Runner-up Cats have three champs

Published 10:01 pm Sunday, February 7, 2010

ACWORTH — Dalton’s Luis Juan may only be a sophomore and first-year varsity wrestler, but that didn’t stop him from making an improbable climb to the top of the 103-pound weight class in the Area 7-4A traditional tournament on Saturday at Allatoona High.

Juan defeated local rival Josh Webb, a Murray County junior, 12-10 in the finals to become one of three Catamounts to claim titles. He was joined by Henry Torres (119) and Christian Washington (125), both seniors.

Other local wrestlers claiming championships were Murray County’s Dalton Lane (145) and Northwest Whitfield’s Garrett Henderson (160).

In all, Dalton, Murray County and Northwest combined to qualify 12 wrestlers — the top four from each weight class make the cut — for next weekend’s Class 4A West sectional at Upson-Lee High in Thomaston. There, the top eight wrestlers from each weight class will advance to the state meet.

In the team standings, Dalton took second in the 15-team area — the state’s largest — with 184 points, just behind first-place Cass (201.5 points), which was second at last month’s area duals. South Paulding (183.5), Woodland-Bartow (181), Rome (149), Murray County (144.5) and Northwest (143.5) rounded out the top seven.

“Overall, I’m pleased,” Cats coach Charles Mitchell said. “We had some gutsy performances today. Now we’ve got to get a single-minded focus and get ready for sectionals.”

The match between Juan and Webb was one of the closest in the finals. Facing each other for the first time, the two were tied at 4 after the first period, but Juan led 6-4 after the second and maintained the margin the rest of the way.

“I just went out there and got after him,” said Juan, who in the semifinals beat Woodland’s Chad Hawkins, last year’s 112 champion. “I went out there with confidence and won. I never thought I was going to come this far. I’m having fun.”

Torres, who won the area championship at 125 last year, earned a dramatic win against South Paulding’s Josh Blue — he was third in 112 at the Class 4A state meet last year — with a takedown with 33.9 seconds remaining in sudden-victory overtime.

After overcoming a dislocated shoulder suffered with 30 seconds left in the third period, Torres took a 9-8 lead. But with 10 seconds remaining, he was called for his second stalling penalty, tying the match and sending it to overtime.

Torres said he saw a wrestler make a similar scrambling move in the NCAA championships to win; with the bum shoulder, he figured he could do the same.

“I was in so much pain I was getting dizzy, I was blacking out,” said Torres, “I was like, ‘I gotta get out of here.’ I felt my bone pop out, but my adrenaline got me through it.

“I felt like I could have picked up a car. It was survival.”

Washington, who also won an area title at 103 as a sophomore, defeated Woodland’s Ryan Cecil in the championship match by holding him on his back for the final 30 seconds of the third period with a 4-3 lead.

“He was trying to turn me and I scrambled out of it,” Washington said.

“Then I went with a bear claw across, hooked his leg and put him straight to his back and used all my strength to hold it and seal the win.”

Perhaps the most dominant championship win of the night came from Lane, who made easy work of Woodland’s Trent Gresham with an 18-3 technical-fall win.

“He’s just on another level,” Indians coach Chris Thornbury said of Lane, who finished second at last year’s area meet at 135.

Added Lane: “I feel real confident when I go out there. I’m always ready to wrestle. I just get out there and get after them, whoever it is.”

Henderson came from behind against South Paulding’s Jordan Ellison and won on a pin. After Ellison scored the first takedown, Henderson came back to take a 6-4 lead before ending the match in the third period.

“He seems to do better when he’s behind,” Bruins coach Allen Tucker said.

Henderson, who finished fourth at sectionals last year, said the win was about not giving up.

“I’ve worked hard all year,” he said. “I wasn’t going to quit. I want to win state.”

Other local wrestlers qualifying for state were Dalton’s Reinaldo Torres (130, second), Dontate Washington (145, third) and Henson Toland (189, third); Murray County’s Webb (103, second), Zac Dills (189, second), D.J. Winters (275, second), Zach Shoemaker (135, fourth) and Andrew Baldwin (152, fourth); and Northwest’s Dustin Pendergrass (140, second), Josh Lewis (152, second), Russell Royal (112, third) and Andrew Bennett (119, third).

2010 AREA 7-4A TRADITIONAL TOURNAMENT RESULTS

At Allatoona High School, Acworth

Team Standings

1. Cass — 201.5

2. Dalton — 184

3. South Paulding — 183.5

4. Woodland-Bartow — 181

5. Rome — 149

6. Murray County — 144.5

7. Northwest Whitfield — 143.5

8. Allatoona — 135

9. Sprayberry — 126

10. Paulding County — 71.5

11. Hillgrove — 70

12. Hiram — 45

13. North Paulding — 21.5

14. Sequoyah — 17

15. Osborne — 3

Individual Standings

Weight: 103

1st: Luis Juan, Dalton 10 4- 0

2nd: Josh Webb, Murray County 11 2- 1

3rd: Chad Hawkins, Woodland 10 4- 1

4th: Alec Rivera, Cass 10 2- 2

5th: Spencer Barber, Rome 9 4- 2

6th: Mike Samurda, South Paulding 10 3- 3

Weight: 112

1st: Nick Christakis, Allatoona 11 4- 0

2nd: Sammy Rosario, Cass 10 3- 1

3rd: Russell Royal, Northwest Whitfield 12 4- 1

4th: Austin Schaekel, Rome 10 3- 2

5th: Zack Culver, Woodland 10 3- 2

6th: Dustin Campbell, Murray County 12 2- 3

Weight: 119

1st: Henry Torres, Dalton 12 4- 0

2nd: Josh Blue, South Paulding 12 3- 1

3rd: Andrew Bennett, Northwest Whitfield 11 4- 1

4th: Aaron Huff, Paulding County 10 2- 2

5th: Caius Martin, Woodland 9 4- 2

6th: Jamal Reynolds, Rome 10 3- 3

Weight: 125

1st: Christian Washington, Dalton 12 3- 0

2nd: Ryan Cecil, Woodland 11 2- 1

3rd: Ryan Cole, Paulding County 9 5- 1

4th: Nicky Harbison, Rome 11 3- 2

5th: Michael Farmer, Hillgrove 12 3- 2

6th: Austin Buffaloe, Cass 10 2- 3

Weight: 130

1st: Colby Rinehart, Sprayberry 12 4- 0

2nd: Reinaldo Torres, Dalton 10 3- 1

3rd: Anthony Flowers, South Paulding 12 4- 1

4th: Jordy Henson, Woodland 10 3- 2

5th: Nick Mieszala, Allatoona 12 4- 2

6th: Preston Berrong, Cass 11 3- 2

Weight: 135

1st: Immanuel Kerr-Brown, Rome 12 4- 0

2nd: Michael Loyd, Woodland 10 3- 1

3rd: Austin Lesesne, Sprayberry 12 5- 1

4th: Zach Shoemaker, Murray County 11 3- 2

5th: Zach Powers, Paulding County 10 3- 2

6th: Dillon Staud, Cass 11 3- 3

Weight: 140

1st: Billy Meek, Cass 9 4- 0

2nd: Dustin Pendergrass, Northwest Whitfield 10 3- 1

3rd: Zach Sturino, South Paulding 12 4- 1

4th: Matthew Martel, North Paulding 11 3- 2

5th: Juan Hulgain, Dalton 11 4- 2

6th: Nick Nastanovich, Allatoona 12 3- 3

Weight: 145

1st: Dalton Lane, Murray County 11 4- 0

2nd: Trent Gresham, Woodland 11 2- 1

3rd: Dontate Washington, Dalton 10 4- 1

4th: Ethan Slate, Hiram 11 3- 2

5th: Connor Hayes, Northwest Whitfield 11 2- 2

6th: Tyler Fischer, Cass 12 3- 3

Weight: 152

1st: Luke Rakes, Allatoona 11 4- 0

2nd: Joshua Lewis, Northwest Whitfield 12 3- 1

3rd: Ronnie Henderson, South Paulding 12 4- 1

4th: Andrew Baldwin, Murray County 12 3- 2

5th: Derrick Shedd, Woodland 12 3- 2

6th: Seth Fox, Sprayberry 11 2- 3

Weight: 160

1st: Garrett Henderson, Northwest Whitfield 11 4- 0

2nd: Jordan Ellison, South Paulding 12 3- 1

3rd: Quinton Alexander, Sprayberry 12 3- 1

4th: Austin Dady, Woodland 10 4- 2

5th: Alex Lance, Cass 12 3- 2

6th: Eric Uriostgur, Dalton 10 2- 2

Weight: 171

1st: Randy Roden, Rome 11 4- 0

2nd: Mathin Parker, Cass 12 2- 1

3rd: Ricky Ranel, Woodland 11 5- 1

4th: Chris Morrison, Allatoona 12 4- 2

5th: David Thornbury, Murray County 12 2- 2

6th: Colin Schalk, Sprayberry 10 1- 3

Weight: 189

1st: Alex Foster, Cass 12 4- 0

2nd: Zac Dills, Murray County 12 3- 1

3rd: Henson Toland, Dalton 12 4- 1

4th: Mark Klasson, Rome 12 3- 2

5th: Haden Smith, Allatoona 11 4- 2

6th: Sebastian Ogene, Sprayberry 12 3- 2

Weight: 215

1st: Kaleb Westfall, Hillgrove 12 3- 0

2nd: Bryson Brindle, Allatoona 10 3- 1

3rd: Josh Brooks, South Paulding 12 5- 1

4th: Caleb Morang, Rome 11 2- 1

5th: Brett Haley, Sprayberry 11 4- 2

6th: Hunter Purvine, Cass 11 1- 2

Weight: 285

1st: Christian Sidwell, South Paulding 12 3- 0

2nd: D.J. Winters, Murray County 12 2- 1

3rd: Keith Brown, Paulding County 11 3- 1

4th: Max Smith, Cass 10 2- 1

5th: Logan Harr, Dalton 11 4- 2

6th: Elliot Robinson, Sequoyah 12 1- 3