2021 GHSA Team Dual Wrestling State Championships Fan Guide

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

2021 GHSA DUALS TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE JANUARY 30, 2021

W ORD FROM THE E XE C UTIVE DIRE CTOR

WELCOME GHSA TEAM DUAL WRESTLING FANS

SATURDAY - JANUARY 30

W

elcome to the 2021 GHSA Team Dual Wrestling State Championships! The best teams from all classifications throughout our state will compete in what is sure to be an exciting highlight of the wrestling season. Thank you for your support of this tournament and for your support of high school wrestling throughout this season.

The GHSA is fortunate to have many partners and volunteers that make quality events such as this possible. These championships are hosted by the Atlanta Takedown Association whose members give their time to plan and operate the tournament. Special thanks go out to Bud Hennebaul and Don Corr who is GHSA’s Associate Director for wrestling. This year will be a little different as the Duals will take place at 7 locations to allow the tournaments to be more safe for spectators and athletes alike.

The Georgia High School Association believes that life lessons are learned through participation in athletics and hard work and discipline are especially true in wrestling.

Our athletes have worked tirelessly and sacrificed much to reach this point. Thanks again for your support of these fine athletes and get ready for an exciting tournament.

Dr. Robin Hines Executive Director

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ALL CLASSES

MATS

BOUTS

WEIGH-IN

7:00 am

COACHES MEETING

8:00 AM

QUARTERFINALS

9:00 AM

4

4 mats

SEMIS & CONSO QUARTERS

4

4 mats

CONSO SEMIS

2

2 mats

CONSO FINALS AND FINALS

2

2 mats

3:00 PM

Awards immediately after all finals are completed.

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The 2021 Georgia High School Association Team Dual Wrestling State Championship Guide is published by Score Media, a division of Score Atlanta, in conjunction with the GHSA. The guide was designed by Adam Schindler, and edited by Craig Sager II, Seth Ellerbee and Graham David. Information was provided by the GHSA and ATA. For more information on Score Media, go to Scoreatl.com or call 404-2561572.

GHSA.NET // 3

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

DUAL WRESTLING PRELIMS BRING CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD INTO FOCUS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | SAGERC2@GMAIL .COM

T

he results from the Dual Wrestling Region and Area Tournaments set the field of teams that competed in the prelims this past weekend and now the eight remaining programs in each classification will compete for the ultimate prize this weekend at the GHSA Team Duals Wrestling State Championships. Following the conclusion of the two rounds of prelims, the GHSA conducted a process to seed the championship field and this will likely result in this year’s most successful programs not meeting until the final rounds. Here’s a look back at how the championship field fared through the prelims.

In Class 7A, reigning champion Camden County secured the No. 1 seed after advancing with a first-round bye and then scored a flawless 78-0 victory over McEachern. The Wildcats will take on No. 8 seed Archer—which is looking to win its first dual state title since capturing fourstraight from 2013-16. Camden County is joined by Region 1 opponents Lowndes and Colquitt County in the championship field—making Region 1 the only region in Class 7A to send three programs to the championship, giving South Georgia tremendous representation this weekend.

Defending Class 6A state champion Pope was served a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to Dalton and was denied a trip to the championship. Dalton’s big victory gives

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the Catamounts the No. 7 seed and they will battle No. 2 seeded Brunswick—which advanced following two rounds of byes. Alexander earned the No. 1 seed, but will take on a tough Valdosta team that earned the No. 8 seed following a 75-0 win over Morrow and decisive 66-18 win over Effingham County. It’s also worth noting that No. 5 seed Buford bolsters the depth of the Class 6A field after joining the classification from its previous placement in Class 5A.

The Class 3A championship field will feature defending state champion North Hall in addition to programs that advanced to this stage in historic fashion. Morgan County was able to earn the No. 6 seed and make its first dual championship appearance in five years with its massive 46-36 win over Westminster. No. 2 seed Rockmart and No. 3 seed Gilmer add more championship experience to the field.

BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS

In Class 2A, Toombs County’s narrow 39-38 win over Haralson County resulted in the Bulldogs’ earning the No. 8 seed and Toombs County will be joined by No. 3 seed Vidalia and No. 7 seed East Laurens as the trio of Region 2 teams represented in the championship field. Oglethorpe County is the top seed after posting impressive wins over Rabun County (52-18) and Model (54-18) in the prelims.

Class 5A also got bolstered by the reclassification with reigning Class 4A state champion Woodward Academy set to take on the competition as the No. 2 seed. The War Eagles toppled Northside-Columbus 56-4 and Jones County 56-12 in the prelims. The top seed will be Class 5A’s twotime defending state champion Woodland-Cartersville and the No. 3 seed is Cass—which finished runner-up behind the Wildcats in the Region 7 tournament earlier this month.

