It is easy to notice the four key words that separate the Jefferson and Commerce wrestling teams from the rest of the pack in northeast Georgia and statewide:
“Not a secondary sport.”
Jefferson has long been a powerhouse program and has won every state Duals title -- 14 now over three classifications after winning the 2016 Class AAA title last week -- since its inception in 2002. Commerce recorded its third straight Class A Duals title last week.
And like every football, basketball and baseball program at powerhouse schools, Jefferson’s Doug Thurmond and Commerce’s Kendall Love approach their teams with the year-round demands. Both coaches say that plays a huge factor in the sustained excellence for both programs.
“To us, wrestling is not a secondary sport,” Thurmond said. “The kids and parents come in knowing we demand of them what the football, basketball, or baseball programs would demand, that they buy into what we’re teaching, and that they work hard and practice hard. And, they take it seriously. If they don’t, they’ll have a hard time making the team.”
Love, a former Jefferson wrestler (1992) and coaching protege under Thurmond, took what he learned at Jefferson and brought it to cross-county (and non-region) rival Commerce. In fact, he insisted the upon it.
“I saw how important it was that the expectations of running a wrestling program and having the administration treat it like a primary sport were,” Love said. “I would not have taken the job if they weren’t going to treat it like a primary sport. They wanted the same things and it has been a great team effort.”
For the Dragons, this year’s state title had little more of a youthful feel with several key freshmen mixed in with some experienced stalwarts in the lineup.
Three wrestlers continued their unbeaten streak on the season in senior Tanner Thurmond (132), junior Caleb Little (182), and sophomore Dawson Bates (113) who is the defending state champion at 106.
The Dragons have had several grapplers step up. Senior Mitchell McGhee (120), the defending state champion at 113, won a gutty match, finishing off a decision win in the title match over Jackson County with a sprained ankle he suffered during the match.
Seniors Will Ballard (152), who won the state title at 145 as a sophomore, Chuckie Allen (170) a state runner-up last year, and Deshon Lester (195) played solid roles, as did junior Nick Holman (285). Freshmen Ian Stacia (106), Cole Potts (126), and Mason Corbett (160) all scored key points for Jefferson along with sophomore Coy Strong (138).
“We got a lot of contributions across the lineup,” Thurmond said. “They have really gelled as a group. If someone falters, we have guys that are ready to pick them up.”
Commerce does not sport any undefeated wrestlers. In fact, Love earlier in the season said if he had any undefeated wrestlers at this point “I’m not doing my job of challenging them with tough competition to make them better.”
As a result, the Tigers did not face a Class A team until last week by design.
“I like to schedule most of the top programs in the state regardless of classification, and as many of the southeast regional powers leading up the Duals as I can to challenge my guys,” Love said. “I think that has worked well for us the last few years. We’ve been ready for whatever we see, no matter who it is.”
Junior Jake Brewer (120) has just two losses and is the defending state champion at 113. Junior Dalton Flint (132) has just one loss, as does defending 170 state champ junior Cole Chancey, who moved up to 182 this year. Junior Owen Brown (145) has two losses and is the defending 138 state champion. Senior Michael Patton (220) has just one loss.
The Tigers also got contributions from top-to-bottom. Senior Dontavious Mosely (195), freshman Tucker Flint (106), sophomore Cole Burchett (113), state champ at 106 last year, freshman Dylan Deaton (126), junior Austin Brock (138), state champ at 126 last year, freshman Nick Patrick (152), sophomore Chase Forrester (160), sophomore Knox Allen (170), and sophomore Cade Ridley (285) all won key matches during the Duals.
Much like Jefferson, the Tigers are rife with youth. They only sport two seniors in the starting lineup.
“We feel real good about where we are,” Love said. “This is still a very young team in high school years, but many of them have been part of our junior program for a while. They understand this is a primary sport at our school and they come in focused and ready to take it seriously.”
Neither coach is saying other programs don’t follow the same principals.
Buford finished second this year to Gilmer in Class AAAA and won the Class AAA State Duals in 2014. Banks County won the Class AAA State Duals in 2013. Lumpkin County finished third in Class AAA in 2015 and was fourth in 2016. Jackson County finished second to the Dragons this season. North Hall was also third in AAAA.
But there is definitely something working for the Dragons and Tigers that has other programs in the state taking more of a notice.
“I have talked to other (wrestling) coaches and administrators over the years about what we do. I think they are realizing that if they want to be successful, you have to treat really any sport as primary. That is the only way to do right by the kids,” Thurmond said.
