Mark Kirk
2024 is a year of change for Class 4A. Maybe not a change in the top teams, but certainly a change in what teams will be competing in Class 4A this year. As wrestling continues to grow, Class 3A grew to a point where they had almost twice as many schools competing compared to the other classes. In order to ease the overload of Class 3A teams, the OSSAA increased the number of teams in Classes 4A and 5A from 32 each to 38 each (anyone at a 3A Regional last year knows how critical it was to address the overcrowding problem). Schools moving from 4A to 5A include Ada, Chickasha, Heritage Hall, and Western Heights. Schools new to Class 4A this year (all moving from 3A) are Anadarko, Bristow, Cleveland/Hominy, Inola, Jay, Mannford, Pauls Valley, Perkins-Tryon, Plainview, and Sulphur.
Tuttle, winner of the last 15 Class 4A state titles, will certainly enter as the preseason favorites, but Cascia Hall, Sallisaw, and Catoosa will also field strong teams this year and look to unseat the Tigers from the top position.
There are ten returning or past state champions in Class 4A, including four 2X champions. Juniors Gerald Harris III (Cascia Hall), Beau Hickman (Tuttle) and Gunner Wilson (Catoosa) all stayed on track in becoming 4X state champions and senior Blade Walden (Ft. Gibson) will be looking to close his career as a 3X state champion. Harris, who won as a freshman at Collinsville, beat Tuttle 2X state champion Braden Potts to win his first title for Cascia Hall…
