Cass wrestling 3rd at state duals championship

The Cass wrestling team went 4-1 this weekend to place third at the GHSA Class AAAAA State Duals Championship held at the Macon Centreplex.

The Colonels defeated Decatur 62-9 and Harris County 55-13 on Thursday to reach the state semifinals. On Friday, Cass suffered their only loss of the tournament, 34-25, to Ola who lost the state championship match Saturday to Buford.

Cass bounced back Saturday in the consolation bracket to defeat Veterans 46-26 and Locust Grove 40-24 to finish third.

Tripp Breeden and Seven Richards led the Colonels with dominating performances in the state tournament. The two seniors will defend individual state championships in a few weeks during the Class AAAAA traditional format.

Cass coach D.L. Koontz also noted solid state tournament performances by Tyler Pilcher, Noah Huffmeier, Rett Moore, Hunter Rees, and Kendall Arnold.

The third place finish for the Colonels marks the 12th time in the last 15 years that Cass has placed at the state duals.

“We wanted to get to Buford in the finals,” said Koontz. “It’s always great to see how you stack up with the reigning state champs. I’m pleased with the way we re-focused after the loss to Ola and took care of business in those final two matches.”

Cass will now focus on the individual, traditional format.

The Colonels will host the region traditional tournament on January 27. The state sectionals and state finals will take place the following weeks.