Ghobadpoor wants teams to wrestle last 2 finals bouts
For the second season in a row, a cloud hangs over the Class 3A wrestling duals state title. Just like a year ago, Gilmer High School has sent an appeal to the Georgia High School Association.
A scoring error in the third to last bout of last Saturday’s state duals finals altered the course of the match and denied Gilmer the opportunity to win its 18th wrestling state championship.
Entering the 12th bout versus Rockmart High School, Gilmer found itself behind, 28-18. Six team points are the maximum awarded for wins, so Gilmer could not afford to lose.
“At this point, we have three really good wrestlers left, and we feel good and that we’re going to win as a team,” GHS head coach Josh Ghobadpoor said.
Gilmer senior Carson Bentley took the mat at 145 pounds versus Rockmart’s Hunter Wilson. Bentley scored a takedown with 51 seconds left in the first period. He then scored another takedown in the second period (with 1:38 on the clock) for a 4-0 lead.
However, scorekeepers then removed (1:29) two points from Bentley. At 1:24, while Bentley was still in control, Wilson’s was given two points to make the score 2-2. Bentley’s score was then corrected (1:17), but Wilson’s score was never reset to zero.
Bentley was tasked with wrestling with a two-point handicap, and fell behind 5-4 entering the third period. Bentley ended up losing the bout, 7-6.
“The people at the table messed up the score, and you can hear it audibly on the video,” Ghobadpoor said. “It’s right there. We end up losing and try to argue in the third period that the score is wrong. We also tried to get their attention in the second, but ultimately they said you can’t go back and do anything about it.
“We should have won by one point. It’s clear as day, but the win goes to the other guy and that’s the match.”
The loss made the score 31-18 in Rockmart’s favor. The Yellow Jackets chose to forfeit the remaining bouts to two of Gilmer’s top wrestlers, Miguel Jacinto and Diego Jacinto, who are both state placers. RHS was awarded the state championship by a 31-30 final score.
Ghobadpoor said they gathered all available video and audio from the match and submitted an appeal to the GHSA’s wrestling coordinator Don Corr Monday morning.
“Between Paul Standard our county athletic director, Matt Johnson the athletic director at GHS, and Mrs. Carla Foley our principal, we have support at all levels,” Ghobadpoor said. “I’m happy to say our school system is fighting for us and doing whatever they can in that process. If it doesn’t happen, it’s not because we weren’t supported by our people.”
Ghobadpoor is not optimistic about the appeal given the GHSA’s recent track record. Last season Gilmer lost to North Hall in the state finals. After the event, it was learned that North Hall used an ineligible wrestler in a bout that impacted the final team scores.
North Hall forfeited the state title, but it was not awarded to Gilmer. Instead, it was merely vacated by the GHSA.
“Ultimately, I don’t think the GHSA will listen to us. It is very unfortunate that two years in a row there has been some sort of controversy surrounding our state finals. It’s gut-wrenching for everyone involved,” Ghobadpoor said.
“We even have the audio of the scorers arguing with each other about what the score is and what happened, and the referee telling us we can’t change anything from the period. We have all the video and audio and evidence you need, but I don’t think the GHSA will watch video or listen to the audio.”
Ghobadpoor has a solution to the matter, and he is not looking for Gilmer to simply be handed the championship.
“What should happen, is we should wrestle those last two matches (with the team scores set at 28-21). That would be what’s fair for both teams and the kids, who have worked so hard and put so much time and energy into it,” he said.
“But the fair thing probably won’t happen, and it will be a political decision and we’ll remain state runners-up.”