The upcoming high school wrestling season will look different in more ways than one for Georgia’s smaller schools.
The Georgia High School Association reorganized the end-of-the year dual tournaments, which will alter who Gilmer High School faces and how it qualifies for state. It also reclassified schools for the area and state dual tournaments.
Private 1A and 2A schools will be paired together. Public 1A and some public 2A schools will make up a classification and remaining public 2A schools will be classified with 3A. GHS is currently in Class 3A.
Schools in 4A through 7A will continue to compete within their respective classifications.
Gilmer head coach Josh Ghobadpoor noted it was a topic of conversation among those in the wrestling community as coaches and the GHSA worked together to alleviate some crowd concerns and tournament hiccups.
“I think it’s a collection of different reasons,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of meetings and emails trying to figure it out. The Coliseum in Macon was so packed at state this past year. They’re trying to find a format where they can get all those people in and make sure the wrestling goes smoother once you’re there. Last year, it was tough on the wrestlers and the coaches, so I think they had to go back to the drawing board and look at that.”
He added, “I think every once in a while there is a change to mix it up a little bit and see how it goes. I know there were a lot of people for a change and a lot of people who kind of liked the way it was. We’ll have to find out if this format really works well moving forward. It’s definitely unique because traditional and duals will be different.”
As of press deadline, changes just pertain to area and state duals, which pit teams against each other. There are 14 bouts per dual and teams earn points based on each individual bout’s outcome. The grouping of schools for the traditional portion of state has not been determined.
“For traditional, we still don’t know what our area will be,” Ghobadpoor said. “Will we be switching back to the region (all the other sports at GHS compete in) or what will we do? No one really had an answer, so I think that’s still up in the air.”
Wrestling will no longer compete in the same region as all other sports at GHS. Wrestling will be members of Area 6 along with Fannin County, Murray County, Coahulla Creek, LaFayette, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, North Murray and Ringgold.
“I think the way they split it, Fannin will not only be an area rival but they’ll have a decent squad,” Ghobadpoor said. “There are some schools we don’t see that often like North Murray or Coahulla Creek. Maybe it will give us some different competition. We’re in an interesting position. Now that we’re a 3A school, we’re kind of on that bubble for duals in an area with 2A and 3A schools.”
In previous seasons, two teams from each of the eight regions qualified for state duals. That format has been discarded.
Now, the top four teams from each area tournament qualify for state. Each of the eight area dual champions will then host a quad meet with a second-, third- and fourth-place team from other areas. The top team that emerges from each of the eight pods will make up the field that travels to Macon for the state finals.
“Basically instead of two weeks for duals state it will be three,” Ghobadpoor said “Technically you’re in the state tournament that second weekend. (Once in Macon) they’ll seed those eight teams who make it. State will also only be two days now instead of three.”
All of Gilmer High’s remaining fall, winter and spring sports teams will compete in Region 7-3A along with Dawson County, Lumpkin County, White County, Cherokee Bluff, North Hall and West Hall.