COVINGTON, Ga. — The seesaw that is the Newton Cup wrestling rivalry continues on. 

In a match featuring Alcovy, Eastside and Newton, it was the Rams who reigned victorious in the 2022 edition of the rivalry held at Newton High School on Nov. 30. 

Newton’s final score was 46-34 to down the Tigers and Eagles. The Rams’ win is just the second time in their history that they captured the Newton Cup. 

A season ago, Eastside won the trophy at home with Newton’s first rivalry win coming two seasons ago. 

Newton head coach Tommy Gregory stressed how it felt great to see his team win a match that is important to the program. And, on top of that, he credited time his team spent in the preseason as a catalyst for better results this time around. 

“We really focused on our preseason work,” Gregory said. “We got better with our conditioning and each aspect of the athlete. Another thing we focused on was, what I call, the man behind the jersey. And, what I mean by that is, mentoring each kid away from the sport.” 

The Eagles came close to claiming the trophy for the second year in a row. Grayson Poynter, Nolan Christian, Jordan Hittle, Grayson Carter, Deuce Abernathy and Wyatt Bauer each had pins for Eastside to boost its chances as the match progressed. 

However, it wasn’t enough to conquer the Rams on Nov. 30 and the Eagles came in second place. 

Eastside looks to the weekend for another opportunity to grab a win when it hosts the South Metro Invitational on Saturday. Times are to be announced later. 

Meanwhile, Newton will face Stockbridge next after the New Year on Jan. 19 for its next match on the mat.