Polk wrestlers begin drive for state duals berth against Avery

The date has been circled on the calendar of Polk County head wrestling coach Phillip Miller for some time.

January 6 – the start of the Wolverines’ Western Highlands Conference schedule.

“January 6 is here,” Miller said. “We’d better be ready because it’s here.”

Polk County begins its quest to earn a 2A dual team playoffs berth on Tuesday, hosting WHC foe Avery and non-conference foe Rosman in a tri-match at Polk County. The Wolverines will wrestle Avery at 5 p.m., with Avery-Rosman and Polk County-Rosman matches to follow.

The Wolverines are certainly not overlooking Rosman, but it’s the conference match with Avery that is their focus. Polk County needs to finish as one of the top two 2A squads in the conference to earn an automatic berth in the state duals.

“We’re excited,” Miller said. “We’re actually going to field a full team for the first time in maybe five years. We’re excited about that.”

Sophomore Marquise Lipscomb, who competed last season, has rejoined the team and will compete as a heavyweight for the Wolverines, who expect to have everyone available to compete except freshman Braden Miller (injury).

“We won’t have Braden, but we’re going to move some people around and fill all the weight classes,” Miller said.

Avery has three wrestlers in this week’s state 1A rankings – Cody Daniels at 106, Ryan Sheppard at 195 and Kyle Ward at 220. Polk County’s Chase Emory, coming off a huge win at the Osley B. Saunooke tourney in Cherokee, earned a honorable mention in the 2A rankings and is part of a solid middleweight group for the Wolverines.

“Our middleweights are as good as anybody you’ll find,” Miller said. “Our little guys are getting better. Our 106 (Triston Watkins) is 15-5. He told us before the year started that he didn’t know if he would win a match, and he’s 15-5.

“We’re still thinking about Rosman, but the one thing that we want to do is go 1-0 in the conference. That’s our goal.”