The wait is over. West Iredell’s wrestling team is going back to the dual-team state playoffs for the first time since 1998.
In a battle for the North Piedmont Conference’s second and final playoff seed Tuesday at Statesville, the Warriors prevailed 34-31 in a down-to-the-wire victory over the Greyhounds.
“First time in over a decade,” said West Iredell’s Taylor Gomez. “As a senior, you just can’t really describe it. It’s a great feeling.”
Kishon Ijames’ 3-2 decision in the third-to-last match helped Statesville pull ahead 31-25.
Gomez stepped on the mat needing to win his match in some form.
He responded by pinning Statesville’s Tyler Jeffrey in 1 minute, 9 seconds, evening the score at 31-31 before the final match.
“I knew I had to go out there and stick him,” Gomez said. “I had my team behind me 100 percent. They knew I could do it. I was ready. I knew I could do it. Cockiness breeds confidence.”
The Warriors brought in their ace to close it out. Sophomore Payton Shuford, ranked No. 5 in the state among 3A wrestlers at 132 pounds, recorded a 5-0 decision over Robby Dixon to produce the final margin.
Shuford improved to 23-1 on the season.
“He’s one of our best,” Gomez said of Shuford. “That’s why he was a captain as a freshman and a sophomore.”
West Iredell (12-7, 5-1 NPC) led 16-0 after Jared Nicholson’s second-period pin at 152 pounds.
Aided by pins from LaBryant Nichols and Markus Cromwell at 170 and 182 pounds, respectively, the Greyhounds (17-8, 3-3 NPC) rolled off 28 unanswered points in the next six matches.
West Iredell regrouped to set the table for a dramatic finish.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” West Iredell second-year coach Tom Pavia said. “I couldn’t be any happier for these kids. …To me, these are moments right now that these kids will never forget, whether it’s a JV kid or whether they won or lost tonight.”
It was a heartbreaking loss for Statesville coach Mickey Jordan, who recognized nine seniors on senior night before the match.
“I knew it was going to be close,” Jordan said. “I was doing the figures all week. We just come up on the short end of the stick.”
The Greyhounds didn’t clinch one of the NPC’s two automatic berths into the 3A dual-team playoffs, but they could still land one of two wild card bids in the 3A West bracket.
Those have yet to be determined.
“We might be able to,” Jordan said. “I don’t know.”
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