Polk County’s wrestling team finished third at the EB Memorial at Mallard Creek tournament, competing against 39 schools during the two-day event.
The Wolverines scored 153 points, finishing behind champion Trinity (252) and runner-up Mallard Creek (157). A.L. Brown (151.5) and Rock Hill (125.5) rounded out the top five.
Every Polk County wrestler who competed won at least one match, and the Wolverines had four wrestlers earn top-six positions.
Get PolkSports delivered to your inbox
Sign up for our free newsletter →
Polk County senior Zalen McCraw claimed the individual championship at 175 pounds, going 3-0 on the weekend. McCraw pinned Robert B. Glenn’s Tristian Noyola-Bernal in 55 seconds in the quarterfinals, stopped Mallard Creek’s Raysean Torrence in the semifinals and claimed the title with a pin of East Mecklenburg’s Jude Acuff.
Styler Blackwell finished fourth at 190 pounds while Amon Villarreal (126) and Brody Wolfe (150) each earned fifth-place finishes. Liam Jackson took sixth at 132 pounds. Blackwell and Jackson each reached the semifinal round in their weight classes before being defeated.
Jayden Pons had four wins, including three straight in the consolation bracket.
The Wolverines are slated to be back in action on January 3 at the Enka Duals.
VARSITY BOYS 106
Champ. Round 2 – Silas Amorelli (Polk County) p. Henry Castle (Marvin Ridge) (3:08)
Quarterfinal – Emilio Diaz (South Rowan) p. Silas Amorelli (1:23)
Cons. Round 4 – Silas Amorelli p. Andrew Spencer (Deep Creek) (2:06)
Cons. Round 5 – Lyndon Boyd (Northwestern) p. Silas Amorelli (0:32)
VARSITY BOYS 120
Champ. Round 1 – Jayden Pons (Polk County) p. Anthony Barney (Providence) (1:25)
Champ. Round 2 – Josh Whitley (Robert B. Glenn) maj. dec. Jayden Pons, 9-0
Cons. Round 2 – Jayden Pons tech. fall Jun De La Torre Vidal (East Mecklenburg), 20-0
Cons. Round 3 – Jayden Pons d. Josue Welsh (Mountain Island Charter), 9-5
Cons. Round 4 – Jayden Pons p. Kieran Tibbitt (Charlotte Catholic) (4:10)
Cons. Round 5 – Dalton Helms (Central Academy of Technology and Arts) maj. dec. Jayden Pons, 10-1
VARSITY BOYS 126
Champ. Round 1 – Amon Villarreal (Polk County) tech. fall Mason Thomas (Indian Land), 17-0
Champ. Round 2 – Amon Villarreal tech. fall Sion Williams (Deep Creek), 17-2
Quarterfinal – Landon Logan (A.L. Brown) maj. dec. Amon Villarreal, 22-9
Cons. Round 4 – Amon Villarreal d. Barric Heraty (Providence), 9-6
Cons. Round 5 – Amon Villarreal d. Taylor Reed (Cox Mill), 9-3
Cons. Semi – Edgar Vasquez (Trinity) d. Amon Villarreal, 5-2
5th Place Match – Amon Villarreal by forfeit
VARSITY BOYS 132
Champ. Round 1 – Liam Jackson (Polk County) p. David Works (West Charlotte) (3:09)
Champ. Round 2 – Liam Jackson medical forfeit
Quarterfinal – Liam Jackson maj. dec. McFarland Kouri (Alexander Central), 14-6
Semifinal – Charles Thompson (Mallard Creek) tech. fall Liam Jackson, 17-0
Cons. Semi – Landon Bagley (Chester) tech. fall Liam Jackson, 16-1
