55 has become one of Jerry Cox’s favorite numbers.
That’s the point total in a middle school wrestling match where victory is assured, where Cox knows for certain his Polk Middle squad has claimed another triumph on the mat.
It’s a total that Cox has seen a lot lately on the Wolverines’ side of the scoreboard, including Thursday, when the Wolverines topped Hendersonville Middle 78-27 in their final match before the holiday break.
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The win upped Polk Middle’s record this season to 9-0, with the Wolverines now holding a two-match lead over their nearest rivals in the Blue Ridge Conference East Division race. Having swept the East teams on their first pass through the schedule, the Wolverines now find themselves on track for a fourth straight division title.
And ready to keep working for more.
“Obviously, to roll into Christmas break undefeated is pretty special,” Cox said. “Next week we have a whole week of school and no matches. I was telling the kids that we’ve got a whole week of recovery and a whole week to hone in on stuff we’ve got to work on.
“We’re going to use it as a week of let’s go back to the drawing board, let’s see what we need to work on.”
That constant drive for improvement is one key reason why the Wolverines proudly keep track of another number – their streak of consecutive matches won. Thursday’s number boosted that total to 41, with Polk’s last loss a 49-42 playoff setback to Bethel Middle in January 2022.
Facing a rebuilding task this season after seeing most of last year’s undefeated team graduate, Cox didn’t expect the streak to continue. But he’s challenging this year’s team to prolong the winning for as long as possible.
“After two years, I really didn’t think about it,” Cox said. “In the back of my head, I was like, all our kids are gone, we’ll take it as far as we can, but I’m assuming we’ll probably lose this year. But now it is kind of in the back of my head.
“One thing I keep telling these kids, and we had a talk the other day, is that this is not their streak. They’re privileged enough to be hanging onto that streak because of the teams that came before them. Gavin (Waldbillig) and Silas (Amorelli) are the only ones that can really say that they’ve had a part in that streak because they’ve been here and they’ve started.
“So, really, we’re just privileged to keep the streak alive and try to keep it alive as long as we can.”
Many of the wrestlers who did play a part in the first 32 matches of that streak, now part of Polk County High’s program, returned Thursday to support the current Wolverines. The high school wrestlers stood in and around Polk Middle’s team area, cheering and offering support.
“It’s pretty cool to see those kids,” Cox said. “We have so many good kids at the high school, not just on the mat. When you get kids in high school coming and coaching over and over again, that’s special.
“I know the middle school kids enjoyed it. These kids obviously enjoy those eyes on them.”
POLK MIDDLE 78, HENDERSONVILLE MIDDLE 27
76: Lucas Leclair (H) by forfeit
83: Ethan Dotson (PC) p. Fred Huscher
90: Silas Amorelli (PC) p. Charlie Rainey
98: Jared Contreras (PC) p. Henry Delizza
106: Rhys Jackson (PC) injury default over Holden Killebrew
113: Chase Killebrew (H) d. Oakley McDowell, 8-5
120: Riley Morgan (PC) p. Tucker Williamson
125: Gavin Waldbillig (PC) p. Jacob Retzbach
132: Alex Labreche (PC) p. Mattie Mains
138: James Logan (PC) p. Eli Guerra
145: Matthew Sokil (PC) p. Shelby Kleinknecht
150: Gage Rose (H) p. Easton Queen
157: Andy Serrano (PC) p. Matt Retzbach
165: Tyson Jackson (H) by forfeit
175: Brian Maximov (H) p. Michael Jenkinson
190: Xander Worley (PC) p. Daniel Gooding
212: Hudson Hyde (PC) p. Nathaniel Tihpen
HWT: Gabe Nelon (PC) p. Charles Page
