"It's amazing how one week changed [everything]," said Woodland coach Adrian Tramutola, whose team defeated Alexander, 34-30, Saturday in the final round. "I kept trying to tell people all year-long that we were a pretty good team. ... The last month or so, [things] didn't happen for us. We hit a rough patch here and there.
"It's pretty impressive and it's a testament to their work level."
However, the Wildcats, who finished 11th last weekend, put all those struggles behind them to claim the school's second state duals title and first since 2003.
Seven state qualifiers -- Chad Hawkins (103 pounds), Zack Culver (119), Ryan Cecil (130), Jordy Henson (135), Trent Gresham (145), Ricky Ranel (189) and Clint Lemon (215) -- had wrestled for Woodland but no one else had in three weeks.
"For those guys to stay around," Tramutola said, "I'm so happy for them."
And for the aforementioned state qualifiers from last week who endured heartbreak -- especially Cecil, who lost in the 130 final after winning a state title at 125 last season -- helping their team win a state duals title spoke volumes, Tramutola said.
"We got some pretty good senior leaders," he said. "Those kids easily have packed it in and said, 'We don't want to cut weight.'"
They did not, though, only setting their sights on this weekend.
"We could not come back and let [last Saturday] affect what the last weekend [of the season] entailed for us," Tramutola said. "It's like a light switch. We were able to shut off, totally, what happened last week."
Cecil became the all-time leader at Woodland with 214 career wins as the Wildcats defeated Mundy's Mill 84-0 Friday -- earning pins in every match save for three forfeits -- and won Saturday over Whitewater (49-27), Pope (34-30) and Alexander.
Woodland faced the state traditional champions in the semifinals, but did not waver.
"We were never even supposed to be in the match with 'em, and we ended up beating them," Tramutola said of Woodland's four-point win over Pope. The Wildcats, he said, led by 10 points at one time during the match.
"I've been telling them all year that they could win," he added of what he and coaches told his wrestlers. "We can coach all we want but they have to go out and perform, and they did that."
Hawkins, Cecil, Ranel and Lemon each finished the weekend undefeated for the Wildcats.