TRINITY – Trinity’s wrestling team has rolled into the final week of the regular season with numerous accomplishments and visions of even more.
The Bulldogs held a 29-0 record after posting five more victories in Saturday’s Patriot Duals.
Coach Brandon Coggins of Trinity said the Bulldogs are motivated, in part because of failing to reach the Class 2-A dual team championships two seasons ago with a narrow loss in the regional finals.
“I think they still have a bad taste in their months,” Coggins said. “They’ve always had that chip on their shoulders for two years.”
A core group of Bulldogs has reached its senior season.
The goal will be completing a sweep of Piedmont Athletic Conference teams Thursday night at Eastern Randolph. Then, the Bulldogs, who’ve already clinched at least a share of their first conference championship since 2021, will be home the next night for a multi-team, non-league event.
With that, Trinity will have a high seed for the Class 2-A regionals that begin Jan. 27. The Bulldogs have never made it to a state championship meet in the duals.
“I think there’s a path (to do that),” Coggins said. “They’ve always been on the cusp.”
In the Patriot Duals at West Carteret, Trinity took down Croatan 52-24, beat Jacksonville 51-19, toppled Northside 61-16, thumped Richlands 75-6 and handled West Brunswick 51-19.
Seniors Spencer May (43-2, 120 pounds), Brayden Hall (40-7, 126 pounds), Levi Dennis (40-1, 132 pounds) and Charles Schaefer (45-3, 144 pounds) provide the Bulldogs with a dominating early part of the lineup.
Then Lawson Coltrane (39-8, 165 pounds), Gavin Hardister (34-1, 215 pounds) and Joseph Trahan (39-8, heavyweight) are clutch in the upper weights. There’s also Aiden Burkholder (40-8, 106 pounds) and Edgar Vasquez (41-6, 113 pounds) at the beginning of the lineup. First-year varsity competitor Jaden Allred (39-7, 138 pounds) has been important in the middle of the lineup.
“Hopefully, they stay on that trajectory,” Collins said.
** Asheboro went 3-2 in the Greg Hardin Invitational on Saturday at Eastern Randolph.
The Blue Comets had victories against Albemarle by 54-23, Chatham Central by 72-6 and against Providence Grove by 62-12, but lost to North Moore by 41-39 and to Cary by 55-21.
Eastern Randolph won 57-18 vs. Chatham Central and 63-15 vs. North Moore.
** At Kernersville, Wheatmore had runners-up with Trey Swaney (132) and Dominic Hittepole (175) in the Phillip Reed Rumble at Kernersville Glenn. Dyan Drinkard of Mallard Creek edged Swaney 9-8 in the final, while Hunter Testa of Davie County defeated Hittepole.
Wheatmore ended up ninth out of 23 teams.
