Chattooga wrestlers pushed the Indians to a record setting season, with some of their biggest matches still to come.
On Tuesday January 2nd, the Indians scored a double win against Dade County and Calhoun in a home dual match. The night marked the 27th win for Chattooga to surpass their previous Single-Season record of 26 dual match wins in 2002. The record season went on to witness Chattooga finishing 31-11 in team Duals, led by three underclassmen and senior Austin Kiser. Kiser finished his final season wearing the Block C with a 38-7 record.
The sophomore sensations of Griffin Jarrett, Alex Mears and Luis Medina finished the regular season with a staggering 142 wins between them and just 12 losses. Jarrett (113) is a defending State Champion who went undefeated in Georgia. His 50-2 record has only two blemishes picked up in his 4th place finish at the McCallie Invitational in Chattanooga, Tn. Jarrett remains a quiet leader for the Indians and, pound-for-pound, is still one of the most feared competitors in the state. Mears’ 48-4 record is good for the 2nd most wins on the team. The 220 lb State Runner Up from last season is poised to challenge for big things again this year. Luis Medina (285), in his first year as a full time starter, shocked opponents with his combination of shear power, size and speed. Medina finishes with a 44-6 record and could find himself with a high seeding in the upcoming Area tournament.
Medina and Mears have already proven themselves as impact players on the gridiron while Jarrett sees plenty of action on the diamond.
With a team stocked in youth and talent, the Indians finished tied with Armuchee in the Area Duals. Based on Criteria, the win went to Armuchee who finished 2nd behind Rockmart. The narrow loss kept Chattooga from moving forward to the State Tournament as a team, however, the preparation has been well-worth the journey for the Indians. Several wrestlers will now lead the tribe to Macon to battle for individual placement but still scoring team points. The 2A classification has seen Social Circle firmly entrenched at the top but a deep Pool of talent threatens every weight class and the Indians will be in the thick of the hunt for State Titles at multiple weights.
Head Coach Brian Beasley had this to say about the record setting season, “…the kids have worked hard and been focused since Day 1. They have really been a “team”, doing what they have to do to score points to rack up dual wins. All the matches and practice between now and January 26th are getting ready for the Traditional Area Tournament.”
Following the Area Tournament, the Top 4 wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the Sectionals where the Top 8 from two Sectional Tournaments will be seeded into a 16-man bracket for the Traditional State Championship on February 8th-10th.
Team Leaders include:
Griffin Jarrett: 50-2
JJ Roberts:30-17
Yusef Shockley:16-7
Austin Kiser: 38-7
Ty Veatch: 33-9
Jacoby Cottrell:27-22
Alex Mears: 48-4
Luis Medina: 44-6
