Was Eagle Wrestlers repeat themselves as a state champion – Davie County Enterprise Record

By Brian Pitts
Enterprise data record

Davie traveled a street in the State 4-A single tournament at the first Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, which is not on any wrestling card.
In the previous week, the war eagles in the Midwest had no regional champion.
They had no individual state champion in Greensboro.
But when everything was said and done, the war eagles had the hardware – their third state title in two years. This is a trifecta that never happens. But it happened at least once. It happened on February 24th.
After the first day on February 22nd, the war eagles sat in third place with 20.5 points, while Hough had 25.5.5 and Cardinal Gibbons 23.5. After the second day, Davie had a lead of 104-91 against Hickory Ridge. When it was over, Davie was the repeated individual champion with 110 points to Houghs 106.5 and Hickory Ridges 106.
“It was just a roller coaster,” said Davies coach in the second year, Josh Stanley. “It was pretty cute. For the boys who have lost the final, this is always bitter sweet, but it was amazing (to win the state as a team). “
The War Eagles, who were projected by Rankwrestlern to have 53 points and reach sixth place, made Hough and Hickory Ridge, where they did not itch by placing four second place and producing two fifth placements.
“I don't know that we ever had four in the final,” said Stanley.
Sophomore Aidan Szewcyzk, Senior Cayden Glass and Juniors Tiaj Thao and Elliott Gould got away with silver medals. The Senior Brett Foster and Junior Andy Davis took Davie for the third time to win the others, the others in 1995 and 2024.
At 120, Szewcyzk rolled into the final with a tech fall, a decision and a pen. He was stopped in the final by a mighty junior from Mooresville, Jace Barrier, who rose a 5-1 decision about his record to 54-1. Szewcyzk, who was fifth with 113 last year, went 24-2 in the second year and has a career record of 53: 8.
“We expected that he was in the final, but the way he did was super impressive,” said Stanley.
At 126, Glass was his typical dominant self in the first three rounds, which held twice and won until Tech -autumn. In the final he came across a roadblock called Aiden White, a 46: 2-Sophomore from Weddington, who won 13: 8. It was the second place for Glass, which went 45-6 and 147-37 for his career this season.
“He tried a big step in the final and went on his back,” said Stanley about White's seven points. “He shouldn't have done it, but you can't stop a child like Cayden and I didn't try to stop him. You can't suffocate it. If he sees a step, he will choose. He is just a murderer and therefore technical and pens. You live on the sword and you die at the sword. “
With 132, Thao opened with a technology and a decision. In the semifinals, he caught flash in a glass, deleted a 7: 1 deficit and stuck Tyton Kostoff. This was a massive moment because this was a Matchup against Hough.
In the final, Thao with Liam Hickey, senior senior citizen of Cardinal Gibbons, stood opposite, who gave the lead 11-0 in the first period. But Thao reacted with an electrifying comeback before falling 16-13. Hickey, who will be 123-3 years old in three years, including 35: 0 this year his second state title.
“A massive outsider,” said Stanley about Thao. “Not in our eyes because we knew the Style Matchup there, but Liam is a commitment to (North) Carolina. He is one of the highest children's children in the state. Nobody had tested him this year. It is technical or is all. I am not sure whether he had even wrestled a full match this year. But we knew if we could bring it into the deep water that T would have a chance. T is quirky and he can turn around and do amazing things that most boys cannot do because of his mobility and he is so patient. “
When a man who was obsessed, Thoo actually stormed hickey twice on his back. The referee did not hit the mat when Thao followed his third year in the second year with a 38-6 junior season. His career record is 115-25.
