The Gilmer High School Bobcats wrestling team hosted the 2015 Area 7-AAAA Duals Tournament. The Bobcats the defending AAAA Duals and Traditional Champions, looked to defend the Area Tournament Championship as well as secure a place in the State Duals Tournament. The top two teams from each Area attend the State Tournament. Gilmer successfully navigated the tournament unscathed, defending the Area Championship with a 69-11 Finals win over Northwest Whitfield. The win was the 499th of head coach, Sam Snider’s, career and cemented a number one seed at the State Tournament. The Bobcats also secured the number one overall seed in AAAA.The Bobcats first faced Lafayette, with the Ramblers taking the first match, scoring a major for a four point lead to start the Dual. Gilmer responded with a 10 match run that saw the Bobcats take a 52-4 lead, before closing out the 62-10 victory.
Gilmer faced the Purple Hurricanes of Cartersville in the semifinals and jumped out to a 12-0 lead after a forfeit at 145 was followed by a Jamie Lopez pin at 152. A Cartersville minor win at 160 cut the lead to 12-3; however, Gilmer won nine of the last 11 matches in route to a 57-15 raining on the Purple Hurricanes parade. The Dual saw highlights such as, heavyweight, Levi Seabolt, secure a 40 second pin and Drew Dyer get a last second reversal for a two point (7-5) minor win.
The Finals featured the much anticipated matchup between the number one seeded Bobcats and the number two seeded Northwest Whitfield Bruins. The Gilmer team was highly motivated to face the Bruins, as there had been some perceived “trash talk” from the Bruins camp that became “bulletin board material” for the Bobcats.
Lopez started the Dual off with a pin at 152 that gave Gilmer a 6-0 lead to start; however a Bruins major win at 160 cut the lead to two, 6-4. Sophomore sensation, Matthew Waddell, secured another pin at 170 that increased the Gilmer lead to 15-4.
Waddell’s win sparked a six match Bobcats run. Nick Windsor pulled off an 11-4 minor win, followed by a forfeit and pins by both Jake Parker and Levi Seabolt. Domingo Reynoso’s minor win at 106 put the Bobcats up 36-4.
A Northwest Whitfield pin at 113 followed by a Bruins major win at 120 cut Gilmer’s lead to 16, 36-20; however Lucas Patterson’s 11-2 major win at 132 pushed the lead to 20, 40-20, and Keegan Sharpe sealed the win with a 6-2 minor win at 138. Will Gudger’s 13-6 minor win at 145 gave Gilmer a final Finals’ score of 46-20.
The Bobcats are the number one overall seed in AAAA and will face Eastside in the first round of the State Tournament on Thursday in Macon. The Gilmer win over Northwest Whitfield was Sam Snider’s 499th win of his career. A win over Eastside will give him 500 for his career.
