Will Bird wins 1A State Wrestling Championship

ONE FEATHER STAFF REPORT

                GREENSBORO – Will Bird is state champion.  The Cherokee High School junior won three decisions in the 189lb. division including an overtime win by one point at this past weekend’s 1A State Wrestling Tournament held at the Greensboro Coliseum to secure his championship. 

Cherokee junior Will Bird won the 1A State Wrestling Championship in the 189lb. division this past weekend in Greensboro. (Photos courtesy of Lizzie Bernal)

                Bird (28-2) defeated Trent McGuirt (31-9), of West Montgomery, by a score of 7-6 in overtime to win the state championship.  Bird won an 8-4 decision over Matthew Reynolds (26-7), of East Montgomery, in the first round and won a 5-3 decision over Taylor McGill (48-12), of Rosewood, in the second round.   

                Two other Cherokee wrestlers participated in the state tournament including sophomore Tavi Rivera (41-6) who took 3^rd place in the 160lb. division and sophomore Colby Yanez (22-8) who lost in the first round of the 135lb. division. 

Cherokee's wrestlers (left-right) Colby Yanez, Tavi Rivera, Coach Jack Walkingstick and Will Bird.

               Rivera won a 4-1 decision in his first match over David Lamb (41-4), from Dixon.  In the second round, Rivera lost in three overtiems 3-2  by technical fall to eventual state champion Jesse Beaver (31-0) from Murphy.  Rivera bounced back though with a 4-3 decision win over Chad Parks (23-2) from Manteo and an injury default win over Joshua Pipkin (52-9) from Rosewood.  

                Two other EBCI wrestlers were in action at the tournament including Christian Crowe (29-3) from Swain and Sam Wahnetah (36-9) from Andrews who both wrestled in the 285lb. division.  Crowe took second place in the division and Wahnetah lost in the second round. 

                Crowe pinned James Hawley (25-8) from Princeton at the 1:45 mark in the first round.  In the second round, he pinned Alex Craze (34-9) from Murphy at the 1:22 mark. 

                In the finals, Crowe was pinned at the 3:55 mark by undefeated William Robinson (52-0) from Central Academy.  Craze took third place in the 285lb. division.