Thompson, Pinson Valley, Tallassee Capture South Super Section Wrestling Championships
Three-time defending Class 6A state wrestling champion Thompson High School posted 263 points Saturday to claim the AHSAA’s first Super Section Championship.
The Warriors won the 6A title by 56 points over runner-up Auburn (207). Prattville was third with 182.5 points and Hoover finished fourth at 172.
Tallassee out-pointed defending 1A-4A state champion St. James 193-183 in claim the South championship, and Pinson Valley tallied 215.5 points to ease past Jefferson County rival Mortimer Jordan (162) for the Class 5A South crown.
The South Super Sectional was held at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl Multiplex, and the North Super Sectional was held at Birmingham’s CrossPlex Bill Harris Arena.
Eight qualifiers in each of 14 weight classes in Class 6A advance from the South and North Super Section tournaments to the 59th annual AHSAA State Wrestling Championships at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center beginning Thursday. The top four finishers in Classes 5A and 1A-4A advance from each site.
The Super Section meets were held for the first time in the AHSAA’s history.
Coach Shawn Weltzin’s Warriors will be vying for their fourth straight 6A title. Arab (5A) and St. James (1A-4A) also won state titles in 2013.
Sophomore heavyweight T.J. Rayam (56-6) defeated Jeff Davis’ Durell Robinson (28-4) in a tough 3-2 decision in the final 6A match at Montgomery. The defending state champion in the 285-pound division will lead Thompson’s strong contingent to Huntsville.
Calera’s Coby Mize won the 170-pound championship in Class 1A-4A to remain undefeated at 48-0 on the season.
The Class 6A state tournament begins Thursday while Classes 5A and 1A-4A get underway Friday. The finals in all championship matches will be held Saturday.
North Super Section
Defending Class 5A state champion Arab scored 253.5 points to claim the North Super Section championship. Vestavia Hills had 277 points to win the Class 6A division and Madison County piled up 231 points to take the 1A-4A championship.
The Arabian Knights won decisively over runner-up Southside-Gadsden (177.5) with 132-pound senior John David Henderson winning his weight division to remain unbeaten this season at 60-0. Southside’s Haden Ryals (48-0) won at 152 pounds and is also unbeaten heading into the state championships.
The AHSAA’s all-time match wins leader Brandon Womack improved to 74-0 with four straight pins to win the 5A 160-pound title. Womack, who has won individual state championships five times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013), takes a 419-8 career record into this year’s state meet. He needed just over seven minutes to post his four pins in the Super Section.
Womack, who has won state championships at 103 pounds twice and once each at 112, 126 and 160 pounds, has a chance to become just the second six-time state champion in AHSAA history, Weaver’s Michael Sutton won from 1999-2004. Womack is one of just seven who have won five titles.
Hewitt-Trussville (212.5 points) finished second to Vestavia in the North 6A competition. Weaver (172.5) was second to Madison County in 1A-4A.