UCA, Trinity head to state finals Saturday in Greensboro

Members of the Uwharrie Charter Academy wrestling team pose for a photo after winning the Class 1-A East Region title Wednesday night at home. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

GREENSOBORO – Trinity and Uwharrie Charter Academy will try to capture state championships in dual team wrestling Saturday afternoon.

Trinity is bidding for its first state crown when it takes on Seaforth in the Class 2-A final at noon.

UCA (34-1) will tangle with Avery County (30-1) for the third year in a row and for the fourth time in as many tournaments in Class 1-A at 3 p.m. Avery County won in 2021 and 2022, while UCA prevailed last year. There was no dual team state tournament for the 2020-21 season because of the pandemic.

The state finals again will be held at the fieldhouse – home of the NBA G League’s Greensboro Swarm – on the Greensboro Coliseum Complex grounds.

There’s also a Class 4-A final (Wilmington Laney vs. Davie County) at noon and the Class 3-A title matchup (Union Pines vs. Eastern Guilford) at 3 p.m.

Avery County’s 39-30 victory against UCA in 2022 was followed by last February’s 39-36 result in ACA’s favor.

On Wednesday night at home, UCA topped Albemarle 54-24 in the East Region’s third round and then toppled second-seeded Rosewood 40-32 in the regional final.

Trinity (37-0) is in the state final for the first time after going to Lincolnton for the West Region’s third round and regional final Wednesday.

The Bulldogs defeated No. 12 seed Lincolnton 51-27 and then stopped second-seeded West Lincoln 38-27.

Seaforth (27-1) is also a first-time state finalist.

The No. 1 regional seeds advanced to the finals with one exception. No. 2 seed Avery County, competing on its home mats, knocked off top-seeded Robbinsville 36-29 in the West Region final.

UCA, which also won the 2019 title, is the only defending champion back for the final weekend of the dual meets. Wilmington Laney and Union Pines were 2023 runners-up.