Two area wrestlers are one step away from joining an elite club in Georgia high school wrestling.
Dalton 132-pounder Tyler Hunt in Class AAAAAA and Sonoraville 145-pounder Trevor Burdick in AAA won semifinal matches Friday at the GHSA state traditional championships in Macon. With another win Saturday, each can become a four-time state champion, a feat accomplished by just 35 wrestlers since Georgia began the traditional tournament in 1961.
Both also can complete undefeated senior seasons. Hunt, who transferred to Dalton from Sonoraville prior to this school year, has 68 wins heading into Saturday's finals, while Burdick has 51.
Despite facing the state's best at the Centreplex, neither Burdick nor Hunt has been challenged. Hunt has pinned each of his three opponents, while Burdick won his semifinal via second-period pin after a 15-0 technical-fall win in the quarterfinals.
Burdick will face a familiar foe in his final when he takes on Lumpkin County senior Keller Brown, whom he defeated for last year's state title and again during a dual meet this season.
"Trevor is one of the best kids on and off the mat that I've ever coached," Sonoraville coach Randy Steward said. "He handles himself with real class and doesn't get rattled. He's got his whole family here and is really excited, and I feel really good about it. It's going to be fun."
The Phoenix have had a strong team performance in the AAA tournament as they try to repeat last year's title. They have an 8.5-point lead going into the final day, with 10 athletes wrestling for top-five finishes. Besides Burdick, four other Sonoraville wrestlers will compete for titles: sophomore Eli Knight (120), juniors Allen Stone (138) and Charlie Brown (182) and senior John Knight (195).
The 195-pound final will be an all-Region 6 affair, with Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe senior Nathan Williams joining Knight on the mat. Ringgold's Tanner Stone also earned a spot in the AAA championship finals at 126 pounds.
In AA, Chattooga will have four wrestlers in the championship finals, none of them seniors: juniors Griffin Jarrett (106), Alex Mears (220) and Luis Medina (285) will be joined by sophomore Ty Veatch (195). Dade County freshman Cody Williams is in the 160-pound final.
Ridgeland seniors Jacob Mariakis (152) and Dylan Swanson (160) will wrestle for AAAA titles, joined by Southeast Whitfield sophomore Riso Webb (106) and Heritage senior Ryan Craft (113).
Hunt's teammate Noland Hunter (126) is another Catamount to reach the finals. The sophomore has a 57-1 record this season.
The championship round starts Saturday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. after the completion of the third- and fifth-place matches.