Virgil takes second at 2A regional, earning state tourney trip

Polk County junior Jadyn Virgil is bound for the state 2A wrestling tournament.

Virgil finished second Saturday in the 182-pound weight class at the 2A West Regional at West Lincoln, punching his ticket to the 2A state championships that begin Thursday in Greensboro.

Virgil won three straight matches on Friday and Saturday to reach the 182-pound final, where he faced West Lincoln’s Mason Avery. The senior, who entered with a sparkling 43-2 record this season, scored an early takedown and went to to decision Virgil, 8-0.

Virgil is the first Polk County wrestler to qualify for the state 2A championships since Chase Emory in 2015 and the first to reach the state meet in any level since the trio of Satchel McCoy, Bryson McCraw and Jacob Knighton in 2021.

Virgil was one of nine Wolverine wrestlers to qualify for the regional. Four others won at least one match, including Alex Martin, who scored two wins in the 120-pound bracket before being eliminated in a hard-fought 6-2 decision to Owen’s John Bryson Perkins.

Eight of the nine are slated to return to Polk County next season.

NCHSAA 2A West Regional
Polk County results
113
Champ. Round 1 – Cody Bryant (East Burke) p. Carter Wade (Polk County)
Cons. Round 1 – Carter Wade d. Joshua Orellana (West Wilkes), 3-2
Cons. Round 2 – Matthew Davis (Lincolnton) p. Carter Wade

120
Champ. Round 1 – Christian Wylie (Maiden) p. Alex Martin (Polk County)
Cons. Round 1 – Alex Martin p. Brandon Rosales (Wilkes Central)
Cons. Round 2 – Alex Martin won by forfeit over Devan Ramsey (Chase)
Cons. Round 3 – John Bryson Perkins (Owen) d. Alex Martin, 6-2

126
Champ. Round 1 – Luke Parker (Patton) p. Aiden Billings (Polk County)
Cons. Round 1 – Tyrek Campbell (West Caldwell) d. Aiden Billings, 6-3

138
Champ. Round 1 – Carson Bell (Polk County) p. Isaiah Granja-sosa (East Rutherford)
Quarterfinal – Connor Shumate (Newton-Conover) p. Carson Bell
Cons. Round 2 – Ben South (North Wilkes) p. Carson Bell

145
Champ. Round 1 – Zachary Beard (Maiden) p. Logan Nodine (Polk County)
Cons. Round 1 – Logan Nodine p. Kendon Bumgarner (West Wilkes)
Cons. Round 2 – Hayden Snethen (R-S Central) p. Logan Nodine

160
Champ. Round 1 – Alex Ashley (Hendersonville) d. Zalen McCraw (Polk County), 4-2
Cons. Round 1 – Zakary Bloom (West Caldwell) d. Zalen McCraw, 10-6

182
Champ. Round 1 – Jadyn Virgil (Polk County) p. Bryan Hernandez (Madison)
Quarterfinal – Jadyn Virgil d. Zion Brown (Brevard), 6-4
Semifinal – Jadyn Virgil d. Izreal Wrighton (Shelby), 11-7
1st Place Match – Mason Avery (West Lincoln) maj. dec. Jadyn Virgil, 8-0

195
Champ. Round 1 – Alex Maximov (Hendersonville) p. Dakota Ridings (Polk County)
Cons. Round 1 – Kav`lon Vaz (Shelby) p. Dakota Ridings

285
Champ. Round 1 – Mykie Xiong (Newton Conover) p. Kam Montgomery (Polk County)
Cons. Round 1 – Camden Sain (West Lincoln) p. Kam Montgomery