By Staff Writer – Herald Comical
The Franklin County High School wrestling team has achieved one of the most unusual and widely discussed accomplishments in program history after placing third overall in the 2025 Kumite, an elite martial arts invitational traditionally shrouded in secrecy.
According to school officials, the team was selected to participate following “an unexpected but official-looking letter” delivered to the wrestling room in late September. The letter included instructions, rules, waiver forms, and what coaches describe as “a very stern nondisclosure agreement.”
Transportation Under Strict Secrecy
Per Kumite tradition, the wrestlers were transported to the venue in blindfolds, loaded onto an unmarked van, and driven for an undisclosed period of time.
Team captain Mason Porter said they attempted to piece together the route by counting turns and estimating speed, but the effort was unsuccessful.
> “I think we went over at least two bridges,” Porter said.
“Or maybe one bridge twice. It’s hard to tell when someone’s chanting.”
The team eventually arrived at a large warehouse-type structure whose precise location remains unknown. Athletes report hearing generators, wind chimes, and what one wrestler described as “either a tiger or a guy pretending to be a tiger.”
Competition Unlike Anything in School Athletics
While the Kumite rules differ from TSSAA wrestling guidelines, coaches say the athletes adjusted quickly.
The competition reportedly involved:
open-mat bouts
improvised obstacle rounds
a section described only as “the pit”
a sudden-death finale referred to as “The Circle of Resolve”
Coach Brian Hale says he was proud of how the team handled the unconventional environment.
> “They stayed focused, they stayed respectful, and they didn’t question the man with the gong. That’s all you can ask.”
A Surprising Run to 3rd Place
Franklin County defeated competitors representing:
A private martial arts academy from Osaka
A desert survival collective from Nevada
A group identified only as “The Grey Monks”
The team’s run ended in the semifinals against an athlete known by the Kumite referee simply as “Eagle Fist,” whose age was estimated somewhere between 19 and 73.
Despite the loss, FC earned a bronze-tier medallion made of “a heavy, unidentified metal” and a certificate written entirely in calligraphy.
School & District Respond
Superintendent Linda Pickett congratulated the team, adding that the district is “still reviewing the legality” of the event.
> “We were informed afterward that the Kumite has no official mailing address,” Pickett said.
“But a trophy is a trophy, and we are proud of our students.”
The school board voted unanimously to recognize the accomplishment during the winter sports banquet, though the exact phrasing of the award remains under discussion.
Athletes Reflect
Wrestler Jake Morrison said the experience was life-changing.
> “It was intense,” he said.
“At one point the crowd started chanting our school name, or at least something that sounded close to it. It might have been in another language.”
Another wrestler described the food provided at the event as “surprisingly good” and the atmosphere as “somewhere between a county fair and a gladiator arena.”
A Mystery That Will Likely Remain One
Although team members attempted to track their return route, the blindfolds remained in place until they arrived back at the school parking lot after midnight.
No Kumite officials responded to the Herald Comical’s inquiries, though the school did receive a small envelope two days later containing a handwritten note that read:
> “Honor. Strength. Return next year.”
The envelope smelled faintly of incense.
The Franklin County wrestling team begins its standard season next week, where the rules will be considerably more conventional.
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