Woodland-Cartersville tops Veterans for GHSA duals 5A state title

            Veterans competed for its first state wrestling title on Saturday.

            Things didn’t go as hoped for as Woodland-Cartersville recorded consecutive pins in the middle of the match to take the momentum en route to a 47-15 win for the GHSA Class 5A duals title at the Macon Coliseum.

            The Warhawks’ growing program will set sights next on the state traditional tournament Feb. 13-15 at the Coliseum. Veterans finished third last year, two spots behind Woodland-Cartersville.

            West Laurens’ day ended early with a 48-13 loss to Blessed Trinity in the battle to compete for third place in Class 4A.

            Blessed Trinity beat Northwest Whitfield 46-21 for third.

            Perry, Baldwin, Dodge County, Lamar County, and Mount de Sales were eliminated in Friday’s action.

            Woodland took a 6-0 lead after 220 and 285, but Damien Johnson evened things up with a pin in 1:04 at 106.

            The Wildcats got that back with a fall at 113, and Ethan Martin won 8-3. But Woodland took control with a pair of quick falls, in 1:02 and 1:31, at 126 and 132 for a 24-9 lead.

            Julian Farber, who lost 3-1 to Caden McCrary of W-C in last year’s traditional finals at 132, won 1-0 at 138, and that match was followed by McCrary and Devyn Hasbrouck at 145.

            McCrary recorded a major win for four points and a 28-12 lead with four weights left.

            W-C’s Caleb Henson held off a third-period rally by Francis Morrissey, the defending traditional 5A champ at 152, in a battle of elite wrestlers for a 9-8 win and 31-12 lead to all but seal the win.

            Kevin Reynolds and Colby Cochran were tied at 6, but W-C’s Cochran clinched the team win with a fall at 5:08, upping the advantage to 37-12.

            Austin Suess turned a 7-2 first-period deficit into a 9-7 win at 195 to break Woodland’s run of five straight wins.