Hickory St. Stephens, West Lincoln win NCHSAA dual team wrestling titles

Hickory St. Stephens wrapped up an undefeated season, and West Lincoln captured its second straight state title in North Carolina’s dual meet wrestling finals Saturday in Greensboro.

St. Stephens downed Fayetteville Cape Fear 41-25, winning the 3A state crown and finishing with a 43-0 dual meet record.

West Lincoln rolled past Newport Croatan 60-14, in a repeat of last year’s 2A championship.

The other state titles were won by Northwest Guilford, which edged Wilmington Laney 33-27 in the 4A finals; and Asheboro Uwharrie Charter, a 36-32 winner over Robbinsville in the 1A championship. Uwharrie Charter also had an unbeaten season (41-0).

St. Stephens trailed Cape Fear 22-20 with five matches remaining. Dakota Metcalf scored a 5-1 decision over Cape Fear’s Austin Hunt in the 195-pound bout, giving St. Stephens a 23-22 lead. The Catawba County school never trailed again.

The clincher came in the next-to-last match, at 106 pounds, when Coy Reid won by pin. That gave St. Stephens a 35-25 lead with only one match remaining.

Jovanny Urzua of St. Stephens was named Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning by pin at 113 pounds.

St. Stephens winners were Reid (106), Urzua (113), Tariq Shuford (120), Graham Ormand (132), Ivan Vergel (160), Jordan Bolling (182), Metcalf (195) and Salvador Gilvaja (220).

West Lincoln 60, Newport Croatan 14: West Lincoln had seven pins in its lopsided 2A championship meet. Brock Steele (285) was named Most Outstanding Wrestler for West Lincoln after winning a 5-3 decision over Croatan standout Nathan Waltrip. Steele scored a key victory that helped West Lincoln narrowly edge Newton-Conover on Thursday night in the state semifinals.

West Lincoln winners were Kemp Wehunt (106), Langston Hoffman (113), Luke Stewart (120), Ricky Reynolds (138), Xander Pendergrass (145), Canon Bridges (160), Luke Scronce (182), Alex Hall (195), Harley Scronce (220) and Steele (285).

Northwest Guilford 33, Wilmington Laney 27: Riley Edwards scored a victory by decision at 113 pounds in the next-to-last match, lifting the Vikings to the 4A title – after Laney led for most of the meet. Edwards was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the meet.

Asheboro Uwharrie Charter 36, Robbinsville 32: Uwharrie Charter led 30-15, but Robbinsville rallied and cut the margin to 30-24. Sergio Saldana (285) won by disqualification, clinching victory for the 1A Eagles.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle