Central Cabarrus, Jay M. Robinson and Hickory Ridge
wrestlers claimed state championships at Saturday's N.C. High School Athletic
Association wrestling tournament at Greensboro Coliseum.
The first champion of the night was Robinson 160-pounder
Kenan Robertson. The senior defeated Hillsborough Orange's David Peters-Logue
in a hard-fought 2-1 decision to win his weight-class title.
“This is the best,” said Robertson. “Everything I’ve done in
my life – every practice I went to – all comes up to this moment: winning tfhis,
being a state champ.”
Robertson, who also won the 160-pound South Piedmont Conference and 3A Midwest
regional titles, finished his senior season with a 47-3 record.
His teammate, Robinson 106-pounder David Cline, was next
county wrestler to win a championship.
Cline, a freshman, pinned his opponents, Orange's Joe Scott,
in 55 seconds.
"He just walked into that one," said Cline.
"He went out there and he gave me my best move."
Cline, who finished his year 53-6, credited his fellow
Bulldogs for his early success.
"I had great practice partners who helped me get
better, get through everything," he said. "If I didn't have them, I
wouldn't be here."
Robinson also placed Morris Andujar (sixth at 120), Jonah
Swinson (sixth at 126), Hamilton Jones (fourth at 138) and Jake Glunt (third at
152) to finish as 3A team runner-up.
"We've worked really hard," said proud Bulldogs'
coach Jerome Davis. "You couldn't ask for a better group of kids."
At 113 pounds, Central Cabarrus' Heath Gleaton became the
first Viking wrestler to win a state title since 2005 by defeating East Rowan's
Jason Deutsch 11-4.
"It's amazing," the junior said. "I've worked
all season as long as hard as I could, trained hour after hour and this is the
results. It's paid off."
Gleaton was tied 2-2 at the beginning of the third period,
but his aggressiveness allowed him to get a few takedowns and a near fall to build up a 11-2
lead.
"I just kept pushing myself," said Gleaton, who
was 45-2 this season. "I figured that if I took him down one time, I could
take him down again and break his will."
In the last match of the night, Hickory Ridge junior Troy
Gregor won the 120-pound 3A title.
"It's a dream," said Gregor, who defeated
Asheboro's Sawyer Davidson 8-2 to finish his year 43-2.
"I'm really proud of myself. I just want to keep
working hard, keep achieving goals. ... It starts from here. This is just the
beginning."
Gregor is the Ragin' Bulls' first-ever state wrestling
champion.
"It means the world," said Hickory Ridge coach Patrick Helm. "He's a great kid. ... He leads our team by example. He's not a real
big 'rah-rah' type of guy, but when he steps on the mat, he's all business.
Four individual state champions is one of the best performances Cabarrus County wrestlers have ever had in one year.
Gleaton credits that to the competition area wrestlers face.
"We've got a real tough conference," he said.
Concord ousted in sectional final
Concord's boys' basketball team lost to Harding 71-65 in the third round of the NCHSAA 3A playoffs to end its season on Friday night.
The Spiders, the SPC regular-season champions, finished their year 24-3.
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