Seven Rockdale County Bulldog wrestlers will continue their run to a state title this weekend after qualifying for the Georgia High School Association Class AAAAAA Traditional Tournament Duals this past weekend at the East Sectional event.
Defending state champion Alonzo Allen earned the Bulldogs’ lone section title in the 113-pound division, while Michael Mason earned a third place finish in the heavy weight division.
The top eight wrestlers from each weight class advanced to the state competition where they will take on the West Sectionals’ best this weekend in Gwinnett County.
Allen went a perfect 4-0 during his tournament run, winning three matches by decision while also recording a pin in his second round match up.
Allen defeated John’s Creek’s Immanuel Benton 11-1 by major decision in his opening round contest before advancing to the 113-pound semifinals with a pin over Colquitt County’s Jordan Rosales. Allen used a 6-5 decision to best Chattahoochee’s Jordan Pitt before surviving a 2-1 decision over Camden County’s Denton Spencer for the sectional title.
Mason joined Allen on the podium with a third place finish in the 285-pound weight class. Mason blew threw his competition with three pins, going 4-1 at the event. Mason pinned North Forseyth’s Jackson Bardall in the opening round and used a pin over Brookwood’s Jeremy Quarshie to reach the 285-pound semifinals.
In the semifinals, Mason dropped a 7-3 decision to Tift County’s Jesse Snow, but rebounded with an 8-4 decision over Valdosta’s Julian Frasier and a pin fall over Druid Hill’s Hakeem Enis to place third.
Clifton Casurra (138) and Luis Galindo (182) finished fifth overall in their respective weight classes, while Tyrone Hearn (132) and Sean Mer (160) captured seventh place finishes.
Ronzell Teague wrapped up the Bulldogs’ state qualifiers with an eighth place finish in the 145-pound bracket.
Rockdale will compete at the s tate meet beginning Feb. 21 at the Gwinnett Center.
Heritage sends four
The Heritage Patriots will send four to the Class AAAAA traditional state wrestling tournament this weekend.
Donnell Smith led the Patriots with a second place finish at 132 pounds, reaching the finals of his bracket with a pin and two decisions. Smith defeated Jenkins’ Kenneth Alexander by pin in his opening round bout before picking up an 8-1 decision over Creekview’s Justin Gross and a 4-1 decision over Cambridge’s Chris Anderson to reach the bracket finals.
In the championship bout, Smith dropped a 15-0 technical fall to Loganville’s Tyler McCance.
Lifahn Adams joined Smith on the podium with a third place finish in the 106 pound bracket, picking up four consolation bracket victories after falling in the second round. The sophomore defeated Glynn Academy’s Kinzer Matjazic by pin fall in the opening round, but fell by pin to Creekview’s Bryce Davis in his second match.
Adams rebounds and earned a win by pin over Greenbrier’s Nate Wilkie before recording his third pin of the tournament over Grovetown’s Jorge Malave. Adams then earned a 7-6 decision over Sprayberry’s Alex Labarre before wrapping up his third place finish with a 9-7 decision over Ware County’s Zy Grant.
David Harris earned a fourth place finish in the 113-pound weight class and Dylan Frontin will represent the Patriots as an alternate after finishing ninth overall at 138 pounds.
