Cherokee (GA) - Girls

Head Coach: Nathan Oertley (3rd year as Cherokee Head Coach)

Staff: O’Bryan Shelley, Nick Watson, Mark Knaggs

Girls programs across Georgia continue to build and the level of competition has gotten better and better each season. Cherokee is fortunate to have 2x State Placer Zoe Parris as someone to build a program around. Zoe has finished on the podium each of the last two seasons and will look to climb to the top in 2023. Keep an eye on Senior move-in Maddie Morris as well as a good group of freshmen this season.

“For the first time, Cherokee is beyond excited to have a girls program building. Championed by returning 2x Placer Zoe Parris, we’re excited to building a girls team that can compete this year, with several new freshman joining the program!”

— Coach Oertley

NOTE: All mentions of placers and qualifiers in the body are based on the 2021-22 season. If a wrestler placed higher or lower in a previous year it is not captured above.

Harris County (GA)

Head Coach: Alex Moore (11 total; 8 at Harris County)

Staff: Wes Wingard, Nate Chapman, Shawn Fridlay, Amy Sanchez

Harris County finished 10th a year ago in a tough 5A traditional state tournament … but the Tigers lose some hammers in State Runner-up Oran Decker and State Placer Garrett Wood. Decker and Wood accounted for 66% of their points in Macon a year ago.

So what does that mean? Well if the Tigers are going to be back in the top 10 again they will need some new faces to step up and make their mark in 22-23.

Fortunately the Tigers can rely on returning State Placer Nick Nguyen and State Qualifier Davin Lundquist as well as the return of hammer Davis Culpepper to lead the way. The trio are joined by Seniors Brock Johnson, DJ Maddox, and Christian Perry (each returns with post-season experience after just missing on trips to Macon in 2022). Those 6 should form the core of the Harris County lineup … and it will be up to a talented young group of hammers to see if the Tigers can push further into the top 10. The Tigers have 5 Sophomores including Area 2 Champ Matthew Vanwettering that will look to make some noise this season. Keep an eye on Denver Degonia, Sam Sprout, Tyler McGuire, and Tony Zimmerman as well as returning Junior Aidan Westbrook. Harris County also has a handful of new faces that could make an impact in 2022-23. Watch for upperclassmen Jayden Strickland, Gavin Lowell, and Lane Morris as well as freshmen David Gilbert and Wes Sappington.

“We lost a lot of fire power in our line up with the loss of Logan Emfinger (two year starter), Garrett Wood (4 time state placer now wrestling at Lander) and Oran Decker (3 time Finalist and 2020 State Champion also now wrestling at Lander), but those were our only 3 seniors in a lineup that wrestled sectionals with 5 freshman in the starting 14. We have good experience returning and good leadership in Davin Lundquist, Nick Nguyen, Brock Johnson and the other seniors. We averaged 29 in the weight room each day during the months of June and July. Our freshman class is also around 20 strong with a few of them going to push our returning starters for positions this year. We hope that our kids continue to work as hard as they have in the off season to continue to keep up the tradition of tough Harris County teams that we have put on the mat in recent years.”

— Coach Moore

NOTE: All mentions of placers and qualifiers in the body are based on the 2021-22 season. If a wrestler placed higher or lower in a previous year it is not captured above.

McAdory (AL)

Head Coach: Blake Dutton

Staff: Robert Wilkerson

A year ago McAdory finished 3rd in a very tough 5A-6A traditional state tournament … 13 points behind the eventual Champs - Mortimer Jordan. McAdory moves to 6A this season and will have to battle through Gardendale, Homewood, and defending Champs Mortimer Jordan if they are going to take the title in 2023. Fortunate for the Yellow Jackets - they return the bulk of their 112.5 points (actually return wrestlers that accumulated 102.5 of those points and 8 of 10 that competed at the state tournament a year ago).

The Jackets are led by returning State Champs Hudson Waldrop and Aiden Knight as well as State Placers Savian Graham and Wesley Miller. Waldrop and Knight can go compete with anyone and will be called on the lead the way in 2023 … all 4 of the above are Seniors and they will play a huge role in whether McAdory takes the team title or not. Christion Griggs, Marvin Barrera, Jaxon Hudgins, and Timothy Wilson each qualified a year ago and each had wins in Huntsville at the end of the season. If McAdory can put eight on the podium - they will be tough to beat. The key for the Jackets is the continued development of David Angel and CJ Mickle as well as the return of KeAndre Poellnitz who missed the post-season due to injury. Keep an eye on Erik Lessears, Braylon Hill, Jourdan Godwin, Tanner Raney, and Ryan McFarland. Mortimer Jordan won it a year ago with 6 Placers and another 4 qualifiers and in a competitive 6A … that should be the expectation - so who joins Waldrop, Knight, Graham, and Miller on the podium and who joins the others in getting points in Huntsville?

“This is a very seasoned group. This team should be led by 7 or 8 senior starters and a couple of juniors that have seen a lot of mat time. We should have 9 or 10 weight classes that can compete with anyone. They have worked hard all off season. This is a great group and should be able to compete for a state championship. We are very excited about this season. As a coach this group is very special to me.”

— Coach Dutton

NOTE: All mentions of placers and qualifiers in the body are based on the 2021-22 season. If a wrestler placed higher or lower in a previous year it is not captured above.