Trinity wins dual-team wrestling title
· Yahoo Sports
TRINITY – Trinity worked hard and stayed focused all the way to the end. It led to another state championship for the Bulldogs.
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Trinity, the top seed in the East, finished with a trio of strong performances – beating No. 13 Ayden-Grifton 71-6 in the regional semifinals, No. 2 Wheatmore 56-21 in the regional final and West Lincoln, No. 5 in the West, 42-33 in the state final – to win the NCHSAA 3A dual-team wrestling title Tuesday at Wheatmore.
The Bulldogs captured their second dual-team championship after also winning 2024 and the program's fifth state championship overall.
"To be where we are with what we thought was a rebuilding year, it's pretty special," Trinity coach Brandon Coggins said. "It's a testimony to these kids. Day in and day out, they've been working really hard. They achieved something that's always a goal, but we didn't know if it was attainable."
The Bulldogs were dominant in the championship match – as they have been all season. They quickly raced out to a 30-point lead, sealed it with one final win and forfeited the remaining matches for the finishing score.
Edgar Vasquez was named the MVP.
"Dude, it feels great," said Joseph Trahan, a senior standout all season at 285 pounds. "I wouldn't rather it be with any other team than this one. With it being my last year, everybody's put in the hard work.
"Everybody worked their butt off in the room in the offseason. Obviously, it feels amazing, but I wouldn't want it to be with any other team. I would not change a single thing about it."
Stephen Cross won with a technical fall 17-2 at 120 pounds to start the match. Vasquez at 126 and Omega Edge at 132 followed with quick pins for a 17-0 lead. After losing a decision at 138, Trinity won the next four.
Hezekyah Matson won on a pin at 144. Simeon Hammett followed with a technical fall 21-6 at 150, Addam Bernal won on a pin at 157, and Haris Idress won on another technical fall 18-2 at 165.
After a forfeit at 175, the Bulldogs clinched on an 11-8 decision by Anees Khan.
"This is one of the best feelings in my life," Trahan said. "I, without a doubt, believe that. The others obviously being getting married and having children. But besides that, this is the best feeling I'll experience. Especially being able to do it twice – it feels great."
Trinity – which individual championships in 1980 and 2012, as well as a Western North Carolina title in 1977 – finished its dual-team season at 33-0.
The Bulldogs, with their younger wrestlers outnumbering the older ones, didn't initially expect to contend for a state title. But that changed as they continued to work throughout the season.
"They've just been staying focused and working," Coggins said. "That's again just a testimony to them. At the beginning of the season, me and the other coaches were talking in private and we did not see this. I think a lot of it is practice – you're going to sink or swim."
The Bulldogs, who had nine regional champions and 12 of their 13 wrestlers qualify, will finish their season this weekend in the individual state championships in Greensboro. The girls will start Thursday and the boys will start Friday.
"It's huge," Coggins said. "We've got freshmen in the lineup. We've got second-year wrestlers in the lineup. And it's just a testimony to the work they put in and continue to develop over time. So, it's a great way to end the first part of the end of the season."