Traditional wrestling tournament season ultimately focuses on individual achievement. In three weeks at the Macon Centreplex, 84 individuals across six classifications will earn state championship medals.
There also will be six team champions, and any team with title aspirations has to take care of business the next two weekends. That means — to use a favorite wrestling coaching term — surviving and advancing. Area individual titles are nice, but the real key is to finish in the top four of the weight class to make the sectionals.
“There’s going to be an upset or two (for titles), but you’ve just got to find a way to qualify for the sectionals,” said Gordon Lee coach Brent Raby, in essence speaking for every coach with team title hopes.
Qualifying fewer than 10 for the state tournament makes winning a state title very difficult, and in northwest Georgia’s area tournaments, making the top four in some weight classes can be tougher than winning a match in Macon. Take Area 7-AAAA, for example. The tournament, held at Ridgeland today, features the state’s top two dual teams in powerhouse Gilmer County and Northwest Whitfield.
While those two teams are expected to battle for the area title, teams such as Heritage, Cartersville, LaFayette and Ridgeland have quality individuals who could make things difficult in this round and the next. However, if seedings hold true, Gilmer’s Bobcats and Northwest’s Bruins will see plenty of each other today.