South Carolina 4A Wrestling State Dual Championship 2006-2007
Round 1 - Wednesday, January 31
Round 2 - Monday, February 5
Round 3 - Wednesday, February 7 (State Quarter-Finals)
Round 4 - Friday, February 9 (State Semi-Finals at Lugoff-Elgin)
Round 5 - Saturday, February 10 (State Finals at Lugoff-Elgin)
With the 2007 SC 4A State Wrestling Duals Tournament starting this week on Wednesday (1-31-07),
we have a lot to anticipate since this year’s field of teams creates some exciting matchups.
SCMAT is here to give you a breakdown of the Brackets, or bracketology as they call it,
and provide our view of the eventual predicted winner. So, without further adieu,
here we go with this year’s 4A Dual State Title predictions!
The First Round of the 4A State Dual Championships for Wednesday, January 31 looks like this:
Upper State Bracket
#22 Greenwood (1st in 1-AAAA) at home vs. #20 Boiling Springs (4th in 2-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - These two teams have had excellent seasons so far and it
is sad to see one team will exit this round. Though the #22 & #20 rankings are well outside
of the Top 10 in the state, Greenwood and Boiling Springs both have improved tremendously
from last year. If we were in March Madness, one of these teams would likely be dubbed by
Dick Vitale as a Cinderella! Honestly, either team could win this, but home advantage goes to ...
SCMAT Prediction - Greenwood wins
#8 Rock Hill (2nd in 3-AAAA) at home vs. #19 Irmo (3rd in 4-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Can the coaches wrestle and let's see the teams next year?
Irmo’s Coach Bob Taylor was a 1984 Wrestling USA High School Honorable Mention All American while
at Huntington, WV. Rock Hill's Coach Bernard Durham won the NAIA National Title in 1993 at 158 lbs.
while wrestling in college at Carson-Newman (after wrestling at Rock Hill in high school.)
Okay, I guess reality check is the teams have to wrestle and the coaches have great accolades to
show either team could win based on coaching talent! But, Rock Hill has made one of the largest jumps
in the rankings since December, of any 4A team, and is once again a 2nd tier contender for the
Upper State title. Irmo is close, and has some very talented athletes, but this event is about
the team and we see one clear winner, in fact a winner in the next round too, ...
SCMAT Prediction - Rock Hill wins
#3 Hillcrest (1st in 2-AAAA) at home vs. #24 Laurens (4th in 1-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Laurens is about where they always are this time of year,
a good team with a bad match-up in Round 1. Hillcrest has finally reached the elite in our opinion
and could pull off the State Title this year, after an almost guaranteed Upper State title run in
the next 10 days. Hillcrest’s Coach Tommy Bell has his brother Robby Bell on staff as the
assistant head coach and Robby is one of only won 7 SC wrestlers to win 4 state titles ... see below
4x State Champs from S.C.:
Matt Leach, Eastside 2003-2006
Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin 1997-2000
Robby Bell, Hillcrest 1995-1998
Dan Wirnsberger, Greer 1987-1990 (3x in SC, State Champ in 1988 Blue Valley, Kansas)
Barnell Mack, Swansea 1978-1981
James McKinney, Buford 1978-1981
Carl Van Sewell, Airport 1975-1978
............... but, Tommy can not get Robby eligible to wrestle this year, so Hillcrest relies on
new depth, and this team is balanced and filled with talent ... including 3 #1 ranked wrestlers
in Taylor Lance (152), Michael Devita (140) and Colin Horgan (103). Only Fort Dorchester and Byrnes
can boast 2 #1 ranked wrestlers, but Hillcrest takes the top of the ladder as far as individuals on
the verge of State titles ... Coach Tommy Bell won an individual title as well in his days at Hillcrest,
and we give him lots of credit for energizing the program at Hillcrest that should see this team all the
way to Lugoff in two Saturdays ...
SCMAT Prediction - Hillcrest wins
#10 Lexington (2nd in 4-AAAA) at home vs. #16 Northwestern (3rd in 3-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Lexington just had the best year (2005-2006) in the program's
history with an Upper State title last year and State Runner-Up finish to Summerville. But,
this is not the same team from last year for Lexington. Depleted by transfers, injuries and
wrestlers that did not return this was a total rebuilding year for the Wildcats and Northwestern
could come in to town and surprise Coach Strobel's team. Remember two years ago when the State Duals
in Round 2 saw victory for Northwestern over Lexington, 36-30? Not going to happen this year though.
Northwestern counters with some good balance and the #1 ranked wrestler at 171 lbs. - senior Matt Roberts.
