Archer won its second consecutive traditional state championship as five Tigers wrestlers won state championships Saturday at the Class AAAAAA traditional state championship meet at Chattahoochee High.
Archer also won dual wrestling championships the past two seasons. Each classification held its state championship meet at a different location Saturday because of inclement weather last week. The championships originally were scheduled for Gwinnett Arena.
Grant Aycox (132 pounds), Thomas Bullard (152 pounds), Daniel Bullard (160 pounds), Elliott Lee (195 pounds) and M.J. Couzan (285 pounds) each won state championships for Archer. In addition, Chris Diaz (126 pounds), Sam Bullard (138 pounds) and Quin Miller (182 pounds) each came in second for the Tigers.
Archer easily defeated second-place Camden County, which netted 183.5 points and third-place Collins Hill, which totaled 102.5.
Elsewhere Saturday:
Class AAAAA: Cambridge won its first state championship in school history by winning the AAAAA meet at Loganville. The Bears won a tight affair in which the top four teams scored within 22 points of each other. Cambridge had three wrestlers win state titles: J.R. Salemi (120 pounds), Brandon Filosi (126 pounds) and Devin Kane (145 pounds).
“It’s the result of the hard work of so many,” Cambridge athletic director Matt Lawless said of his athletic program’s first championship. “As a new school, it’s hard getting the right coach to come here and build a program quickly. We knew we ad the talent. That said, coach (Don) St. James was the guy. And all the hard work and credit really goes to him.”
Kane won an important match in the finals by outpointing Pope’s T.J. Collins 6-2. Kane’s win gave the Bears 27 points.
Two Bears came in second: Will Britain (138 pounds) and Malik McNeil (285 pounds, the heavyweight class).
Allatoona, meanwhile, saw six wrestlers come in the top five of their respective weight classes: Cody Anderson (120 pounds), Ethan Benedict (132 pounds), Jack Woods (138 pounds), Jacob Robinson (152 pounds), Will Kemp (160 pounds) and Cody Webb (182 pounds). However, the Bucs had no wrestlers win state championships.
Pope, the defending AAAAA traditional state champion, had two individual state champions in Jake Adcock (138 pounds) and Jake Henson (160 pounds). In addition to Collins finishing second, Josh Tazzetta came in third in the 113-pound weight class. The Greyhounds’ only other top-five finisher was Seth Gorman in the heavyweight class.
The Bears’ win interrupted a streak of six consecutive state meets won by Pope in dual and traditional styles. Ironically, Cambridge defeated Pope at the Area 7 meet three weeks ago for the Bears’ first area or region title of any type.
Class AA: Jefferson won its 14th consecutive traditional state wrestling championship at the AA meet at Toombs County.
The Class A, AAA and AAAA state championships were decided later Saturday night.
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