The Southwest DeKalb Panthers were the only DeKalb team to win a traditional Area wrestling title over the weekend as they took the Area 6-AAAAA title over Lakeside at Dunwoody.
Despite no other team titles DeKalb is sending 101 wrestlers on to the State Sectionals in the final step for qualifying for the GHSA Traditional State Wrestling Championships set for Macon on February 14-16 at the Macon Centreplex.
The Panthers won five individual area gold medal title matches on the way to compiling a 250 point total followed by Lakeside with 165.5, Stephenson 148, Miller Grove 119 and Tucker 95.
Muadh As-Siddiq opened the Southwest run with a victory over Said Banks of Stephenson in the 106 pound division.
Southwest DeKalb’s Corey Strickland won the 145 pound division in 2012 and claimed the 138 class this year for back-to-back Area gold medals. Donnell Smith (120), Abdur-Rahman Yasir (145) and Quantez Tyre (160) also claimed gold medals for the Panthers.
Southwest DeKalb had 12 wrestlers qualify for the Class AAAAA State Sectionals this weekend out of 53 from Area 6-AAAAA.
Alex LaRotta (182) led Lakeside’s second place finish by winning the 182 weight class gold over Jamaal Jones of Miller Grove to be the only Viking to take a gold medal. Three other Vikings picked up bronze medals as Lakeside qualified 10 total for the sectional
Stephenson had a pair of gold medal performers in Darian Perry (170) and Stephen Wylie (152). Perry pulled another double this year with gold at the DeKalb County Championships and at Area. He won the 160 division at both a year ago. Stephenson also had three silver medalists to aid its third place finish overall. Stephenson had seven wrestlers place in the top four to move on to the sectionals.
Miller Grove’s fourth place finish was on the backs of wins by Wesley Williams (195) and Thaddeus Nelson (285) as they won their respective weight classes. Miller Grove qualified six wrestlers for sectionals.
Tucker got a gold medal performance from Diego Bautista at 132 as four Tigers qualified for sectionals.
Alema Favors led four Arabia Mountain sectional qualifiers by winning the gold in the 126 pound division. He also won the 126 class at county and it is his second consecutive area gold medal after wining the 113 division in 2012 before taking fourth place in the Class AAA state meet a year ago.
Dunwoody’s Sunny Sharma was second in county and first in area a year ago in the 106 weight class and upped his performance by winning both county and area titles in the 113 weight class. Dunwoody qualified four for sectionals.
Clarkston put four into the sectionals and Martin Luther King Jr. place two in sectionals led by Brian Wilson who took gold at 220.
DeKalb County participants will compete in the West Sectional at Allatoona on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 8-9).
Area 2-AAAAA
Druid Hills finished seventh in the Area 2-AAAAAA Tournament at Rockdale County and qualified five for the East Sectional at Chattahoochee this coming weekend.
Freshman Noah Floyd was the highest finishers for the Red Devils as he took a silver medal in the 120 weight class.
Area 6-AAAA
The Lithonia Bulldogs finished second to host Marist by a score of 225.5 to 155 while qualifying 13 wrestlers for the West Sectional at Pickens on Friday and Saturday.
The Bulldogs picked up gold medals from Kirkglen Hudson (106), Shamel Findley (113) and Davion Findley (182). Hudson also took gold at the DeKalb County Championships.
Chamblee took fourth while qualifying eight wrestlers for the sectional led by silver medalists Yalwaiker Eshete (113) and Tyron Carter (132).
Stone Mountain had the only other DeKalb gold medalist in Damion Schofield at 170. The Pirates had four sectional qualifiers along with Redan and Columbia put one through to sectionals.
Area 3-AAA
The McNair Mustangs came up just short of second in Area 3-AAA falling just 4.5 points behind Dawson County and qualifying 11 wrestlers for the West Sectional at Ringgold on Friday and Saturday.
Host Woodward Academy took first with 284 points followed by Dawson County
with 200 and McNair with 195.5.
Senior Khalil Williams was the only gold medal winner for the Mustangs as he won his second consecutive area title in the 120 weight class to go with two consecutive DeKalb County 120 titles. Williams finished fourth overall at state in 2012. McNair picked up four silver medals to aid their third place team finish.
Towers qualified a pair of wrestlers for sectionals led by sophomore Derival Stevens who took the 182 class title.
Mark Brock is the Information Officer/Statistician/Web Manager for DeKalb County Schools Athletics