“Cats” Claim Area Title with Back to Back to Back Bobcats’ Blowouts

The Gilmer High School wrestling team, the defending state AAAA Duals champion, began the postseason quest of the title defense with a 3-0 showing at the 7-AAAA Area Duals Tournament, held at Cedartown High School. After a first round bye, the “Cats” took to the mats versus the host team. Johnnie Flakes began the Bobcats’ day off with an 18-2 technical pin at the 145lbs weight class, worth five team points.

Following a forfeit, Gilmer had an 11-0 lead. Cedartown picked up its first of two wins during the dual with a pin at 160.

The “Cats” then cradled all but one of the rest of the matches to walk into the semi-finals with a 69-12 victory.

The semi-finals saw the Bobcats blow past the Buccaneers of Southest Whitfield with a 54-15 shellacking. The win set up a finals match with the Ramblers of Lafayette.

The Ramblers came out biting the Bobcats, as a pin in the first match of the finals, at 182, gave Lafayette a 6-0 lead to start the dual. It was the first time the entire tournament that Gilmer saw a deficit.

Zack Allen tied the match at 6-6 with a pin at 195. A minor win, less than eight match points difference, for Lafayette at 220 put the Ramblers up 9-6.

A Gilmer pin at heavy weight put the “Cats” up 12-9, and gave Gilmer its first finals lead. Gilmer then proceeded to hold Lafayette to a total of seven more team points, as the “Cats” cruised to a 54-16 victory. Gilmer recorded 10 pins in the finals.

The “Cats” will next travel to Macon to take part in the State Duals meet, on January 11th and 12th.