With the 2025 State Duals wrestling tournament set to begin around the state on Friday, 11 northeast Georgia programs are ready to get their chase for state titles underway.
The 2024 campaign saw a very successful Duals season for area teams, with one champion (Lumpkin County), two state runners-up (Buford and North Hall), and five others finishing in the top four in their respective classifications.
(SEE ALL GHSA STATE DUALS BRACKETS)
The 2025 Duals will bring some decided different challenges as the Georgia High School Association cut down to six classifications from seven, creating some powerhouse classes. It promises to be a dogfight no matter which classification you look at.
Buford is back among the 11 teams, as is North Forsyth, in Class 6A. Gainesville, Habersham Central and Jackson County all advanced in Class 5A, while Dawson County, Jefferson, and Lumpkin County returned to Class 3A.
In Class 2A, East Jackson and Union County are back. Commerce returns once again to the Class A field.
Each classification will be held at different locations, with Buford being the only north Georgia host in Class 6A. Class 5A will be at Lassiter (Cobb County); Class 4A is being held at Ola (Henry County); and Class 3A will be at Troup near Columbus.
Class 2A teams will head to Columbus, while Heard County will play host to Class A.
In the Class 6A field, Buford and North Forsyth will duke it out in the opening round. The Wolves will be trying to get back to the championship match and come in as the No. 2 overall seed this year behind 10-time defending state champion Camden.
Buford head coach Tom Beuglas said it will be a supreme challenge from the moment they walk into The Buford Arena. The goal for the Wolves is another crack at Camden, whom they would meet until the title match.
“Class 6A is very deep this year. There are a lot of good coaches, teams, and wrestlers,” he said. “I think Camden County is a tier above everyone else in Georgia. They have not lost in 10 years in wrestling, so everyone else in 6A is chasing them.”
Beuglas, however, knows they cannot overlook a North Forsyth squad that knows how to advance in the Duals.
“North Forsyth has had a very good program for years. They have a very good coach (Travis Jarrard),” he said. “I know their kids are tough and wrestle hard. We have not seen them this year, but we know that is a tough first-round matchup.”
Buford lost to Camden in last year’s finals on criteria after forcing a 31-31 after the final match. Beuglas said they left nothing on the mat and will need a similar effort throughout the two days.
“We did about everything we could do last year to tie them,” Beuglas said. “They have almost their entire team back and have some very good new wrestlers in their lineup. If we’re fortunate enough to make it to the finals and wrestle them again, we will throw everything at them and give them our best, but they are going to be very tough to beat (again).
In Class 5A (at Lassiter), five of the top six teams that advanced to the State Duals in 6A in 2024 are in the 5A field this season. South Effingham, the defending 6A champ, dropped down this season. Class 6A runner-up Glynn Academy, as well as Woodward Academy and Creekview (the 3rd and 4th-place finishers last year), are also in the field.
All three area teams in the field will have a tough road.
Jackson County, who finished in the top 6 in 6A last season, takes on Pope in the opening round. The Panthers lost to Woodward Academy with a chance to move into the third-place match last year.
Gainesville gets Creekview in the opening round, while Habersham Central has the toughest opener, having to face South Effingham.
In Class 3A, Lumpkin County is back to defend its first-ever state title and will face Upson-Lee in the first round. Jefferson gets Dougherty in the opener as the Dragons, who have won 19 Duals titles since it was created in 2002, are looking for their first championship since 2021 (4A). They finished 4th in 5A in 2024 last year. Dawson County opens against No. 2 seed West Laurens in the first round.
In Class 2A (at Columbus,) two of the top four finishers are now in Class A D1, which could open up things for some of the other contenders. Union County should be in the hunt.
The Panthers, who claimed a top 6 finish in 2A in 2024, open against Sonoraville. But if they can get past that one, they will likely face the No. 2 seed and host Columbus, the state runner-up in Class 3A last year, in the next round.
East Jackson is also in and will take on Cook, who finished 4th in 2A in 2024, in its opening round match.
Class A (at Heard County) will still have defending champion Social Circle. Commerce, which finished 3rd in Class A in 2024, opens against St. Francis.
NOTABLE AREA PROGRAMS NOT AT THE DUALS
-- North Hall did not qualify for the Class 3A tournament this season after finishing as the Class 4A state runner-up in 2024.
-- Chestatee also did not make the Duals tournament in 3A after finishing fourth in 4A last season.
-- Banks County did not make the State Duals this season in Class A Division 1 after a third-place finish in Class 2A in 2024.
-- Franklin County, a fourth-place finisher in Class 3A last season, was not able to advance in Class 2A this year.
GAUNTLET CLASSIFICATIONS
-- It will be an absolute war in Class 6A as the top 8 teams that advanced to the State Duals in Class 7A in 2024 all made the field in 6A this season. North Forsyth adds another challenge for the field after finishing in the top 6 in Class 6A last season.
-- Class 4A will be a beast. Cass, the defending Class 5A state Duals champion, and Central-Carroll, who won the Class 4A title last year, are both in the same classification now. Ola, the state runner-up in 5A last season, also is in the 4A field, as is Woodland-Cartersville, who finished third in 5A in 2024.
-- Class A also will be brutal. Defending champ Social Circle is back, as is runner-up Mount Pisgah and 5 of the top 6 finishers from 2024. Added in this year is Class 2A state runner-up Toombs County and 2A third-place Commerce and Berrien, who had a top 6 finish in 2A last year as well.
