Searcy’s a favorite after drop

For the first time in the 11-year history of the Arkansas state high school wrestling tournament, there will be three classifications.

In the first 10 seasons, there was Class 7A-6A and Class 1A-5A. But this season, there is Class 6A, Class 5A and Class 1A-4A.

This weekend, 50 schools will compete in the state tournament featuring more than 500 athletes. Six mats will be in use at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.

Wrestling through championship quarterfinals will be completed today with Class 1A-4A and Class 5A on mats 1, 2 and 3 and Class 6A on mats 4, 5 and 6. Championship semifinals start at 9 a.m. Saturday, with Class 1A-4A on mats 1 and 2, Class 5A on mats 3 and 4, and Class 6A on mats 5 and 6. Championship finals will begin at 3:30 p.m. Saturday with Class 1A-4A on mat 4, Class 5A on mat 2 and Class 6A on mat 5.

One of the schools that had wrestled in the state’s largest classification, Class 7A-6A, has moved down to Class 5A this season.

Searcy, one of the favorites to win Class 5A, has been a top-five finisher the past three seasons in the former Class 7A-6A. The Lions were fourth in 2017, third in 2017 and fifth in 2016.

Entering today’s state tournament, Searcy has five No. 1 seeds — freshman Matthew Gale (113 pounds), senior Brad Brown (152), junior Joseph Delk (170), junior Nicholas Light (195) and senior Demaceo Whittier (285).

Lions Coach Jerry Evans calls this year’s team the best he’s had since he’s led the wrestling program.

“This is the best team I’ve coached so far,” Evans said. “Athletically, they’re very good. We’re well prepared. We’ve started planning for this in March. We had very difficult practices all summer long and rolled into the fall.

“When the season got here, we were ready to compete.”

Brown won the Class 6A-7A 126-pound title in 2018. He finished fifth in 2016 (120 pounds) and 2017 (132 pounds).

A second individual title for Brown is important for him, but not as much as a team title.

“It would mean a lot,” Brown said. “I’m much more worried about winning a team championship. I’ve won an individual [championship]. We’ve never won a team [championship]. I want to do that for sure. We’d be the first to do that. It would be pretty awesome.”

Evans is looking forward to seeing his team compete today and Saturday in a new classification.

“It’s going to be good competition this weekend,” Evans said. “We know that Greenwood is an excellent program. [Hot Springs] Lakeside is an excellent program. Several other programs are there in the hunt.

“The 5A is going to be tough.”