Williams reaches two milestones at 5-state invitational
Greensboro – Two days. One hundred and 15 teams. No classifications: it really is every man for himself.
So to stand out from the pack, you have to be an elite wrestler. Dominant. Quick thinking. Tough enough to persevere when a challenge does present itself.
Truthfully, grapplers like that are few and far between – but Kage Williams fits the descriptor.
Midway through his junior season with the Robbinsville Black Knights, Williams already have enough credentials on his resume that college programs
across the country should be rolling out the red carpet if Williams expresses even the slightest of interest in attending.
And yet, Williams somehow continues to find ways to make Robbinsville wrestling history.
A decorated, revered program, the Black Knights returned a pair of state-gold medalists – Williams and 106-pound Alexis Panama – from last season’s six-champion lineup.
Robbinsville is 17-3 in dual action this season. A not-so-new coach – David Haney, who is overseeing the Knights’ for the fourth time – has booked a schedule that is perhaps the most balanced and challenging in recent memory.
One of the bookings that returned is the Holy Angels Invitational, a multi-day showcase. Normally held at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, the event moved this year to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Teams from Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin – and, of course, North Carolina – all converged on the facility, looking to prove that its teams could thrive when individual competition was on the menu.
Known for often scoring quick pinfalls, Williams only nailed one opponent’s shoulders to the mat for the one-count: Uwharrie Charter Academy’s (Asheboro) Corbin Grissom, in a prompt 39-second bout.
But in a real testament to his grit and conditioning, Williams more than earned the 182-pound varsity championship at the event. Following the Grissom win, Williams scored a 20-4, technical fall against Mountain View, Va.’s, Jamal Corbin; an 11-2, majority decision against Mooresville’s Johnny Merriman; and a 3-1, overtime triumph against Riverbend, Va.’s, Jacob Wright to reach the finals.
Williams found himself matched against Laney (New Hanover)’s Alex Hopper, the defending 182-pound, 4A state champion. Proving that classification’s are not always important, Williams posted a 2-1 decision over Hopper.
The bracket was his.
And as if the Holy Angels championship was not enough, Williams surpassed the 100-win mark for his career when he knocked off Merriman on Dec. 29.
“Reaching 100 wins is great, but it’s not the ultimate goal: it’s just a small achievement along the journey of my wrestling career,” Williams told The Graham Star.
Hey, there’s a reason Williams gravitated toward wrestling while growing up. He is feared as a fullback/middle linebacker for the Robbinsville football team; but wrestling is his speciality.
“The thing that I enjoyed more about wrestling is that it can be a team sport, but at the same time, it’s an individual sport,” Williams said. “It is always one on one and, most of the time, you get out what you put in.”
Depth on display
Across other brackets, several other Black Knights finished in first place.
The junior varsity field included Skyler Anderson winning the 104-110 championship and Nick Anderson conquering the 145-146 bracket. The “Second Chance” (varsity wrestle-backs) pursuit ended with first-place finishes for Lleyton Hooper (132 pounds) and Willie Riddle (145).
Silver medals were afforded to Mason Phillips (JV, 123-125); Jesse Williams (JV, 135-137) and Kyler Branham (JV, 180-188). Placing third for Robbinsville were Bobby Moore (JV, 133-134); Christian Phillips (JV, 133-135); Devin Hill (JV, 141-143); Kellen Ensley (JV, 217-225); Owen Blevins (JV, 236-263); Juan Rios (Second Chance, 138); and Blake Powers (Second Chance, 152).
Zach Seay took fourth in the JV 152-155 bracket.
Also competing for Robbinsville’s varsity were Adair Panama (106); Alexis Panama (113); Loxston Hooper (120); Blake Powers (152); Turner Jackson (170); and Koleson Dooley (220). Tripp Beasley (119-122) also donned a Knights’ singlet in JV action.
As a unit, Robbinsville collected 66.5 team points – good for 43rd in the 115-program field. Buford (Ga.) won the tournament, with 244 team points.
In its return to dual action Tuesday, Robbinsville prevailed 50-10 in the annual “Battle of the Knights” against North Henderson.
A more detailed recap will appear in the Jan. 12 edition of The Graham Star.