Robbinsville finishes 2nd at individual regionals
Sparta – It won’t be long before Robbinsville will have to construct an addition to its wrestling facility … just for an awards room.
In what has already been perhaps the most decorated campaign since the program’s 1976 inception, the Black Knights added yet another chapter to the archives last weekend, crowning five 1A Western Regional Individual champions – and overall, qualifying nine grapplers for state – finishing second at the two-day extravaganza at Alleghany High School.
“We didn’t get the result that we wanted, but I can’t question the effort,” Robbinsville head coach Todd Odom said. “We virtually wrestled a perfect tournament.
“I’ve been at this for 21 years, and this was absolutely the best we’ve ever wrestled in a tournament setting. Normally, you have people that underperform or lose one that they should’ve won. But, truthfully, we wrestled as good as we can wrestle.”
Regional champions Alexis Panama (106 pounds), Jayden Nowell (126), Kyle Fink (182), Kage Williams (195) and Ben Wachacha (220) were heavily favored heading into the tournament, with the latter four winning state championships last season.
Panama (23-6) mowed through Mitchell’s Halley Wheeler, via pinfall; Avery County’s Cooper Foster, in a 12-2 majority decision; Bradford Preparatory Academy’s Haydin Puskar, in another pinfall triumph; and North Stokes’ Hunter Fulp in the finals, to the tune of a 13-3 majority nod.
Nowell (36-4) – who broke the school’s pinfall record in his opening bout, previously set by Kade Millsaps (104 pins) – downed Cherryville’s Abram Avery to surpass Millsaps; Rosman’s William Cole in the semifinals; and Avery County’s Grant Reece, to win the championship. Nowell is 150-21 heading into his final state tournament.
“To get 150 wins in a career is special, but to get 100 pins is something you aspire for. That’s incredible,” Odom said. “I’m not taking away from other kids I’ve coached, but Jayden is the most talented kid that I’ve ever coached. He has more ability to score in every position than any kid I’ve ever coached.
“He does some things on the mat that I sure can’t take credit for, and when you couple that with a high, wrestling IQ and the athletic ability that he has, he’s just nitroglycerin out there. I’m really proud of him. As good a wrestler as he is, he’s an even better kid off the mat, and that’s the most important thing.”
After winning his second straight 1A state championship in the 195-pound weight class last season, Kyle Fink’s (43-4) journey to his first 182-pound title went through Mountain Heritage’s Elijah Stansberry, Avery County’s Lane Hoilman and Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy’s David Hargro – all by way of pinfall – and a 12-6 triumph against Bradford Prep’s Carson Griffith in the finals. Kyle sits at 149-22 for his career.
Williams (32-1) won the 182-pound title as a freshman last year and, even after being bumped up this season, powered through four victims to claim the regional title: Avery County’s Brandon Cabrera, Mitchell’s Camron Cook, Rosman’s Jeshua Whited and Mount Airy’s Edwin Agabo. Rounding out the Knights’ regional champion list, Wachacha (37-6) pinned Apprentice Academy’s Jake Barber, Starmount’s Steven Sullivan and Avery County’s Grayson Hoilman, before defeating a familiar face – Swain County’s Carson Taylor – with a 9-1 majority decision in the finals.
Also qualifying for the state tournament were Logan Hyde (120, 22-9); Zane Lucksavage (138, 38-8); Jaret Panama (145, 21-10); and Carlos Wesley (285, 24-8). Hyde, Lucksavage and Wesley finished as regional runners-up, while Jaret Panama took fourth.
“I think nine is the most we’ve ever sent down (to the state tournament),” Odom said. “Anything can happen, so I feel really good about the ones that we’re sending down. My expectation – and their expectation – is going to be scoring points. We advance and find our way onto the podium, somewhere.”
Other Robbinsville wrestlers competing at regionals were Aynsley Fink (113, 35-13), who was eliminated in the consolation quarterfinals; Avery Phillips (132, 21-12), who fell in the consolation semifinals; Juan Rios (152, 4-11), who was ousted in the consolation quarterfinals; Jacob Hall (160, 25-17), after a consolation-semifinal elimination; and Blake Powers (170, 3-5), who dropped his second consolation-round bout.
“Juan and Blake wrestled in weight classes that they haven’t wrestled in all year,” Odom said. “Blake did an exceptional job and Juan had to wrestle up a couple of weight class, and almost qualified. We were blown away by how tough and stubborn they were; they put us in a position to win by scoring points for us.”
Avery County edged Robbinsville 248.5-240, to win the 1A Western Regional Championship.