Prep wrestling: Southeast's Fraire, Dalton’s Wheeler in state finals

Even at the season’s start, Southeast Whitfield’s Carlos Fraire, a senior 220-pounder, would have been on the short list for area high school wrestlers most likely to win a state title this year.

The postseason that Dalton sophomore Sidney Wheeler (182) has put together leaves no doubt he has earned a place in that group as well.

Fraire and Wheeler will each wrestle in today’s finals of the Georgia High School Association’s Class 3A state traditional tournament at Duluth’s Gwinnett Center, where all five classifications are holding their tournaments.

Fraire takes on Allatoona’s Bryson Brindle, while Wheeler faces West Laurens’ Demetrius Green. The finals are set for 4 p.m.

Fraire was one victory shy of earning a state medal in 2011 during his first trip to state, but whether he will place isn’t in doubt this time around. All that’s left to decide is from what step he’ll celebrate on the medal stand, and first-year Southeast coach Michael Herndon believes Fraire will handle the test just fine.

However, it will be a tough one — Fraire has faced Brindle three times this season and lost all three matches by pin.

“Carlos is such a kind of goofy kid, but when it’s time to wrestle and get down to business, he’s ready,” Herndon said. “He definitely came ready tonight. He wrestled a good match.”

Fraire beat North Hall’s Cam Howell 7-4 in Friday night’s semifinals. He reached the semis when he won his quarterfinals match against Westside of Augusta’s Josh Clark by default. That followed a third-period pin of Glenn Hills’ Aaron Scruggs in Thursday’s first round.

“We’re all definitely very, very proud of Carlos,” Herndon said. “He’s worked hard all year in practice.”

Wheeler obviously has worked hard as well, having successfully faced the challenge of competing at an upper weight as a younger wrestler.

He beat Locust Grove’s Joseph Farrell 7-4 in the semifinals, reaching that with a third-period pin of Allatoona’s Cody Webb in the quarterfinals — Wheeler also pinned Webb to win the Area 7-3A traditional title two weeks ago — and following up a 9-7 win against White County’s Andrew Posten in the first round.

“This last match was the best match he’s wrestled all weekend,” Dalton assistant Brian Harrison said. “He’s finally got the understanding of being in the state tournament. The nerves have worn off a little bit. He did a great job (in the semifinals). He put (Farrell) on his back twice and was really in control the whole match.

“He’s really starting to get it all together.”

Also still alive at the 3A tournament are Dalton’s Reinaldo Torres (145) and Southeast’s Omar Ruiz (106), who each lost in the quarterfinals but have advanced to today’s 9:30 a.m. consolation semifinals. In Class 4A, Northwest Whitfield senior Dustin Pendergrass (145) lost 9-8 to Habersham Central’s Coleman Cunningham in the semifinals, but like Torres and Ruiz is guaranteed of a top-six finish and state medal.

However, Pendergrass had higher hopes as a three-time state qualifier looking for his first medal.

“We’re terribly disappointed for him,” Bruins coach Allen Tucker said. “He wrestled as well as I’ve seen him this weekend, but when you get to the semis and make one little mistake, that’s it.”

Tucker said Pendergrass scored his last point when Cunningham was called for stalling with both wrestlers on their feet, and Pendergrass couldn’t tie the match quickly enough to force overtime.

Pendergrass reached the semis with a second-period pin of Lovejoy’s Derek Holmes in the quarterfinals, following up on a 10-5 victory against Whitewater’s Max Sultan from Thursday’s round of 16, the first day’s only round of action.

Torres lost 5-3 to Heritage-Catoosa’s Logan Perkins in the quarterfinals, having reached that phase with a first-period pin of Gainesville’s Evan Maine in the first round. But Torres, a four-time state qualifier, guaranteed himself of a medal for the second straight season — he was fourth in 2011 at 140 — with back-to-back victories in the wrestlebacks.

He beat Hans Navarrete by major decision, then topped Oconee County’s Jason Miller 12-5 to reach the consolation semifinals.

