HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – West Lincoln High, the defending state 2A dual-team wrestling champion, is returning to the title match on Saturday after beating two nearby rivals.
In matches on Thursday night at Newton-Conover, the Rebels won another West 2A title by beating Newton-Conover 30-25 after eliminating Fred T. Foard 33-27 in a third-round match.
Newton-Conover got out of the third round by beating Canton Pisgah 34-27, setting up another showdown with South Fork 2A foe West Lincoln.
Newton-Conover won the South Fork 2A regular-season title and West Lincoln won the conference tournament.
A 3-2 win by West Lincoln heavyweight Brock Steele over Newton-Conover’s Ryan Walker carried head coach Butch Ross’ Rebels past the Red Devils. Steele gained the decisive point on an out-of-bounds ruling.
The decision extends a string of West Lincoln or Newton-Conover reaching the state 2A dual-team final to seven straight years.
The duo has won six of the previous seven state titles – Newton-Conover won in 2013 and 2014, West Lincoln won in 2015, Newton-Conover won in 2016 and West Lincoln won last season.
Newton-Conover won the 2017 state 2A title but later discovered it had an academically ineligible wrester on its roster and self-reported that to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), which rule the Red Devils must vacate that title (there is no state 2A champ listed for that season).
West Lincoln (26-2) faces Croatan (25-3) on Saturday at noon at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Newton-Conover finished 44-3, Fred T. Foard went 24-4 and Canton Pisgah finished 19-5.
WEST 2A FINAL
WEST LINCOLN 30, NEWTON-CONOVER 25
106: Camden Spencer (N-C) d. Kemp Wehunt 7-1
113: Mitch Glover (N-C) p. Langston Hoffman 1:35
120: Isaiah Summers (N-C) d. Chade Norman 5-2
126: Luke Stewart (WL) d. Cole Yoder 8-2
132: Spenser Harris (N-C) d. Chance Norman 6-0
138: Ricky Reynolds (WL) d. Luke Canrobert 7-2
145: Xander Pendergrass (WL) p. Carson Dollarhide 3:40
152: Canon Bridges (WL) p. Charlie Pettery 3:06
160: Spenser Brackett (N-C) d. Hayden Thomas 8-4
170: Nathan Hull (WL) p. Cole Clark 3:01
182: Joshua Nichols (N-C) d. Luke Scronce 10-1
195: Alex Hall (WL) d. James Gaither 8-4
220: Sakarri Morrison (N-C) d. Harley Scronce 4-3
285: Brock Steele (WL) d. Ryan Walker 3-2
THIRD ROUND
WEST LINCOLN 33, FRED T. FOARD 27
106: Ian Willis (FTF) d. Kemp Wehunt 8-6
113: Langston Hoffman (WL) d. Spencer Bechtol 13-5
120: Braden Wharton (FTF) p. Chade Norman 3:10
126: Luke Stewart (WL) d. Janie Richard 8-6 OT
132: Jake Santolli (FTF) d. Chance Norman 8-4
138: Josh Riggs (FTF) d. Ricky Reynolds 6-3
145: Xander Pendergrass (WL) d. Justin Whalen 11-1
152: Canon Bridges (WL) d. AJ Wingate 1-0
160: Hayden Thomas (WL) p. David Weaver 4:48
170: Nathan Hull (WL) d. Hunter Lloyd 8-0
182: Luke Scronce (WL) d. David White 3-2
195: Fabian Meza (FTF) won by forfeit
220: Landon Foor (FTF) won by forfeit
285: Brock Steele (WL) p. Mo McAfee 5:44
NEWTON-CONOVER 34, CANTON PISGAH 27
106: Camden Spencer (N-C) p. Albert Messer 0:46
113: Mitch Glover (N-C) p. Seth King 0:40
120: Braden Riggs (P) p. Isaiah Summers 2:34
126: Spenser Harris (N-C) d. Louis Mehaffey 4-0
132: Lucas Whitted (P) d. Cole Yoder 8-4
138: Luke Canrobert (N-C) d. McRae Robb 6-2
145: Carson Dollarhide (N-C) d. Trevor Phillips 7-6
152: Lane Mease (P) d. Charlie Pettery 9-6
160: Jonathan Mehaffey (P) p. Spencer Brackett 3:20
170: Joshua Nichols (N-C) d. Levi Cagle 11-0
182: Cole Clark (N-C) d. Chandler Ashe 8-1
195: Sakarri Morrison (N-C) p. Ismael Carmona 1:35
220: Luis Ramirez (P) won by forfeit
285: Terran Brown (P) d. Ryan Walker 7-0
