Even with the youngest Orange wrestling team in years, the Panthers captured the overall title at the Eagle Invitational in Mebane.
Andre Hill, Jared Hutchins, Braden Crawford and Logan Scarantino all won individual championships at the event held at the Mebane Arts & Community Center on December 15 and 16. Hill captured the 175-pound championship, his second individual tournament championship this season, and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the upper-weight classes.
Hutchins, who scored pins in all four of his matches, claimed his first individual championship of the season. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the lower-weight classes.
Overall, Orange placed eight wrestlers to capture its first team title of the 2023-2024 campaign, finishing with 206 points. Southern Alamance, the Panthers’ Central Conference rival, finished second with 147.5 points. Randleman finished third at 142 points.
In the 175-pound tournament final, Hill defeated Zeke May of Western Alamance 14-10 in a match that had three lead changes. May scored the opening four points after a takedown 37 seconds into the match and scored two near fall points. Shortly afterwards, Hill scored an escape, gained May’s back and earned two back points of his own to take a 5-4 lead. May escaped to even the match 5-5 at the end of the first period.
May started the second period from the bottom and took a 7-5 lead after he mounted an escape. After May was penalized a point for stalling, Hill gained an 8-7 lead following a reversal. In the third period, Hill gained two more points after May was called for stalling. Hill earned a reversal point to go ahead 14-7 and rode out the win from there. Hill improved to 19-1.
In the opening round, Hill pinned Evan Gerringer of Southern Alamance in 1:52. In the quarterfianls, Hill built a 15-2 lead before he pinned Clinton Williamson of East Chapel Hill in 3:45. Hill scored his 15th pin of the season when he defeated Parker Peters of Northern Guilford in 4:11 in the semifinals.
Hutchins pinned Cameron Stokes of Bartlett Yancey in just 24 seconds in the 138-pound final to conclude a dominant run to the title. None of Hutchins’ four matches went beyond one minute long. In the semifinals, Hutchins pinned Chasen Phillips of Eastern Alamance in 45 seconds. Hutchins finished off Shane Shuster of East Chapel Hill in 23 seconds. He opened the tournament by pinning Jonathan Mosqueda of Western Alamance in 44 seconds. Hutchins improved to 18-3 with 15 pins on the season.
Two weeks after he won the Jim King/Orange Invitational, Crawford won the 126-pound championship when he pinned Trenton Coleman of Tunstall in 2:59. It was Crawford’s eleventh pinfall victory of the season. Crawford ended the tournament with a 18-1 record.
In the semifinals, Crawford defeated Jalen Allen of Northern Guilford 6-0. Crawford scored the opening takedown in the opening minute and never looked back. In the quarterfinals, Crawford pinned Riley Neil of Southern Alamance in 44 seconds. Crawford opened the tournament with a pin of Tha Moo of T.W. Andrews in 53 seconds.
Scarantino entered the 113-pound championship as the #2 seed. He defeated the #1 seed, Elijah Watson of Eastern Alamance, 11-1 in the final. After a scoreless first period, Scarantino earned the opening points of the match after he escaped with 35 seconds remaining in the second period. Scarantino’s finally got the opening takedown and earned three points for a near fall.
In the semifinals, Scarantino fought back from an early deficit to defeat Blake Abbott of Northwest Guilford 6-3. Abbott took Scarantino just 12 seconds into the match, but Scarantino escaped and earned a double-leg takedown to take a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period. Scarantino pinned Nattapat Bhorchim of Western Guilford in 31 seconds in the quarterfinals.
Several other Panthers placed for the first time this season. At 144 pounds, Talan Pearly came in third. In the consolation final, Pearly pinned Justin Shumaker of Bartlett Yancey in 3:45.
At 190 pounds, Jayden Medley was runner-up, the best finish of his career. In the semifinals, Medley pinned the #1 seed, Kaw Poe of T.W. Andrews, in 4:32. Chazz May of Western Alamance won the championship.
At 106 pounds, Chris Winstead finished 4th. Winstead pinned Moses Medina of Northwest Guilford in the quarterfinals. In the consolation round, Winstead pinned Zackary Pisani of Southeast Alamance.
Adrian Sierra finished fourth at 113 pounds. Sierra came away from the tournament with his eighth win of the season.