SCMAT Exclusive Wrestling Article 9-23-24

SCMAT Exclusive Wrestling Article 9-23-24

2024-2025 SC Wrestling Season Preview #2 - 9-23-24

Fort Mill 2024 5A State Champions

Season Preview #2 will cover 3 key topics for the 5A classification as well as extra coverage of Throwdown on the Yorktown.

SCHSL Realignment impacts to 5A

Impact #1 - 5A State Duals will crown two champions - Division 1 and Division 2.

Impact #2 - 5A State Individuals will have all 5A teams together, 54 teams could send Qualifiers to State! Fortunately, 5A is expecting to expand the State Tournament to a 16-man bracket.

Here is a list of the teams in the two Divisions:

5A Division 1
Region 1: JL Mann, Mauldin
Region 2: Boiling Springs, Dorman, Byrnes, Spartanburg, Wade Hampton
Region 3: Clover, Rock Hill
Region 4: Dutch Fork, Lexington, River Bluff
Region 5: Blythewood, Ridge View, Spring Valley, Sumter
Region 6: Carolina Forest
Region 7: Cane Bay, Strantford, Wando
Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, James Island, Stall, Summerville, West Ashley

5A Division II
Region 1: Easley, Greenville, Greenwood, Hillcrest, TL Hanna, Woodmont
Region 2: Eastside, Gaffney, Riverside
Region 3: Catawba Ridge, Fort Mill, Indian Land, Nation Ford, Northwestern
Region 4: Chapin, Irmo, White Knoll
Region 5: Lugoff-Elgin, Westwood, West Florence
Region 6: Conway, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee, St. James
Region 7: Berkeley, Goose Creek, Lucy Beckham

5A is projected to have the deepest and most accomplished Individual Rankings list in S.C. History - with approximately 124 Returning State Placers/Qualifiers expected to compete in 5A. Most weight classes will have 8 key Returners. Some of the light weight classes could have 12 key Returners.

16 returning individual state champions are expected to wrestle in 5A.

Significant Transfer news - Jaelen Culp transferred from Kings Mountain, NC (3A) and will wrestle for Indian Land. Culp is a Junior and went 59-0 last season winning a state title at 157 in addition to finishing 4th as a freshman at 138.

Here are the stats that will propel 5A into the most competitive State Individual brackets in SC history:
Out of the 124 Returning State Placers/Qualifiers projected for 5A, the 4A teams moving up to 5A have 56 wrestlers in this total.
4A teams moving to 5A with the 56 key Returners are: Catawba Ridge, Eastside, Greenwood, Indian Land, Irmo, James Island, Lucy Beckham, Lugoff-Elgin, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Northwestern and Westwood. Greenville, Ridge View, Wade Hampton and West Florence also moved up from 4A to 5A.

Did SCMAT just quietly bring it up?

Eastside is in 5A now ... there, we just brought it up again.

Eastside has been dominant in 4A and 3A for decades ...often being considered the best wrestling team in S.C. during a number of past seasons - - - the move to 5A creates a few noteworthy mentions.

Eastside will be chasing some remarkable records this season ... and here is a short list:

Eastside has 75 consecutive Dual meet wins, and hopes to surpass Rock Hill's longest streak record of 89.

Coach Jack Kosmicki seeks to extend his record amongst coaches, as he pursues his 20th State Title. This may be a Coaches record that will never be broken in South Carolina. Of course, we once thought Coach Jim Barnes' record of 17 state titles would never be broken.

Coach Jack Kosmicki is 95-9 in S.C. State Duals - already a record. If Eastside wins the 16 team bracket with 5 dual wins, Coach Kosmicki would be the first coach to reach 100 wins in State Duals.

Eastside holds the record for Longest Consecutive State Championships Streak. Currently at 9 consecutive titles, they hope to be the first S.C. team to win 10 in a row.

Coach Jack Kosmicki has coached 97 Individual State Champions, currently the S.C. record. Could he be the first coach to reach 100?

Eastside and Rock Hill are currently tied at 19 state titles each - the most State Championships for a Team. Eastside could be the exclusive team at the top of the Recordbook with one more Team Title.

Will SC crown a first-time Team Champion in either 5A State Duals this year?

40 teams have won wrestling State Championships in SC - that is 25% of all SC teams with wrestling. With the SCHSL Realignment, where did all of these championship teams end up in each of the classifications?

10 teams in 5A Division 1 have won a wrestling State Championship and
7 teams in 5A Division 2 have won a wrestling State Championship.

In 5A, it is doubtful that a first-time champion will be crowned this season. Though, keep an eye on these Division 1 teams (Stratford, Carolina Forest and Boiling Springs) as well as these Division 2 teams (Goose Creek, Greenwood, Woodmont, White Knoll and TL Hanna) that will be contenders and seeking their first state title.

Each team listed below has their overall number of championships listed on the left and the title years on the right ... the 2025 champions are probably amongst these teams:

5A - Division 1
19 - Rock Hill - 1980,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1989,1990,1991,1994,1995,1996,1997,1999,2000,2009,2014,2015,2018
12 - Summerville - 1981,1987,1988,1992,1993,1998,2001,2002,2004,2005,2006,2008
2 - Fort Dorchester - 2007,2010
1 - Ashley Ridge - 2022
1 - Byrnes - 1981
1 - Dorman - 2016
1 - Dutch Fork - 2003
1 - James Island - 1993
1 - Lexington - 2013
1 - River Bluff - 2017

5A - Division 2
19 - Eastside - 2000,2002,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2013,2014,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024
6 - Lugoff-Elgin - 1997,1998,1999,2001,2003,2010
5 - Hillcrest - 2011,2012,2019,2020,2021
4 - Chapin - 1993,1996,1997,1998
2 - Fort Mill - 2023,2024
2 - Indian Land - 2019,2020
1 - Irmo - 1979

As interesting trivia, we will add these 3 teams under this week's coverage ...
Teams with State Championships - no longer wrestling due to merging with other schools
4 - St. Andrews - 1969,1970,1982,1984 - NOTE: St. Andrews merged with Middleton in 2000 to form West Ashley
2 - Fort Johnson - 1971,1980 - NOTE: Fort Johnson merged with James Island in 1983
1 - Bonds-Wilson - 1979 - NOTE: Bonds-Wilson was closed in 1985 and was replaced by Academic Magnet and Charleston County School of the Arts

Throwdown on the Yorktown

One of the most exciting events in SC wrestling history - Throwdown on the Yorktown - 1st-ever collegiate wrestling will occur on the flight deck of USS Yorktown - Veterans Day weekend, Friday, November 8 in Charleston SC.

Here are some additional details, including the 6 duals:

The schedule:
3:30 PM: Registration table opens for event wristbands and t-shirts
4:30 PM: Gates open
5:15 PM: National Anthem
5:30 PM: Wrestling matches begin
--- Lander v Newberry
--- University of Virginia v The Citadel
--- Army v Gardner-Webb
As soon as possible after first matches:
--- Presbyterian College women v Campbellsville women
--- Army v The Citadel
--- University of Virginia v Gardner-Webb
10:00 PM: Private after-party at New Realm Brewery
10:15 PM: Announcement of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2025 from the South Carolina Chapter
10:30 PM: Coaches' panel discussion

Flip through the Media Guide here (click the forward and backward arrows to flip through the pages):

Media Guide - Throwdown on the Yorktown

Next week on 9-30-24, SCMAT will have Season Preview #3 and cover the 4A classification.

If you notice any updates related to the Season Preview above, please send an email to scmat@hotmail.com

SCMAT ... South Carolina wrestling history.

thanks,

Mark Buford