Ziad Aboulmouna gets a hold on his opponent in Friday action at the state wrestling duals in Clarksville [Hunter Norris Photo]

  The Tullahoma Wildcats finished fifth in the state after winning three matches and losing two at the state duals in Clarksville Friday and Saturday.
  The Cats got off to a strong start Friday with a 42-32 win over Glencliff. Tullahoma had six pins in the match with Rene Karteron, Ziad Aboulmouna, Wesley Foutch, Corey Smith, Josh Davis and Cody Quick putting their opponents down for the count. Taylor Roper and Will Norris each won close, one-point matches to account for the rest of the Wildcat points.
  That pitted coach Jimmy Miller’s Wildcats against tourney favorite and defending state champion Bradley Central, which had won 8 of the past 13 state championships coming into the meet. Bradley, which eventually finished second to a red-hot Soddy Daisy squad, defeated the Wildcats 46-30. It was 18-18 at one time after pins by Cody Quick, Corey Smith and Taylor Roper. Tullahoma suffered a couple of tough losses at 119 and 125 with Ziad Aboulmouna falling 6-4 in overtime and Rene Karteron dropping an 11-8 decision that was decided in the closing seconds.
  The Wildcats came back in the consolation round Saturday with a 44-30 win over Hendersonville and followed that with a 42-28 victory over Ravenwood. That got them into the final six of the 16-team meet, and they fell 38-19 to Clarksville. The Cats led 19-16 at one point after Aboulmouna won his overtime match, and Karteron took his match 12-9. In its wrap up of the tournament in Sunday’s newspaper, The Tennessean called the Wildcats the most surprising team at the tournament.
  Soddy Daisy wound up winning the crown with a 35-23 victory over Bradley Central. Ooltewah beat Clarksville 34-28 for third place, and the Wildcats wound up tied with Greeneville for fifth.