Phillips and Williamson punch second-straight ticket to the Big Show
Coach Elbert Thomas joined Head Coach Jermaine Jones as an assistant for the Gryphon wrestling team last fall. Sometime late in the season, he dubbed teammates Chandler Phillips and Janicento Williamson the "Rock and Roll Express".
The Rock and Roll Express will be pulling out of Rocky Mount and heading to Greensboro for the NCSAA State Individual Tournament next weekend. Williamson placed third, while Phillips took fourth at the Regional at South Central Saturday evening. They are among the top 16 wrestlers in the state in their wight classes.
The eight other Gryphons who competed at the Regional had a front row seat to witness just how tough it can be to advance to the state tournament. One by one, eventually all being eliminated in the two-day event.
The first two rounds of the championship bracket were contested on Friday. Only Phillips, Williamson and Mason Holt advanced to wrestle in the Quarterfinals. Holding lower seeds, seven Gryphons fell in the first round and would have to wait until Saturday morning to wrestle in consolations.
After Friday night's championship bracket Quarters, only Phillips and Williamson were left. They were one win away from qualifying for the state tournament. The eight remaining Gryphons would need to work from the Consolation bracket.
Nick Westcott, Elliot Whitehead, Justin Atkinson and Jemor Parker were eliminated after the Consolation Pre-Quarterfinal round on Saturday morning. That's not to say there wasn't some good wrestling going on.
Westcott went the distance in his first match, only to fall by close 5-3 decision to an eventual state qualifier in the 125 division.
Whitehead lost by a 10-6 decision in his second match, narrowly missing a chance to advance into the next round.
There were several Gryphons who tasted victory at the Regional level for the first time on Saturday. Alexander Knight, Jeffrey Henderson and Nathan Barbour each won in the Pre-Quarters of consolations, before falling the Quarterfinal round.
On Saturday, Holt took a decisive 16-5 decision win in the Cons Quarterfinal round over the #8 seed from Hertford County. In the Pre- Semifinal, he was ousted by an eventual state qualifier.
Both Phillips and Williamson fell in their first attempt to qualify, each dropping decisions in the championship Semifinal round. Phillips by the eventual Regional Champion, and Williamson to the eventual runner-up. Each would have a win-or-go-home match to qualify for the state tournament from the consolation bracket.
Phillips was up first in the consolation Semifinal round. With a two-point reversal early in the final period of a scoreless match, he had enough to get it done. Phillips qualified with a 2-1 decision victory.
Within 10 minutes, Williamson was on the mat for his shot. In a grueling match that mirrored the nail-bitter of Phillips' victory just minutes before, Williamson was down 1-0 going into the third period. With a two-point reversal of his own, Williamson also qualified with a 2-1 decision victory.
Teammates. Friends. And now, Two-Time State Qualifiers. The Rock and Roll Express is moving on.
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