The Gilmer Bobcats maintained their spot above all local wrestling teams.
GHS was at Union County High School last Wednesday for the annual Hwy. 515 Classic. The host Panthers and Gilmer were joined by Pickens and Fannin County, and the Bobcats won both matches to defend and retain their crown.
Gilmer was in Gwinnett County for the Buford Invitational Saturday, and the Bobcats finished second in the 22-team field.
Head coach Caleb Waddell discussed the Gilmer’s week, which did not meet his expectations early.
“We did really, really well Saturday. I was very, very proud of the boys,” he said. “We didn’t do great Wednesday. We didn’t have a great dual. We finished on top, but just didn’t wrestle great. Overall, we wrestled really, really horrible.
“We came in Thursday and Friday, and I lit a fire under there butt on Thursday. It was just embarrassing — it really was — and we even won. Coach Levi Seabolt said it best, ‘they tried to ride the coattails of us being successful in the previous years,’ and they still got to put it in the work and do the right things.”
In the finals versus Union, Liandro Diaz started the proceedings at 113 pounds with a 15-2 major decision. UCHS forfeited to Eddie Alonzo (120 pounds), and the Panthers made the score 10-5 with a technical fall at 126.
Union secured a pin at 132 before four straight Gilmer wins. Manny Velasquez (138) won by decision, as did Jackson Crater (144). Braelyn Nelson (150) won by tech and Adolfo Bautista (157) pinned his opponent in the third period.
Trailing 28-11, the Panthers won four in a row with pins at 165, 175, 190 and 215. Down by 7 points with two bouts remaining, UCHS forfeited to Denny Ramirez (285) and Deyson Lopez (106).
The Cats’ day started against Fannin, and they mauled the Rebels, 75-6.
Winners by pin included Velasquez, Hunter Newhart (144), Nelson, Bautista, Tryton Haley (165), Bo Cronic (175), Parker Settel (215) and Ramirez.
Alonzo won with a major and Fannin forfeited to Lopez, Diaz, Daniel Escobar (120) and Alex Alonzo (126).
At Buford, Gilmer was back to what Waddell expects to see each time the Bobcats take the mat.
“This weekend, they freaking stepped up and they did what they were supposed to do,” he said.
“We wrestled through positions. I think they were thinking that there’s somebody out there to protect them when they’re wrestling. And I needed them to understand that it is them and the other guy going to war. And they didn’t go to war on Wednesday. They just weren’t prepared.
“And Saturday we flipped their mindset. We’re always looking to score points, no matter the scenario, we’re just looking to score. We’re looking to put the match away when we can and capitalize on mistakes of the other guy, and we did that this weekend.”
Lopez defeated all comers to win the title at 106. Escobar (120), Velasquez (138) and Bautista (157) were all runners-up.
Both Nelson (150) and Ramirez (285) placed fourth.
“Statistically, two of our best wrestlers, Braelyn and Denny, got fourth. But the other guys that needed to step up stepped up,” Waddell said. “If they do what we ask them to do, go out there and bang and get ready to wrestle and scrap ... and if you do what we tell you to do and it doesn’t work, then it’s okay.”
On the JV side, Gauge Crump was the champion at 120 pounds champ, and Newhart (144) was a runner-up. Maynor Lucas (113), Rojo Zavala (215) and Haley (165) all finished sixth.