While most people assume otherwise, Tallassee wrestling coach John Mask didn’t wrestle in high school. In fact, Mask didn’t wrestle until he became a coach at Tallassee High School in 2001.

When Mask arrived at Tallassee with no experience in the sport, former athletic director and then-wrestling coach Jared Jones told him there was only one way to learn.

“The best way to learn is to get on the mat and wrestle,” said Mask, recalling the conversation.

“I may not have wrestled in high school but the first 10 years here in Tallassee, I wrestled every day at practice with the kids. So I probably wrestled a couple of high school careers, so to speak, just through wrestling at practice.”

Now, after an undefeated 43-0 season that ended with five individual state titles as well as the team cha

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