The potential for state-level success exists this season for Polk County’s wrestling team.
And while the Wolverines opened the dual match portion of their schedule Wednesday with a sweep of Madison and Crest, head coach Mark Emory wasn’t ready to fully celebrate the two victories as steps on that journey.
“We’ve still got a lot to work on,” Emory said. “We’ve got to work to get better every day.”
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Polk handed Madison a 47-31 defeat before closing the evening with a 65-14 victory over Crest. Liam Jackson and Zalen McCraw earned a pair of victories by falls while a handful of other Wolverines grabbed two wins with a combination of forfeits and on-mat decisions.
Polk County came within a win last season of reaching the 1A West Regional final, and the Wolverines have plenty of experience returning from that squad. Though state runner-up Efrain Rivera moved to South Carolina in the offseason, Polk returns a pair of wrestlers with 100-plus career wins in McCraw and Amon Villarreal, 2025 regional champion Styler Blackwell and experienced talent in Liam Jackson, Brody Wolfe, Jaxtyn Virgil, Zach McCraw, Cole Huntley and Connor Ahlert.
Though in his first season as head coach, Emory is also no stranger to the program, having served as an assistant in previous seasons. So the veteran coach knows that the Wolverines have the opportunity to be a factor in conference, regional and state conversations.
“I like their determination. They’re determined to win, and we think we can,” he said. “We think we’re one of the top teams in the state in 3A.
“We’ve got to get our football players in shape, and we’ve got to just keep working every day to be better.”
Polk County will be back in action Saturday, hosting South Caldwell, East Henderson, Lake Norman, Andrews and Kings Mountain for the Wolverine Duals.
POLK COUNTY 47, MADISON 31
106: Silas Amorelli (PC) by forfeit
113: Cole Huntley (PC) by forfeit
120: Clay Jamerson (M) by forfeit
126: Liam Jackson (PC) p. LA Sesena
132: Alexander Cecil (M) d. Amon Villarreal, 8-5
138: Corbin Young (M) maj. dec. Connor Ahlert, 13-4
144: Jaxtyn Virgil (PC) by forfeit
150: Brody Wolfe (PC) by forfeit
157: Carson Bell (PC) by forfeit
165: Colton Jessup (M) p. Zach McCraw
175: Zalen McCraw (PC) p. Judson Beaver
190: Styler Blackwell (PC) tech. fall Jayden Garrett, 16-1
215: Max Shelton (M) p. Isaiah Staley
HWT: Peyton Jessup (M) p. Tanner McKinney
POLK COUNTY 65, CREST 14
106: Silas Amorelli (PC) by forfeit
113: Cole Huntley (PC) p. Landon Jackson
120: William Hammond (C) by forfeit
126: Liam Jackson (PC) p. Cooper Thomas
132: Amon Villarreal (PC) p. Ian Wilkins
138: Kaiden Deaton (C) tech. fall Connor Ahlert, 19-3
144: Kolton Deaton (C) d, Jaxtyn Virgil, 3-1
150: Brody Wolfe (PC) tech. fall Weston Sprouse, 17-0
157: Carson Bell (PC) p. Luke Rowell
165: Zach McCraw (PC) p. Brysen Chapman
175: Zalen McCraw (PC) p. Levi Rowell
190: Styler Blackwell (PC) by forfeit
215: Isaiah Staley (PC) p. Brayton Greene
HWT: Tanner McKinney (PC) p. Aedan Lail
