Together they coalesced into a beautiful, frightening force.

After a recent series of championship-contending finishes failed to grab the coveted top prize, Eagle Wrestling celebrated its first TAPPS state title in more than a decade while crowning three individual champions at Liberty Christian School in Argyle.

The depth of precious St. Thomas talent blended with astute, quicksilver development and unwavering commitment. A relentless quest for the best ignited and smoldered with a sense of purpose that seemed palpable. Ten Eagles placed for a parade to the awards podium. The 225 team points outpaced Dallas Bishop Lynch (211.5) and Fort Worth All Saints (153).

The breakthrough for acclaimed Michael LeHolm in his sixth year as head coach came after losing urban legend Luke Malveaux ‘23, one of the most imposing and decorated performers in program history, and his power elite tag-team partner Sam Cordova ‘23 to graduation. The recent series of championship-contending finishes for the Eagles included a pair of state runner-ups in 2019 and 2021 plus third-place results in 2018 and 2022. T

History called and the Eagles answered. Not since head coach Tim Clarkson navigated a TAPPS state three-peat from 2011-13 with back-to-back State Prep and Prep Duals titles featuring Travis Bradford ‘13, Ricky Regas, Jared Enochs ‘15, and twins Andrew and Patrick Munn.

In the tournament’s crescendo moment, Langin muscled the most satisfying finale since True Detective: Night Country revealed who killed Annie K, Silver Sky, and the dead Tsalal scientists, minus a few ambiguous mysteries (Why was Christopher Eccleston needed, again?).

Langin left no zero doubt with the audience as he continued a punishing season. He destroyed the 285-pound division with a dominant 17-4 final decision to collect gold. He is ranked fifth for the 88th National Prep Championships at Lehigh University after reaching the round of 12 in 2023 with a 3-2 record.

Roberto Pacini ‘25 captured the 113-pound division with a pin at the 1:09 mark and Joshua Guzman ‘27 seized the 150-pound division with a pin at 3:10.

Logan Koteras ‘27 (106 pounds), Jacob Prochaska ‘26 (144), Boyd Quinlan ‘24 (157), David Grattan ‘25 (175), and Italo Chavarria-Mendez ‘26 (190) cashed silver in their final matches. Bronze finishers were Jackson Vaughn ‘26 (120) and Evan Loera ‘26 (126).

Previously, St. Thomas raked third at the Texas Prep State championships behind gold medal results from Langin, Pacini, and Chavarria-Mendez who is ranked 12th for National Prep.

LeHolm was promoted to the head coaching position after assisting his former Eastern Michigan college teammate Phillip Joseph for two years. LeHolm’s own stellar high school career at Jackson (MI) Northwest included 182 career wins and was the Division II state champion his junior year. He owns a deep savvy and rich experience rooted in a near-lifetime in the sport.

LeHolm relished the opportunity to awaken the “sleeping giant” of a program. His relationship with Eagle Wrestling has proved to be a match made in mat heaven, establishing the proper foundation while raising expectations and core principles to embrace year-to-year championship-caliber achievement. It’s why student-athletes relate to him and are inspired by his unflinching example, not simply because of what he demands but because they are caught in the vortex of his powerful will to succeed.

Eagle Fight Never Dies!