The Gilmer Bobcats are the best wrestling team in the region yet again.
GHS was at Heritage High School last Tuesday for the Region 7-3A traditional tournament and won the event for the 22nd time in 23 seasons. Six individual champions led the way for the Bobcats, who outpaced runner-up Heritage, 226-211.5.
“The kids do exactly what I ask every single time,” said head coach Caleb Waddell. “Everything that we have put into place or seen that we need to fix, they fix and they don’t do it again. They just go to war and are willing to go to war no matter who is on the other side of the line. It is so special to be a part of.”
Individual Bobcat champions included Deyson Lopez (106 pounds), Manny Velasquez (132), Adolfo Bautista (144), Braelyn Nelson (150), Dawson Richard (157) and Denny Ramirez (285).
“They’re at an elite level right now and they made everybody know that they’re at an elite level,” Waddell said.
“They just went out there and they did their job. They’re the leaders and they were seeded first for a reason and they made a point. It was awesome. I don’t even have words hardly because everything that we’ve worked on, they’ve adjusted. They just go 100 percent effort through every scenario.”
Lopez went 2-0 and won in the finals, 12-5. Velasquez posted the same record with wins of 11-0 and 16-1. Bautista was 3-0 and claimed his title with an 18-11 finals victory. Nelson finished 2-0 and took his title with a technical fall, 22-8. Richard did not give up a point with wins of 3-0 and 15-0. Ramirez’s title was paved with victories of 3-0 and 13-2.
Madden Hopkins (190, 1-1 record) secured a runner-up finish. Bo Cronic (165, 3-1) placed third, and fourth-place finishers included Liandro Diaz (113, 2-2), Hunter Newhart (138, 2-2) and Daniel Escobar (120, 2-2).
All of the aforementioned wrestlers qualified for sectionals by placing in the top four of their respective weight classes.
Jacob Watson (215, 2-1) placed fifth for GHS, and Eddie Alonzo (126, 0-2) took the mat as well.
Behind Gilmer and Heritage in the final standings were LaFayette (151.5), Ridgeland (145), Calhoun (137.5), Northwest (134.5) and Adairsville (76).
The region tournament was postponed three days because of inclement weather. Gilmer had a quick turnaround for Saturday’s Class 3A B Sectional, where half of the classification’s teams convened at Cherokee Bluff High School.
Each weight class consisted of 16 wrestlers. A top-eight placement was needed to advance to the state tournament, and seven Bobcats qualified.
Lopez continued his season as the No. 1 106-pounder. He was undefeated at sectionals with a decision and a major before a 10-3 decision in the finals.
Cronic (3-1) was a runner-up and was injured in the semifinals, forcing him to forfeit his last match. Ramirez outscored opponents by a total of 16-0 but lost in the finals, 2-1.
Bautista (5-1), Nelson (5-1) and Richard (4-1) all won the consolation finals for third, and Velasquez (3-2) was fourth.
Newhart (3-2) finished ninth and Diaz (2-3) placed 10th, while Escobar and Hopkins posted 0-2 and 1-3 records, respectively.
The Bobcats will head to the Clayton County Convocation Center Wednesday and Thursday for the traditional state tournament.