CALHOUN, Ga. -- Georgia's sectional wrestling tournaments are a stressful time for athletes and coaches. The ultimate goal is one step away, so close and yet so far. Make a mistake or two and years of work can disappear in a hurry, both for the individuals and the teams chasing championships.
Three area programs needn't have worried. In the Class AAAA West Sectional at Whitewater High School, top-ranked Gilmer County flexed its muscle by getting each of its 14 wrestlers into next week's GHSA championships, earning six championships. Northwest Whitfield will take a school-record 11 to Macon, including a pair of sectional titlists.
In the Class AAA West tournament, host Sonoraville, purportedly in a rebuilding mode, qualified nine of its wrestlers and had three champions. The Firebirds, the surprising state duals runners-up, will be a distinct underdog to powerhouse Jefferson next week, but that won't dampen the enthusiasm from Saturday's strong showing.
"I thought we had a great effort from all our wrestlers," Sonoraville co-coach Brandon Hufstetler said. "Our seniors, guys like Ryan Farist and Chris Gonzalez, worked so hard to help us get here, and and all our seniors who got us here did really well. Nine is the most we've qualified in the last few years, and I feel we're peaking at the right time."
Farist found himself facing a familiar foe for the 170-pound title in Calhoun's Will Conley. Though Farist usually has come out on top, the matches have been very close. Saturday, Farist caught Conley early and posted a first-period pin.
"This is the fourth time he's wrestled Will Conley and it's usually a one- or two-point match," Hufstetler said. "And Kenny Cooper (heavyweight champion) got beat by the Pepperell guy in the duals but came back and won today."
Cooper got out early and managed to hold off Pepperell's Hinton Bolinger, 12-10, to earn a top seed next weekend. He'll be joined by 126-pound Kyle Chastain as a top seed, while Lane Strickland (106) and Austin Tillman (138), who finished second in their classes Saturday, also will be highly seeded.
Calhoun qualified six wrestlers for the state, including 132-pound champion Jacob Callahan, while Coahulla Creek, which had a champion in 113-pound Levi Kinsey, and Ringgold will send four each.
None of it compares to what Gilmer County did in Class AAAA. The Bobcats, with only two seniors, surprised even coach Sam Snider by advancing all 14, including nine who finished first or second. It was part of another dominating performance from Area 7 wrestlers, who were in 13 of the 14 finals and had both finalists in the first seven weight classes.
"That's a pretty amazing weekend," said Snider, who had champions in Trevor Preece (113), Lucas Patterson (132), William Gudger (145), Jaime Lopez (152), Matthew Waddell (170) and heavyweight Levi Seabolt. "We've taken 13 and an alternate before, but getting 14 was amazing. I still think the three guys who finished second can win it next week if they clean up a few things.
"One thing is again clear -- this area is the best in the state."
Northwest coach Allen Tucker agrees after seeing 11 of his 12 qualifiers from the area advance to Macon. That group includes champions Blake Hayes at 126 pounds and Austin Taylor at 160 to go along with runners-up Bryan Gembe (113) and Jordan Lewis (195).
"We battled today," Tucker said. "We had pretty good matches; we won a couple of titles and we closed the gap some on the Gilmer kids. Our older guys did what they had to do, and the younger guys stepped up. I can't complain at all. I don't like some our seeding for next week, but the key is just to get them in and let them battle."
Also winning individual sectional titles at Whitewater were Heritage's Chuckie Thurman at 120 and Ridgeland's Caleb Mariakis (138) and Chris Henderson (220).
The news wasn't as good for another northwest Georgia traditional power. Gordon Lee will take only three wrestlers to Macon after a tough day at the Class AA East sectional at Greater Atlanta Christian. The lone Trojans champion was three-time state titlist Jonathan Ragsdale at 120 pounds, who won a much-anticipated match with Social Circle's Levi Leach with a second-period pin. Brayden Jarvis, third at 145, and Dallas Goodlet, fourth at 220, also will represent Gordon Lee.
Dade County's Keith Jones advances after a second-place finish at heavyweight.
In the Class A West sectional at George Walton Academy, Trion qualified six for the state tournament, including second-place finishers Cary Jackson (113) and Cole Luallen (120).
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.