Freshman has breakout season for Wonders

Nick Sexton didn’t expect to have an impact on the A.L. Brown Wonder’s wrestling team as quickly as he has.

But the freshman has been impressive with a 29-1 start – putting him in the mix to compete for a South Piedmont Conference, and even a state title.

“I definitely did better than I thought,” said Sexton, who wrestles at 113 pounds.

“I thought I could have a winning record, but I didn’t think I would have this kind of start to the season.”

But A.L. Brown coach Brian Ceresa hasn’t been surprised by Sexton’s performance.

“We had high expectations for Nick coming in,” he said. “One of the most impressive things about him is that he doesn’t wrestle like a freshman.”

Ceresa said that most young wrestlers arrive relying on moves and big throws that are no longer effective at the high school level.

But that was never the case with Sexton.

“He has a lot of poise on the mat and wrestles well out of every situation,” said Ceresa. “When he gets into a scramble, where another young wrestler may concede the points, Nick continues to wrestle and doesn’t panic.”

Sexton shines on top, holding his opponents down – seemingly with ease.

Ceresa said that he also wrestles well on his feet and is able to control the pace of the match.

“I take what’s given,” Sexton said. “I don’t try to force anything.”

Sexton, who had 14 pins after 30 matches, credits his success to his experience; he started wrestling in second grade. And he began competing against high school opponents while he was still at Kannapolis Middle School.

The freshman also gives credit to the Wonders’ coaching staff.

“It’s definitely a big jump from middle school to high school, but the coaches here helped me in the preseason to get prepared for this level,” Sexton said.

Ceresa thinks that Sexton’s strong start has a lot to do with the way he approaches wrestling.

“This sport is 90 percent mental; your body, physique can only take you so far,” Ceresa said.

“I think he has the right mindset: He expects himself to win. The success that he’s had this year hasn’t gone to his head, like it would a lot of people.”

Sexton has claimed a few individual tournament titles, including at the prestigious Jim Hayes Invitational in Charlotte last month.

He also won the 113-pound titles at the Bobby Abernathy Tournament at Piedmont High and the Tigerland Classic at Fred T. Foard.

The 14-year-old’s only loss of the year came to Winston-Salem Parkwood’s Drew Turner, a two-time state champion, at the Bearcat Invitational in Rock Hill earlier this month.

“It upset me that I got that first loss,” said Sexton, who was 28-0 heading into that match. “But it was a humbling experience; it keeps me focused.”

Sexton said that he learned a lot from the technical fall.

“You have to stay moving. You can’t stay on bottom,” he said.

“And you can’t stop working. ... There’s always someone out there that’s better than you, so you have to keep working a lot harder to get there.”

Coach Ceresa hopes that the rest of his Wonders (11-5) also embrace that idea. He admits that the team, which dropped SPC matches to Jay M. Robinson and Concord, is not where he expected it to be after suffering some injuries early in the season.

The coach said that getting those wrestlers back into shape – including sophomore Avery Clinding – could put the team in a position to make a late run.

Clinding was 46-8 as a freshman at 106.

Former state qualifier Richard White, a 120-pounder and Sexton’s drilling partner, has also impressed Ceresa after working hard to improve in the offseason. The junior, ranked No. 3 in his weight class in 3A – according to retrorankings.com – started the year 24-7.

Senior Kyle Cauble has had a good year, too. The fourth-ranked 220-pounder in 3A, he started the season 26-7.

Sexton, the No. 3 113-pounder in 3A, hopes to live up to the ranking the rest of the season.

Central Cabarrus junior Heath Gleaton, the top-ranked 3A wrestler at 113, could be Sexton’s top opponent for a conference title. Gleaton has also wrestled at 120 this season.

Sexton doesn’t shy away from setting high goals, explaining that a 3A title is his main focus.

“But if I don’t get there, I definitely want to be a state placer,” he said.

Ceresa also has high hopes for Sexton.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” said Ceresa. “He can do some great things.”