Polk County sophomore Efrain Rivera earned the 100th win of his career Sunday with a nice bonus – a berth in the state finals.
Rivera dominated South Stanly’s Kaiden Dahle, recording a 16-0 technical fall in his 1A state semifinal match to advance to Monday’s 120-pound final in Greensboro Coliseum. Rivera will face a familiar foe in the final in Avery senior Cooper Foster, a two-time defending state champion who defeated Rivera in last week’s 1A West Regional final.
Rivera is the first Polk County wrestler to reach the championship round since 2020, when Polk’s Preston Burnett earned a spot in the 132-pound final before falling to Avery’s River Griffith, who claimed his third state title.
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Rivera’s effort led Polk County’s showing for the first day of the 1A tourney. Three other Wolverines – Brody Wolfe, Styler Blackwell and Zalen McCraw – each won their first match of the day before falling in Sunday evening’s semifinal round. It marked the first time in school history that Polk has had four state semifinalists, with three the previous best.
All three, along with teammates Liam Jackson, Amon Villarreal, Jaxtyn Virgil, Carson Bell and Chester Wilson, will return to action in Monday morning’s consolation bracket. Consolations begin at 9 a.m., with those lasting throughout the day until the championship round, which is slated to begin at 4 p.m.
Semifinals
120
Efrain Rivera (PC) tech. fall Kaiden Dahle (South Stanly), 16-0
132
Stephen Ribustello (Tarboro) d. Brody Wolfe (PC), 11-5
157
Michael Mauro (Bradford Prep) d. Styler Blackwell (PC), 7-2
175
Elijah Williams (Union Academy) p. Zalen McCraw (PC) (Fall 1:44)
Quarterfinals
113
Holton Quincy (North East Carolina Prep) tech. fall Liam Jackson (PC), 16-0
120
Efrain Rivera p. Anton Pontoon (North Rowan) (Fall 1:24)
126
David Lambright (Eastern Randolph) d. Amon Villarreal (PC), 16-9
132
Brody Wolfe d. Brennan Worrell (Uwharrie Charter), 5-2
138
Ryan Mann (North East Carolina Prep) tech. fall Jaxtyn Virgil (PC), 15-0
157
Styler Blackwell tech. fall Jayden Linker (Union Academy), 21-6
165
Aiden Foster (Uwharrie Charter) tech. fall Carson Bell (PC), 18-3
175
Zalen McCraw p. Justin Joyce (South Stokes) (Fall 5:02)
190
Joseph Miller (Lejuene) p. Chester Wilson (PC) (Fall 1:05)
