BUFORD, Ga. — Buford, Jackson County, and Lumpkin County all advanced to the semifinals in their respective classifications in the opening rounds of the State Duals wrestling tournaments on Friday.
The Wolves advanced to the semifinals of the Class 6A tournament at The Buford Arena. Buford opened with a solid 59-14 win over North Forsyth and then routed Carrollton 74-5 to move in the Final Four. They will take on fellow Gwinnett County power Brookwood for a shot at the finals on Saturday..
Ten-time defending state champion Camden County will wrestle West Forsyth in the other semifinal. Buford finished as state runner-up to Camden in Class 7A in 2024.
In Class 3A at Troup County High School, defending state champion Lumpkin County posted two dominating victories to open defense of its title. The Indians moved past Upson-Lee 47-26 in the first round then rolled over Harlem, 66-17, in the second round. They will wrestle fellow northeast Georgia power Jefferson in the semifinals on Saturday.
Host Troup and West Laurens will meet in the other semifinals.
Jefferson began with a 59-12 win over Dougherty and then beat Heritage-Catoosa 53-19 to get into the semifinals. The Dragons finished fourth in 5A in 2024.
Dawson County dropped a tough opener, 42-29, to West Laurens in the first round. The Tigers will take on Bainbridge in the consolation round.
In Class 5A at Lassiter High School, Jackson County also moved into the Final Four with a pair of solid wins. The Panthers, who posted a top 6 finish in Class 6A last season, opened with a 49-24 win over Pope and then knocked off Newnan, 46-26, to advance.
Jackson County will match up with Glynn Academy, the 6A state runner-up in 2024, in the semifinals. Defending state champion South Effingham will take on Creekview in the other semifinal.
Also in 5A, Gainesville lost 57-23 to Creekview and Habersham Central lost 54-15 to South Effingham in the first round. The Red Elephants will take on McIntosh and the Raiders have Dunwoody in the consolation round on Saturday.
In Class 2A at Columbus, East Jackson lost 44-35 to Cook and Union County lost 38-30 to Sonoraville in the first round. The Eagles stayed alive with a 72-6 win over Rutland in the consolation round. They will get Ringgold next.
The Panthers will take on Glenn Hills in the first round of the consolation bracket on Saturday.
In Class A at Heard County, Commerce, who finished third in Class A in 2024, opened with a 59-18 win over St. Francis. But the Tigers were upset in the second round, 39-29, by Bremen.
They will await the Heard County-Elbert County winner in the consolation bracket.
