GHSA STATE TRADITIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Commerce (Class A), Toombs County (AA), Buford (AAA), West Laurens (AAAA), Loganville (AAAAA), Chattahoochee (AAAAAA)
After they were postponed and moved from Gwinnett Arena because of last week’s winter storm, the state high school traditional wrestling championships will be decided this weekend at six different sites.
Archer, last year’s Class AAAAAA traditional team champion, leads the way with qualifiers in each of the 14 weight classifications, including eight sectionals champions. The Tigers are fresh off a dual state championship, their second in a row.
Camden County and Collins Hill could contend in the state’s largest classification. The Wildcats bring 13 wrestlers, and Collins Hill has seven, including Ryan Millhof, who committed to Oklahoma.
A bit of drama unfolded at the Area 7-AAAAA meet, as dual champion and defending state traditional champ Pope was unseated by Cambridge, which is in the program’s second year. Each team will wrestle nine athletes this weekend. Pope, which suffered some key injuries before the area meet, will have its two top seeds competing, and Cambridge has three. Woodland-Cartersville, the 2011 dual champion, has 10 qualifiers.
Traditional power Gilmer reigns in AAAA as dual champion and defending traditional champ. However, Cass gave the Bobcats a tough time at the dual meet, losing by one point (31-30).
AAA dual champion Buford burst onto the wrestling scene this year with its first state title of any kind in the sport. The Wolves will be a factor in the traditional meet as well, with eight wrestlers competing this weekend, including five top seeds. Banks County may be Buford’s chief competition for the state crown, with seven qualifiers. Woodward Academy, however, will bring six wrestlers, including four top seeds.
Jefferson has dominated AA since entering that class in 2009. The Dragons have won a traditional wrestling championship every year since 2001, with the first eight coming in Class A. Bremen, however, is a traditional power in its own right, with four consecutive Class A traditional titles before moving to AA before the 2013 season. Both Bremen and Jefferson will bring 11 wrestlers, although Bremen has seven top seeds to the Dragons’ five.
Class A may have the most parity of any classification, as Holy Innocents’, Gordon Lee and Commerce each have won or shared state championships in the past two seasons. Commerce won the dual title last month, but Gordon Lee is the defending traditional champion.
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