February brought unprecedented wrestling glory for In the Game (Southeast) schools, which saw four schools crowned champions. For Appling County’s Damarko Dixon, it was a case of repeating as state champ while Camden County’s Alex Diaz added to his school’s list of title winners. Elsewhere, Pierce County’s Dustin Bryant and Ware County’s Jacob Allen made history for each of their respective schools. ITG salutes these young titans who crowned their prep careers the as best of the best.
Jacob Allen, Ware County High School
195 lbs, Class AAAAA
Allen, the son of James Allen and Maria Allen, spent most of the season as the top-ranked 195-pound wrestler in class 5A. The Gator captain’s history-making feat came on the heels of placing third in the 182-pound class as a junior. In the state finals at Loganville High, Allen advanced out of the gates by pinning Noah Hamevious of Thomas County Central. Allen next beat Clarke Central’s Blake Mustard via decision before pinning Sean Klasson of Rome. Allen finally outpointed (10-7) Isaiah Ross of Woodland in the finals to claim ultimate victory.
“Jacob is a great example of an athlete who set his goals early in his career and then did what it took to achieve them,” says WCHS head coach Joe Eichfeld.
Allen posted more than 40 victories this season on the way to winning the state title. He has drawn interest from colleges including UT-Chattanooga and Gardner-Webb. He is most proud of having achieved his elite feat alongside Gator teammates and fellow state finishers Luke Littlefield (second place, 113 lbs) and Jake Gourley (fourth place, 138 lbs).
“We all wrestled together from the time we were in the fifth grade,” says Allen. “That trio is like a band of brothers that made it all the way to state. Winning a state title has been my goal since I was a freshman. I saw the celebration reels from others and had it in my head that I’m going to be one of those guys. My senior year came up, and I was working my best. I had a few bumps here and there. When I made it to the final I thought, ‘This is a dream. This is the time to do what needs to be done.’”
Dustin Bryant, Pierce County High School
285 lbs, Class AAA
Bryant, the son of Andy Bryant and Jenny Bryant, won the 285-pound title at the class 3A crown, becoming the first Bears grappler in history to cop such an honor (teammate Chago Ramirez placed third at 132 pounds). Bryant punched his ticket to Buford after winning the area title. He then advanced through the bracket at the state tourney, beating Rockmart’s Spencer Huth (fall), Callaway’s Brandon Sutton (5-2 decision), and Elbert County’s Ken Allen (fall).
“Dustin has amazing strength and athleticism,” says PCHS head coach Brandon Jernigan. “He will be hard to replace. He was a tremendous leader by actions this season and will always have a place in the tradition of PCHS wrestling.”
Bryant’s 34 victories this season included 27 pins. Not bad for a guy who only weighed 246, nearly 40 pounds under his weight class limit. He’s now mulling offers to wrestle at either Brewton-Parker College or Bacone (Oklahoma) College. Bryan notes his title-clinching victory was a particularly sweet way to cap his high school career.
“I knew that I had lost to Allen,” says Bryant. “I believe his record was 50-2 while mine was 34-3. I went into the start of the match knowing in my head that I was going to win, that he wasn’t going to beat me again. Before I knew it, I was on my back for a second. Then I flipped over and put him in a quarter crank, pinning him with about 17 seconds left. When I heard them hit the mat, I went crazy, sprinting all over the place looking for people I knew. It is a great experience that is like no other in the world, and I will always remember that three and a half minutes.”
Alex Diaz, Camden County High School
170 lbs, Class AAAAAA
Diaz, the son of Marylee Lebrun, overcame significant hardships this season en route to glory. He lost the tip of a middle finger after smashing it with a dumbbell in September. He then injured an ankle two weeks before area competition. Still, Diaz soldiered on and captured the area, sectional, and state titles. He went 52-4, mostly as a 170-pounder after starting the season at 182. Last season, he competed at 195.
“Alex has a good combination of technique, athleticism, and perseverance which catapulted him to a state championship,” says CCHS head coach Jess Wilder. “From an athletic stand point, he isn’t flashy, but when he moves, he moves well.”
Diaz pinned Tai-John Berry of Westlake and Cameryn Bryant of Grayson to open the state tourney. He then earned decisions over Rodney Jones of Duluth before downing Jonathan Gates of Marietta to win the state title. Diaz says he has likely wrestled for the final time. He joined the Army National Guard and will soon move to Houston, where he’ll work and attend college. The humble Diaz gives much of the credit for his exploits to his girlfriend, Caroline Snyder and her parents, Todd and Elizabeth Snyder. He also credits Camden program assistants Ryan Durham, Andrew Medders, and Jeremy Scott, and former assistant Ryan Alfau. Wilder, though, gets a special nod.
“Coach Wilder took me in, and at the end of the day he made me kind of grow up,” says Diaz. “He taught me to stay classy if you win a match. He taught me hard work and that just because you’re not feeling good, you’re still expected to practice. That correlates to anything, not just your job, but that you should do anything 110 percent.”
Damarko Dixon, Appling County High School
170 lbs, Class AAA
Dixon, the son of Kutonya King (husband Clifton) and Gerald Dixon, won state at 170 pounds one year after claiming the title at 152. He wrestled up at 182 a few time this season, but settled in at 170 and fashioned a 64-2 record. Dixon defeated Blessed Trinity’s Ryan Grady (fall), Jackson County’s Chuckie Allen (tech), and Elbert County’s Dylan Sanders (decision) to claim his second state title.
“Damarko told me about the third round (second match) that he couldn’t take a deep breath because he injured his ribs in the previous match,” says ACHS head coach Mark Green. “He amazed me once again by the way he turned it up a notch and fought through the pain. He is a special kid, one that doesn’t come along that often.”
Dixon will wrestle next at the Air Force Academy. He hasn’t decided on a military occupation yet, but favors combat rescue. It’s appropriate considering Dixon’s track record of performing under pressure.
“My ribs were hurting pretty bad,” Dixon says. “The final match started, and I could tell the guy had a pretty good game plan. I got first takedown, and it was 2-1 after the first period. He got a takedown and went up 4-2, then rode out the rest of the second period. In the third, I got an escape and takedown with 18 seconds left but got called for an illegal slam. Then it was 6-4 in my favor, he got a reversal, and it was 6-6. We had one minute in overtime, and within the first 15 seconds I shot right in and got my takedown. I think it’s all mental toughness. As long as you think you can do something, you can.”
SE-SF-4.14-Wrestlingstatechamps
Bonus/Southeast/April, 2014
State Wrestling Champions
Story by John DuPont
Photography by Bo Carter and Jennifer
Kings of the Mat
