Tuttle aims to continue wrestling greatness
TUTTLE, Okla. (BVM) — In the last twelve years, Tuttle wrestling has been the pinnacle of high school wrestling in Oklahoma. In 1990 they won their first state championship, but in 2009 former head coach Matt Surber would take the program to new heights.
Surber started wrestling in seventh grade and he really didn’t have any interest in pursuing the sport. That is until a P.E. teacher and wrestling coach John Finn suggested he give wrestling a try.
“It wasn’t until the seventh grade that I started wrestling,” Surber said. “I didn’t know anything about wrestling.”
So Surber did what any kid would do. He asked his coach if there were any movies or videos he could watch to become more familiar with the sport. There happened to be one movie: “Vision Quest.”
“It’s still the mainstay, nostalgic movie that kids watch as wrestlers,” Surber said. “I watched it [and the rest is history].”
Surber would go on to have a successful wrestling career and would become Tuttle’s wrestling coach in 2006. It would be three years before Tuttle would capture a state title under Surber, but once that first state title was captured, Tuttle wouldn’t let up.
“The first one [the 2009 state championship] was really special because Catoosa had won several in a row and they were still really good and we kind of snuck up on them,” Surber said. “And the next year we returned everybody. Everyone was like, ‘We can do this again.’”
And that’s exactly what they did. In fact, they haven’t lost a state championship since 2009. It’s been a remarkable run for a remarkable program. And numerous successful wrestlers have come through the program. Suber’s own son, Luke, wrestled for Tuttle and now wrestles for the Cowboys at Oklahoma State.
What an awesome support group!! pic.twitter.com/34wY3lkHjz
— Matt Surber (@Coach_Surber) November 14, 2019
But this year, they have one of, if not, the best wrestler in the state: Nebraska wrestling commit Harley Andrews.
“I wasn’t a kid who grew up in Tuttle,” Andrews said. “But to realize how much love and support I had from all the Tuttle fans [now], it shows how much of a family [this program] is. [To be a part of this program] it was something I dreamed about ever since I was a little kid.”
After 12 straight state title wins, Matt stepped down in 2020 to become Tuttle’s principal and now the wrestling program is being led by one of Tuttle’s own: Bobby Williams.
As a new head coach, the pressure of replacing someone like Matt may be too much to handle. But for Williams, a former Tuttle wrestler and former assistant to Matt, he knew better than to let a little pressure get to him.
“There [were] some big shoes to fill, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by it [the pressure],” Williams said. “I know he’s around and if I need to ask him a question or need anything I know he’s always there. [But being part of this program for so long] I knew what needed to be done.”
And when Williams took over, Tuttle continued to win. In fact, just this past season, Coach Williams won Class 4A Coach of the Year and his assistant, Chris Finn, won Assistant Coach of the Year.
It still remains very evident that Matt has laid a secure foundation for the future of this program. And with the right leadership in Coach Williams and athletes like Andrews, Tuttle can continue to expand upon its already prosperous dynasty.
@IIIBobW @DelCityWrastlin @Coach_Oak @erikMford pic.twitter.com/Mrl2QpjrxO
— Matt Surber (@Coach_Surber) April 3, 2020
