The Avery wrestling team was active over the weekend with a pair of early-season events. As the Avery and Ashe County basketball teams squared off Friday night, the Big Red grapplers traveled to Jefferson to take on the Ashe County wrestling squad. Despite a strong effort, the Vikings fell in a hard-fought meet by a 48-28 final score.Avery’s lighter weight wrestlers Bennett Sweat (103 lbs.) and Jacob McKinney (112 lbs.) picked up forfeit victories.
Other Vikings visiting the winner’s circle on Friday night were Nick Malgadey by 20-8 majority decision at 119 pounds, Forrest Sickler by first period pinfall at 135 pounds, and Lucas Lecka by second period pinfall at 189 pounds.
Following the tournament the Vikings had an early morning on Saturday as they participated back at Ashe County High School in the Ashe County Invitational.
Avery began the meet with a dual against the North Iredell Raiders, dropping the meet by a 64-15 final match score. Victors in the North Iredell match included Nick Malgadey by third period pin (112 lbs.), Brock Yackey by 9-2 decision at 119 pounds, Anthony Varacalli by second period pin (145 lbs.), and Lucas Lecka by first period pinfall at 189 pounds.
In the team’s second dual, the team wrestled an even dual against the Grayson County losing by a final score of 43-42. The two squads tied following the match’s conclusion, and the sixth criterion was used to determine a winner, which was which team scored the highest number of first points. Each team had one forfeit apiece, and six pins for each team, but Grayson scored the first point in seven matches to Avery’s five matches.
Winners in the Grayson meet included Bennett Sweat at 103 pounds (second period pinfall), Nick Malgadey at 112 pounds (second period pinfall), Brock Yackey at 119 pounds (second period pin), Anthony Varacalli by forfeit at 145 pounds, Jose Munoz by first period pin at 152 pounds, Lucas Lecka by pinfall in 20 seconds at 189 pounds, and Justin Crowder by first period pinfall at 215 pounds.
The Vikings were dominant in picking up its first dual meet victory in the tournament, routing 1A foe East Wilkes by a final score of 66-18. East Wilkes picked up 12 of its 18 points by forfeit victories. Winners in the dual included Sweat by forfeit (103 lbs.), Malgadey by first period pin (112 lbs.), Yackey by second period pin (119 lbs.), and Tyler Long by first period pin (125 lbs.). Forfeit victories were earned by Bryan Moody (140 lbs.), Varacalli (145 lbs.), Jose Munoz (152 lbs.), Trent Mitchell (160 lbs.), C.J. Vance (171 lbs.), Nathaniel Buchanan (215 lbs.), and Crowder (heavyweight).
Avery copied the feat in its next dual against Holston High School, winning by the same 66-18 meet score. Forfeit winners in the dual included Sweat, McKinney, Malgadey, Yackey, Long, Varacalli, and Lecka. Sickler won by second period pinfall at 135 pounds, with a victory by first period pin at 140 pounds by Moody. C.J. Vance (171 lbs.) and Justin Crowder (Hvy.) were both victorious in their respective matches by second period pinfall.
In the final dual meet of the day, Avery fell 51-28 to Galax High School. Match winners included Malgadey (majority decision 22-10 at 119 lbs.), Sickler (forfeit at 135 lbs.), Varacalli (first period pin at 145 lbs.), Jose Munoz (first period pin at 152 lbs.), Mitchell (first period pin at 160 lbs.), and C.J. Vance (second period pin at 171 lbs.).
To date, the best individual records on the Vikings team go to Anthony Varacalli (10-1 overall), with Sweat, Malgadey, Yackey, and Jose Munoz each holding records of 7-4 overall on the young season. Vance is also over .500 with a 3-2 mark in five matches this season.
Avery holds a dual meet on Thursday night against rival Watauga at Viking Gym starting at 6 p.m., and travels to Tuscola High School in Waynesville on Saturday for the NEO Invitational.
