Local high school wrestling teams are already well into their seasons, and the North Gwinnett Voice asked coaches to highlight wrestlers to watch as the season progresses.
Buford High School
Buford High School head wrestling coach Tom Beuglas named Maddox McArthur, Drew Gorman and Tyler Henley as his top three standout wrestlers.
McArthur, a freshman weighing in at 120 pounds, holds a record of 17-1 this season. He was named champion at the Lassiter Invitational, the Buford Invitational and the Archer Invitational as well as placing second at South Slam. Coach Beuglas described him as, “an outstanding technical wrestler (who) should be one of the top finishers at the State Tournament.”
Gorman, another freshman who weighs in at 126 pounds, boasts a 19-1 record. He too was champion at the Lassiter, Buford and Archer invitationals, and he placed second at South Slam. He was also named All American last summer at Fargo in the Freestyle and Greco Roman events. Gorman is ranked No. 19 in the country by Flo Wrestling.
Henley is a 132-pound senior at Buford with a record of 17-2. He was champion at the Buford Invitational and Archer Invitational and came in third at the Lassiter Invitational. He has also placed third in state as a sophomore and junior, so his prospects for this year are very strong.
Buford’s wrestlers compete next in the Gwinnett County Championships on Wednesday, Dec. 22, and Thursday, Dec. 23, at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee.
North Gwinnett High School
Kyle McKee, head wrestling coach at North Gwinnett High School, chose to highlight two of his top wrestlers, Kiernan Sherwood and Haley Zinninger.
Sherwood is a senior and returning state placer competing at 170 pounds. He is undefeated this season with an 18-0 record. Regarding his star man, McKee said, “Keirnan is a very hard-working wrestler, he’s a great leader in the room and has a drive this year to finish his high school career as a State Champion. He’s also hoping that a good senior year will allow him to continue his wrestling career in college.”
Zinninger is also a returning senior and a starter in the varsity lineup weighing in at 106 pounds. She placed in the GHSA girls wrestling tournament last year and is working hard to win the state title this season. Commenting on the standout wrestler’s performance, McKee said, “She has been competing against the boys all season and has racked up a lot of wins and is ready to wrestle the girls in the Girls State Tournament again.”
Next up for the Bulldogs is the Gwinnett County Championships.
Lanier High School
Lanier High School’s head wrestling coach, Nick Brenner, highlighted Tyler Ramos and Cabe Doker.
Ramos is a sophomore who wrestles in the 106 and 113 weight classes. His record this season is 19-2, and he is second in the region for 2021. Ramos is also a returning state qualifier.
Docker is a junior who wrestles in the 113 and 120 classes, and he is also 19-2 this season and second in the region for 2021. Additionally, Docker was a state runner-up for 2021, as well as the Gwinnett County Tournament champion for 2021.
The Longhorns will compete next in the Gwinnett County Championships at North Gwinnett.
