CALHOUN, Ga. – Randy Steward would have preferred, obviously, to walk out of the Calhoun High School gym Saturday with the first-place trophy in the GHSA Area 3-AAA wrestling duals. But his Sonoraville team’s goal of winning a state championship is still alive after the Phoenix rallied to earn the area’s No. 2 berth in next week’s state tournament in Macon.
Getting there just took a bit of extra work.
After falling 41-33 to Bremen in the championship round, Sonoraville had to regroup before facing a battle-tested Coahulla Creek team that had won three previous matches Saturday. Naturally, Steward was concerned about an emotional letdown in the win-or-stay-home match.
“I am very proud and pleased with our kids because of the way they responded,” Steward said after a thorough 52-16 win over the Colts. “They were heartbroken after losing to Bremen. We had a little energizing talk in the locker room, because, hey, Coahulla Creek has won a lot of matches and I was a bit worried.
“It worked out great and my hat’s off to these kids, every one of them.”
The Bremen title match was all Blue Devils at the start. Beginning in the middle weights, where Steward’s team is its thinnest, hurt right away as Bremen built a quick 26-0 lead on the strength of pins by Koby Cook at 160 and Jacob Miles at 195 and Noah Liles’ technical fall at 170.
Sonoraville’s John Knight finally broke the run with a decision at 220, but, following Eli Knight’s forfeit win at 106, the Phoenix lost a key mach at 113 on an injury default.
“We felt that was a nine-point swing right there,” Steward said. “That really hurt us.”
Now down 35-9, Sonoraville had to be perfect and nearly pulled it off after getting pins from Allen Stone at 120, Jayce Derryberry at 126 and Tyler Hunt at 132. The Phoenix moved within two when Trevor Burdick was awarded a forfeit at 138. However, Bremen’s Aaron Brock sealed the win with a 5-1 decision at 145.
Meanwhile, Coahulla Creek, after losing in the second round Friday, fought through the consolation bracket with wins over Pace Academy, Murray County and No. 3 seed Lovett, 42-39 in the consolation finals.
In the second-place match starting at 195 pounds, the Colts took a 10-6 lead after three bouts but did not get expected bonus points at heavyweight after Sonoraville’s Paul Hollander avoided a pin in falling 9-1 to Walter Richards. The Phoenix lead was just 18-10 after Hector Albos earned a pin at 113 when Stone and Derryberry earned important decisions.
Stone held off Brody Smith, 7-6, at 120 before Derryberry won 11-6 in overtime against James Loi. Lose those two and Steward knows things could have gone differently.
“Those decisions were turning points – especially that overtime – for the kids waiting to wrestle,” he said. “Jayce, for whatever reason, hit a wall there but was able to get it.”
Sonoraville individual state champions Hunt and Burdick then got 12 quick points to stretch a lead that never was in doubt the rest of the way.
-In the Area 3-A tournament at Trion, the hosts and Gordon Lee will represent the area in Macon. The Bulldogs earned the championship with a 53-21 win over the Trojans.
-In the Area 6-AAAAAA tournament at Sequoyah, Dalton fought its way through the consolation bracket to earn the area’s No. 2 seed behind champion Creekview. The Catamounts defeated Sequoyah, 45-28, in the second-place match to earn a spot in Macon.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22