The 2nd stop on the road to Macon are the sectional tournaments which take place this weekend across the state. On the boys side … there are two sectional tournaments in each classification around the state with the top 8 from each advancing to the State Tournament next week in Macon. On the girls side … there are four sectional tournaments in one class and the top 4 advance to the State Tournament.

This is not a full preview of each section bracket, but it will provide some numbers, some names, and an assortment of other information you might interesting. We begin with an announcement … Lucas and I will be hosting a preview show for each class on Sunday (and I’ll also be hosting the Girls preview show with a special guest). Look for each show to drop on the SEWrestle Youtube Channel early next week. Second, we have been working diligently on a Fan’s Guide for each class and those will be available early next week for download. Be sure to clear up some space on your phone … each (classification) is 50 pages of State Tournament information.

Things to Know About Sectionals:

Follow the links below to each Section Tournament on trackwrestling.

6A

• Section A (Region 1, 2, 3, 5) is at Valdosta

• Section B (Region 4, 6, 7, 8) is at South Forsyth

5A

• Section A (Region 2, 4, 6, 7) is at Houston County

• Section B (Region 1, 3, 5, 8) is at Brunswick

4A

• Section A (Region 1, 3, 5, 7) is at Harris County

• Section B (Region 2, 4, 6, 8) is at Cambridge

3A

• Section A (Area 2, 4, 5, 8) is at LaGrange

• Section B (Area 1, 3, 6, 7) is at Chestatee

2A

• Section A (Area 2, 4, 6, 7) is at North Murray

• Section B (Area 1, 3, 5, 8) is at Columbus

1A

• Section A (Area 2, 4, 6, 7) is at Social Circle

• Section B (Area 1, 3, 5, 8) is at Jeff Davis

Girls

• Section A (Area 1, 2) is at Houston County

• Section B (Area 3, 4) is at Central Gwinnett

• Section C (Area 5, 6) is at Carver, Columbus

• Section D (Area 7, 8) is at East Jackson

NOTE: All mention of previous State Placers or Qualifiers is referring to last year).

Girls

• 3 teams (Campbell, Jackson County, and Lumpkin County) qualified all 14 for Sectionals

• 9 teams (Carrollton, Gainesville, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Jordan, Long County, Osborne, Richmond Hill, and Southeast Whitfield) qualified 13 for Sectionals

• The following numbers are across all Sections:

  • 100 has 4 returning State Placers and 2 State Qualifiers

  • 105 - 3 State Placers; 7 State Qualifiers

  • 110 - 2 State Placers; 2 State Qualifiers

  • 115 - 4 State Placers (plus a 2023 State Champion); 2 State Qualifiers

  • 120 - 4 State Placers; 2 State Qualifiers

  • 125 - 5 State Placers; 4 State Qualifiers

  • 130 - 7 State Placers; 1 State Qualifier

  • 135 - 4 State Placers; 3 State Qualifiers

  • 140 - 1 State Champ; 4 State Qualifiers

  • 145 - Only weight to feature 2 returning State Champs; 4 State Placers; 2 State Qualifiers

  • 155 - 5 State Placers; 3 State Qualifiers

  • 170 - 3 State Placers; 3 State Qualifiers

  • 190 - 3 State Placers; 1 State Qualifier

  • 235 - 2 State Placers; 5 State Qualifiers

• 7 of the 14 weights do not have a returning State Champion

• 5 weights feature a wrestler that will be looking for her 3rd State Title

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  Boys

• 6A

  • Most returning State Placers/Qualifiers:

    • Buford and Camden (8)

    • Tift County, Mill Creek, Colquitt County, and Carrollton (5)

    • Archer, Brookwood, and Mountain View (4)

  • Every weight has a returning State Champ except 126, 157, 165, 215, and 285

  • 138 features 3 2x State Champions in Maddox McArthur, Hunter Prosen, and Blue Stiffler (Stiffler has won 1 Georgia title and 1 South Carolina title).

