Jefferson puts a nine-year winning streak in area dual competition to the test Friday and Saturday as the less-than-100-percent Dragons host the area duals.
Jefferson is unbeaten (20-0) in duals action thus far but is still trying to navigate its way through injury and illness.
“We just want to get through it and get everyone healthy,” coach Doug Thurmond said. “That’s our thought process right now.”
Two teams in each area advance to the state duals in Macon Jan. 14-15. Jefferson has won a state title in duals — seven in Class A and two in Class AA — ever since its inception in 2002.
Jefferson is coming off a tournament victory Dec. 28-29 at the Lambert Hook’em Horns Invitational. With 237 points, the Dragons tied for first with West Forysth in the traditional-format tournament.
The Dragons were without seven wrestlers — mostly in the lower weight divisions — due to a combination of illness and injury. Thurmond said the combination “has hit us hard” recently.
Nevertheless, Jefferson did have five wrestlers win their weight divisions: Cain Finch (145-lb.), Jake Sherman (152-lb.), Shaquille Maxey (160-lb.), Forrest Przybysz (171-lb.) and Zach Allen (215-lb.). Zach Rhymer finished second (140-lb.) while Kevin Selleck added a third-place finish (heavyweight). Sherman won the pins title, while Przybysz was named most outstanding wrestler.
“The guys did really well,” Thurmond said.
Now, they’ll go looking for another duals title.
Teams are coming to Jefferson this year after Fannin County opted out of hosting the area tournament late. Jefferson agreed to fill-in and is happy to play host.
“That’s really good,” Thurmond said. “It’s a little cumbersome on our parents because they’ve got to run some tables and the concessions, but we have a lot of good parents.”
