By Ron Ingram
AHSAA
MONTGOMERY – The first-ever AHSAA Wrestling Duals tournament gets underway this Friday and Saturday with 20 first-round and quarter-final matches in Class 6A and 1A/5A and the quarterfinals only in Class 7A.
Class 7A qualified the winner and runner-up in regular-season play from four regions while Classes 6A and 1A/5A qualified the winner and runner-up from eight regions. Teams will meet in head-to-head matches.
The first round will pit a runner-up from one region versus a region winner. The region winner earned the right to host the first-round match. Friday’s winners will wrestle Saturday at the site of team on the bottom of the bracket if all travel is equal, or at the site of the highest seed if two teams from the same region meet.
In Class 1A/5A, Region qualifiers from 7 and 8 have agreed to hold matches at the same site with the first and second rounds being held Thursday at Arab. Region 7 winner Arab will host its match with Deshler on Thursday night as well as the match between Region 8 winner Mae Jemison and Region 7 runner-up Madison County and the winners will advance for the second-round match. Regions 5 and 6 will follow the same format Friday night at Region 5 winner Hayden’s gymnasium. The Wildcats will meet Region 6 runner-up Oak Grove and will also host Region 5 winner Dora’s match versus Region 5 runner-up Mortimer Jordan. The winners will then meet in round 2.
Class 6A, Regions 3 and 4 will hold all matches for rounds 1 and 2 at Region 3 runner-up Stanhope Elmore Friday. The Mustangs will host its match versus Region 4 winner McAdory as well as Region 3 winner Wetumpka’s match with Region 4 runner-up Hueytown. The winners will then play the second-round match.
Class 6A, Region 7 and Region 8 qualifiers will meet at Athens Saturday. Region 7 winner Southside-Gadsden will host its first-round match versus Region 8 runner-up Austin Region 8 winner Athens will wrestle Region 7 runner-up Clay-Chalkville at the same site Saturday with round 2 to follow.
The semifinals for all divisions will be Tuesday, Jan. 24 at host school sites.
The championship matches in all divisions will be at the Birmingham CrossPlex Bill Harris Arena. Class 1A/5A finals will be Friday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. Class 6A finals are set for 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, and the 7A championship match will follow at 4 p.m.
The AHSAA’s 62nd annual traditional State Wrestling Championships, which advance individual wrestlers in 14 weight divisions from two section tournaments, will be held at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center Feb. 16-18, The South and North Sectional qualifying tournaments are scheduled for Feb. 10-11 at Montgomery and Birmingham, respectively. Team champions are crowned based on points accumulated by each team’s qualifying wrestlers.
AHSAA Wrestling Duals Tournament
First-round pairings (All matches are Friday, Jan. 20 and second-round matches Saturday, Jan. 21 unless otherwise denoted)
CLASS 7A
Region 1 RU: Auburn at Region 2 winner: Thompson
Region 2 RU: Oak Mountain at Region 1 winner: Smiths Station
Region 3 RU: Hewitt-Trussville at Region 4 winner: Grissom
Region 4 RU: Bob Jones at Region 3 winner: Vestavia Hills
CLASS 6A
Region 1 RU: Baldwin County at Region 2 winner: Oxford
Region 2 RU: Pell City at Region 1 winner: Gulf Shores
Region 3 RU: Stanhope Elmore vs. Region 4 winner: McAdory, at Stanhope Elmore
Region 4 RU: Hueytown vs. Region 3 winner: Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore
Region 5 RU: Helena at Region 6 winner: Pinson Valley
Region 6 RU: Gardendale at Region 5 winner: Homewood
Region 7 RU: Clay-Chalkville at Region 8 winner: Athens, Saturday, (weigh in 3 p.m.)
Region 8 RU: Austin vs. Region 7 winner: Southside Gadsden, at Athens, Saturday (weigh in 3 p.m.)
CLASS 1A/5A
Region 1 RU: Elmore County at Region 2 winner: Moody
Region 2 RU: Holtville at Region 1 winner: Tallassee
Region 3 RU: Ranburne at Region 4 winner: Weaver
Region 4 RU: Alexandria at Region 3 winner: Cleburne County
Region 5 RU: Mortimer Jordan vs. Region 6 winner: Dora, at Hayden
Region 6 RU: Oak Grove at Region 5 winner: Hayden
Region 7 RU: Madison County vs. Region 8 winner: Mae Jemison, at Arab, Thursday
Region 8 RU: Deshler at Region 7 winner: Arab at Arab, Thursday
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