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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Final tourney thoughts; final rankings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wrestling writer Kurt Aschermann Jr. ranks the top wrestling teams in the state, regardless of class: Week of Feb. 27.
Pin it down and rank the final rankings: Let us know who YOUR final Top 10 are and how they stack up against Kurt’s end-of-season picks.
Even though I have covered each of the three state wrestling tournaments at the Arena at Gwinnett Center, there was something about this particular tournament that trumped the other two. Maybe it was the upsets, with Centennial 112-pounder Brian St. James knocking off T.J. Mitchell of Collins Hill in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals standing as the biggest shocker.
Maybe it was the Collins Hill machine not only taking the Class AAAAA title by a comfortable margin but seemingly grabbing every Eagle backer they could find and filling an arena seat with green-clad wackos.
Georgia High School wrestling needs teams like Collins Hill because what’s a sport without its villain?
Perhaps it was the chance to see Josh Condon and Peter Yates wrestle for the last time in a Harrison and Salem singlet, respectively, and each win their third state titles. Maybe it was seeing Parkview’s Carson Fields finally nab that elusive ring. Or watching wrestlers like Bryan Benton (Toombs County), Jordan Dukes (Hiram), Brandon Westerman (McEachern), Joey Lazor (Union Grove) and Jonathan Gregory (Ringgold) complete unbeaten seasons, though several grapplers went without a loss against Georgia competition.
Or it could’ve been the Class AAAAA mat, in the far corner of the arena, dubbed “the mat of death” among other things by yours truly and North Forsyth coach Travis Jarrard.
Maybe it was Tri-Cities heavyweight Marcus Brewster, the most entertaining wrestler I’ve ever seen.
But I’m willing to believe it was something else: no event comes close to the Traditional State Wrestling Tournament. Nothing matches the emotion from the wrestlers; the coaches; the fans. And if you can show me a high school athletic event like the wrestling finals, I’ll show you an event in another state.
I’m already looking forward to next February.
Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestlers
Class AAAAA: Carson Fields, Parkview — Fields finally got his state title and in dominating fashion: a tech fall and four pins, including a fall in 1:05 of Collins Hill’s Joel Smith in the 135-pound final.
Class AAAA: Peter Yates, Salem — Poor J.C. Hall of Dacula, a fine wrestler, but one who had the unfortunate task of facing the Virginia Tech-bound Yates in the 145-pound final. Total domination by Yates in five tourney matches: pin in 1:06; 17-0 tech fall; pin in :38; pin in 1:31 and another 17-0 tech fall of Hall in the final.
Class AAA: Josh Boler, Apalachee — The Maryland transfer was a monster all weekend and capped his first season in Georgia with a pin in 1:51 of Spencer’s Brian Davis in the 215 final. Boler finished the year 59-1.
Class AA: Bryan Benton, Toombs County — Benton got better as the tournament went on: 1st round, 11-4 decision; quarterfinals, 18-8 major; semifinals, 12-2 major; 135-pound final, 22-7 tech fall.
Class A: Jed Gurley, Jefferson — Tough to pass up Gurley’s teammate Lucas Redd (two quick pins and 15-0 tech fall at 171), but Gurley won his third state title at 125 pounds with three first-period pins.
Final Pound for Pound Top 10 (last week’s rankings in parenthesis)
- Collins Hill (1): The Eagles completed one of the greatest seasons in Georgia’s long wrestling history.
2. Harrison (6): After a runner-up finish in Class AAAAA, the Hoyas are clearly Georgia’s second-best team.
3. Union Grove (2): The Wolverines finished third in AAAAA without Alex Lazor and Justin Crozier.
4. Jefferson (4): The Dragons leave Class A with eight consecutive traditional titles; all seven duals crowns.
5. Pope (5): Tough first-round draws doomed the Greyhounds; Mallard (130) was the only finalist.
6. Eastside (9): The Eagles get over the hump with a Class AAAA title.
T7. Lafayette (7): Ramblers sweep Duals/Traditional in AA.
T7. Gilmer (10): Two champs help Bobcats win their second Class AAA Traditional title.
9. Cass (5): Co-champs in dual format; solid No. 2 in Class AAA Traditional.
10. Ringgold (8): Class AAAA Duals champs collect two individual champions and finish seventh at Traditional.
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Pin it down and rank the final rankings: Let us know who YOUR final Top 10 are and how they stack up against Kurt’s end-of-season picks.
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