Black Knights collect 3 state individual championships; finish 2nd in team-title race
Greensboro – Robbinsville proved why it has one of the greatest high school dynasties in North Carolina history last weekend.
The two-day 1A invitational featured three Black Knights’ grapplers – juniors Koleson Dooley and Kage Williams, as well as sophomore Alexis Panama – emerge from the wide field of combatants with state championships, while Robbinsville placed second in the race for the only state title that has eluded the program since it was launched in 1976: the 1A individual crown.
All told, 10 Robbinsville wrestlers competed in the two-day extravaganza.
Koleson Dooley
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the year, Koleson Dooley became Robbinsville’s third-straight, 220-pound state champion, following in the footsteps of Ben Wachacha, the bracket’s winner in both 2021 and 2022.
Haney’s admiration for the junior’s progress from start to finish this season could not be hid.
“For him to make it and be a state champion is an awesome job,” he said.
To reach the mountaintop, Dooley (30-8) pinned Bishop McGuinness’ Mason Payne (24-14) in the quarterfinals Friday; bested Starmount’s Steven Sullivan (33-6) in the semifinals, 2-1; and Pamlico County’s Tyler Stevens (38-13) in the title bout itself, 5-2.
Dooley also made sure to pay tribute to a fallen comrade while pursing the championship, as he donned shoes formerly worn by Freddy Romero, who passed away in a Jan. 19 accident.
“I just knew I had to stay focused and wrestle my own match,” he said. “I had to trust in my coaches and all the support behind me. This feels great, because every time anybody has ever told me I couldn’t do something, this proves them wrong.”
Alexis Panama
The first state championship Alexis Panama captured was in the 106-pound race; a feat he achieved during his freshman year.
Panama (38-5) admittedly bumped up to 113 pounds because his brother Adair moved up to the varsity ranks from middle school in the offseason. The switch did little to deter Alexis’ talents.
“There was just a slight difference in strength,” Alexis said of the step up to 113. “But I wanted to give Adair the chance to get into the line-up.”
A pair of decision carried Alexis to the finals, as he posted a 10-2 major over Rosewood’s Brayden Holmes (46-8) in the quarterfinals; as well as a 10-4 nod against Bradford Preparatory Academy’s Haydin Puskar (31-5) in the semifinals.
The 113-pound title bout did not go the distance, with Alexis pinning Thomasville’s Josue Gomez (48-3) in just 2:44.
“This feels really good,” Panama said, while noting that he battled the flu throughout the weekend. “I’m proud that I was able to come out here and do my job.”
Kage Williams
What more can you really say about perhaps the most dominant wrestler to ever put on a Knights singlet?
Much has been written about Kage Williams, who is now a three-time state champion. He won his second 182-pound title Saturday; he was the 195-pound benchmark last season.
Boasting a career record of 128-1, Williams went 61-0 his junior year and has still yet to be taken down in his varsity career. His journey to the top of the podium last weekend followed a familiar pattern: three pinfall wins, as Thomasville’s Owen Callicutt (30-15); Rosman’s Jeshua Whited (29-11); and Swain County’s Darius Saunooke (25-12) all fell victim to his technique and power.
Williams led 12-1 in the final bouts against Saunooke, before opting to pin the Smoky Mountain Conference foe.
“Coming into the tournament, the goal is always the same: win the thing,” Williams said. “State titles are great, but that’s not all I have planned. I have a big summer planned, hitting some big tournaments and trying to win a national championship.”
More Knights compete
Seniors Willie Riddle (145 pounds) and Turner Jackson (160) also wrestled their way into the finals, but came up short in their final chances at championship gold.
Riddle (35-18) pinned North East Carolina Prep School’s Landon Browning (43-14) in the quarterfinals, before knocking off Mount Airy’s John Martin (23-3) in a tight 2-1 decision. Pitted against defending 145-pound champion Lorenzo Alston (54-2), Riddle fell in an 11-3 majority decision to place second.
Jackson (43-13) returned to the program this year and has fluctuated – as needed – between the 160- and 170-pound weight class. His quest for a title went through Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland (21-11), whom he pinned at the 3:39 mark of the quarterfinals; and Alleghany’s Isaac Stoker (41-7) in the semifinals, who incurred the same fate at 2:58.
The finals bout was a meticulous affair, as Jackson led Bradford Preparatory Academy’s Suhaib Hatamleh (33-5) by a narrow 1-0 margin entering the third period. However, Hatamleh tied things up with an escape to begin the final segment, before posting a takedown with 58 seconds left. Try as he may, Jackson was unable to topple his opponent down the stretch and fell 3-1.
Elsewhere, Loxston Hooper (120 pounds, 38-10) finished third in his bracket, while Adair Panama (106, 49-10) and Jacob Teesateskie (285, 15-10) placed fourth in their respective classes.
Lleyton Hooper (126, 26-17) and Blake Powers (152, 24-13) also reported to Greensboro for the Knights, but did not place.
“It’s unbelievable,” Haney said. “I don’t think anybody gave us a chance at coming close to qualifying 10 kids for state. This looks really good for Robbinsville, because we’re so young. We had two seniors in the finals, but we have a ton of kids waiting right behind them to take their place.
“The worst thing we could do is sit back and think we’ve arrived; we haven’t arrived yet. We’ve got to keep working.”