Gilmer High School wrestling wins 18th state championship
One of the most storied sports programs in Georgia has returned to its perch.
The Gilmer High Bobcats won the Class 3A traditional state championship in Macon last Friday night, which is the school’s 18th wrestling state title.
Eleven Bobcats walked away with medals and Juan Rafael (106 pounds) and Dylan Galloway (220) stood above all competitors with individual state championships.
Gilmer’s Taylor Scheisser (172) finished third in the girls division for a second consecutive state placement.
The Bobcats’ team title is their first since 2016 and also marks the first of head coach Josh Ghobadpoor’s career. This season was his fifth at Gilmer, and he discussed what it means to the program following a narrow 190-184.5 win over second-place Rockmart.
“It’s an amazing feeling, and I can’t really describe it or put it into words right now,” he said. “We’ve worked tirelessly for five years to be our best, and we’ve come up short several times. The kids have had every reason to kind of change their goals, and yet they’ve persevered and moved forward.
“We had a heartbreaker this year at state duals. We really felt like we were going to go win that and it didn’t happen. The kids fought back, they didn’t stay down, they got back up and we moved forward and said the only thing we can do about it now is come back and win a traditional state title, and that’s exactly what they did.”
Senior captain and 195-pound third place finisher Owen Moss said, “Winning this means everything. We’ve had to work really hard for it. It feels amazing to have that hard work pay off. I feel like we got cheated out of our first one (duals), but we came back and got this one.”
Aside from the aforementioned wrestlers, sophomore Carson Farist (113), senior Miguel Jacinto (152) and junior Diego Jacinto (160) were runners-up. Seniors Arturo Gonzalez (120) and Tony Olea (285) placed third, sophomore Bregan Berry (126), as well as seniors Carson Bentley (138) and Daniel Reynoso (170) finished fifth.
“It took every person on our team to win this championship, and we knew it was going to be a barnburner,” Ghobadpoor said. “We knew the only thing we can do is go out there and be our best. Our kids did that, and we’re now state champions, and they’ve earned it. Not just deserved it for many years, but they’ve now earned that title.”
Rafael and Galloway:
Gilmer’s latest champs
Gilmer’s lightning-clad singlets were difficult to miss during the state tournament’s placement rounds.
Champions Rafael and Galloway both received a bye before earning a pair of wins to secure their spots in the finals. Rafael notched decisions of 6-5 and 5-4 ahead of this championship match versus Coahulla Creek’s Adonnis Sanchez.
Rafael trailed 3-2 after the first period and 4-2 entering the third. In the waning seconds of the match, he was still behind 7-6 as the two scrambled near the boundary. Rafael got a takedown with one second remaining, and after a brief discussion between referees, they deemed the takedown occurred before the clock hit zero.
Rafael won 8-7 and discussed the final seconds of desperation ahead of his monumental takedown.
“At first, I was about to give up. I was about to let go. I didn’t have enough hope anymore,” he said. “I don’t know, but for some reason, he gave it to me, and I found a way to take him down.”
Rafael finished the year with a 37-2 record after spending his freshman and sophomore seasons as a backup behind former state placers.
“It feels real good knowing you’re the guy for that weight class and winning it,” Rafael said.
Ghobadpoor added, “What an amazing story he has as a junior and first-year starter. He was behind a state champ and another placer. He’s been good enough this whole time to be a starter. Instead of backing off and not putting in the work, he put in more work. When it was his turn, he did it.
“We found ourselves down and he battled back. With a second left, he secures the title and provides points toward the team state title.”
Galloway made short work of his first two opponents, pinning them on his way to the finals where he met Sonoraville’s Draven Peppers, who entered the match with a 35-1 record.
Galloway scored a takedown in the second period for a 2-1 lead with two minutes left in the match. He escaped in the third for another point for a 3-1 victory.
His championship came after two previous placements. Following a freshman season that was shortened by injury, he placed fourth as a sophomore and second as a junior
“It feels amazing after getting second last year. That hurt me pretty bad, so it feels good to finally get on top,” Galloway said.
“It’s the same with the team. We’ve gotten second the past six years in duals and have been fourth, third and second in traditional. Finally getting first in traditional is amazing.”
Ghobadpoor said, “You never saw any nervousness or anxiousness in that match from Dylan. He was ready, and it was as dominant as a 3-1 match as you could have. He showed that throughout this tournament and throughout the season. I’m so proud for him, his family and his former coaches.
“Dylan is a program guy, and it’s so nice to see those guys get this win and come out and keep battling. Having his dad (assistant Stacy Galloway) there, that has to be an unbelievable moment for their family.”
10 more medals secured
Following a bye and two pins, Farist found himself up against a familiar opponent in Rockmart’s T.K. Davis. Farist defeated him twice last season, and the final time was for the 106-pound title. This year, Davis won their previous two meetings, and also claimed their championship matchup, 15-6.