We give extra points for the coach in this match up and with Coach Strobel wrestling in the 1996 and 1997
NCAA Wrestling Tournaments for Appalachian State University, Coach Strobel is proving he can win at this
level too, even when rebuilding, so we have to go with the home team ...
SCMAT Prediction - Lexington wins
#5 Fort Mill (1st in 3-AAAA) Bye 1st round since there is no 4th in 4-AAAA
The inside story with this match - Ummmmm ... why can't Mauldin or Clover be in the Tournament to
wrestle this match with Fort Mill? Byes are horrible for the sport and should not occur when the
#18 team Clover and #21 team Mauldin have to stay at home because of how deep their regions are.
Come on, a 32 team bracket needs the best 32 teams!!! 30 teams with #18 and #21 staying at home
to read SCMAT for results Wednesday night is a slight crock to the system of taking the top 4 in
each region. Even Wren (#25), York (#27), Spartanburg (#29) and Lancaster (#31) would love to attend
the Duals! Sorry to take the spotlight from Fort Mill ... we like them as the team most favored to
defeat Hillcrest for the Upper State title ... and Coach Brock is ready to win the next two rounds,
but I bet he would prefer not to take the night off on Wednesday. Look for #1 ranked John Green at 112 lbs.
to lead this team.
SCMAT Prediction - Fort Mill with a Bye
#23 Westside (2nd in 1-AAAA) at home vs. #15 Dorman (3rd in 2-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Westside is not the same Westside of last year that made it to #8,
and Dorman is the same Dorman of last year (with a new coach) that is peaking and planning to win this
match-up. It will be very hard on Westside's home mat given last year's drubbing of Mauldin 44-24 in
Round 1, but we do feel Dorman is the slight favorite, though this may be the closest and best match
of Round 1 ... Coach Chad Singleton of Dorman came over from a very solid Woodruff program and will prove
that with a leader in Scott Miller, ranked #1 at 145, this team can win big matches at this time of year ...
SCMAT Prediction - Dorman wins
#9 White Knoll (1st in 4-AAAA) at home vs. #17 South Pointe (4th in 3-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - White Knoll defeated their arch-region-rival, Lexington, for the first
time in school history to win the region title. New White Knoll head coach Bo Smith takes over for
Coach Bill Pierce (who still is helping out) and has two time state champ Steve Volponi as an assistant.
South Pointe has been building a name and counts on junior wrestler Tyler McElheney to inspire this team
if it is going to win. However, in the White Knoll gym, it gets crazy when the pins start piling up,
so we see this as a ticket match-up for White Knoll to Round 2 where they might upset a revived Byrnes
program, though let's wait and see if we predict true ... Brian Wolfe ranked #1 at 130 will lead this
White Knoll team to the next goal ...
SCMAT Prediction - White Knoll wins
#7 Byrnes (2nd in 2-AAAA) at home vs. #28 T.L. Hanna (3rd in 1-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Can individual talent be better at any one program over the last
three years? Byrnes has had JJ Davis, Brantley Hooks and now John Allen Griswold all win Pre-season
Nationals the last three years! JJ and Brantley also took top honors from the SC Wrestling Coaches
Association at the end of the season with the S.C. Senior Wrestler of the Year award. The buzz has
already started that Griswold is the lock this year with an undefeated season, a title at the highly
competitive Tiger Classic in Chapel Hill, and 2 victories over JC Oddo of Eastside (who finished 5th
at Beast of the East!). Normally, Byrnes has had a much stronger tournament team than dual team, but
this year Byrnes appears to be more balanced, giving Eastside a run in one of their last duals.
Look for Byrnes to easily win this match and scrap through the next two very tough rounds ...
Byrnes will count on #1 ranked Gerry Cloonan at 135 and #1 ranked John Allen Griswold at 189 to
elevate this team through the next two rounds ...
SCMAT Prediction - Byrnes wins
Lower State Bracket
#6 Dutch Fork (1st in 5-AAAA) Bye 1st round since there is no 4th in 6-AAAA
The inside story with this match - No rant on Lower State teams that should have filled this Bye spot.
I know James Island, Colleton County or West Ashley would love to be here for this Round, but the fan's
money in Dutch Fork stays in their pockets this night. Look for Coach Wilson to have a very competitive
match next round against a possible Battery Creek team. Coach Wilson was in the 1975 and 1976 NCAA Wrestling
Tournaments for Syracuse University and coached Spring Valley to the State Finals 4 years ago, and that was
in a school district that does not allow feeder programs like most schools are allowed to have! We really
look forward to Round 2 in Columbia to see how good this team is and if they can peak. Look for #1 ranked
Travis Rodgers at 119 lbs. to lead this team.
