Litterell three wins away from fourth state title
TUTTLE — Old team photos and state championship banners decorate much of Tuttle's spacious wrestling room.
The facility boasts two regulation mats with dark red padding covering parts of the practice area. "Room of Champions" is etched in large, white block letters along the north wall, staring at Tuttle's wrestlers every time they enter the room.
"Walking in and seeing that, it's like, you're ready to go," Tuttle senior Tanner Litterell said. "It gets your blood flowing."
Litterell is a threetime state champion and undefeated through his final year of high school. He's 43-0 this season, 160-14 overall in his career and competing for his fourth individual title at the Class 4A state tournament on Friday and Saturday at State Fair Arena.
He's won champion-
ships at 113, 126 and 132 pounds and going for his fourth while wrestling at 138.
Litterell is challenging to become the first Tiger since 2013 graduate, Zachary Beard, to win four individual state titles. The big stage doesn’t seem to bother Litterell.
“I started noticing the bigger the matches, the higher the stakes, the better he was,” Tuttle coach Matt Surber said. “... He’ll throw in some clunkers here and there, but when the chips are on the table, he’s at his best. Those kids are rare to find. Zachary Beard, he was the same way.”
Litterell is immersed in the tradition-rich history of Tuttle’s program.
Despite the pressures of a program accustomed to winning, Litterell doesn’t struggle to maintain his composure when it comes time to compete.
“You ain’t scared to walk out on the mat wearing a Tuttle singlet,” Litterell said. “You walk out there with a little more, maybe even if you’re not as good as the other guy. It kind of makes you a little better.
“Just them knowing, ‘Oh crap, he’s from Tuttle.’”
Tuttle has dominated Class 4A, winning its eighth consecutive dual state championship two weeks ago.