What's Going On: The mats have no memories

High school wrestling’s traditional postseason is unforgiving, and the next three weekends will provide plenty of examples as to why one of the best things about wrestling can also be one of the worst if you’re not at your best.

Had a great regular season? Doesn’t matter.

You’re a senior with three area titles? Nobody cares.

Undefeated? That will help your seeding. It will not walk out on the mat and win any matches for you.

If you want to keep wrestling beyond this weekend, you have to be one of the four best in your weight class. If you want to keep going beyond the following weekend’s sectional tournaments, you have to be one of the eight best in your weight class in your half of the state. If you want to win a state medal, you have to keep winning against others who did the same thing you did in earning their way to the final weekend of wrestling.

The reason why I say one of the harshest realities of the sport is also one of the best things about it is because somewhere there’s a wrestler who has not had the season he wanted. Hasn’t won the medals he hoped for. Doesn’t have the record he would like. Won’t be expected to cause any trouble for the favorites at the area traditional tournament.

But he will have other plans in mind. He will get an upset or two, find his way to a medal match and take the place of someone who expected to be moving on. Whether they’re the favorite or the underdog, that’s the opportunity presented to local high school wrestlers this week.

Coahulla Creek and North Murray head to the Area 7-2A tournament at Rockmart, while Dalton, Murray County and Southeast Whitfield are in the Area 7-3A tournament at Allatoona and Northwest Whitfield competes in the Area 7-4A tournament at Cass. All of those events begin Friday and finish Saturday.

Keep an eye on The Daily Citizen this week for more on those events and the expectations for local teams at area.

• There are less than two weeks remaining in high school basketball’s regular season — so the seeding order for region tournaments is becoming clear, although there’s certainly time to shake things up a bit.

It hasn’t been a great year across the area, but Dalton’s boys and girls are both in the running for No. 1 seeds in the Region 7-3A tourney, Northwest’s boys and girls could both end up in the top half of Region 7-4A’s regular-season standings if they finish well, and the same is true for North Murray in Sub-region 7B-2A.

You’ve got your pick of on-court activity Tuesday and Friday, when all 14 teams will be in action, and Friday delivers a couple of head-to-head matchups as Dalton plays at Southeast and Coahulla Creek makes the trip to North Murray.

Don’t forget you can always check our “Scoreboard” section (usually on page 3B) each day or go online to daltonnow.com/events to see the local prep schedule for the week.

• The last wave of spring sports teams can begin official practice today, per the GHSA’s calendar, which means the first play date for “spring” is closing in.

Tennis teams are allowed to begin competition on Feb. 6, followed by golf soccer and track on Feb. 13, then baseball on Feb. 20.

So, here’s our reminder to area middle school and high school coaches and athletic directors — send your schedules to sports@daltoncitizen.com so we can let everyone else know what’s going on with your teams.

• Say this for Mitchell Boggs: As far as I can tell, the St. Louis Cardinals reliever has been nothing but a gracious champion.

The Dalton High graduate’s postseason since helping the Cardinals top the Rangers in the World Series has included a hometown celebration at his alma mater, serving as the grand marshal of the Dalton Christmas Parade and a visit to the White House.

But while others have taken time to honor him, Boggs has also been willing to share his time, recently speaking to high school assemblies sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athlete chapters at both Coahulla Creek and Dalton.

And he’ll also be the featured speaker at the annual “Home Team” Celebration set for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center. This banquet is a major fundraiser for the FCA chapters at schools in Murray and Whitfield counties, and generally delivers a packed house — last year’s attendance was more than 800, and they’re aiming for 1,000 this time around.

To find out more about attending the event, go online to ngafca.org.

Marty Kirkland is sports editor of The Daily Citizen. Got something you think he should highlight in “What’s Going On?” Write to him at martykirkland@daltoncitizen.com.

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