{p class=”p1”}{span class=”s1”}Action from the third annual AHSAA Wrestling Duals tournament at Gardendale High School Jan. 17, 2019. {span class=”s1”} {/span}{/span}{/p}

The Gardendale High School wrestling team continued its postseason push over the weekend with a dominant showing at the Class 6A North Super Section at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

With two first-place finishers, four runner-ups and 13 State Tournament qualifiers, the Rockets ran away with the team score, beating out No. 2 Oxford 248-196. The 6A North Super Section top-5 goes as follows:

1) Gardendale 248

2) Oxford 196

3) Homewood 157.5

4) Fort Payne 151

5) Shades Valley 140.5

Freshman Isaiah Powe beat Homewood’s Graham Miner in the 113-pound finals on Saturday, and Derrick Orvik took Homewood junior Levi Miller 7-2 in the 170-pound finals.

Checking in at second place for the Rockets were (126-pounder) Brody Scoggins, (132) Luis Sanchez, (160) Carson Kim and (182) Kennedy Wyatt. As a team, Gardendale qualified 13 wrestlers for State Tournament competition in Huntsville, which means the team will be represented in all but one weight class (285).

The Class 6A prelims are scheduled to begin in the Von Braun Center on Thursday at noon.

Gardendale already claimed the Wrestling Duals Tournament championship with a 40-26 finals victory over three-time defending state champion Oxford in January, and hopes to carry that momentum into the traditional championships later this week.

In the 1A-5A North Super Section, Corner finished at third in the team standings, which was two spots ahead of Mortimer Jordan. The 1A-5A North Super Section top-5 goes as follows:

1) Arab 287

2) Jasper 259.5

3) Corner 169.5

4) Southside 159

5) Mortimer Jordan 144.5

The Yellow Jackets were propelled by a trio of super section champions. Nicholas Brashear improved to 50-1 on the year with a 7-2 decision over Sam Atchley in the 182-pound finals. In the 195-pound finals, Logan Thomas beat Will Pilgrim, 8-3. Cole Fuller improved to 46-1 with a 14-11 decision Demaria Jones in the 220-pound finals.

Also advancing to the Wrestling State Tournament for Corner is (132) Alex Ragsdale, (113) Calvin Taylor and (285) Griffin Murphy.

Mortimer Jordan put four second-place finishers on the podium in Birmingham, including (106) Brodie Christmas, (138) Sebastian Oswalt, (160) Luke Jasper and (170) Tyler McDonald. At 113, Gaven Miller will also compete in the Wrestling State Tournament alongside 195-pounder Dallin Alexander.

Fultondale’s James Adams lassoed a fourth-place finish at the CrossPlex, qualifying him for state competition at 160.