As previously mentioned, Woodward Academy departed from Class 4A to join Class 5A and so the classification will have a new champion crowned this year. Powerhouse and 18-time dual state champion Jefferson secured the No. 1 seed and is back in the classification after competing in Class 3A the last two seasons. Jefferson dominated the prelims—scoring an 84-0 win over Fayette County and a 66-13 victory over Pickens.

Trion snapped Commerce’s run of six-straight Class A titles last year to win its first-ever Dual state title.

The Bulldogs return to the championships as the No. 1 seed and are coming off a flawless 84-0 performance against Athens Christian in the prelims. Region 6 champion Mt. Pisgah earned the No. 2 seed, Region 4 champions Social Circle landed the No. 3 seed and Commerce will wear the No. 4 seed after winning the Region 8 title and topping Bowdon (81-0) and Wesleyan (51-21) swiftly in the prelims.

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

RECLASSIFICATION INTRODUCES NEW LANDSCAPE TO CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE

BY CRAIG SAGER II | SAGERC2@GMAIL .COM

T

he Team Dual Wrestling Championships will be held at seven separate host sites this year and the brackets are loaded with the state’s most accomplished programs. This is certainly the case in Georgia’s highest classification where four-time defending dual state champion Camden County will be represented as the No. 1 seed. Last year’s runner-up Collins Hill failed to qualify for the prelims out of a stacked Region 8 that includes region champion Mountain View—which was topped by Camden County in last year’s tournament.

West Forsyth was also defeated by the Wildcats last year, but will not be in Camden County’s path until the finals after securing the No. 2 seed after a successful run in the prelims.

Defending Class 6A state champion Pope was ousted in the prelims following a thrilling 39-38 Dalton victory. Richmond Hill—which was defeated by Pope in last year’s finals 30-24 earned the No. 4 seed. Alexander avenged last year’s 33-28 loss to Cambridge in the championship tournament by topping the Bears 39-21 last weekend and earning the No. 1 seed in the process. Richmond Hill has been phenomenal this year and the Wildcats’ talent was on display in the prelims after posting a runner-up finish in Region 2 behind Brunswick—the No. 2 seed. Richmond Hill responded

by posting 54-18 win over Heritage-Conyers and then cruising past Northside-Warner Robins 72-0 in its latest outing.

Woodland-Bartow cruised past the competition last year to clinch its second-straight Class 5A dual state title, but will have to defend its crown against a championship field that includes reigning Class 4A champion Woodward Academy—which joined the classification following the latest reclassification cycle. The War Eagles will be the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded Woodland-Bartow—setting up for a potential battle of defending champs in the finals.

Gilmer has since moved down to Class 3A and will be the No. 3 seed behind No. 2 Rockmart and No. 1 seed North Hall. Last year’s runner-up Sonoraville is the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 seed Adairsville in the first round. North Hall, which topped Sonoraville 49-18 in last year’s finals to win its second dual title in the last three years, is coming off its massive 70-12 victory over Oconee County in the prelims.

ON A MISSION

Defending Class 2A champion Chattooga failed to qualify for the prelims out of Region 7 and last year’s runner-up Social Circle will now be represented in the Class A field. As a result, six of the eight teams in the Class 2A championship tournament will be looking to win first-ever titles—including No. 1 seed Oglethorpe County, No. 2 seed Dade County and No. 3 seeded Vidalia.

Woodward Academy departed from Class 4A, but Jefferson moved in and will be the No. 1 seed this weekend. The Dragons have previously won 18 dual state titles in their history and appear to be in championship form after cruising past Fayette County (840) and Pickens (66-13) in convincing fashion in the prelims. The Dragons’ top opposition could be No. 2 seeded Perry, which was topped by Gilmer 36-31 in last year’s championships.

In Class A, defending state champion Trion is back as the No. 1 seed. The Bulldogs scored a 46-25 win over Commerce in last year’s finals to capture the program’s first-ever title. Commerce is back as the No. 4 seed, Social Circle is the No. 3 seed and Mt. Pisgah is the No. 2 seed. Mt. Pisgah ran into Trion in last year’s semifinals and was defeated 42-22. Trion made swift work of the competition in the prelims—including an 84-0 win over Athens Christian in its latest triumph.

GHSA.NET // 5

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

TEAM DUALS PAST CHAMPIONS YEAR AAAAAA AAAAA AAAA AAA AA A 2002 McEachern Ringgold Lovett Northgate Jefferson 2003 McEachern Woodland Lovett Dawson Co Jefferson 2004 Parkview LaFayette Dublin Dawson Co. Jefferson 2005 Collins Hill Ringgold Gilmer West Laurens Jefferson 2006 Parkview Henry County Columbus West Laurens Jefferson 2007 McEachern Stockbridge Gilmer Wesleyan Jefferson 2008 Collins Hill Ringgold Cass/Henry Co. LaFayette Jefferson (Co-Champions) 2009 Collins Hill Whitewater LaFayette Jefferson Bremen 2010 Collins Hill Loganville Gilmer Jefferson Bremen 2011 Collins Hill Woodland, Cartersville Gilmer Jefferson Bremen 2012 Camden Co. Pope Gilmer Jefferson Holy Innocents’/ Gordon Lee (Co-Champions) 2013 Archer Pope Gilmer Banks County Jefferson Gordon Lee 2014 Archer Pope Gilmer Buford Jefferson Commerce 2015 Archer Camden County Gilmer Jefferson Social Circle Commerce 2016 Archer Camden County Gilmer Jefferson Social Circle Commerce YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020

