Orange senior Levi Anderson is one win away from becoming the 25th wrestler in school history to win a state championship.
On Friday, Anderson won both of his matches to advance to the championship of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A State Championships in the 145-pound division at the Greensboro Coliseum. Anderson started the day by pinning Yoel Del Rio of North Brunswick in 1:32 to advance to the semifinals. On Friday night, Anderson scored his sixth pinfall victory in the last two weekend, putting West Carteret’s Devin Bumgartner’s shoulders to the mat in 2:24. Bumgartner was the first person in the tournament to extend Anderson beyond the first period.
Anderson, now 49-3, will face Spencer Leonhardt of Morganton Freedom on Saturday afternoon for the 3A Championship at 145 pounds. It will be Anderson’s 146th match in a career that spans back to his freshman season in 2015-16. Anderson has a career record of 122-23. He claimed the 3A Mideast Regional Championship at Southeastern Guilford High School in Greensboro last weekend.
Sadly, the career of Cedar Ridge senior Darius McLeod ended on Friday. In the 132-pound state quarterfinals, McLeod lost to Heath Gonver of Northern Guilford 8-3. In the consolation round, Dayvion Downs of Kings Mountain scored an escape point to defeat McLeod 1-0. McLeod ends his wrestling career with 98 wins. He concludes his senior season with a record of 34-12. McLeod competed five days after suffering a cut to his bottom lip that required ten stitches to his bottom lip in the regional semifinals last Saturday. McLeod finished the match and won it, qualifying for the state championships.
After defeating Midwest Regional Champion Sam Voncannon of Asheboro in a major decision on Thursday, Orange senior Avery Jenkins lost a 2-1 decision to West Caldwell’s Easton Griffin in the quarterfinals at 170 pounds on Friday morning. In the consolation rounds, Jenkins defeated West Carteret’s Jake Reynolds in a sudden victory decision. Jenkins took down Reynolds, who was the Eastern Regional Championship last weekend, in the fourth overtime period to advance 4-2. On Saturday morning, Jenkins will wrestle Kurt Hayes of Charlotte Catholic. The winner advances to the consolation semifinals against Charles White of Morehead, who Jenkins defeated two weeks ago in the 1st round of the State Dual Playoffs in overtime. Jenkins now has a 40-10 this season and has a career record of 117-39.
At 120 pounds, Orange senior Gavin Wiggins lost in the state quarterfinals to Bailey Wicker of Piedmont via pinfall in 5:55. In the consolation rounds, Nathan Bray of Topsail defeated Wiggins 7-1. Wiggins concludes the season 24-9. He ends his Orange career with a record of 125-41, including a 42-11 record his sophomore season.
Also on Friday, Tanner Glock of Sun Valley defeated Orange sophomore Kessel Summers 10-9 in the 113-pound consolation round. Summers ends the season 37-14.
At 182 pounds, Orange’s Chandler Harward ended his career with a loss to Jack Wilton. Harward concludes the season 29-12, but was vital in getting Orange the victory in the Jim King/Orange Invitational in December. He agreed to wrestle two weight classes higher than his usual weight, leading Orange to 12 team points and winning the tournament.