Hill wrestlers, mat time is the primary concern as they work toward the postseason.

And that experience may not be more vital for anyone than Raider freshman Nathan Highland.

In just his second season of competition, Highland had a pair of pins Tuesday night as Spring Hill split a pair of matches with Tullahoma and the Lions.A convert from gymnastics, Highland wrestled as an eighth-grader and showed promise, according to coach Kortney Brus.

“He’s like ‘Gumby’, very flexible,” Brus said. “He’s a solid athlete. Technically speaking, there’s some stuff to clean up, but he’s got strength, he’s got flexibility, he’s got that ‘grind’ to him. You can teach techniques, but he’s got that stuff you can’t teach.

“He’s impressed me from Day One. He’s super coachable. And to weigh in at 157 and wrestle at 170 against Tullahoma – and win – we’ve just been happy to have him.”

After five years of gymnastics, Highland grew out of the sport both figuratively and literally.

“I got tall, and it just didn’t feel the same once we got back from COVID,” said the 5-foot, 11-inch 14-year old. “So I decided to pick up school sports – football, wrestling, I ran track.

“I’m an athlete. I think I learn pretty fast. I had a decent season last year, something like 23-6 between middle school and AAU.”

Against Tullahoma, Highland came off his back for a second-period pin against Sylas McGowen and provided one of the bright spots in the Raiders’ 51-28 loss despite giving up more than 10 pounds.

“It was wrestle 170, or not wrestle,” he said.Wrestling at 160 against Central, he pinned Kainoa Anderson in the second period as well.

“I don’t think. It’s just happening. My body takes over and I just work my moves, and as time goes, I get more aggressive,” Highland said. “Most people come out energized at the start. I think I go the other way.

“There’s two mentalities – ‘this is going to be rough’, or ‘I’m going to win this’, and I’ve gone in with both.”

For Spring Hill, the loss to Tullahoma was the second in less than 10 days, following a 48-23 Wildcat victory on Jan. 10 at Franklin County. Along with Highland, the Raiders got a major decision Tuesday from Darien Vera at 126 and back-to-back pins from Cayden Buchanan and Joseph Jessup at 220 and 285.

“We had a lot of starters out due to injuries, and we’ve got a young team,” Brus said. “To see them go out there and wrestle with confidence against a good team made me feel good.”

Spring Hill senior Scott Carter, who dropped an 11-7 decision against Tullahoma’s Carson Avans, bounced back for a second-period pin of Central’s Jayden Tyus in the nightcap.

“Scott wrestled at 182, but he’s trying to drop to ‘70,” Brus said. “He weighed in at 171.”

Columbia Central, coming off a strong showing over the weekend – Brianna Gayton won the 132-pound championship at the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee tournament with Madison McDowell placing second at 235, while Rolin Manning, Anderson and Triston Harden each registered top-three finishes at Franklin County – wasn’t as sharp Tuesday as first-year coach Carlos Emerson would have liked.

In addition to the 60-12 defeat against their cross-county rival, the Lions fell 66-6 to Tullahoma.

“Our effort was a lot better, but we definitely need a ‘heart check’,” Emerson said. “The potential is there. They’ve just got to find it within themselves to be consistent.”

Spring Hill 60, Columbia Central 12: 126 –John Varga (SH) by forfeit; 132 – Tyler Wehrenberg (SH) p. Dawson Dykes, 1:12; 138 –Jace Mince (SH) by forfeit; 145 – Austin Spires (SH) by forfeit; 152 – Eric Murphy (SH) by forfeit; 160 – Nathan Highland (SH) p. Kainoa Anderson, 3:27; 170 – Jamar Morris (CC) by forfeit; 182 –Scott Carter (SH) p. Jayden Tyus, 2:55; 195 –Zach Cole (CC) p. Francisco Lemus 0:26; 220 –Cayden Buchanan (SH) by forfeit; 285 – Joseph Jessup (SH) p. Anijah Hildreth, 0:25; 106 –double forfeit; 113 – double forfeit; 120 – Payton Miller (SH) by forfeit