Local wrestling teams off to solid starts

The Adairsville Tigers wrestling team sent split squads to a pair of duals competitions last Saturday and captured a second place at the Cherokee Duals and a third place at the Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe Duals.

Then on this past Tuesday, the Tigers competed at the Cartersville High School 6th Annual Colonel Harvey Robinson Duals and placed fourth. Adairsville collected wins over East Paulding, Ringgold, and eventual tournament winner Chattooga, but fell to Fannin County and Armuchee. Those two teams ultimately finished third and second, respectively.

The Robinson Duals — named for the first wrestling state champion at Cartersville High School — included a dozen high school teams and three middle school teams.

The Purple Hurricanes wrestling team won three of five matches on the day, led by senior Jonathan De La Cruz who was undefeated in five matches.

The Cass wrestling team defeated Cherokee, Johns Creek, and Creekview this past Tuesday to reach the finals of the Etowah Duals.

It marked the third finals for the Colonels in three tournaments this season. Cass won the East Coweta Duals November 11 and the Blackbeard Duals at Allatoona November 18.

Gilmer defeated Cass in the championship match of the Etowah Duals to avenge an earlier loss to the Colonels at the Allatoona tournament. Woodland took fourth in a tough field at the Etowah Duals. Gilmer beat the Wildcats in the semifinals. After being state runner-up last year in both duals and traditional, the Wildcats are yet to win a tournament this year, finishing third at both the Lassiter individual tournament and the Blackbeard Duals.