  • 132 features the most returning wrestles with State Tournament experience (11 - 7 Placers and 4 Qualifiers)

• 5A

  • Creekview (your 2025 State Duals Champions) has the most returning Placers/Qualifiers with 7

  • Coffee and South Effingham each have 6 with 3 schools having 4 (Jackson County, Loganville, and Glynn Academy)

  • There will be many new Champions in 5A in 2025 … just 3 weights feature a returning State Champ:

    • Isaac Hoshide of Lassiter at 120

    • Clayton Hicks of Brunswick at 132

    • Robby DeHaven of Woodward Academy at 165

  • 120 features 11 wrestlers with State Tournament experience, 126 has 10 with 2024 experience

• 4A

  • Central Carroll has the most returning State Placers/Qualifiers with 7; Woodland (Cartersville), Ware County and 2025 State Dual Champion Cass has 6 and 4 teams have 5.

  • Two of the best weight classes in the state are in 4A with 138 and 190

    • 138 features State Champions Colson Hoffman of Central Carroll and Hunter Keane of Cambridge as well as 4 other State Placers

    • 190 features State Champions Kirecg Roe of Cass and Griffin Harper of Flowery Branch as well as State Runners-up Xander Dossett of Ola and Easton Boren of Harris County as well as 5 returning State Qualifiers.

  • 106, 113, 144, 165, 215, and 285 do not feature a returning State Champ

  • 285 only has one returning State Placer still in the field (Amir Ferguson of SW DeKalb who was 3rd at 285).

• 3A

  • Jefferson return 6 2024 placers/qualifiers that are still in the hunt for a return trip (including returning State Champs Roman Belardo and Dallas Russell).

  • Harlem and White County each have 5 with Upson Lee, NW Whitfield, and Lumpkin County each with 4.

  • Just 4 2024 State Champs are still in the hunt for another title and we mentioned two of them above (Belardo and Russell). JT Bowers of West Laurens and Nathan Nielsen are the two others.

  • No weight has an abundance of returning placers/qualifiers and there are two weights (138 and 144) where there are no returning State Placers still in the field.

• 2A

  • Cook County brings the most wrestlers to sectionals that were in Macon in 2024 (8 - 5 Placers and 3 Qualifiers)

  • Columbus and East Jackson each have 6 (Columbus has 3 returning State Champions in Carter Dixon, Mason Persons, and Ethan Secoy). Coahulla Creek and Ringgold have 5 each. Rockmart and Lovett each have 4 and both have 2 returning State Champs wrestling this weekend at Sectionals.

  • 138 and 175 have the most returning placers/qualifiers at 10 a piece. Both have a majority of those 10 being returning qualifiers. 144 returns the most placers with 6 including returning Champ Persons.

  • 150 is the only weight to return 2 State Champs - Kristopher McGinnis of Murray County and Pierce Pennington of Ringgold.

• 1A

  • 130 wrestlers are still in the field as we head to sectionals that either placed or qualified in 2024. 1A is deep.

  • Social Circle leads all teams with 9 returning Placers/qualifiers. Brantley County and Bremen each return 8. Toombs County, McIntosh County Academy, and Commerce have 6 each that placed/qualified in 2024.

  • 7 of the 14 weights have 10 ore more wrestlers that placed or qualified in 2024.

  • 3 weights (120, 132, and 138) have multiple 2024 State Champions

  • 120 features Graysen Cooper of Bremen and Cohen Hargrove of Social Circle as well as 3 other Placers and 7 other qualifiers

  • 132 features James Sievers of Social Circle and Jonathon Westberry of Brantley County as well as 4 other Placers and 5 2024 State Qualifiers

  • 138 features CJ Duren of Social Circle and Dallon Lowe of Brantley County as well as 5 other State Placers and 3 State Qualifiers.

We are kind of looking ahead to what we might see in Macon, but in reality - each of the names above must handle business this weekend if they are going to get a shot at making a run for a title next week. Best of luck to everyone this weekend as you look to punch your ticket to Macon.