Bregan Berry helped Gilmer High wrestling win a pair of team state titles and ended his Bobcat career with one of his own.
Berry will stay close to home over the next several years when he takes the mat for the Reinhardt University Eagles. Berry said he also received interest from a fellow NAIA school in Nebraska, but Reinhardt had more to offer when it came to scholarships.
Berry took an official visit to Reinhardt’s Waleska campus last fall and met his future teammates and toured the athletic facilities. It was an overnight visit, and he was able to participate in the Eagles’ early-morning practice.
“It felt good. It was definitely harder than a high school practice,” Berry said. “There were four or five others there visiting as well. It showed us we’re going to have to work harder in college if you want to do well. I really liked everyone there, and it’s close to home.”
The Gilmer High wrestling program prides itself on being “homegrown,” and those words can be found adorned on its warm-up gear. GHS typically does not receive wrestling move-ins or transfers. Those who have thrived are also the ones who have been in the program their entire wrestling career. Berry is a shining example of that, and he joined the local USA Wrestling scene when he was 4-years old.
Berry also played football and baseball during his rec days, and took the field some with the soccer team at Clear Creek Middle School. Wrestling was the sport he stuck with, and he continued to take the mat in USA Wrestling tournaments in his offseasons at GHS. He attended national tournaments in surrounding states in recent years.
“Those tournaments showed me that there are so many levels to wrestling,” Berry said. “You think you’re at a good tier wrestling, but there’s always someone better. You have to keep working at it. It motivated me because I wanted to be like those good guys. I want to be that good.”
Berry had countless hours of mat time under his belt by his freshman season at GHS.
The Bobcats finished as runners-up at state duals during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. In 2021, GHS lost to North Hall in the finals. The Trojans forfeited the title in the following weeks because they deployed an ineligible wrestler at state. The following year, an error by the scorekeepers (who were volunteers) aided Rockmart’s title.
In Berry’s junior year, GHS lost to Columbus in the state finals. Injuries and inexperience plagued the Bobcats in 2024, and they were defeated twice at state duals, which ended a 14-year run of finals appearances.
At the traditional state tournament as a team in 2022, GHS won the championship. The Bobcats did everything right on the final day of the tournament in 2023 to claim first place for the program’s 19th overall state title.
“Going three years in a row and getting second in duals is pretty rough. And your last year, going 0-2 at the state tournament is rough, too,” Berry said. “It felt good winning traditional. I remember it was Diego (Jacinto) who won it there at the end (in 2023), and we locked it up.”
Individually, Berry racked up accolades and was a three-time area champion. At sectionals, he placed fifth as a sophomore, and was a runner-up as a junior ahead of his senior title. He qualified for state three times and was a three-time placer. He finished 5th as a sophomore and third his junior season. As a senior, he scored a takedown and pin in the last second of the 132-pound state finals.
“Winning it my senior year was pretty cool,” Berry said. “I always wanted to be a state champion since I started wrestling. I knew this was my last year so I worked harder this year. It was an amazing feeling to win it, and it’s something you can’t really describe.
“Gilmer is always going to be my home. I’m always going to come back around and wrestle with the little kids and maybe coach here one day. I think that would be pretty cool.”
Berry had the unique experience of winning a title with dad Brent in his corner, who has been a GHS assistant coach for seven seasons. Berry said Brent and grandpa Skip Berry were both instrumental in his growth and development in the sport.
“Bregan was on my radar since he was in middle school,” said GHS head coach Josh Ghobadpoor. “They had a great group, and those guys led us to a couple state championships. He’s a quiet young man and a hard worker. As he’s developed technically, he’s taken himself to another level with his skill set and moves. What he does, he does extremely well. He’s continued to progress. When you’re already giving a lot of effort, those jumps aren’t as high.
“He placed fifth as a sophomore, and he had to step up in some big matches. Then he placed third in state, and he beat the (eventual) state champion that year at area. So, he was right there even his junior year. It was good to see his work pay off his senior year. You couldn’t have drawn up his finals match any better with the drama in that setting. I’m just really proud of him and his family. He’s a tough guy to lose and has done just about everything you can at this level.”
Berry said Reinhardt coaches have mentioned him wrestling at either 125 or 133 pounds for the upcoming season. He noted a redshirt is a possibility, which would allow him to gain more strength before his eligibility clock starts ticking.
“I’d like to wrestle at 133 so I don’t have to cut so much weight,” Berry said. “I wrestled their 125 at practice and he’s really good. I’m good with redshirting or going right in, too.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new friends. These are people who could become lifelong friends. I’m really nervous because it’s not people I’ve known my whole life, or like high school where it’s people you see all the time. Here, you see everyone and know everyone.”
Berry plans to study business and hopefully put his skill set to work to keep Gilmer’s homegrown pipeline flowing.
“Me and my cousin (Kellen Watts) have been talking, and there are no places in north Georgia to train for wrestling,” Berry said. “We’re trying to find places and mats and see if we can get a place up here.”
Reinhardt competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as members of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.