Knights dominate conference championship, tournament showdowns
Bryson City – Another day, another dollar.
Another dollar, another conference championship for the Robbinsville wrestling program.
For the sixth consecutive season, the Knights sit atop the Smoky Mountain Conference, after knocking off Swain County 48-18 to win the regular-season title Jan. 26, and then mowing through the conference tournament Saturday to accumulate 252.5 team points, finishing 67 ahead of the hosting Devils.
Everywhere you looked Saturday, a Robbinsville name was peppered across the program. Of the 14 weight classes contested, 13 Knights advanced to the finals, with 10 being named top dog in their respective bracket.
Additionally, Zane Lucksavage notched his 100th career victory – a semifinal triumph over Cherokee’s Josh Phillips – Kyle Fink was named the Smoky Mountain Conference Wrestler of the Year and Ben Wachacha was afforded the distinction of Most Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament.
“I’m just grateful that Robbinsville took me in this year,” said Lucksavage, who first wrestled in Germany at age 9 and competed for Hayesville last year. “The practices here are a lot harder, and there’s definitely a ‘winner’ mindset.”
“Winning Wrestler of the Year was definitely a surprise for me, especially considering how talented our conference is when it comes to wrestling,” Kyle Fink said. “It was very much an honor to be given the award, and certainly feels like all my hard work is starting to pay off. I am grateful for that.”
Alexis Panama took over the 106-pound division by pinning Cherokee’s Selu Swayney in the second period of the finals. Aynsley Fink (113) pinned Cherokee’s Jaylynne Esquivel in the semifinals, but dropped a tough 11-4 decision to Swain County’s Kale Stephenson in the finals.
Ethan Webster (120) dropped his finals bout to Swain County’s John Parton via 9-6 decision. Logan Hyde (126) prevailed against Murphy’s Sam Kessler in the semifinals, before edging out a 17-11 nod against Swain County’s Owen Craig in the finals. Jayden Nowell (132) pinned Swain County’s Rocky Barker in the finals, while Juan Rios downed Murphy’s Brandon Thrasher in the semifinals, before falling to Swain’s Austin Jenkins in the championship bout.
Lucksavage secured 145-pound bragging rights by pinning Swain’s Israel Ferguson, while Jaret Panama (152) reached the top of the podium with a 24-8 technical fall against Swain’s Clay Seagle. Jacob Hall (160) pinned Cherokee’s Trevor Hill-Ledford in the semifinals and Hayesville’s Daniel Austin to win the championship. Murphy Shanahan finished third in the 170-pound bracket – dropping his semifinal contest to Cherokee’s Darius Saunooke – while Fink wrapped up his fourth conference title with pinfall victories over Cherokee’s J’ron Lineberry and Swain’s Matthew Ferguson.
“I feel very fortunate to have won conference all four years of high school, but I could not have done it without help from my coaches and teammates,” Kyle Fink said. “Without them pushing me everyday, I’m not sure if I could have won a single one.”
Kage Williams conquered the 195-pound bracket with a 45-second pin over Swain’s Blake Sain, before Wachacha earned the 220-pound nod with a third-period pin against Swain’s Carson Taylor.
The heavyweight bout that closed the tournament went into five overtimes, with Carlos Wesley ultimately escaping the clutches of Swain’s Conner Driver for a 3-2 decision.
“I was going to try to take him down, but I saw that I couldn’t get to the legs,” Wesley said. “During the second period, I took the choice of taking bottom and getting out first. I knew if I could take it to ultimate overtime, I would get choice again and could escape.
“This is an awesome program. I regret not joining my freshman year, but I knew after last year that I wanted to come back.”
To capture the regular-season title, Robbinsville (19-1) relied on pinfall victories from Nowell, Lucksavage, Jaret Panama, Hall and Kyle Fink. Webster, Wachacha (wrestling at 195 pounds), Williams (at 220) and Wesley each gritted out decision nods, while Alexis Panama had his hand raised via forfeit.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association opted Monday to postpone the bracketing for the dual-team postseason until Friday, citing inclement weather forcing teams across the state to reschedule multiple matches.
“I have nothing but the highest expectations for my team this year,” Kyle Fink said. “I have watched most of my teammates work for years toward winning a dual-team state title and overall improving themselves individually.
“We have one of the most talented teams that I’ve ever been apart of this year. To put it simply, if you’re a betting man … put all your money on black.”
Visit The Graham Star’s social media for updates on Robbinsville’s opening dip into the postseason.