The GHSA Team Dual Wrestling season will begin to end at seven locations around the state with the boys taking to the mat Friday and Saturday and the girls competing Jan. 25 at Lumpkin County.
The boys will compete at Buford (6A), Lassiter (5A), Ola (4A), Troup County (3A), Columbus (2A) and Heard County (1A). Entering the double-elimination, bracket style tournaments, the reclassification cycle created newly-minted rivalries and rejoined former foes in the same bracket this season.
The sitting state champions are Camden County (7A, now 6A), South Effingham (6A, now 5A), Cass (5A, now 4A), Central-Carroll (4A), Lumpkin County (3A), Rockmart (2A) and Social Circle (1A). Cass and Central-Carroll (4A) are sitting champions who will now compete in the same class.
The event is a double-elimination bracket with the first two rounds of the winners and losers brackets scheduled for Friday and the final bouts of the loser’s and winner’s bracket scheduled for Saturday. If a team is going to win it outright, it will have to advance through four rounds of the winner’s bracket to secure the title.
Camden County is a high favorite in the state’s highest class (6A) this season and has won 21 total wrestling championships, which includes the past 10 team duals titles and the past 10 traditional wrestling championships.
Camden County features five wrestlers ranked atop the class in their respective weight classes according to Grappler Gold’s Cody Parker at Georgia Grappler.
Ryder Wilder (190 pounds), Brock Weaver (157), Hunter Prosen (132), Bradley Patterson (120) and Elijah Hattaway (113) are wanting to lead Camden to another title. Mill Creek will challenge Camden’s streak and Teequavious Mills (106), Antonio Mills (126), Blue Stiffler (144) and Dominic Bambinelli (175) are ranked atop their respective weight classes.
The Class 5A individual rankings show three South Effingham wrestlers ranked atop their respective weight classes, leading the team into a title defense attempt in Class 5A. But after that, no other program has more than one wrestler ranked atop the weight classes. Brandon Bringer (157), Alarik Gibson (132) and Christopher Hardeman (106) are the top-ranked South Effingham talent.
Cass and Central-Carroll are the Class 4A favorites, both are sitting champions, and each have three wrestlers ranked at the top of their weight classes. For Cass, Rowdy Duck (138), Mason Tompkins (175) and Kriecg Roe (190). Central-Carroll is led by Chris Phillips (120), Ty Murray (132) and Colson Hoffman (144). Ola also has three top-ranked contenders in Max Meredith (126), Jveion Redmon (150) and Brian Papcun (157).
Lumpkin County might be the sitting Class 3A champion, but Jefferson – which has 44 wrestling championships, and five wrestlers ranked atop their weight classes – might be the favorite. The Dragons have won 24 traditional titles and 20 traditional championships including 18 straight titles from 2002 to 2019. Barrett Clayton (120), Draike McDonald (126), Roman Belardo (132), Dallas Russell (157) and Cap Benson (175) lead the Dragons. Lumpkin is led by Nathan Nielsen (144), AJ Scott (165) and Mike Nichols (190).
Three-time defending and 15-time champion Rockmart is a favorite in Class 2A with three wrestlers ranked at the top of their weight classes. Eli Bowman (106), Malachi Macedonio (120) and Hagen Sharp (138) lead Rockmart. Sixteen-time champion Lovett features three top-ranked contenders and will challenge the sitting champions with Cael Kusky (126), Patrick Smyth (132) and Chris Mance (175).
Social Circle has won 13 overall wrestling champions and enters the Class A tournament wanting to defend last year’s Class A title. Three wrestlers will lead Social Circle and are ranked atop their respective weight classes. Laudon Ethridge (126), Curtis Duren (132) and James Sievers (138) will lead Social Circle.
The girls tournament will take place a week after the boys crown champions and last season, Carrollton secured the title before the event expanded to two eight-team championship brackets this season.
The top-ranked girls in their respective weight classes are Sandra DeSouza (Osborne, 235), Ava Catledge (Jefferson, 190), Terra Burse (Southeast Whitfield, 170), Elle Kaufmann (Lovett, 155), Greta Garbuzovas (Lumpkin, 145), Nora Garbuzovas (Lumpkin, 140), Milly Hughes (Jefferson, 135), Vera Spencer (North Oconee, 130), Artemis Eaton (North Forsyth, 125), Delialah Betances (Lee County, 120), Ollie Wieland (White County, 115), Kaitlin Coleman (McEachern, 110), Manoela Almeida (Pope, 105) and Brianna Higgins (Camden County, 100).
Follow the link to see the past champion or check out the links to the live feed below to watch each event as it unfolds this weekend.
State Dual 1A: https://flosports.link/3Ab7dIA
State Dual 2A: https://flosports.link/3Ycoysz
State Dual 3A: https://flosports.link/4f9zjTq
State Dual 4A: https://flosports.link/40bd638
State Dual 5A: https://flosports.link/3UeubFF
State Dual 6A: https://flosports.link/3YpvWCq
GHSA State Championship: https://flosports.link/4dT8AJY
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