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By Staff
Hartselle wins North Sectional Title; 13 wrestlers heading to state competition
SCOTTSBORO – For the second year in a row the Hartselle Tigers won the Class 5A North Alabama Sectional Championship and will be competing for a state title in Pelham this weekend.
Hartselle ran away with the title, scoring 240.5 points. Its nearest competitor, Huntsville, managed 194 points, while Fort Payne came in third with 149.5 points.
"I wasn't real sure how we would do," head coach Keith Corder said. "We were sick last week and had to cancel a match, but we wrestled as good as any team I've ever had. I hope it carries over into this weekend."
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday, the Tigers will compete for the state championship in Pelham at the Civic Center. Last year, Hartselle placed third in the state.
"I just hope we can go down there and place in the top four," Corder said. "There's going to be a lot of good competition down there."
As for the North Sectional Tournament, four Hartselle wrestlers came home with individual championships. Luke Mize (125), Corey Farmer (140), Matt Owens (171) and Adam Faulk (189) each won titles.
Faulk's match against Fort Payne's Dustin Holcomb was voted "Best Match" by the coaches. Faulk upset Holcomb, who is ranked third in the state and heavily favored for the state championship, 5-1.
A total of 13 out 14 Hartselle wrestlers will compete in Pelham at the state championship. That's more than any other 5A team.
Corder said having 13 go is great, but it does not guarantee an easier time.
"It's like going to a gun fight with 13 bullets when the other guy has 10," he said. "You can miss on all 13 of yours, and the other guy can hit you. So, it really doesn't matter how many you take down there. We just have to be ready.
"We've had good practices this week and I hope we can go down there and compete for a state title."
When Corder's team won the state title in 2000, he took just 10 wrestlers to the tournament.
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Results from the Class 5A North Sectional
Team Standings:
1. Hartselle 240.5
2. Huntsville 194
3. Fort Payne 149.5
4. Scottsboro 130
5. Arab 129
6. Oxford 70
7. Athens 50
8. Southside 36
9. Buckhorn 34
10. R.E. Lee 30
11. Butler NS
Individual Results (Hartselle):
112 – Hunter Brasher, third.
119 – Brett Bidwell, third.
125 – Luke Mize, champion.
130 – Dennis Smith, runner-up.
135 – Andrew Watson, third.
140 – Corey Farmer, champion.
145 – Alex Sexton, third.
152 – Kurt Hamilton, runner-up.
160 – Ben Eubanks, runner-up.
171 – Matt Owens, champion.
189 – Adam Faulk, champion.
215 – Travis Lightle, fourth.
275 – Michael Klaver, third.