There was a changing of the guard in the lower three classifications of the GHSA wrestling duals championships this weekend in Macon, where programs with a combined 29 consecutive team titles were dethroned.
Two of the new champions reside in northwest Georgia. Chattooga rolled out to a quick lead against Social Circle, which had won the past five Class AA titles, and never let up while winning 59-21 during Saturday's finals. In Class A, Trion took nine of the first 11 individual bouts to win 46-25 and end Commerce's run of duals championships at six.
In Class AAA, the Sonoraville Phoenix lost 49-18 to North Hall a day after ending Jefferson's 18-year state duals winning streak.
Trion fell behind 4-0 to Commerce after giving up a major decision at 220 pounds, but the Bulldogs went ahead for good when 285-pounder Clay Baker earned a pin right at the first-period buzzer. After getting an 8-7 decision from Seth Huskins at 106, Daegan Vaughn added six points with a pin at 113.
Trion's lead was 24-13 when Logan Eller stuck his 145-pound opponent in the second period. Lincoln Maddux and David Paiz followed suit at 152 and 160 to seal the program's first state duals title after several recent top-three finishes at both the duals and traditional state tournaments. Trion won its lone traditional title in 1994.
Chattooga's runaway win over Social Circle started in the meat of the Indians' strength at 220, where Alex Mears dominated 17-1 for a five-point technical fall. Luis Medina (285), a Times Free Press Dynamite Dozen honoree and Troy University football signee, followed with a first-period pin. After a Commerce pin at 106, Griffin Jarrett and Wes Conley earned pins for Chattooga to establish a 23-6 advantage.
The Tigers rallied to cut the deficit to eight, but the Indians countered with consecutive pins from Jason Malone, Mason Sterner and Rowan Burdick to clinch the title with four matches left.
North Hall's win over Sonoraville also was the result of a dominating start. North Hall won the first five bouts, including two pins and a major decision, to take a 22-0 lead. Eli Knight ended the run with a pin at 126, but the Trojans got a first-period pin from Damon Campbell at 132 to reassume command.
Woodward Academy used a strong run in the middle weights to get past Gilmer, 44-24, in the Class AAAA championship match.
Also in AAAA, Northwest Whitfield went 1-1 Saturday to finish fourth. The Bruins defeated Central-Carroll 50-27 in the consolation semifinals before losing for the second time in the tournament to Blessed Trinity, 46-21, in the third-place match.
In Class AA, Dade County fell to Elbert County 38-33 in the consolation semifinals.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.