Davis finished the year with a 48-0 record while Farist was 45-3.
“Davis is an exceptional wrestler, and he and Carson have a mutual respect for each other,” Ghobadpoor said.
“T.K. has been able to come out ahead this year. They both work extremely hard. The Monday after he won state last year, he was in the gym working out. Sometimes people just have your number, and even when you do every thing right, it might not be your day. Carson is the heartbeat of our team, and we pick each other up when this stuff happens. Carson is going to work that much harder going forward.”
Miguel Jacinto pinned his first round opponent before decisions of 7-4 and 3-2. Rockmart’s Nhazir Turner earned a first period takedown in the finals, and the 2-0 score remained unchanged by the end of the match.
“Miguel had a tough sectional tournament, and came out at state and looked totally different,” Ghobadpoor said. “I think part of that was this was his last wrestling tournament. At that point of the state tournament, as long as he doesn’t give up a pin or technical fall, we win the state championship. He knew that going in, and I’m not saying he wrestled reluctantly, but he knew exactly what he needed to do for us to win a team state championship.”
After a pin to start his tournament, Diego Jacinto dominated by scores of 9-3 and 11-2. In the finals he faced Anthony Mannella of Mary Persons, who won 46 of 47 matches this year and added another victory with a 6-0 decision.
“Diego had the toughest draw,” Ghobadpoor said. “He wasn’t feeling his best, but nonetheless, he’s tough and went in with the mindset to win, and Mannella is an exceptional wrestler. Diego is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever coached, and our guys rallied around each other again. He’s one of our captains, and that one stung a little bit, but we still came away with the team state title.”
Gonzalez secured a first round pin, but a 10-8 loss in the second round sent him to the consolation bracket. He got another pin before a pair of decisions to earn a spot in the consolation finals where he won, 7-5.
Moss received a bye ahead of his 5-3 sudden victory in round two. After a 17-7 loss in the semifinals, he won with a 10-6 decision in the consolation finals.
Olea’s first round bye was followed by a loss in the second round. He then reeled off four straight wins via pin before a pair of decisions. He secured his third place medal with a pin in the consolation finals.
“Arturo had a heartbreaking loss in the quarters,” Ghobadpoor said. “He battles back and wrestles the same guy for third and fourth, and it’s a completely different match. He never let it get in his head.
“Owen’s gotten so tough and so mature as the years have gone on. He picked himself up after he lost and won some huge matches. Those three consolation finals matches we won with Arturo, Owen and Tony, we needed those. Owen’s a two-time state placer and can walk off saying ‘I won my last match in high school.’”
He added, “Tony lost to Jason Davis of Rockmart three times (once last year and twice this year). He never wavered, and he came back and got that victory over Davis in the conso semis. That was a huge swing because it takes away from them and adds to us.”
Scheisser won by pin in the first round before she suffered the same fate in the second. She then went on a tear, pinning her next four opponents for third.
“Taylor rivals most of our guys in terms of the mat time she puts into the sport,” Ghobadpoor said. “She has a phenomenal attitude and work ethic and has a great support system at home. She’s our first and only two-time girls state placer.”
Itzzy Xec-Luna (142) and Linda Tercero (142) both posted 1-2 records in the girls division, and Hannah Mayo (152) was 2-2.
The GHSA did not wrestle the match to decide fifth and sixth place. Instead, both wrestlers were awarded fifth.
Berry was 3-2, and his wins came by pin and a pair of decisions. Bentley recorded the same record, and secured all three wins with pins. Reynoso finished 2-2, and won with a pin and decision.
“Berry’s turnaround from last year to this year has been huge. He goes out there to score points, and he’s in a very tough weight class overall. He fought really hard,” Ghobadpoor said. “Daniel really stepped up as a senior. He’s someone we really depend on at practice and on the mat. He’s just been so solid all year, and I’m super proud of him.
“Carson came back (after not wrestling last season) for his senior year, and he’s just tough. He has the ability to catch you when you’re slipping up. He wrestles really hard, and that’s tough to come back and perform at a high level after taking time off.”
Bobcat Frisly Ambrosio (145) took the mat as well and went 0-2.
Rounding out the top five behind Gilmer and Rockmart in the standings were Sonoraville (164.5), Oconee County (99.5) and North Hall (95).
“It’s still surreal,” Ghobadpoor said. “I think about everyone who showed up at state to support the program. There were people there who haven’t had kids on the team in a long time. This was just very special to receive the support we did. I’m so proud for our kids and community.
“I know it’s just a wrestling tournament, and there are bigger things out there in everyone’s life, but so many people have worked so hard for so long. It’s a lesson to never give up, move forward and keep working. This is a dream come true.”