Gilmer High wrestlers hit the road to begin the season.
The GHS Bobcats made the short trip south to Pickens last Saturday and posted a 3-1 record in four duals.
Gilmer wrestled multiple kids out of their projected weight class, and the team was without football players who played the night before.
“We wrestled pretty good,” said head coach Caleb Waddell. “To not have kids down to weight as we still have a bunch of kids on our descent plan. Our 106 weighed 107 so we wrestled 113 all day. That makes it tough, but we still have to go out and compete no matter the circumstances. A few more weighed in way below their weight class, and I bumped them up to a higher weight class. That’s just part of it, especially at the beginning of the year.”
First up was West Forsyth’s B-team, and the Cats took care of the Wolverines, 50-24. GHS defeated Rome next, 48-21, ahead of its meeting with the host Dragons. Pickens opted to forfeit five bouts and the outcome was never in doubt, 64-17.
The Bobcats faced West Forsyth’s top squad in the finals, and the 6A school downed GHS, 55-16.
“It was really good for them to see that level of competition,” Waddell said. “But we were a little nervous. We rolled straight into that match after beating Pickens and just weren’t ready to roll. We looked a little skittish. We’ve got some things we can work on, and I don’t think that’s a team we lose to later in the season. They’re very beatable.”
Both Adolfo Bautista (165) and Manny Velasquez (150) defeated state placers in the match. First-year wrestler Jaxon Crater (144) was 4-0 at the event.
“Overall I was impressed,” Waddell said. “Our biggest takeaway is we can’t give up bonus points. We’ve got to go out there and scrap for six minutes, and if we lose, hopefully it’s only by decision. We can’t be getting pinned.”
GHS will make its way to the Todd Granger Duals Saturday at Murray County High School.