State of the Program ... Pepperell (GA)
Pepperell (GA)
Head Coach: Austin Sanders (entering 1st year)
Staff: Joe Knight, Matt Sanders, Clint Jones
Coach Austin Sanders takes the reins at Pepperell and has quite a solid group to work with in his first season as the head coach (he was previously an assistant coach to Joe Knight). The Dragons do lose State Placer Drake Miller to graduation, but nearly everyone else returns from a team that finished 11th at the traditional state tournament a year ago. The Dragons have all of the pieces to make a serious run at a top 10 or top 5 spot in 2A in 2022. Returning State Champ Matthew Waddell returns looking to earn another individual title. He was joined on the podium a year ago by Jake Roberts (3rd at 182) - Roberts will be hunting that top step in 2022 as well.
The key for the Dragons is the continued development of their 2021 State Qualifiers and the rest of the lineup. Cory Moten, Kolten Edge, Jackson Lawrence, and Parker Glenn each won matches in Macon and if the four of them can find their way onto the podium … Pepperell will be in the hunt as a team. The Dragons also have a slew of newcomers to keep an eye on including Manolo Deleon, Wilmer Gonzalez, Cody Duck, Brooklyn Duck, and Kado Carlini.
Madison Baxter is Pepperell’s only returning girl wrestler and the first to place for the Pepperell girls program (5th last year in Girls State). Madison will look to make a run at the top step as well in 2022.
“We have a solid core returning with 6 state qualifiers, Roberts placed 3rd and Waddell 1st. We also have a few kids that were a match away from being state qualifiers. We have a great young group coming up and I think their addition will make our team a very strong one. The expectation at Pepperell is always high we look to place as a team and produce state champions. ”
