Several newspaper articles below capture the significance of this match:
Chapin rates title shot with win over undefeated No. 1 St. James
End of the road BHP dashes Warrior's dreams
Chapin veterans covet crown
Bear wrestlers state champs
Eagles again fall just short of state title
2012 3A State Duals Final (boxscore at link) - Belton-Honea Path 35, Chapin 30

Some interesting trivia from this match:
1. It is hard to have a team in the Elite Eight twice as the losing team. Here we are in 2012 with Chapin losing to BHP, right after appearing in the #7 spot of our count down when Chapin lost to West-Oak the year before in 2011.
2. For Coach Chris Strickland at BHP, this 2012 Title would put him in the Recordbook with coaches that won State Titles at 2 or more schools. Coach Chris Strickland had a State Title at Crescent in 2006, as well as a third Title with BHP in 2021.
3. For Coach Ken Wilson, this 2012 season would be his first season coaching at Chapin after much success at Lancaster, Spring Valley and Dutch Fork. Coach Wilson has Chapin competing at the highest level every year.
4. In our Elite Eight coverage of the Greatest State Duals Finals, these two coaches have had the most Individual State Champions combined over any other coaching matchups in this series of articles - Coach Strickland with 25 and Coach Wilson with 21.
5. Chapin had 9 returning wrestlers that were in both the 2011 and 2012 Finals match, but BHP would win the final three weight classes in the match to seal their Title run.

This nine-part series will continue in the next few days with #4 on our list of the Greatest State Duals Finals.

If you notice a correction, addition or just want to comment to these historical articles, please send a reply to scmat@hotmail.com

thanks,

Mark Buford