Rockmart loads up at 7-AA tournament
♦ Cedartown boys and girls earn berths in the Class 4A state sectionals.
High school wrestling teams across the state got to work over the weekend on the traditional portion of the postseason, and Polk County’s representatives are making sure to be counted among them.
Fresh off their second straight state duals championship, the Rockmart Yellow Jackets hosted the Area 7-AA traditional tournament on Saturday and had eight wrestlers earn individual titles while qualifying all 14 for this weekend’s state sectionals.
Meanwhile, Cedartown finished the Region 7-4A tournament at Sonoraville with five qualifiers and two individual champions. It also had all three of its girls finish in the top four of their weight classes at the Area 7 tournament at Alexander High School to move on to sectionals this weekend.
Rockmart rolled to another dominant performance on the mats at the Area 7-AA tournament and easily took the team championship by finishing with 289 points, 100 more than second place Model.
“In the postseason you just hope to advance every week and stay healthy. We’re excited. We’ve got a lot of individuals looking for state championships,” Jacket wrestling coach Drew Lindsey said.
“We’ve got eight seniors who have a wealth of experience. I hope that these guys go into it with the attitude that they’ve been here before, they know what to do, and they know what’s expected. I also hope they’ve taught the younger guys something as well.”
Of the eight Rockmart wrestlers to win their respective weight classes, six won with pins while the other two won when their finals opponent forfeited.
Area champions were Malachi Macedonio (106 pounds), Hagen Sharp (113), TK Davis
(120), Gunner Chambers (126), James Murray (132), Hunter Wilson (144), Nahzir Turner (165) and Jase Davis (285). Davis and Turner each won state championships last year when Rockmart was in Class 3A.
Bleu Winters (138), Luke Clay (157) and Tyler Malone (190) each came in second in their respective divisions. Skylar Edwards (150) and Austin Wooten (175) both finished third, while Treyson Manon came in fourth at 215 pounds.
Lindsey said several of the younger wrestlers have stepped up to do their part on the team this season. Sharp is the lone freshman
Davis High School on Saturday with the top six in each weight class moving on to the state championships next week in Macon.
Cedartown junior Adam Payton won his second individual region title at the Region 7-4A tournament and will look to try and win his second state championship along with teammate Gage Mason when the Bulldogs’ qualifiers compete at the Class 4A “A” Sectional at Westminster School.
Payton won the 132-pound title with a 6-4 decision over CentralCarroll’s Colson Hoffman. He was named the region’s most outstanding wrestler for the tournament by the region’s coaches.
Mason, a senior, won the 138-pound title with a 3-0 decision over Andrew Dietz of
Heritage-Catoosa. They will be joined at the state sectional by Zack Gray, who placed fourth at 113 pounds, Kooper Peek, who placed third at 120 pounds, and Cameron Greeson, who finished fourth at 190 pounds.
In a separate tournament, Cedartown sent three girls to Alexander High School last Friday and had all three qualify for the “A” Sectional at Upson Lee High School this Friday.
Lezlie Bates came in second at 110 pounds, while Madison White (115) and Kaitlyn Fields (120) each finished third in their respective divisions. Only the top three in each weight class at Friday’s girls sectionals will advance to the state championships in Macon, which will be held Feb. 16-18 at the Macon Centreplex.