Archer defended its 2013 Class AAAAAA duals state championship with a

Photo by Sonny Kennedy

42-15 victory over Camden County at the Macon Centreplex on Saturday and claimed its second duals state title in school history. Camden County won two of the first three matches and took a 6-3 lead, but the strength of Archer's lineup reclaimed the lead and momentum. Chris Diaz scored a pin at 126 pounds and Grant Aycox won a major decision at 132 pounds. Sam Bullard won a thriller at 138 pounds with a take down on the final second and Thomas Bullard grabbed a win at 145. Elliott Lee is the only unbeaten wrestler for Archer this season, and the 195 pounder sealed the victory by giving Archer a 34-15 lead with just two wrestlers remaining.

The Tigers cruised past Lowndes (60-9), Newton (68-3) and region rival Collins Hill (56-13) in the semifinals. Collins Hill placed third in state with a 41-24 edge over North Forsyth.

In other classifications:

Class AAAAA: Pope secured its third straight dual state championship and defeated Woodland-Cartersville in the championship round for the third consecutive season 36-29. In 2012 and 2013, Pope defeated the Wildcats to the tune of 56-10 and 50-14, respectively, but this year the Greyhounds had to dig their way out of a 20-0 hole. Tyler Haskin, a Chattanooga commit, got Pope on the board and made it 20-5 with his win at 132 pounds. Jake Adcock took a technical superiority at 138 pounds to make it 20-10 and T.J. Collins cut the deficit to 20-14 with a major decision at 145 pounds. Colton Lombardy gave Pope its first lead with 7-4 victory at 160 pounds and the Greyhounds took a 33-29 lead into the final match where heavyweight Seth Gorman sealed Pope's comeback victory with a 3-0 decision. Prior to Pope's championship, Allatoona defeated Creekview 43-24 in the third place consolation match.

Class AAAA: Gilmer took a 30-27 lead into the final match despite trailing Cass 17-7 after six of 14 wrestlers. Cass erased the three-point deficit in the final match and Tyjaun Jett tied it at 30-30 with a 3-point decision at heavyweight. Gilmer won the tiebreaker by criteria and claimed its third duals state title in the last four seasons and its fifth all time.

Class AAA: Buford won its first wrestling state title with a 44-23 win over defending state champion Banks County. The Leopards edged Buford 34-32 in the Area 7-AAA duals last week, but the loss gave the Wolves their first ever berth into the duals state tournament. Buford jumped to a 22-0 lead through the first five rounds before winning their rematch with Banks County. The Wolves' lead shrunk to 32-17 after Banks County won three of four matches, but a pair of pins at 195 and 220 pounds sealed the victory. Morgan County edged Woodward Academy 39-36 for a third place finish.

Class AA: Jefferson's historic dominance on the mats continued as the Dragons defeated Bremen 48-15 and won its record 13th straight duals state championship. Jefferson defeated Pepperell 61-18 in the quarterfinals before battling past Toombs County 47-34 in the semifinals. Social Circle grabbed a third place finish by topping Toombs County 45-30 in the third place match.

Class A: Commerce won its first duals state championship with a 48-18 win over Athens Christian. Commerce scores a 72-3 win over Strong Rock Christian in the quarterfinals and a 70-7 win over Turner County in the semifinals. Defending state champion Gordon Lee finished third with a 54-28 win over Turner County.

NORTH TEAM

Davis Pidgeon (Walton)

Even with the gigantic North offensive line lining up right next to Pidgeon, the 6-foot-6 tight end still stands out with his size. Pidgeon hauled in three touchdowns in his first season as the starting tight end for the Raiders and got better as the season progressed. While Pidgeon can serve as an unguardable mismatch at tight end, his future will likely be on the offensive line. During the Elite Junior Classic, Pidgeon showcased his blocking skills by containing the athletic South defensive ends and allowed running backs Kawon Bryant and Josh Bettistea to each rush for more than 100 yards. Pidgeon is a great downfield blocker as well and makes it nearly impossible for a defender to maneuver around his massive frame. At the collegiate level, expect Pidgeon to become a starting offensive tackle and he possesses all the required skills to thrive at that position. 

Connor Redmond (Archer)

Redmond and Archer were under the radar last season, but the Tigers' record-setting 10-0 season and heartbreaking loss to North Gwinnett in the playoffs proved

Photo by Sonny Kennedy

that Archer was not only for real, but was also one of the best teams in the state. Redmond was Archer's sure-handed playmaker at the tight end position and showed an ability to make tough catches in traffic, while also gaining yards after the catch with his vision and athleticism. At the Elite Junior Classic, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Redmond was used as a tight end and fullback and did a tremendous job keeping a hat on the defenders. Redmond has a great base when he blocks and is mature beyond his years in his fundamentals. In practice, Redmond found the soft spot in the defense and created space for his quarterbacks. Archer tore it up in 7-on-7 tournaments last summer and Redmond will get a lot of looks from colleges as the Tigers compete this offseason in the passing tournaments.

SOUTH TEAM

Gordon Dudley (Ware County)

Dudley was the only tight end to catch a pass in the Elite Junior Classic and did so by hauling in a key first down to keep the South team's scoring drive alive. Dudley is a tough football player and has wide receiver athleticism at 6-foot-1, 205-pounds with the strength and blocking ability of a fullback. The Gators will put Dudley in as their fullback and tight end this season in order to use his hard-hitting blocking and ability to slip out and make plays in the passing game. Dudley runs good routes and can get down field in a hurry.

Jalen Wilkerson (Coffee)

Entering next season, Wilkerson is currently the No. 6 tight end prospect in the country and is listed as a consensus four-star recruit. At 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, Wilkerson can be split out in the boundaries and apply pressure while requiring defensive attention from the entire side of the field he is occupying. Safeties and linebackers both have a difficult time disrupting his routes and Wilkerson often got a free release with his quick feet and athleticism off the line throughout the weekend. During practice, Wilkerson was very consistent in his route running and disguised his cuts and his next move very well as he attacked the defenders. Wilkerson is an outstanding basketball player as well and the same hoop skills that translate across the NFL with the All-Pro tight ends is seen with Wilkerson's ability to make acrobatic plays. 

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