By Mike London
Salisbury Post
HILLSBOROUGH — West Rowan’s long-time wrestling coach Jonathan Brown remarked early this season that this wasn’t the best team he’s coached, that a ton of talent had graduated, but at the same time, the NCHSAA’s move to eight classifications provided a great opportunity for his program.
There were years when being great didn’t quite get it done for the Falcons, but 2026 was a year when very good might be good enough.
3A dual team wrestling was a bear to try to prevail in for many years, but those perennial 3A powers were split up when the NCHSAA restructured— some 6A, some 5A and some 4A. Brown knew that the Falcons, while they were one of the smallest 5As, would have a realistic chance to win their classification.
Brown’s December analysis proved accurate. West (18-1) won it all on Tuesday, won the whole thing a long way from home at Cedar Ridge High. The Falcons won it by beating three tough challengers — one from the Piedmont, one from the mountains, one from the coast — all in one wild night.
West claims some bragging rights as the first Rowan County team to win a dual team wrestling state championship.
North Rowan wrestling won a state championship of a different sort in 2013 when coach Tim Pittman’s Cavaliers scored the most points in the individual state tournament. That’s a legit state title, but it’s not a dual team state title. North came close to winning dual team state titles in 2011 and 2013 but lost in championship matches. West Wilkes always seemed to be in the way of the Cavaliers.
Boyden won a state championship in 1942 with a team that boasted three individual state champs, but that also was a “most points” championship, not a championship won in a dual-team format.
It also should be noted that there were three Rowan County team champions in the days when county teams competed in the Western North Carolina High School Activities Association. North Rowan took titles in 1968 and 1969 and East Rowan won in 1975. Those were splendid, hard-earned championships, but again they were based on an accumulation of points by individuals, not championships won in a dual-team format.
The weather played havoc with the wrestling dual team playoffs schedule, but the Falcons were able to handle the ice-and-snow adversity and their last three opponents.
Ironically, it was county rival East Rowan that challenged the Falcons first on Tuesday in a quarterfinal.
The Mustangs have terrific wrestlers in the lower weight classes. They are strongest where West is weakest. The match started with the 175s, so East, which surrenders 12 points to forfeits at 190 and 215, was certain to be in a serious hole right away.
West’s Holland Wellman won at 175 by pin. After Harry Hartwell and Xavier Gray accepted forfeits, Bryson Ellis register a heavyweight pin and the Falcons led 24-0.
East roared back after the lineups rolled over to the 106s. Pins by Cole Goucher (106) and Christopher McDonald (113) got East back in the match at 24-12, but Bryson Wilhelm got a pin for the Falcons at 120 to off-set a pin by one of East’s standouts, Catoe Byrd, at 126.
With a 30-18 advantage, the match then moved into the heart of the Falcons’ lineup — Oliver Perry (132), James Stephens (138) and Drew Taylor (144). After a major by Perry and pins by Stephens and Taylor, it was 46-18, and it was mathematically over with. There was no need to risk injury with more matches coming up, so the Falcons forfeited at 150, 157 and 165. Officially, the final score was West 46, East 36.
***
The semifinal match with Enka was the toughest. That one went to the limit and was in doubt until the final bout.
They started at 190, and the Falcons were getting wins, but Enka wrestlers were staying off their backs. Hartwell (190) and Gray (215) both claimed majors, and West led 8-0. A heavyweight pin by Ellis made it 14-0, but when the lineups rolled over, Enka racked up four straight pins at 106, 113, 120 and 126 to grab a 24-14 lead.
Stephens won a decision at 132 to stop Enka’s run. Pins by West’s Chris Gaither (138) and Taylor (144) gave the Falcons a 29-24 lead.
Enka took a major at 150 and registered a pin at 157 to creep back ahead 34-29.
Evan Paustian recorded a humongous pin for the Falcons at 165 for a 35-34 lead. Then history sat squarely on Wellman’s shoulders at 175. He won a 5-2 decision, and West owned a 38-34 victory and advanced to the state title match against Croatan.
Croatan had beaten Montgomery Central and Person for the East Regional crown.
The match did not start smoothly for the Falcons with Gray, who wins often, pinned at 215. Ellis won a Sudden Victory decision at heavyweight to get the Falcons on the scoreboard, but when the lineups flipped, Falcons were pinned at 106 and 113, and West was facing an 18-3 deficit.
Wilhelm’s pin at 120 started the comeback. Mason Truman (126) and Perry (132) earned decisions, as the Falcons chipped away. Now it was 18-15, and the Falcons’ horses were ready for a stampede. Pins by Stephens (138), Gaither (144) and Taylor (150) gave West a 33-18 lead.
When Puavheej Lor (157) won for the Falcons by tech fall (17-0), it was 38-18, with only three matches to go, and the Falcons had clinched another victory.
Paustian and Wellman wrestled and lost decisions at 165 and 175.
West forfeited at 190, as Hartwell still has business to attend to in the individual state tournament.
Officially, the historic final was 38-30.
Now the Falcons will turn their attention to the individual state tournament. They had six qualifiers.
•••
Davie won the 7A state title, beating Hickory Ridge, A.L. Brown and New Bern.
The Wonders beat Mooresville in a quarterfinal.