5th Place Match – Thomas Hutchinson (Rock Hill) tech. fall Liam Jackson, 16-0
VARSITY BOYS 138
Champ. Round 1 – Matthew Najera (Jay M. Robinson) d. Conner Ahlert (Polk County), 13-6
Cons. Round 1 – Conner Ahlert p. Juan Trejo (Concord) (2:20)
Cons. Round 2 – Conner Ahlert by forfeit
Cons. Round 3 – Conner Ahlert p. Troy Argier (South Mecklenburg) (1:29)
Cons. Round 4 – Everon Riddle (A.L. Brown) p. Conner Ahlert (0:54)
VARSITY BOYS 144
Champ. Round 2 – Jaxtyn Virgil (Polk County) p. Legend Brodnax (West Charlotte) (0:29)
Quarterfinal – Maddox Cheek (Porter Ridge) p. Jaxtyn Virgil (4:26)
Cons. Round 4 – Zahir Catlett (Tallwood) d. Jaxtyn Virgil, 7-3
VARSITY BOYS 150
Champ. Round 1 – Brody Wolfe (Polk County) p. Kaden Thompson (South Rowan) (0:16)
Champ. Round 2 – Brody Wolfe p. Jeremiah Guy (Mountain Island Charter) (1:49)
Quarterfinal – Khalif Rhodes (Mallard Creek) d. Brody Wolfe, 9-5
Cons. Round 4 – Brody Wolfe maj. dec. Jacob Higgins (Marvin Ridge), 11-1
Cons. Round 5 – Brody Wolfe p. Ian Lovitt (Myers Park) (4:26)
Cons. Semi – Chase Hernandez (A.L. Brown) d. Brody Wolfe, 7-1
5th Place Match – Brody Wolfe no contest
VARSITY BOYS 157
Champ. Round 1 – Carson Bell (Polk County) p. Daniel Mikes (Weddington) (1:20)
Champ. Round 2 – Xander Clark (Concord) by forfeit
Cons. Round 2 – Chad Helms (Central Cabarrus) by forfeit
VARSITY BOYS 165
Champ. Round 2 – Zachary McCraw (Polk County) p. Daltry Pennell (Alexander Central) (4:32)
Quarterfinal – Darriyarn Baxley (Chester Sr) tech. fall Zachary McCraw, 21-5
Cons. Round 4 – Rocco Marchetti (Providence) d. Zachary McCraw, 8-3
VARSITY BOYS 175
Quarterfinal – Zalen McCraw (Polk County) p. Tristian Noyola-Bernal (Robert B. Glenn) (0:55)
Semifinal – Zalen McCraw p. Raysean Torrence (Mallard Creek) (3:44)
1st Place Match – Zalen McCraw p. Jude Acuff (East Mecklenburg) (3:41)
VARSITY BOYS 190
Champ. Round 2 – Styler Blackwell (Polk County) tech. fall Keshon Garnett (Rocky River), 15-0
Quarterfinal – Styler Blackwell p. Reuben Zufall (Bradford Preparatory) (3:07)
Semifinal – Colton Bogan (Providence) tech. fall Styler Blackwell, 15-0
Cons. Semi – Styler Blackwell p. Grayson Carroll (Trinity) (1:00)
3rd Place Match – Benjamin Dyer (Parkwood) tech. fall Styler Blackwell, 17-1
VARSITY BOYS 215
Champ. Round 2 – Isaiah Staley (Polk County) p. Michael Wagner (South Rowan) (0:52)
Quarterfinal – Avery Small (Mallard Creek) tech. fall Isaiah Staley, 17-1
Cons. Round 4 – Isaiah Staley d. JaShonn Fayne (East Mecklenburg), 7-4
Cons. Round 5 – Amani Vern (David W. Butler) won in sudden victory over Isaiah Staley, 7-4
VARSITY BOYS 285
Champ. Round 1 – William Johnson (Charlotte Catholic) maj. dec. Tanner McKinney (Polk County), 17-4
Cons. Round 1 – Tanner McKinney won in sudden victory over Kiel Frederick (Bradford Preparatory), 2-1
Cons. Round 2 – Tanner McKinney d. Shawn Scott (Deep Creek), 2-1
Cons. Round 3 – Namarih Byrd (Tallwood) p. Tanner McKinney (1:43)
