Two state champions

GREENSBORO — When reaching the championship match of the NCHSAA Dual Meet Wrestling Tournament, there are two distinct paths to claiming the title.

One is where every single match matters and every weight class can be the difference between winning or going home as runner ups.

Or a team can gain such a huge advantage that a number of the latter weight classes aren’t necessary to determine the outcome.

Uwharrie Charter Academy used the former route to defend its state 1-A championship Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse while the Trinity Bulldogs used the latter to earn its first ever state dual meet championship.

The Eagles fell behind big to Avery County early on, but rallied to win six of the final seven matches, including a pin by Jaden Maness in the second period of the final bout, for a thrilling 36-33 victory for its second straight 1-A title. UCA trailed 27-6 before rallying for the win.

Earlier in the day, the Trinity Bulldogs trailed early, but dominated the middle weight classes for a huge lead, which allowed them to forfeit the final three matches in a 36-31 win over Seaforth for the state 2-A championship.

Two state champions from the same conference in the same county.

UCA’s Maness completed an incredible comeback by the Eagles, who used five straight wins for a 30-27 lead with two matches remaining. However, an injury default in the second-to-last match pushed Avery County into a 33-30 lead before Maness earned a pin at 2:41 to set up a wild celebration.

“I knew I had to win by a major decision or a pin and I had to go out and perform to the best of my ability,” Maness said. “There is no other feeling like that, especially my senior year. This means a whole lot.”

The win gives UCA a final record of 34-1.

“It’s incredible,” veteran UCA coach Chris Waddell said. “People don’t understand how tough 1-A wrestling is.”

Avery County opened with a 27-6 lead, thanks to four falls in a five-match stretch early on. Things changed for UCA after Jack McArthur won a 6-2 decision over Mason Bentley in the 144-pound weight class. McArthur was actually bumped up a weight class and the strategy worked perfectly.

“Our heads were down a little,” McArthur said of the big deficit before his match. “I knew my name was up and I was about to go. I wasn’t thinking about weight classes or anything like that. I was thinking about all the practices and all the hard drilling.”

McCarthur was named most outstanding wrestler.

Lorenzo Alston followed with a pin 13 seconds into the 150-pound bout.

The nine points from McArthur and Alston carried UCA on a 24-point run, which included two more pins at 165 by Alek Millikan and 175 by Caden Bond. Uwharrie Charter claimed a 30-27 lead with just two bouts left.

That set up the final matches.

Saturday was the fifth appearance in the dual-team wrestling state championship for UCA, also claiming the title in 2019.

Jair Ulloa won the Sportsmanship Award for the Eagles Saturday.

The Bulldogs recorded three pins in the state 2-A championship match. Joseph Trahan pinned Palmer Moad in 47 seconds in the 285-pound weight class, Jaden Allred pinned Noah Lisk at the 1:49 mark at 138, and the decisive pin came in the 170-pound weight class where Lawson Coltrane pinned Alex Hinchman at the 3:37 mark to secure the win for Trinity.

“The kids have been working for this for a long time,” THS coach Brandon Coggins said. “This shows the kind of work they have put into it.”

Trahan's pin started the day for the Bulldogs, but Seaforth got three straight wins in the 106, 113 and 120-pound weight classes for a 13-6 lead through four classifications.

But Trinity won the next seven bouts, including pins by Allred and Coltrane, as well as a win by disqualification for Zane Schloemer in the 160-pound weight class. 

Spencer May won by a 6-3 decision at 126, Levi Dennis captured an 8-4 win at 132, Baron Justice earned a 7-0 win at 145 and Charles Schaefer won by a 4-3 decision at 152.

Coltrane was named MVP for his performance.

“That award could have gone to a couple of different guys, but Lawson went out there and closed that match for us and deserves it,” Coggins said. 

Seaforth, which is in its second year of existence, finished 36-2 on the season.

Trinity’s Brayden Hall won the Sportsmanship Award.

2-A Dual-Team Wrestling Results

Trinity 36, Seaforth 31

285: Joseph Trahan (THS) over Palmer Moad (Seaforth) Fall 0:47 (THS 6-0)

106: Gabe Rogers (Seaforth) over Aiden Burkholder (THS) Fall 1:04  (Tied 6-6)

113: Jordan Miller (Seaforth) over Edgar Vasquez (THS) Dec 8-5 (SF 9-6)

120: Josh Miller (Seaforth) over Brayden Hall (THS) Maj 12-3 (SF 13-6)

126: Spencer May (THS) over Layne Armstrong (Seaforth) Dec 6-3 (SF 13-9)

132: Levi Dennis (THS) over Maddock Cody (Seaforth) Dec 8-4 (SF 13-12)

138: Jaden Allred (THS) over Noah Lisk (Seaforth) Fall 1:49 (THS 18-13)

145: Baron Justice (THS) over Caden Brewer (Seaforth) Dec 7-0 (THS 21-13)

152: Charles `Bear` Schaefer (THS) over William Bass (Seaforth) Dec 4-3 (THS 24-13)

160: Zane Schloemer (THS) over Pierson Moad (Seaforth) DQ (THS 30-13)

170: Lawson Coltrane (THS) over Alex Hinchman (Seaforth) Fall 3:37 (THS 36-13) 

182: Judge Lloyd (Seaforth) won by forfeit  (THS 36-19)

195: Harrison Compton (Seaforth) won by forfeit (THS 36-25)

220: Ethan Kuball (Seaforth)won by forfeit (THS 36-31)

1-A Dual-Team Wrestling Results

Uwharrie Charter Academy 36, Avery County 33

285: Grayson Hoilman (AC) over Devonte Harrison (UCA) Dec 9-4 (AC 3-0)

106: Ethan Hines (UCA) over Alexandero Ical Tuil (AC) Dec 9-2 (Tied 3-3)

113: Cooper Foster (AC) over Caleb Saldana (UCA) Fall 0:45 (AC 9-3)

120: Brennan Worrell (UCA) over King Orvosh (AC) Dec 4-0 (AC 9-6)

126: Benjamin Jordan (AC) over Rick Riccardella (UCA) Fall 1:21 (AC 15-6)

132: Grant Reece (AC) over Brandon Jordan (UCA) Fall 0:54 (Avery 21-6)

138: Kenneth Pritz (AC) over Jair Ulloa (UCA) Fall 5:44 (Avery 27-6)

144: Jack McArthur (UCA) over Mason Bentley (AC) Dec 6-2 (AC 27-9)

150: Lorenzo Alston (UCA) over Grayson Brown (AC) Fall 0:13 (AC 27-15)

157: Carson Robinson (UCA) over Johnathon Gragg (AC) Dec 4-2 (AC 27-18)

165: Alek Millikan (UCA) over Barrett Potter (AC) Fall 2:42 (AC 27-24)

175: Caden Bond (UCA) over Maverick Mora (AC) Fall 0:39 (UCA 30-27)

190: Cael Dunn (AC) over Michael Shropshire (UCA) Inj 0:32 (Avery 33-30)

215: Jaden Maness (UCA) over Connor Brewer (AC) Fall 2:41 (UCA 36-33)