Wrestlers succeed at state, season ends
With the wrestling season over, senior players including Jett Wright and Debare Omoniaye will move on from the wrestling program. Although they will no longer brandish the Warrior orange and blue colors, they believe that with some effort, the team will experience a brighter future. ”We have good coaching and solid practices so in the coming seasons, we need to just put it all together. Our upcoming senior leaders need to step it up so we can have more than five guys go to the state tourney next year,” said Omoniaye.
March 12, 2021
The NC Warrior wrestling program recently ended its season with participation in the GHSA 7A State Tournament, marking the final major event of its season. The wrestlers first battled in the Region 3-AAAAAAA regional tournament on February 1 to advance to the later state championship where schools from across Georgia will send their very best. Held at McEachern High School, wrestlers from McEachern, Kennesaw Mountain, Hillgrove, North Paulding, Walton, and North Cobb all participated in individual bouts to secure a spot at sectionals. The Warriors earned one second, four thirds, and four fourth-place medals.
“For me and the other guys that went, the goal was to go to state because none of us have ever been there and for people who have not wrestled for that long, it’s a pretty big accomplishment,” said senior Debare Omoniaye.
This event marked the first time the lineup participated in the state tournament, granting the wrestlers valuable experience. At their respective weight classes, junior Tyson Brooks (160) placed 3rd, senior Jett Wright (170) placed 2nd, senior Debare Omoniaye (195) placed 3rd, freshman Michael Heyliger (220) placed 3rd, and senior JT Young (285) placed 2nd in the region tournament. These five Warriors worked hard to earn high seedings at the GHSA State Tournament and ended their run with three first-round wins by Brooks, Wright, and Omoniaye.
“I did better than I thought I was going to do, but didn’t go as far as I had hoped. I believe I did a lot for my team this season and left on a great note,” said Wright.
The Warriors worked hard in the off-season, allowing great success from both veteran athletes and young underclassmen. In addition to the strenuous, taxing practices and conditioning, the Warriors also exceeded their grade requirements to stay on the team.
“Eligibility Check: 6 wrestlers with straight A’s, 10 with A’s and B’s, and we did not lose a single athlete to grades. Proud of these young women and men for achieving in the classroom during these conditions,” said the coaching staff on the NCHS Wrestling Twitter.
Although the Warriors committed as much as possible to their craft, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the wrestling program’s performance. With parents and players prioritizing safety over sport, not all wrestlers could play on the team consistently or at all throughout the season.
“A major part of us not being successful this year was COVID. We had a lot of really talented people who needed to quit because of the virus and we had a couple of team shutdowns that ruined our conditioning,” said Omoniaye.
