JEFFERSON’S run to last year’s wrestling state championships offered the full range of emotions and experiences — trial, tribulation and ultimately jubilation.
“It was a fun year. It was a tough year. It was a nerve-racking year. But it was a wonderful year,” head coach Doug Thurmond said.
Jefferson battled to its 11th straight traditional and 10th straight duals titles last winter, overcoming injuries and illness all year, as it successfully fended off its biggest and most vocal challenger in years, Sonoraville.
“It was a special one just because Sonoraville … they had put the word out that they were coming and that they were going to wear us out,” Thurmond said. “And rightfully so with as many good wrestlers as they had, senior-wise. So that was very special.”
Now the pressure is on yet again to win a 12th-consecutive traditional title and an 11th-straight duals championship. But Jefferson certainly has the lineup to do it.
A pair of two-time state champions, Cain Finch (145-lb. last year) and Przybysz (171-lb. last year) will both vie for their third consecutive titles, while Isaac Kelley, a runner-up last year (119-lb.) is back after winning a title in 2010.
Jefferson also returns three third-place finishers, Kyle Kashua (103-lb. last year), Josh Harris (112-lb. last year) and Jack Dollar (135-lb. last year). Clay Richardson, who was a runner-up in 2010, finished fifth last year (130-lb.).
“So we’ve got a good nucleus of some good wrestlers that are back,” Thurmond said. “Plus, we’ve got a couple of other kids who are going to step in and do well we hope this year.”
Jefferson, as of Friday, had not had wrestle-offs yet to determine its line-up for what will be altered weight classes this year. The new divisions are 106-lb, 113-lb., 120-lb., 126-lb., 132-lb., 138-lb., 145-lb., 152-lb., 160-lb., 170-lb., 182-lb., 195-lb., 220-lb. and 285-lb., a set-up “that’s not real good for us,” Thurmond said, since a middle-weight class was removed and an upper weight class was added.
The Dragons also lost four starters from last year’s team, but Thurmond is confident in this year’s group.
“If we can keep everybody healthy, this team has the potential,” he said.
This team will also be well-traveled by season’s-end.
Like last year, Jefferson has out-of-state trips to Raleigh, N.C. (WRAL Invitational) and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (Pigeon Forge Southern Duals) booked. But the Dragons have upped the ante with what will be their longest trip yet with The Clash National Duals in Rochester, Minn. Dec. 30-31. This is regarded as one of the best dual tournaments in the nation.
“Our parents did a great job of raising money,” Thurmond said of the travel costs.
The Clash will feature lots of the northern high schools that often serve as the recruiting base for college programs. So Jefferson will see how it does against the nation’s very best. Thurmond said this group is battle-tested enough to make a trip like this.
“We’ve got a lot of guys with a lot of wrestling experience,” he said. “So this was a good year for us to do it.”
Of course, the ultimate prize is right here Georgia in the state come January and February with the state duals championships and the traditional state championships.
Thurmond said several teams will be good in Class AA, including Lovett, Greater Atlanta Christian, Spencer, Dublin and Toombs County. Thurmond notes that last year’s major contenders, Sonoraville, had a good JV team in 2010-2011 and returns five wrestlers from last year’s state runners-up.
The Jefferson coach — who owns 21 state titles between the dual and traditional formats — said state championships don’t get any easier to defend. Thurmond said he starts focusing on next year’s title defense as soon as the previous state tournament is over.
“It would seem like it would get easier but it doesn’t at all,” he said. “The expectation is there for me as well as the team.”
