New coach, new life for Farragut wrestling
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The Farragut wrestling team poses with its Region 2-AA semifinal runner-up trophy on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at Hardin Valley Academy. This marked the Admirals’ first region appearance in more than 25 years, as second-year coach Charlie Rohn noted a remarkable improvement in the program. - Jake Nichols
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Farragut’s Izaac Koga tries to pin Halls wrestler Liam DeSauters during their Region 2-AA dual match on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at Hardin Valley Academy. Koga beat DeSauters for one of the Admirals’ two wins on the night in their first region appearance in more than 25 years. - Jake Nichols
HARDIN VALLEY — When Charlie Rohn moved to Farragut, he did not plan on becoming the Admirals’ newest wrestling coach.
But with a son who loved the sport and a program that needed a coach, Rohn stepped in to help 40 years after his own wrestling career concluded.
One year later, the Admirals reached the region semifinals for the first time in more than 25 years, as they fell to Halls 66-6 on Jan. 21 to end the team’s 2025-26 campaign inside the Hardin Valley gymnasium.
The result was one of multiple in the
Region 2-AA duals, as HVA defeated West 43-36
in the same gym to clinch its second consecutive sectional berth under head coach Matt Bates.
For Farragut, the team season concluded in a 23-4 record in dual matches. Moreover, FHS
expounded on a 2024-25 campaign in which it beat Bearden, Maryville and William Blount in the same night to mark their first wins
over those programs in more than two decades.
“They’ve done great,” said Rohn, who credited assistant coach Dalton Pearl with plenty of help and instruction in the process. “Almost all of our kids are first- or second-year wrestlers, and they saw the passion Dalton and I have for the sport.
“Basically we started new last year with four kids at the end of the season before that. Even to get here is huge, so they will improve.”
One of the biggest wins this season did not come on the mat, but in multiple kids dropping notable amounts of weight and becoming healthier in the process. Izaac Koga was just one example, and he finished with one of Farragut’s two wins on the night against Halls’ Liam DeSauters with a 6-2 decision in the 190-pound slot. Fellow Admiral Luca Hofer won by 9-7 decision over Halls’ Jake Glenn in the 285-pound bracket.
Meanwhile, Hardin Valley went back and forth with West in its region semifinal. But a pin by Rosalio Arce over West’s Michael Robinson in the 126-pound bracket cemented a 43-35 win for Hardin Valley, sending the Hawks onto the sectional round.
They did wind up losing to Halls 69-12 in the region championship, but the more important part was locking up the program’s second ever sectional berth.
And much like Farragut, Hardin Valley staged an improbable yet remarkable run to this point.
“We lost 14 seniors off last year’s team, so nobody gave us a chance yet here we are,” said Bates. “I’m just proud of the way they work and grind, and they really care for each other and it shows.”
“Halls is one of the big ones, so we knew what was coming. But we before that, we talked about having one goal left as a team: to beat West and get back to sectionals, and we did that.”