Ruiz — the lone freshman from a local school to qualify for state this year — lost 6-5 to LaFayette’s Caleb Mariakis in the quarterfinals after pinning Westside of Augusta’s Garrett Rundle in the first round. But he picked up a first-period pin against McNair’s Darius Harris, then beat Columbus’ Jared Bies by major decision to lock up at least a sixth-place finish.

Southeast’s Jose Ortiz (285) made a strong run through the wrestlebacks after being pinned by Oconee County’s Billy Seward in Thursday’s first round. The Southeast senior pinned Woodward Academy’s Richard Wang in the second period and McNair’s Kevin Barner in the first period, but suffered a 5-4 loss in quadruple overtime to Eagles Landing’s Shawayna Lawrence. A win there would have guaranteed a medal finish.

Northwest’s other three state qualifiers, also seniors, all bounced back from losses in Thursday’s opening round to win in the first round of wrestlebacks, but none were able to hang around long enough to place.

Adam Selby (285), who placed sixth in 2011, picked up a pair of wins in the wrestlebacks Friday, pinning Chattahoochee’s Colan Gillison in the first period and South Forsyth’s Michael Scullin in the second period. But he lost 7-0 to Whitewater’s George Harris in the consolation quarterfinals, where a win would have locked up a top-six finish and state medal.

Jared Haws (170) and Brian Whitmire (182) both lost in the second round of wrestlebacks. Haws lost 3-0 to Creekview’s Joseph Sorrentino after beating Twan Terrell 7-2, while Whitmire lost by technical fall to Forest Park’s Leon Butts after pinning Thomas County Central’s Tommy Jones in the second period.

Selby fell to the wrestlebacks after being pinned by Marist’s Barron Wallace in the second period, while Haws did so after losing by first-period pin to Sorrentino and Whitmire did so after losing 8-3 to Ware County’s Charles Johnson.

In other 3A action, Murray County senior Blade LeQuire (285) reached the championship quarterfinals — he pinned Monroe’s Dustin Young in the first period during the first round — but was pinned by Central Carrollton’s Will Morris with five seconds remaining in the match. He was eliminated with a loss in his only consolation match, falling 2-1 to Cairo’s Spencer Johnson.

Another Indians senior, John Duarte (126), was eliminated in the first round of wrestlebacks with a loss by pin to West Laurens’ Anthony Wesley. Duarte also lost by pin in the opening round, falling to Oconee County’s Cory Collins.

In Class 2A, North Murray senior Justin Pack (160), who qualified for state for the first time in his last chance to do so, was two wins shy of becoming the first state medalist in program history.

Pack dropped a 9-6 decision to Toombs County’s Xavier Horne in the quarterfinals after beating Monticello’s Oscar Sandoval by second-period pin in the first round. He then lost his first consolation match, falling by second-period pin to Elbert County’s KTaro Cade in the second round of the wrestlebacks.

The Mountaineers’ Ethan Center (160), a sophomore who earned a varsity spot at midseason, was eliminated in the first round of wrestlebacks with a loss by technical fall to Gordon Central’s Dustin Chapman. Center lost by pin to No. 1 seed Nick Simmons of Morgan County in the opening round.

Two of Southeast’s five state qualifiers — best among local schools — were put out without winning a match in Duluth.

Lester Paucay (138), a junior, lost 11-7 to Columbus’ Shakur Peynado in the first round of wrestlebacks, with that following a loss by major decision to Eastside’s Kevin Thompson in the opening round. Austin Allen (160), a sophomore, lost by pin to Locust Grove’s Emilio Conde in the first round of wrestlebacks after falling to Lumpkin County’s Michael Hilliard, also by pin, in the opening round.

The Raiders are tied for 11th place in the teams standings for Class 3A. Southeast and Troup County each have 40 points, a half point behind Eastside. Area 7-3A schools Heritage-Catoosa (128) and Gilmer (104) are first and second.

For complete brackets and team standings for all five classes, visit atawrestling.com.

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