When the Tiger Holiday Classic resumes on Saturday morning at Chapel Hill High School, Orange High will have seven wrestlers competing in the semifinals.
At the end of day one of the 30-team event on Friday, Orange led the team standings wth 141.5 points. Fittingly, Piedmont High is in 2nd place at 123 points. Piedmont defeated Orange for the 3A Dual Team State Championship last February in Bobby Shriner’s final dual match as head coach of OHS.
Gavin Wiggins (126), Bailey Hawkins (132), Avery Jenkins (160), Trey Jones (170), Josiah Ramirez (182), Braden Homsey (195), and Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Daylan Alston all advanced to the semifinals on Friday.
Wiggins opened by pinning Piedmont’s Jackson Little in 1:11. Last February, Wiggins defeated Piedmont’s Jordan Parlmer 3-1 at 120. In the quarterfinals, Wiggins improved to 18-3 on the season with a 9-3 victory over Union Pines Michael Shook. Wiggins will face Holly Springs’ Jaxon Maroney (9-0) in the semifinals on Saturday morning.
At 132, Bailey Hawkins pinned North Pitt’s Dalton English in 1:06. In the quarterfinals, Hawkins scored a major decision over J.H. Rose’s Phifer Osijek 13-2. Hawkins, who has won 14 consecutive matches, will face junior Colby Funderburk of Piedmont tomorrow in the semifinals. Last season, Hawkins fell to Piedmont’s Michael Flitz 8-5. Funderburk claimed the state championship at 113 for Piedmont when he scored a technical fall over Noah Davis.
Avery Jenkins improved to 17-2 by winning both of his matches on Friday. He started by pinning Piedmonth’s Kylan Thomas in 5:16, then pinned Croatan’s Sean O’Connell in 4:27. Next up for Jenkins will be Will Herbert of Panther Creek, who is 13-2.
At 170, senior Trey Jones grinded out a 15-11 decision over Union Pines Caleb Kimpler. In the quarterfinals, Jones pinned Liam Harris of Rutherfordton-Spindale High in 3:23. In Saturday’s semifinals, Jones will tangle with West Cartaret’s Micah Dixon.
Josiah Ramirez remained undefeated at 182. Ramirez is now 20-0 after starting the day with a 7-2 decision over Riverside’s Jatavian Hart. In the quarterfinals, Ramirez pinned West Brunswick’s Sae’vyon McCray in 1:31. Ramirez will have among the most anticipated matches of the day tomorrow when he faces undefeated Finley Allen of Terry Sanford in the semifinals.
Braden Homsey remained undefeated on the season at 195 with two pins on Friday. He started by pinning North Pitt’s Artemio Sanchez in :45. Then Homsey pinned Joey Ferguson of William Hough in 1:45. Homsey faces Chapel Hill’s Bradley Kenyon on Saturday morning, a preview of a Big 8 Conference match next month.
At heavyweight, Alston was extended to triple overtime in the opening round by Croatan’s Nathan Waltrip. Alston earned an escape point in the third extra session to remain undefeated. The quarterfinal match against Grayson County (VA) Matthew Bourne was anticlimactic, with Alston cruising to a 17-6 major decision. Alston is now 19-0.