Staff report

Dual team championships have been decided, but individual wrestling regionals will be conducted on Friday night and Saturday.

Top four finishers in each weight class at each regional move on to state competition. The goal is to get to the state championships in Greensboro, where almost anything can happen. Salisbury  heavyweight Jaden Gaither had to make a comeback to finish third in his regional last season — but then he won a state championship.

South Rowan’s Jacob Cox also won a state championship in 2022. Cox and East Rowan’s Oren “OJ” Bost won titles in 2021, and Cox won the first of his three in a row in 2020, so there have been five Rowan state champs in the last three years.

West Rowan’s Jacob Perry (3rd at 126), Christian Hercules (4th at 285)  and Kevin O’Brien (6th at 120) were 3A state placers in 2022 and are back for another run at the podium. O’Brien has moved up to the 132-pound weight class, while Perry has moved up to 138. Those three are leading contenders to end a drought for the Falcons, who haven’t had a state champ since 1990.

East Rowan’s Leah Edwards, who won the NCHSAA’s  girls state invitational last week, will be wrestling with the males at 113.

Another female wrestler, Carson’s Raelie Hernandez, will be competing with the guys in the 3A Midwest Regional at 120.

South Rowan’s Mateo Diaz Ruiz placed fourth in the state in 3A at 106 pounds last year and is back for another run, still at 106.

A.L. Brown’s Trevor Freeman placed second at 113 in 2021 and third at 120 in 2022. He’s wrestling at 113 this season, has a 41-5 record and will be a wrestler to watch in the 4A Midwest Regional.

West Rowan, East Rowan, South Rowan and Carson wrestlers are competing in the 3A Midwest Regional at North Davidson. Wrestling begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and resumes early Saturday morning.

Salisbury wrestlers are in the 2A Midwest Regional at Walkertown. North Rowan has wrestlers in the !A East Regional in Asheboro. A.L. Brown wrestlers are in the 4A Midwest Regional in Monroe.

Regional lineups

A.L. Brown — 113: Trevor Freeman (41-5), 120: Chris Lawson (12-8), 126: Noah Brian-Hagler (27-13), 132: Jonathan Stanback (27-11), 138: Daniel Maye (14-12), 145: Mason Cook (18-9), 195: Kaulton Kudde (28-12), 220: Drake Watts (18-16), 285: Chaz Knox (31-12)

North Rowan — 182: Khor’on Miller (13-5), 195: Khalil Davis (4-3), 220: Cameron Simpson (12-5)

Salisbury — 120: Robert Moulton (7-13), 126: James Hobson (2-7), 145: Malachi Roberts-Moore (7-14), 152: Tyree Brown (14-8), 170: N’Isaiah Childers (13-5), 182: Cole Price (12-9),220: Emmanuel Gregory (7-13)

South Rowan — 106: Mateo Diaz Ruiz (15-4), 113: Tucker Hartsell (4-9), 120: Peyton Hinson (9-11), 132: Caleb Tello Perez (9-13), 170: Mason Kincaid (13-1), 182: Aiden Carter (9-13), 220: Evan Cox (15-13),

Carson — 106: Joseph Little (27-10), 113: Gabe Flaminio (12-24), 120: Raelie Hernandez (17-11), 132: Parker Mills (26-14), 138: Christian Kluttz (32-6), 145: Cameron Lord (11-14), 152: Tristin Clawson (19-8), 160: Elijah Morgan (11-6), 182: Andrew Reeves (9-10), 195: Trey Hill (32-8), 220: Deshaun Kluttz (14-12)

East Rowan — 106: Chrisopher McDonald (26-12), 113: Leah Edwards (35-2), 120: Alex Luna (19-11), 132: Max Mitchell (16-13), 138: Shayden Edwards (30-3), 152: Malachi Pope (19-15), 170: Noah Breen (16-19), 195: Jorell Somoa (3-22), 285: Kaiden Baker (13-14)

West Rowan — 106: Jathan Roby (31-5), 113: Oliver Perry (23-7), 120: Mark Truman (13-8), 126: Stetson Collins (24-4), 132: Kevin O’Brien (36-2), 138: Jacob Perry (33-6), 145: Bryan Taylor (25-10), 152: Connor Misenheimer (27-8), 160: Adam Coughenour (11-6), 170: Eli Jenkins (26-5), 182; Braxtyn Barger (33-8), 195: Hunter Miller (28-2), 220: Grayson Burleson (34-7), 285: Christian Hercules (39-1)