The first day of the Region 2-A/AA wrestling tournament wrapped up Friday night with the host Hixson Wildcats atop the leaderboard with 54.5 points.
Hixson began with a pin from 132-pounder Grayson Layne to the delight of fans shouting, “Good start!” The fall set the pace for the Wildcats, who put 12 of their 14 wresters into the championship semifinals, scoring bonus points in 11 matches.
“You just have to keep wrestling and keep rolling,” Hixson coach Garrick Hall said. “It’s their tournament. It’s individual and you have to want it.”
An impressive East Ridge squad is nipping at Hixon’s heels with 53 points. The Pioneers’ total includes a semifinal win at heavyweight in the only semifinal bout wrestled Friday. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Chris Bird, the Pioneers will begin day two with 12 of their 13 wrestlers still competing.
Bird said his team will have to wrestle well on the back side of the bracket to give Hixson a run.