High school wrestling: Edwards, Raper, Freeman win state titles
Published 5:53 am Monday, February 19, 2024
Leah Edwards and East coach Shane Miller.
A.L. Brown’s Trevor Freeman.
Staff report
GREENSBORO — East Rowan junior Leah Edwards was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler for the first NCHSAA sanctioned girls wrestling state championship.
Edwards (32-1) went 4-0 at 114 pounds in the three-day event at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Edwards dominated her weight class, winning by technical fall and major decision before pinning her opponents in the semifinals and the championship match.
Edwards also won a state championship in 2023 in the NCHSAA women’s invitational tournament.
West Rowan freshman Waylon Collins placed. Collins (28-4) took fourth at 120 pounds. A.L. Brown’s Kahlen Kuddie (42-6) was fifth at 126.
Boys
South Rowan freshman regional champ Garrison Raper had an exciting run to a 3A state title at 106 pounds.
Raper (35-4) won the championship bout with a comfortable 10-2 major decision after surviving with sudden victory points in the quarterfinals and winning by ultimate tiebreaker in the semifinals.
Raper won a 9-2 decision in the first round.
A.L. Brown’s Trevor Freeman, a senior headed to the Coast Guard Academy, completed a 48-0 season by winning the 4A championship at 113 pounds.
Freeman, who won 160 matches in his career, won by pin and tech fall to reach the semifinals and took decisions in the semis and the championship match.
West Rowan’s best run was by Kevin O’Brien, who finished second at 138.
O’Brien (43-3) dominated his first three matches but lost to Central Cabarrus’ Charleston Baglio in a 9-4 decision in the final.
Other Falcons who placed were Andrew Taylor (4th at 126), Hunter Miller (4th at 215), Stetson Collins (5th at 144) and Mason Kincaid (6th at 175).
West finished third in the 3A team scoring.
Team champions were Robbinsville, Seaforth, Union Pines and Davie.
Lumberton was the girls team champion.
West girls
Hadley Perry (100)
1st round — Won 11-9 decision in overtime.
Quarterfinal — Lost by pin.
Consolation — Lost 2-0 decision
Finished 1-2
Olyvia Brown (107)
1st round — Lost by pin
Consolation — Won by pin
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 1-2
Waylon Collins (120), 4th place, 28-4
1st round — Won by pin
Quarterfinal — Lost by pin
Consolation — Won 3-2 decision
Consolation — won by pin
Third place match — Lost 5-1 decision
Finished 3-2
Brooke Cribbs (145)
1st round — Won by pin
Quarterfinal — Lost by pin
Consolation — Won by pin
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 2-2
Ni’Ima Nelson (165)
1st round — Lost by pin
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 0-2.
East girls
Jasmyne Brown (107)
1st round —Won 2-1 decision
Quarterfinal — Lost 7-0 decision
Consolation ‚— Lost by pin.
Finished 1-2
Leah Edwards (114), state champion, Most Outstanding Wrestler, 32-1
1st round — Won by tech fall, 16-0
Quarterfinal — Won major decision, 11-3
Semifinal — Won by pin
Championship — Won by pin
Finished 4-0
North girls
Danielle Smith (132)
1st round —Lost by pin.
Consolation — Lost by pin.
Finished 0-2.
A.L. Brown girls
Kahlen Kuddie (126), 5th place, 42-6
1st round — Won by pin.
Quarterfinal — Won by pin.
Semifinal — Lost by pin.
Consolation — Lost by pin.
Fifth place match — Won by forfeit
Finished 3-2
West boys
Lane Jenkins (106)
1st round — Lost by pin.
Consolation — Won 4-0 decision
Consolaton — Lost 8-3 decision
Finished 1-2
Jathan Roby (113)
1st round — Won 6-0 decision.
Quarterfinal – Lost by pin
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 1-2
Andrew Taylor (126), 4th place, 42-8
1st round — Lost 8-4 decision
Consolation — Won 12-6 decision
Consolation — Won by pin .
Consolation — Won major decision, 16-2
Third place match — Lost 4-3 decision
Finished 3-2
Kevin O’Brien (138), 2nd place, 43-3
1st round — Won by pin.
Quarterfinal — Won major decision 14-3
Semifinal — Won major decision 11-2
Championship — Lost 9-4 decision
Finished 3-1
Stetson Collins (144), 5th place, 46-5
1st Round — Lost 7-6 decision
Consolation — Won 11-4 decision
Consolation — Won by pin
Consolation — Won 5-3 decision
Consolation — Lost 3-1 decision (SV)
Fifth place match — Won by pin
Finished 4-2
Connor Misenheimer (157)
1st round —Lost 6-0 decision
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 0-2
Eli Jenkins (165)
1st Round — Lost 12-1 major decision.
Consolation — Lost 4-3 decision.
Finished 0-2.
Mason Kincaid (175), 6th place, 27-9
1st Round — Won by pin
Quarterfinal — Won by pin
Semifinal — Lost by pin
Consolation — Lost by tech fall, 19-3
Fifth place match — Lost 12-7 decision
Finished 2-3
Hunter Miller (215), 4th place, 39-7
1st Round — Won by pin
Quarterfinal — Won 7-3 decision
Semifinal — Lost 5-3 decision
Consolation — Won 3-1 decision
Third place match – Lost 13-12 decision
Grayson Burleson (285)
1st Round — Lost by pin
Consolation — Won by forfeit
Consolation — Won by pin
Consolation — Lost 1-0 decision
Finished 2-2
South boys
Garrison Raper (106), state champion, 35-4
1st Round — Won 9-2 decision.
Quarterfinal — Won 4-3, OT (Sudden Victory)
Semifinal — 5-4, Won by Ultimate Tiebreaker
Championship — Won 10-2 major decision
Finished 4-0
East boys
Shayden Edwards (144)
1st Round — Won by pin
Quarterfinal — Lost 6-5 decision
Consolation — Lost 4-3 decision
Finished 1-2
Carson boys
Joseph Little (106)
1st Round — Lost 7-5 decision, OT
Consolation — Won 11-10 decision
Consolation — Lost 3-2 decision
Finished 1-2
Griffin Barber (150)
1st Round — Lost by tech fall, 17-2
Consolation — Won 14-5 major decision
Consolation — Lost by tech fall, 19-4
Finished 1-2
Andrew Reaves (190)
1st Round — Lost by pin
Consolation — Lost 9-2 decision
Finished 0-2
A.L. Brown boys
Trevor Freeman (113), state champion, 48-0
1st Round — Won by pin
Quarterfinal — Won by tech fall, 16-1
Semifinal — Won 4-3 decision
Championship — Won 7-1 decision
Finished 4-0
Gavin Yow (150)
1st Round — Lost 12-1 major decision
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 0-2
Drake Watts (215)
1st Round – Won 7-2 decision
Quarterfinal — Lost by pin
Consolation — Lost by pin
Finished 1-2
Chaz Knox (285)
1st Round — Lost by pin
Consolation — Won by pin
Consolation — Lost 4-3 decision
Finished 1-2