The value of wrestling well in consolation matches was on display Friday at the GHSA state traditional tournament in Macon.
The Trion Bulldogs, coming off their first state duals title, were in fourth place after a rough first day Thursday in Class A, getting only four of their 12 state qualifiers into the championship semifinals as Commerce advanced seven wrestlers and two other teams six. The Bulldogs put only one competitor, 152-pound Lincoln Maddux, into Saturday’s finals, but they surged to first place in the team standings on the strength of 10 wrestlers advancing through the consolation rounds and into position to finish second through sixth individually.
Trion heads into the medal rounds with 136.5 points, with Commerce second at 130. The Tigers have three finalists and five wrestlers alive in the consolations. Mount Pisgah Christian is third at 117 points and also has three finalists but only six wrestlers remaining overall.
A similar scenario took shape in Class AAA, where the Sonoraville Phoenix and North Hall are set to battle for the team title. The Phoenix, the 2019 traditional champions, lead with 174 points to 165.5 for North Hall, which beat Sonoraville in last month’s state duals finals.
Sonoraville has 10 wrestlers still alive, including finalists Misha Arbos (113), Eli Knight (126), Allen Stone (138), Jebb Knight (170) and Charlie Brown (195). The AAA team title, though, will likely be decided in the matches for third and fifth places, where North Hall, which has four finalists, has seven competitors still alive to five for Sonoraville.
Four of coach Randy Steward’s wrestlers will wrestle for third, but six North Hall competitors will do so. The two teams will not match up in any bouts Saturday.
The consolations may be an even bigger factor in AAAA, where Woodward Academy leads Gilmer 149.5 points to 134.5. Woodward led the Bobcats by 24 heading into Friday, but Gilmer had nine wrestlers advance to the third- and fifth-place matches to join the team’s lone finalist, Caleb Waddell (170). Woodward has a big edge with five finalists, though it has only two more wrestlers competing.
There is very little drama in Class AA, where state duals champion Chattooga was rolling with 166.5 points, 53 more than second-place Oglethorpe County. The Indians’ seven finalists are led by Griffin Jarrett (113), who is going for his fourth individual title. He’s joined by Wes Conley (120), Mason Sterner (145), Jakoby Cottrell (170), Ty Veatch (195), Alex Mears (220) and Luis Medina (285), another reigning champ.
Dade County is third with 103 points and has four finalists: Cayden Cooper (132), Dakota Johnson (160), Cody Williams (182) and Ian Howell (285). Other area wrestlers going for individual titles are Calhoun’s Jacob Poe (145) in AAA, Northwest Whitfield’s Victor Pineda (113) and Chase Humble (195) in AAAA and Dalton’s Cole Hunt (106) and Hunter Noland (138) in AAAAAA. Noland won the 126-pound title last year.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.