High school wrestling: Powerhouse teams in Mount Ulla on Wednesday

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Staff report

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan will be the host team for Wednesday’s third and fourth rounds of the 3A West dual team wrestling playoffs.

West was chosen as host, based on its central location among the four teams that advanced to this stage.

West, which beat Montgomery Central and North Gaston on Saturday in Mount Ulla, is seeded third in the bracket and will tangle with second-seeded Eastern Guilford at 6 p.m.

Both teams are undefeated.

Fred T. Foard, which has one loss, is the top seed and is the defending 3A state champion. Foard has been a wrestling power for a decade and will wrestle at 6 p.m. against fifth-seeded Enka.

The winners will then wrestle for the regional championship at approximately 7:30 p.m. The regional champ will move on to Saturday’s 3A state championship match in Greensboro.

Most of the stout teams in 3A are in the West portion of the bracket, with Fred T. Foard, Eastern Guilford and West Rowan the top three in the state rankings. Enka is ranked sixth.

The top 3A team in the East is seventh-ranked Union Pines, the state runner-up last season.

Union Pines, First Flight, Swansboro and Orange will be wrestling on Wednesday at (Hillsborough) Orange.

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The state girls wrestling competition is set for Saturday in the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse.

Wrestling begins at 10 a.m.

Wrestlers from all four classifications compete together.

Local state qualifiers include East Rowan’s Leah Edwards (114), Carson’s Raelie Hernandez and East’s Emma Blackwell (120), A.L. Brown’s Kahlen Kuddie (126), A.L. Brown’s Chasidy Bryant (165) and West Rowan’s Mackenzie Riley (235).

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The individual wrestling regionals for boys will take place on Feb. 10-11.

South Piedmont Conference wrestlers will compete at North Davidson. Greater Metro wrestlers will compete at Piedmont.

North Rowan wrestlers will compete at Uwharrie Charter, while Salisbury wrestlers will compete at Walkertown.