SCMAT Prediction - Dutch Fork has a Bye
#12 Wando (2nd in 7-AAAA) at home vs. #4 Battery Creek (3rd in 8-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - I hate to see another Cinderella, Wando, possibly exit this early.
They are a team that is up and coming to the next level and yet the freight train in Battery Creek
arrives first round. No doubt, Battery Creek is in the toughest region, they are tested, and about
as hungry as any team we've seen in a while to pull an upset in two rounds. Three of the Top 4 teams
in the state come from Region 8-AAAA. But, before we count Wando out, remember these two teams met in
the first round last year ... and who won? Wando 34-29! Alas, that was last year and this is this year
and the nod goes to a slightly better balanced Creek team ...
SCMAT Prediction - Battery Creek wins
#14 Sumter (1st in 6-AAAA) at home vs. #41 Richland Northeast (4th in 5-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - #14 vs. #41 ... no brainer ... Sumter. Okay, I need to get past the
pure numbers game and say that these two programs will continue to achieve more success, even next year.
Sumter has had a tremendous year and challenged the elite at every tourney. Sumter is a better Tournament
team in our opinion but can make it out of Round 1 for Duals with this match up ... but neither team should
count on more than one win this year at Dual State since Summerville likely awaits next round
SCMAT Prediction - Sumter wins
#2 Summerville (2nd in 8-AAAA) at home vs. #13 Stratford (3rd in 7-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Summerville. Summerville. Summerville. Summerville. Summerville.
Need we say more? The 3x defending 4A State Champs have to be mad as hornets that they lost their first in state
dual match in 4 years to Fort Dorchester! In fact, has Summerville lost their region in the last ump-teen years?
We can't recall (in one sitting typing this up), but we bet it's been close to 30 years since Summerville may have
lost their region. They are mad. We're sure Coach Kenny Walker, who competed in the 1990 and 1991 NCAA Wrestling
Tournaments for Lock Haven, has this team busting it in practice. I honestly would have hated to be in his
practice room the last week. Maybe I should re-phrase my earlier statement. Coach Walker has to be mad,
disappointed, wondering if this team has lost the desire to be a dominant #1. Stratford has always had a good
team, but this year in round 1, all bets are on the former number one and their leader, #1 ranked Christian Johnson
at 160 lbs. ...
SCMAT Prediction - Summerville wins
#11 Goose Creek (1st in 7-AAAA) at home vs. #33 Beaufort (4th in 8-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Goose Creek should easily win this match with Beaufort in a rebuilding year
filled with injuries and several wrestlers that have exited. Goose Creek won their second straight region
title in a row and feels the ride won't end in this round (and probably not next round either.) The pick ...
SCMAT Prediction - Goose Creek wins
NOTE below - Conway was the 2nd place team in region 6-AAAA, hence Ridge View wrestled Hartsville instead
#26 Ridge View (2nd in 5-AAAA) at home vs. #40 Conway (3rd in 6-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - Okay, I have to admit I'm going with Ridge View based on where each team
is ranked. But, could Conway possibly pull a surprise on the road? Ridge View has wrestled well this year
and should advance to the next round. New Ridge View head coach, Randy Twigg, will lead this team into round 2
bank on it, the drive from Conway to Columbia is tough enough ...
SCMAT Prediction - Ridge View wins
#1 Fort Dorchester (1st in 8-AAAA) at home vs. #30 Berkeley (4th in 7-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - I will not vote against #1. This Fort Dorchester program has peaked this year
and upset Summerville in a dual and almost pulled the upset a week earlier at the Lexington Duals. But, it truly
is up for grabs if this team wins round 1, round 2 and round 3. Every one has eyes on Friday, February 9.
The Fort and The Ville should be the best 4A match-up in State Duals, unless Hillcrest arrives at the Final dance
with a dance move we have not seen, and that could happen. Honestly, Fort Dorchester is still the underdog
to win the state title. In ump-teen years, no one has knocked Summerville off twice in one year. But for at
least the next 9 days, this #1 is still #1 in our books ... and it may not be taken away in the next year
if this team decides to keep the claim for awhile ... #1 ranked Gerald Jenkins at 125 and #1 ranked Robert Quinn
at 285 will need to give this team a few big wins at every State Dual match ...
SCMAT Prediction - Fort Dorchester wins
NOTE below - Hartsville was the 3rd place team in region 6-AAAA, hence Spring Valley wrestled Conway instead
#39 Hartsville (2nd in 6-AAAA) at home vs. #32 Spring Valley (3rd in 5-AAAA)
The inside story with this match - This match up is tough!! Not that either team will go past round 2, but who
will win round 1? We are guessing a better Spring Valley line-up will pull this out and win, even on the road ...
