The Bob Jones Wrestling Team beat the Thompson High School Wrestling Team in the duals championship match in Birmingham’s Bill Harris Arena.

This is the first state championship for the Bob Jones Wrestling Team.

Matthew Sweatman, a Bob Jones wrestling coach, said, “The last two years, we have had a very young team. Most of our starters have been in the lineup since they were freshmen so they have a lot of experience. All of our starters are either juniors or seniors so we have a lot of experience and have been in a lot of tough environments to wrestle. We set a goal this summer to win the team Duals title this season. We knew we had the depth and the wrestlers to accomplish this goal.”

In fact, the team has only lost one match the entire season.

Caleb Lawson, a wrestler on the team, said, “ I prepared for it by telling myself it was just like any other match and not to psych myself out.”

Bob Jones only had a two-point lead in the final match with two previous wins before Nick Mothersele won in the 170-pound division, giving Bob Jones the state title.

According to the Madison Record, the dual matches featured, 106: Dylan Lesueur (TH) dec. Jim Wilson (BJ), technical fall, 21-5; Zaderian Toney (BJ) pinned Harris Mitchell (TH), 1:55; 120: Kevin McGhaw (BJ) dec. Judah Campbell (TH) 8-5; 126: Chandler Atkins (TH) pinned Zaveon Toney (BJ), 1:10; 132: Gabe Hixenbaugh (TH) pinned Parker Snyder (BJ), 2:51; 138: Jordan Whalen (BJ) dec. Nathan Roberts (TH), 5-3; 145: Jackson Aranetta (TH) pinned David Onquit (BJ), 5:32; 152: Cal Francovitch (BJ) dec. Ashunti Perry (TH), 7-5; 160: Gabriel Pittman (BJ) dec. Tyler Gilson (TH), 5-2; 170: Nick Mothersele (BJ) dec. William Browder (TH), 11-8; 182: George Frankovich (BJ) major dec. Alex Ward (TH), 14-6. 195: Harold Gilmore (BJ) dec. Isaac McAdams (TH), 7-0. 220: Seth Dupree (BJ) pinned Aubrey Glidewell (TH), 1:34; 285: Seth Whitlock (TH) pinned Jordan Aycock (BJ), 4:25.

To prepare for this match, Sweatman said, “We work year-round to prepare for the season. In the summer, we are lifting and traveling to Tennessee and Florida wrestling in different tournaments and attending camps. In the fall, we are lifting and conditioning to prepare for the upcoming season.

After this, the wrestling team will move onto Invitational (individual state).