Even with a rocky start for the girls wrestling program and a coaching change, Emma Hood (11) persisted and continued to lead her teammates through an amazing season for everyone, but especially herself.

Hood wrestled at state in the 2024-2025 season and advanced to the finals for a match against Bralyn Maynard, a junior at Prestonburg High School. Hood ultimately lost that match. The finals this year was a similar story; with Maynard and Hood both wrestling for the state title. However, the outcome was significantly different. Emma Hood dominated the match with her wrestling and confidence from the season.

The path to gaining that confidence was not easy. It took hours upon hours in the off-season to be able to gain mental strength in preparation for the finals match against Maynard.

“Mentally it’s been a lot better. I’ve just gained a lot more confidence in being able to trust in how good I am just through how hard I’ve worked for what I get to do,” Hood said.

This new confidence was not effortless, as Hood entered the season with a torn meniscus. This meant she was not competing or practicing. In the middle of the finals match, her injury started to act up. She took injury time but eventually popped back up, clearly ready to win.

“I honestly think that was the most confident I was the entire match cause I could tell, I mean I knew I wasn’t going to lose again,” Hood said.

One other factor in her fortitude is her coach and father, Joey Hood. Over the off-season the girls coaches had chosen to depart from the team, thus leaving the spot open for brand new faces. Joey stepped up to the challenge, not only for his daughter, but for the other girls he had grown to know while supporting Emma.

“Stepping into the head coaching role came with initial hesitation and self-doubt. However, this team has been exceptional to work with, and their commitment and character have made the experience both rewarding and affirming,” Joey said.

The appearance of new coaches, despite them still being familiar, brought hardship for the girls. The season started with its struggles as Emma tried to grow the bond within the team and with the coaches in hopes of bringing the most success.

“He cares a lot about the sport and about all the girls on the team. It is kind of hard to balance sometimes, him being my coach and him being my dad. But I feel like for the most part, he’s been great at it,” Emma said.

But the bond with the new coaches is different for Emma, as Joey is her father and leads her through more than just wrestling events.

“At the core, both perspectives are rooted in helping her become the best version of herself, on and off the mat,” Joey said.

This bond makes coaching that much more meaningful. During last year’s state finals match, Joey remained in the stands while this year he was in the corner of the mat, guiding Emma as she wrestled.

“Witnessing her perseverance, especially after last year’s finals–and being there as she puts in countless hours of work to become state champion is something I will never forget,” Joey said.

With new coaches, the girls were also able to reset their relationship with each other and as a team. They grew to support each other and root for Emma Hood even during the most stressful match, the finals.

“It just makes the moment so much more special and makes it a lot easier to keep pushing when it’s difficult and when there’s adversity, you have a bunch of people in your corner that are supporting you,” Emma said.

The bond between the girls can be seen from afar, as coaches and wrestlers on the boys team are able to recognize it from a distance.

“Beyond her technical ability and leadership presence, she brings something equally important to the team–genuine friendship and support,” Joey  said.

Emma’s accomplishment as state champion is huge, not just because she is the best in her weight class in Kentucky, but because she is Highlands’ first ever wrestling state champ. She has made history for both the girls and boys wrestling teams.

This story was originally published on The Hilltopper on March 11, 2026.