Robbinsville wrestling captures regional championship
Bakersville – It is hard to believe that at this point, Robbinsville’s wrestling program could possibly find a way to do something for the first time.
But where there is a will, there is a way.
The Knights edged 1A rival Avery County 224.5-213 for the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A Western Regional title, after crowning three champions and punching tickets for 10 different combatants – the most that have ever qualified in a single season for “The ‘Ville” – to make the trek to Greensboro this weekend for the state tournament.
For head coach David Haney, all the success attained over a two-day span at Mitchell High School really did was affirm what he already knew: the Black Knights are not to be taken lightly – even if pundits said the program was going into a “transitional” season before the first whistle had blown on the 2022-23 slate.
“Well, we finally got Avery. That’s who we were after,” Haney said. “I’d like to have gotten them the week before (in the 1A Western dual finals), but 1-out-of-2 isn’t bad. Other than my son (assistant coach Weston Haney) winning the state championship, it’s probably the most gratifying moment in my wrestling history.”
Regional championships were afforded to Alexis Panama (113 pounds) and Kage Williams (182) – a duo that cradled respective 106- and 195-pound 1A titles last year – as well as Koleson Dooley (220), who might be the most-improved wrestler in 1A this season.
Panama (35-5) mowed over Murphy’s Dalton Farmer, Mount Airy’s Hope Horan and Elkin’s Manuel Salas to reach the regional finals, where he faced Swain County’s Kale Stephenson. The sophomore Black Knight politely ran up an 11-3 majority decision over Stephenson to win the regional title.
A two-time state champion – this weekend will be his second attempt at the 182-pound crown, which he won his freshman year – Williams (54-0) disposed of his four opponents by pinfall: Cherryville’s Gabriel McSwain, Bessemer City’s Nikolas Ellis, Rosman’s Jeshua Whited and Swain County’s Darius Saunooke.
Dooley (27-8) took care of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy’s Hyo Kwon Oh, via pinfall; Mount Airy’s J.D. Harper, in a 9-4 decision; and Alleghany’s Dylan Phipps, in a 1-0 nod. This set up a dance with Swain County’s Blake Sain, who has proven to be a thorn in Dooley’s side all season.
But the Robbinsville junior came out on the winning end once more against Sain, in another slim 1-0 decision.
“Dooley has wrestled in the past, but he’s kind of a rookie,” said Haney. “He’s really come on strong and has been a very pleasant surprise for us.”
Other qualifiers
The list of those reporting to the state tournament also includes second-place regional finisher Lleyton Hooper (25-15, 126); third-place competitors Adair Panama (47-8, 106), Loxston Hooper (35-9, 120), Willie Riddle (33-17, 145), Blake Powers (23-11, 152) and Turner Jackson (41-12, 160); as well as Jacob Teesateskie (13-8, 285), who placed fourth in his weight class at regionals.
Though Bobby Moore (132), Juan Rios (138) and Kyler Branham (195) did not advance to the state championship, all three played a crucial role in Robbinsville’s Western Regional Championship performance.
“Juan won three critical matches for us this weekend and deserves a ton of credit,” Haney said. “Kyler and Bobby won one each; you take those five matches away and we don’t win regionals.”
The Knights’ quest for gold inside the Greensboro Coliseum begins with quarterfinal action at 2 p.m. Friday. The championship finals will be held around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re excited, but we’ll have to wrestle our butts off again,” Haney astutely observed.
The Graham Star will be on hand for all of Robbinsville’s action in the finals.