AAAAAAA Camden County Camden County Camden County Camden County

AAAAAA Alexander Richmond Hill Valdosta Pope

AAAAA Buford Buford Woodland-Bartow Woodland-Bartow

AAAA Jefferson Jefferson Woodward Woodward

AAA Bremen North Hall Jefferson North Hall

AA Social Circle Social Circle Social Circle Chattooga

A Commerce Commerce Commerce Trion

TRADITIONAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT HISTORY YEAR AAAAAA 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Archer 2014 Archer 2015 Archer 2016 Archer

AAAAA AAAA AAA Collins Hill Ringgold Dublin McEachern Woodland Lovett Parkview Ringgold Dublin Collins Hill Ringgold Gilmer Parkview Ringgold Cass McEachern Stockbridge Gilmer Collins Hill Eastside Gilmer Collins Hill Effingham County Eastside Collins Hill Alexander Gilmer Collins Hill Pope Gilmer Collins Hill Pope Heritage-Catoosa Pope Gilmer Woodward Academy Cambridge Gilmer Buford Camden County Gilmer Jefferson Camden County Gilmer Jefferson

AA Rockmart Rockmart Dawson County West Laurens West Laurens Wesleyan LaFayette Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Social Circle Social Circle

A Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Bremen Bremen Bremen Bremen Gordon Lee Commerce Commerce Commerce

YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020

AAAAA Buford Buford Woodland-Bartow Woodland-Bartow

AA Social Circle Social Circle Social Circle Chattooga

A Commerce Commerce Commerce Commerce

6 // GHSA.NET

AAAAAAA Camden County Camden County Camden County Camden County

AAAAAA Alexander Richmond Hill Valdosta Creekview

AAAA Jefferson Jefferson Woodward Woodward

AAA Bremen Sonoraville Sonoraville Sonoraville

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS AAAAAAA BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class AAAAAAA Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Parkview HS

Archer

Team 8 #1

Camden County Team 1

#5

Lowndes Team 5

#2

North Forsyth

Champion

Team 4

#7

Mountain View Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Colquitt County Team 3

#6

Tift County Team 7

#4

West Forsyth Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

GHSA.NET // 7

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS AAAAAA BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class AAAAAA Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Lassiter HS

Valdosta Team 8

#1

Alexander Team 1

#5

Buford

Team 5 #2

Richmond Hill

Champion

Team 4

#7

Lee County Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Creekview Team 3

#6

Dalton

Team 7 #4

Brunswick Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

8 // GHSA.NET

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS AAAAA BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class AAAAA Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Locust Grove HS

Walnut Grove Team 8

#1

Woodland-Bart.

Team 1

#5

Harris County Team 5

#2

Ola

Champion

Team 4 #7

Jackson County Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Cass

Team 3 #6

Ware County Team 7

#4

Woodward Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

GHSA.NET // 9

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS AAAA BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class AAAA Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Jefferson HS

Central-Carroll Team 8

#1

Jefferson Team 1

#5

North Oconee Team 5

#2

West Laurens

Champion

Team 4

#7

Spencer Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Flowery Branch Team 3

#6

Thomas Co. Cent.

Team 7

#4

Perry

Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

10 // GHSA.NET

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS AAA BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class AAA Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Cherokee Bluff HS

GACS

Team 8 #1

North Hall Team 1

#5

Sonoraville Team 5

#2

Adairsville

Champion

Team 4

#7

Morgan County Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Gilmer

Team 3 #6

Hart County Team 7

#4

Rockmart Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

GHSA.NET // 11

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS AA BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class AA Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Lamar County HS

Toombs County Team 8

#1

Oglethorpe County Team 1

#5

Banks County Team 5

#2

Lovett

Champion

Team 4 #7

Lamar County Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Vidalia Team 3

#6

East Laurens Team 7

#4

Dade County Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

12 // GHSA.NET

2021 TEAM DUAL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS A BRACKET 2020-2021 GHSA Class A Team Dual Wrestling Championship January 30, 2021, Trion HS

Irwin County Team 8

#1

Trion

Team 1 #5

Screven County Team 5

#2

Commerce

Champion

Team 4

#7

St. Anne - Pacelli Team 6

Runner-Up

#3

Social Circle Team 3

#6

Landmark Team 7

#4

Mount Pisgah Team 2

Loser #6 #10

Loser #1 #8

3rd Place #12

Loser #2 Loser #5

4th Place #11

Loser #3 #9

Loser #4

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE BRACKETS

GHSA.NET // 13

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