SCMAT Prediction - Spring Valley wins
Brackets for some past SC State Wrestling Dual Tournaments can be located here --- 2006 4A State Duals < = > 2006 3A State Duals < = > 2006 2A-1A State Duals < = > 2006 SCISA State Duals 2005 4A State Duals < = > 2005 3A State Duals < = > 2005 2A-1A State Duals Please note in the 3A Dual bracket below - Lake City made it to the Finals in 2004, not Georgetown. 2004 4A State Duals < = > 2004 3A State Duals < = > 2004 2A-1A State Duals 2003 4A State Duals < = > 2003 3A State Duals < = > 2003 2A-1A State Duals 2002 4A State Duals < = > 2002 3A State Duals < = > 2002 2A-1A State Duals 2001 4A State Duals < = > 2001 3A State Duals < = > 2001 2A-1A State Duals Finally, a History of the SC 4A State Wrestling Tournament State Title determined by Duals Championship - 2007 - TBD 2-10-06 2006 - Summerville 31, Lexington 30 (Coach Kenny Walker, Coach Derek Strobel) 2005 - Summerville 43, Rock Hill 16 (Coach Kenny Walker, Coach Tim Wash) 2004 - Summerville 41, Rock Hill 21 (Coach Kenny Walker, Coach Tim Wash) 2003 - Dutch Fork 37, Spring Valley 34 (Coach BD LaPrad, Coach Ken Wilson) 2002 - Summerville 32, Dutch Fork 31 (Coach Kenny Walker, Coach BD LaPrad) 2001 - Summerville 33, Dutch Fork 18 (Coach Kenny Walker, Coach BD LaPrad) 2000 - Rock Hill 40, Irmo 19 (Coach Jim Barnes, Coach Dave Maas) 1999 - Rock Hill 35, Dutch Fork 25 (Coach Jim Barnes, Coach BD LaPrad) 1998 - Summerville 38, Rock Hill 29 (Coach Kenny Walker, Coach Jim Barnes) 1997 - Rock Hill 54, Dutch Fork 13 (Coach Jim Barnes, Coach BD LaPrad) 1996 - Rock Hill 38, Irmo 21 (Coach Jim Barnes, Coach Dave Maas) 1995 - Rock Hill 31, Summerville 21 (Coach Jim Barnes, Coach Mike Frye) 1994 - Rock Hill 36, Summerville 24 (Coach Jim Barnes, Coach Mike Frye) 1993 - Summerville 31, Rock Hill 22 (Coach Steve LaPrad, Coach Jim Barnes) State Title determined by Team Points Championship - 1992 Summerville Steve LaPrad 123½ - 97 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 1991 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 124 - 114 Summerville Steve LaPrad 1990 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 176½- 80½ Summerville Steve LaPrad 1989 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 169 - 167 Summerville Steve LaPrad 1988 Summerville Steve LaPrad 204 - 169½ Rock Hill Jim Barnes 1987 Summerville Steve LaPrad 181½ - 133½ Rock Hill Jim Barnes 1986 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 157½ - 104 Summerville Steve LaPrad 1985 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 178 - 174½ Summerville Steve LaPrad 1984 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 161½ - 96 Irmo B. D. LaPrad 1983 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 151 - 126½ James Island Mark Agner 1982 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 164 - 130½ Summerville Steve LaPrad 1981 Summerville Steve LaPrad 170 - 132 Rock Hill Jim Barnes 1980 Rock Hill Tom Ellenberger 148 - 119½ Irmo B. D. LaPrad 1979 Irmo B. D. LaPrad 96 - 95 Rock Hill Tom Ellenberger 1978 Airport Jim Barnes 110½ - 69 Rock Hill Tom Ellenberger (All Classifications 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A together) 1977 Airport Jim Barnes 122 - 80 Bonds-Wilson James E. Cox 1976 Airport Jim Barnes 75 ½ - 68 Fort Johnson Chester Willis 1975 Lower Richland Jim Fitzpatrick 73 - 57 Airport Jim Barnes 1974 Lower Richland Rudolph Cooper 55 - 41 ½ Summerville Jim Flowers 1973 Lower Richland Rudolph Cooper 65 ½ - 35 Union Jim Barnes 1972 Lower Richland William Tourek 48 - 41 ½ Bishop England Jack Cantey 1971 Fort Johnson M. Leroy Jackson 56 - 53 Brookland Cayce John Checkovich 1970 St. Andrews Rusty Hamilton 113 - 61 James Island Edward Hertwig 1969 St. Andrews Rusty Hamilton 130 - 93 James Island Edward Hertwig Best wishes to all teams that are competing in this year’s 4A State Wrestling Duals Tournament! Article by Mark Buford Wrestling USA Magazine’s SC State Editor