UCA, Trinity eye next rounds of wrestling duals

Defending Class 1-A state champion Uwharrie Charter Academy and undefeated Class 2-A team Trinity held up their ends to begin the wrestling dual team state playoffs.

They’re tops-seeded teams and looked the part when those competitions began Saturday with two rounds on their respective home mats.

UCA and Trinity advanced to this week’s third round, which is set for Wednesday. Winners in the third round meet against in regional finals later Wednesday.

The winner goes on to Saturday’s state finals.

UCA (32-1) is the designated home team in the East Region for Wednesday. The third-round pits UCA vs. fifth-seeded Albemarle (15-19) and third-seeded Thomasville (24-3) vs. second-seeded Rosewood (40-3).

On Saturday, the Eagles defeated No. 16 seed North Rowan (1-18) by 60-24 and then topped ninth-seeded Eastern Randolph in a clash between Piedmont Athletic Conference teams by 53-30.

Eastern Randolph (20-10) reached the second round with a 40-33 victory against eighth-seeded Northeast Carolina Prep (23-5).

In the Class 2-A West Region, Trinity (35-0) heads on the road for Wednesday’s action. The assigned site for the third round and regional is Lincolnton.

The Bulldogs were to meet No. 12 seed Lincolnton (32-2), while the other third-round encounter has sixth-seeded Madison (14-5) facing second-seeded West Lincoln (22-4).

Trinity began the state duals by rolling in a 69-12 thumping of No. 16 seed Reidsville (2-4.). Next, the Bulldogs put a 60-21 whipping on No. 8 seed Shelby Burns (18-8), which advanced with a 42-36 escape vs. Lincoln Charter (19-20).

Wheatmore (12-13) also made the Class 2-A field as the No. 15 seed in the West Region, falling by 42-26 to host West Lincoln, which went on to win 44-31 vs. North Wilkes (16-7).

The title meets are set for Saturday in the fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Class 2-A and Class 4-A finals begin at noon, with the Class 1-A and Class 3-A finals at 3 p.m.