Two weeks after the NCHSAA Individual Wrestling Championships were held at Winston-Salem's Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum February 20 and 21, marking the end of the high school wrestling season, several publications are beginning to finalize rankings and putting together their "all-star" teams. Several Rocky Mount wrestlers have been included already.
The Gryphons were NEW-6 Regular Season Co-Champions for the second consecutive year. They placed 6th in team points in the 23 team Individual Regional held February 13 and 14 at South Central High School. Six members of the team advanced to the State Tournament, which is thought to be the largest contingent of Rocky Mount wrestlers to compete in one year.
Three members of the team surpassed the 100-career win mark during the season. Of these, Francisco Alfaro qualified for Individual States for the 3rd consecutive year. Dedrick Silver became a 2-time State Qualifier and Guy Williamson also advanced to the biggest stage for high school wrestling.
Although NCMAT has not finalized their list of top 12 wrestlers in each weight class on the Super 32 page, the six Gryphons who competed in Winston-Salem are on the list. In addition to Alfaro, Silver and Williamson, Ahmir Scott, Chandler Phillips and Jenicento (JK) Williamson all appear as wrestlers ranked in the top 12 in the state in their weight classifications.
Sunday night, March 3, The Takedown Report, which ranks wrestlers competing in the eastern half of the state, announced their All-Area Team for Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties live on local television station WHIG-TV. I had the opportunity to introduce each member of the team and add in some interesting information as they were interviewed. The show was dedicated to the memory of Gryphon Grant Wilson by WHIG and the TDR folks.
Scott, Alfaro, Phillips and JK Williamson were named to the TDR First Team. Silver, Guy Williamson, Daryl Cross and Johnny Stewart were named to the Second Team.
The TDR also posted their "Preliminary Final" rankings last week. (I am assuming the preliminary tag was put there in case of an oversight or error in criteria for rankings, and can be corrected before putting a "final final" tag on them.) Most of the members of the "All-Area" team were listed on the "Best of the East" list.
As a team, the Gryphons ended with a solid #13 ranking overall. This includes all 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A schools in the East. The TDR bestowed a #7 ranking on the Gryphs in 3A. Both of these rankings are the highest positions given to a Rocky Mount team in the 10 or so years of TDR rankings.
Individually, seven members of the team were ranked in the top 10 overall in the East. Ahmir Scott (#4 overall, #2 3A), Francisco Alfaro (#6; #3), Chandler Phillips (#7; #3), JK Williamson (#7; #3), Dedrick Silver (#6; #3), Daryl Cross (#9; #5) and Guy Williamson (#8; #4).
The Rocky Mount Evening Telegram is expected to pick their version of All-Area teams soon. Some of these wrestlers will no doubt again be recognized. A couple of them may move into top 10 status on the State rankings as well, when NCMAT posts their season final listing.
If you missed these guys on the mat this year, it may not be too late to catch them in action. Several members of the squad plan to compete this Saturday, March 7, at a tournament sponsored by, and held at, Rosewood High School in Goldsboro. The guys will start wrestling around 9 in the morning.
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