UCA Eagles wrestlers pounce on Mount Airy for dual team state title

Here’s the Uwharrie Charter Academy wrestling team after winning the Class 1A dual team state championship Saturday in Greensboro. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

It’s not so much pressure on Uwharrie Charter Academy’s wrestling team to keep the trend going as it’s the pressure applied by the Eagles that keeps them atop the state in Class 1A.

The Eagles showed that again in securing their third consecutive dual team state championship Saturday afternoon, defeating Mt. Airy 48-15.

“I think the pressure just motivates everyone to keep going,” junior Brennan Worrell said.

The Eagles grabbed an early lead and then finished the task with victories in the final five bouts.

It was a different roster from a year ago as half of the 14 starters from the 2023-24 lineup had graduated. There was no shortage of others ready to contribute.

First-year coach Hayden Waddell said the Eagles were on a mission.

“I’ve been on them all year to trust their training,” Waddell said. “Our guys seemed laser-focused. They’re winning and pinning.”

That’s an ideal combination, and certainly proved beneficial for UCA (39-1) in the championship showdown at the coliseum fieldhouse in Greensboro.

“There can be a little bit of pressure, but it’s all mental,” said senior Caden Bond, who was voted the Most Valuable Wrestler of the final.

A setback to Pisgah, which became the Class 3A runner-up, weeks ago got the Eagles’ attention.

“We lost to Pisgah early on in the season,” said junior Lorenzo Alston, a two-time individual state champion. “Before that, we were humble, but we were cocky at the same time. We thought that we couldn’t be beaten and then when Pisgah beat us, that kind of brought us back to reality. Ever since then, everybody is putting their head down and working. That’s what I love to see.

“Kudos to Coach Hayden for putting us back in that mindset. Coach put is in the mindset that if we lose let that be a lesson to us, just develop from there.”

Waddell, who took over from his father and longtime coach Chris Waddell, said the defeat became a good learning tool.

“We were exposed and we had to get some things fixed,” Hayden Waddell said. “I had to tighten the ship.”

The new coach sought more effort and heightened self-belief. The Eagles delivered in both areas.

The clash with Mt. Airy began at 144 pounds, with Eagles winning the first five bouts. Brandon Jordan (144) and Caden Thorne (150) secured decisions, Aiden Foster (157) won with a first-period pin, Alston (165) received a forfeit and Bond (175) recorded an 11-5 decision against John Martin.

“We’re trying to outcondition and outpace everyone,” Worrell said.

With several UCA wrestlers past participants in dual finals, Alston said those experiences were beneficial.

“It’s a little bit of pressure,” he said. “But some of us on the team have been there before.”

The rest of UCA’s points came from decisions by Michael Shropshire (215), Paxton Kearns (113) and Andrew White (120) and pins from Caleb Saldana (126), Worrell (132) and Rick Riccardella (138).

UCA, making its sixth straight appearance in the final, is 4-2 in championship dual meets.