MACON, Ga. -- So much for the rebuilding year.
For the seventh time in 10 years, Gilmer County returned to Ellijay with a GHSA traditional state wresting team championship trophy. The Bobcats left the Macon Centreplex with four individual champions, four runners-up and 220.5 points. A year after graduating eight seniors they won going away -- their closest competitor, Marist, nearly 80 points behind.
"They knew they had a lot of big shoes to fill, and they did just that," victorious coach Sam Snider said. "We had 14 make it, 13 score and 10 place with eight in the finals and four champions -- it was an amazing week. The kids, especially our senior captains Will Gudger and Jaime Lopez, deserve all the credit for wanting to make this happen."
After getting runner-up finishes at 106 pounds with Domingo Reynoso, 113 with Trevor Preece and 120 with Marcelino Lopez, Lucas Patterson won an all-Region 7 matchup against Southeast Whitfield's Omar Ruiz, 7-6, at 132 pounds. Gudger lost at 145, but Lopez followed up with a 3-2 win at 152 over Perry's Derekston Williams, holding on to the one-point lead during the final period.
"It feels great, the best feeling in the world," Lopez said. "We have a great group of juniors and they're going to be very good next year. It feels great to help lead this team to two state championships this year."
Sophomore Matthew Waddell had to go the distance for the first time in the tournament to win at 170, but he earned a 15-5 major decision over Marist's Julian Grady to end his season 67-2. He snickered at the idea the Bobcats were in a rebuilding mode this year.
"We rebuild in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades," he said. "This title means a lot since we only have two seniors and graduated eight last year. We've worked so hard for this. I've worked since I was 8 years old for this, and it's one of the best days of my life."
To cap the weekend off, Gilmer heavyweight Levi Seabolt, another sophomore, earned his fourth consecutive pin in the tournament to conclude a 52-3 season. Moments after his match, Coach Snider was effusive in his praise for the team's champions.
"Lucas Patterson stayed confident and had a huge win," said Snider, whose program has also won eight duals championships. "Of course, Jaime Lopez has been a cornerstone all year and he won a tight one. We thought Matthew could dominate and he did, and Levi, as a sophomore in the heavyweight class, beat a very solid, athletic wrestler. Levi just stayed calm and he was very confident today."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timefreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.