After a dominant showing in sectionals, four Darlington wrestlers made it to state. The wrestlers showed out in the state championship, with senior Jack Chandler placing fourth and senior Aden Davis placing fifth.
“Our coaches motivated us throughout the sectionals and state championships. They helped us stay calm and helped alleviate the pressure on us,” Davis said. “The team spirit was also very high, we supported each other throughout the tournaments and got amazing results.”
Performing on a massive platform, the team put their heads down and were prosperous in the tournaments. The team didn’t underestimate the importance of the tournament. They changed their routines to be in the best state possible physically and mentally for the tournaments.
“We didn’t want to injure ourselves or wear ourselves out,” Davis said, “so we took the initiative to go on runs and recover well. However, whenever we wrestled, the intensity was high. I feel like this set us up for success.”
Their preparation definitely paid off. Five wrestlers and one alternate made it to sectionals. These included freshman Ty Wood, senior Jack Chandler, senior Aden Davis, junior Sam Wooten, and senior Hendrix Jones.
“The team performed very well. I was impressed by the standard they wrestled at,” wrestling coach Garvin Edwards said. “They were up against tough opponents but they wrestled with no fear and overcame their obstacles.”
Their impressive performances earned 4 of them state qualifications, earning two top-five placements.
“The atmosphere was completely different,” Davis said. “We were in the Macon Centreplex. It got some of us in our heads but as soon as we started wrestling, we felt fine. All in all, as a team we did very well. Everyone that made it wrestled and made it to the last day.”