“(Hickey) put T on his back twice and he removed his butt,” said Stanley. “I only did what T was doing and he wore it and made him tired. He got a cradle and put it on his back. In the third period, t (Hickey) threw on the back. He was so close to having a pen. The place went crazy about T and I celebrated with him. T is another amazing person. He smiles smiling and celebrates with us after such a heartbreaking match when he follows the state championship title. I understand that it is difficult for a referee to hit the mat like this on a child. It was difficult for me to see, but it was amazing to see. “
At 150, Gould began his run with a decision and a pin. In the semi-finals against Jack Gibson by Northwest Guilford, Gould provided one of Davie's magical moments, a takedown with one second to win 6-5. In the final, Gould joined an impenetrable wall, Houghs 51: 1 Senior Senior Jackson Rowling and lost by pin. Gould went 41-9 with his second state appearance and he will lead a 93-36 career record to the next year.
“Elliott is just a great child,” said Stanley. “It was his guest tank; It was his will (in the semi -finals). He made the shot with a five -second lead. We saw the video a thousand times. He is a great person and I tried very hard to get the physicality out of him and be coarse -grained and mean out there. And man, it just came together at the right time. “
Davie's promotion in a field of 66 teams was also proof of Foster and Davis. Foster 3: 2 effort at 138 showed a dramatic 7: 4 victory over the extension in the fifth/sixth game.
“Brett was in this position after the year in which he could continue and further and then after the career with a throat operation, a knee injury-and then to get a state placement, and the way he did in the end were just amazing,” said Stanley, after Foster had ended in his career 30-12 as a senior and 88-24. “If he doesn't win that, we would win to a point, but we don't know at the time, so let's think that everything is on it. So it was an astonishing opportunity for him to climb right there. “
In the battle of fifth with 144, Davis delivered a breathtaking pen over the senior of Hickory Ridge, Asher Watson. He went 3-2 in his second appearance, ended the season 25: 6 and will have a career record of 84: 20 next year.
“We had to win this fifth game for us to win it,” said Stanley. “He could have thought about himself there. He could have been below and off (after a 1-0 loss). It was a worst scenario for him, and he has to go out there and put it at risk again. He did it and did with passion. That was all. We knew what our final matchups were – we knew that the likelihood that we would win a final would get hard – so it was amazing. “
Part of the loan goes 113 to the second year Jack Bost. In the first round he would have made Houdini proud and turned a 7-0 deficit into a wild comeback against Cardinal Gibbons, Spencer Sterling. Although he dropped his next two games, Bost went for 33-15.
Davie carried nine men to Greensboro. The other two were Junior Maddox Create at 190 and Senior Ryder Strickland in heavyweight. While both went 0: 2, Strickland had an absolutely fantastic year of graduation, 44: 4 and drove with a career record of 126: 41, which contained 80 pens.
“He lost some really close games,” said Stanley. “It didn't end as he wanted, but he had an absolutely amazing career. Football is his thing, but the family was always for us and for the wrestling program. He's banged and he did what he could do. So I couldn't be proud of him. “
The war eagles are for the first time since 1994 to 1995, which the duals and the individual trophies in successive state champions are in the past year have founded the duals and the individual trophies, and they have all the reason to assume that further size expects them.
“We will be really good next year,” said Stanley. “We have plans to get stronger in the low season. We were missing there this year. I haven't put enough emphasis on strength training what my mistake was and we will correct that. We have some young people who are really good. After that we will be really good. I mean, we have boys of the fifth and sixth grade who have come up the pipeline that are super impressive. All of these children struggle every weekend. “
Notes: Stanley is blessed with an all-star trainer staff (Timmy Allen, Russell Hilton, Jordon Nolan, Caleb Spurlin and Isaiah Whitley). “Obviously I get a lot of recognition for everything, but we have an army of coaches,” he said. “Everyone has their own place he fills for the team. Most of them have jobs outside the school system. They take their family away and nobody really gets anything other than just joy to be out there with the boys. “… Stanley gave his wife Ashley verbal roses. “Ashley has to deal with the fact that a lot is married to me,” he said. “People ask how I ampat the club program and Davie? It is the cheat code. She celebrates the wrestlers directly for three days as if they were their own children. She has no glory, no pictures of her. Being a coach's wife is hard. She does it well. “