Six Robbinsville grapplers win middle school gold
Cherokee – If not for a series of unfortunate events, the Robbinsville Middle School wrestling team might also be celebrating a conference title.
Instead, the Black Knights finished second at Saturday’s tournament, as Swain County edged Robbinsville 246-236 to win the Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament crown.
“It was a great season,” middle school head coach Wren Millsaps said. “We competed all year with what we had and the guys have stuck with us, did the right things.
“I think every kid we had came away in the top four today; you can’t ask for more than that.”
With four wrestlers absent as the day began – including one who failed to make weight the morning of – the Knights still churned out an impressive showing and displayed why they were the team to beat in the division this year.
Juan Rios (113 pounds) defeated Swain’s Clay Seagle via pinfall to win his bracket, while Isaac Picon (126) downed Maroon Devil James Stroman in a 6-4 decision to win his weight class. Dalton Hill won the 138-pound division by last toppling Hayesville’s Wayne Barter, while 152-pounder Anjelo Fierro scored a 25-second pin over Swain’s Cole Wilke to seize first place in his bracket.
Kage Williams (195) pinned Andrews’ Blaken Bateman in a 10-second bout to win a gold medal. Koleson Dooley (220) downed Swain’s Matt Ferguson to claim Robbinsville’s sixth individual championship of the day.
Second-place distinctions went to Mason Phillips (76), Adair Panama (83), Ryelon Waldroup (120) and Owen Blevins (182). Finishing third was Loxston Hooper (90), Ethan Webster (106), Whelan Sellers (145) and Kyler Branham (160), while Murphy Shahanan (138) took fourth place.
“We’ve got a lot of tough wrestlers that will be leaving us,” Millsaps added. “We’ve got Kage Williams, Alexis Panama, Koleson Dooley, Isaac Picon, Anjelo Fierro. All of those guys are going to go help the varsity.”