Jefferson crowned six individual state champions last year and is on pace to match that level of success once again after qualifying 13 wrestlers for state and seeing seven first-place finishes at the 3A- East Sectionals last weekend. Dawson Bates (106), Mitchell McGhee (113) and Ben Kelly (120) swept the lowest three weight classes at sectionals, and last year's Class AA 113 state champ Price Joiner finished
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| Photo by GHSA.net |
second at sectionals in the 126 weight class. Jefferson's Tanner Thurmand finished runner-up at state last year at 132 pounds and returns to Macon as a favorite after taking first at 132 pounds in the East Sectionals. Jeremy McCloskey took third at 138 and Chase Piperato and Williams Ballard left sectionals as champions at 145 and 152, respectively. Piperato moved up several weight classes to 145 after winning the state title at 120 last year. Jefferson's Caleb Little won the state title at 160 pounds last year and is transitioning well to 182, where he cruised for a first place finish at sectionals.
Topping Joiner at 126 in the East Sectional finals was Oconee County's Stepon Amirkhanyan. Oconee County's Rexx Hallyburton also finished first last weekend at the 170-pound class, while teammates Rudy Rodriguez (second at 106), Drake Dawson (fifth at 138), Chris Couch (second at160) and Dalton Sikes (sixth at 220) gave the Warriors depth and experience entering the tournament.
In Class AA, Social Circle defeated Bremen 34-31 for the dual state championship last month (the school's first-ever wrestling state title) and will be battling with a deep Class AA field as the team to beat in Macon.
While Bremen looks to avenge its loss to the Redskins, Greater Atlanta Christian placed fifth in state last year behind Jefferson, Bremen, Social Circle and Toombs County, but has emerged as a contender entering the state tournament following an impressive showing at sectionals.
GAC will send 10 wrestlers to state, including seniors Joshua "D.J." Coker (285 pounds) and Kyle Politz (145), who captured first-place finishes in their respective weight classes at sectionals. Justin Van Luween (113), Ian Politz (126) and Thomas Lord (183) ended sectionals as runner-ups. GAC actually had 12 wrestlers qualify for sectionals, but Emertius Morris (152) could not participate after suffering a hip fracture and the Spartans would send 10 of the active 11 wrestlers at sectionals to state.
"[10] It's a good number for us," GAC head coach Jeff Harsh told the Gwinnett Daily Post. "We're competing with Social Circle and Bremen as far as the top three teams [in Class AA]"
Social Circle saw five first-place finishes at sectionals and will send a dozen top 3 finishers from sectionals to Macon to compete for the state title. James Corasaniti (132), Reid Harris (138), Cade Lackey (152), Cameron Paschal (160) and Aaron Forester (182) all placed first at the 2A-East Sectionals. Last year, Social Circle placed eight wrestlers in the top 4 at state and it will be Lackey returning as the only reigning champion after claiming the state title at 132 last year.
TIGER TOWN...
In Class A, Commerce successfully defended its first and only dual state championship with a 54-24 win over Mt. Zion-Carroll last month and will look to defend its first traditional state won last year in Macon with a full-lineup of state qualifiers. Commerce outscored Treutlen (59-15) and Trion (66-4) by a combined 106 points en route to its dual state title and the dominance has continued through area action and sectionals.
The Tigers placed all 14 wrestlers that qualified for sectionals for state and like Archer, Camden County and Gilmer, will have a wrestler in each weight class this weekend. Commerce left the Class A-West Sectionals with nine individual champions and four second-place finishers.
Commerce's Casey Burchett (106), Jacob Brewer (113), Dalton Flint (120), Owen Brown (138), Chase Forrester (152), Knox Allen (160), Cole Chancey (170), Cole Sweeney (195) and Derek Benoit (285) were the sectional winners and Austin Brock (second, 126), Mitchell Patton (second, 132), Dontavious Mosley (third, 182) and Tyreke Wiggins (second, 220) are top three finishers that can threaten the field in Macon.
Last year's Class A runner-up Gordon Lee moved up to Class AA and qualified just four wrestlers to state. Athens Christian will be amongst the schools competing with Commerce and is led by Zane Wolf, who won the sectional title at 145 pounds. Wolf's teammates Travis Kellogg (126) and David Sanford (285) took third and fourth in their respective weight classes at sectionals and are bound for Macon.
edging Norcross 45-43. North Forsyth avenged its 52-50 loss to South Forsyth last month with a 55-49 win on Friday and improved to No. 4. 
