By Mike London
Salisbury Post
Salisbury senior Will Mowery lost three matches this season, but he won the one he really wanted.
Mowery decisioned Hillsboro Orange’s Jamar Jackson for the 160-pound 1A/2A wrestling championship at Joel Coliseum on Saturday.
Reached by phone, Mowery felt sure he should have been credited with a 3-0 victory ó an early takedown and a late escape ó but officially his triumph was recorded as 2-0.
The bottom line is he’s a state champion.
“Will had a couple of losses during the season, but he knew they didn’t really matter that much,” Salisbury coach Jim Swayney said. “He kept saying all along that it was the last match that really counted, and he went out and got it.”
Mowery (29-3) is ranked No. 1 in 1A/2A by NCMat.com, but he lost in a Mideast Regional semifinal to Jackson, who is ranked No. 2 in the classification. So Mowery entered the state event as a No. 3 seed.
“That loss in the regional made me more determined,” Mowery said. “Just added a little more fire for the state competition, and we worked on things to do and not do.”
Mowery and SHS coaches prepared diligently for the expected rematch with Jackson and won three times to earn it.
Mowery decisioned Shelby’s fifth-ranked Darius Littlejohn 8-2 in the first round, blitzed Brevard’s Matt Pace for a 10-0 major decision in a quarterfinal and stopped seventh-ranked Patrick Lawler of Bishop McGuinness 9-6 in a semifinal to get a shot at Jackson.
“Will did a heck of a job, controlled the championship match from the outset,” Swayney said. “All week we’d talked about making it a high-paced match, and he did that. Will is quick, he’s strong, he’s real aggressive, and we’re very proud that Salisbury High has a state champion.”
Salisbury heavyweight Gordon Witte won a state title last season, while Mowery was taking third place in the 145-pound ranks. Mowery also reached the state level as a freshman and placed fourth.
He spent his sophomore year away from the mat for a job and to experiment with Greco-Roman wrestling, but he eventually returned quicker and stronger than ever.
Mowery is also a fine baseball player for the Hornets. He caught last season and figures he’ll start swinging a bat after he competes in the wrestling senior nationals.
His high school wrestling career ended just the way he’d dreamed about it ó with a victory over his toughest rival with his friends and family urging him on in his last match.
“I had a lot of support to do this,” Mowery said. “I feel great right now, and I just want to go get something to eat. After that, maybe I’ll do a little dancing.”
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South Rowan’s Philip Tilley (135) and Austin Martin (130) posted third-place finishes in 3A. Tilley decisioned High Point Andrews’ Darius Hannah 4-2 in overtime for bronze, while Martin decisioned Carver’s Brian Thompson 10-7.East Rowan’s Aaron Plyler (119) and A.L. Brown sophomore Terrance Johnson (285) placed fourth in 3A.
West’s Austin Perrell (103) took fifth, and A.L. Brown’s Morgan McDaniel (130) was sixth. Northwest Cabarrus’ Alex Skonieczny won the 3A championship at 189.
In 4A, Davie’s Zach Vernon (135), Jonathan Hupp (171) and Jared Barber (189) placed fourth. Matt Cusack (152) and Travis Goforth (125) took fifth. Michael Waters (103) was sixth.
Results are in Scoreboard.