For the third straight season, the Union Pines Vikings earned a spot in the state championship match. For the third straight year, however, the season came to a bittersweet end as the Vikings watched another team celebrate a state title
Union Pines took runner up in the NCHSAA 3A Dual-team championships, falling to Eastern Guilford, 36-21. It was the first state title for Eastern Guilford wrestling, and it left the Vikings still seeking to break through with a state title. The Union Pines wrestlers also finished second in the state in 2022 and 2021, losing to Fred T. Foard both years. This was the closest the Vikings came to the elusive prize, after losing by scores of 58-12 and 54-24 in the previous two title matches.
It was the first loss of the season for Union Pines, who entered the championship bouts with a 31-0 record. Eastern Guilford finished off an unbeaten year of its own, with a 48-0 mark.
The Vikings fell behind early as Eastern Guilford swept the first five matches, winning two by pinfalls and three by decisions. Down 21-0 heading into the 132-pound bout, Union Pines broke through with what would be its only win over an Eastern Guilford wrestler on the day. Logan Mitchell, a Vikings senior with more than 100 career wins, won a 6-4 sudden-victory decision over Eastern Guilford’s Jayden Reza to put Union Pines on the board.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, Eastern Guilford ended any Union Pines hopes of a comeback by winning the next four matches, two by decision, one in sudden victory and one by injury stoppage after 18 seconds. Union Pines picked up forfeit victories in the final three weight classes to close the gap in the final score.
“We had some great performances throughout the year,” said Vikings coach Brian Gray. “Today, we didn’t have a great performance. That’s my responsibility, and I didn’t get them ready. I didn’t get them right. Something didn’t happen. Something didn’t work right.”
The season isn’t over, however, as Union Pines’ wrestlers will now compete in the state tournament for individual honors.
“We’ve got to look at what we did today,” Gray said, “analyze everything and fix it. We must get better.”
Results:
285 pounds: Christopher Riley (Eastern Guilford) by fall 2:16 over Chayden Hardy (Union Pines)
106 pounds: Willian Hoo Chocoj (Eastern Guilford) by 4-2 decision over Liam Myles (Union Pines)
113 pounds: Elhadji Diouf (Eastern Guilford) by 5-2 decision over Aidan Enright (Union Pines)
120 pounds: Tremayne McNeely (Eastern Guilford) by 10-8 decision over Keaton Crawford (Union Pines)
126 pounds: Omari Figueroa (Eastern Guilford) by fall 3:15 over Joseph Lloyd (Union Pines)
132 pounds: Logan Mitchell (Union Pines) by 6-4 sudden victory decision over Jayden Reza (Eastern Guilford)
138 pounds: Troy Gryder (Eastern Guilford) by 10-6 decisionover Evan Thompson (Union Pines)
144 pounds: Nathaniel Mitchell (Eastern Guilford) by injury stoppage 0:18 over Finnius McCafferty (Union Pines)
150 pounds: Xavier Myles (Eastern Guilford) by 5-3 sudden victory decision over Tripp Sullivan (Union Pines)
157 pounds: Kolby Gryder (Eastern Guilford) by 8-6 decision over Houston Leeah (Union Pines)
165 pounds: Dominic Blue (Union Pines) by forfeit
175 pounds: Brock Sullivan (Union Pines) by forfeit
190 pounds: Nicholas Mascolino (Union Pines) by forfeit
215 pounds: Double Forfeit
