BLOOMINGTON • Coal City came into the IHSA Dual Team State Championships with a bit of unfinished business from a season ago. After winning a dual crown in 2023, they would come up short in the dual championship against Marian Central in 2024. With a semifinal rematch between the last two champions in 1A on the line, it would be Coal City moving forward in what was a very intense and emotional dual between two very good teams—but now it was time for the finals.
In those finals, Coal City would have another strong program in the form of Vandalia, who was no stranger to the championships as they have qualified 24 times in their program’s history. Vandalia, who had overcome their own matches throughout the course of the tournament, were also wrestling for something, really someone, more: Head Coach Jason Clay. After 19 years as the leader of their program, this would be his final dual; he will now be taking a step back and goingdown to work with the kids’ club.
