CHESAPEAKE, Va. — There can be no argument. Great Bridge is clearly the top wrestling program in the area this season. In a showdown with Cox, another great program, the Wildcats won going away 56-20 on Thursday night in their dual meet.
Both schools won their divisions in the recent Virginia Duals. The Wildcats took the American and the Falcons were champs of the Black and Blue.
After Jared Williams pinned his man in the 195 lb. weight class, Great Bridge held an early 26-5 lead in Thursday's match.
Cox came back with consecutive wins. The first a 7-5 decision for Aiden Manning (220). Then at 285 lbs., Graydon Howard got a fall. It was still the Wildcats in the lead at 26-14.
Then Great Bridge went on a rapid fire, take no prisoner stretch. They won 5 straight matches with first round pins. Those falls came from Jack Sawyer (106), Noah Ortiz (113) and then defending state champion Max Martin (120),Caleb Neal (126) and finally Eric Doran (132).
Max Martin is head coach Steve Martin's son. Steve Martin had coached the last 16 years at ODU before the school dropped the program. It is Martin's second 'go-round' with the Wildcats. Before he took the job at ODU, Martin won 12 state championships in 13 years with Great Bridge.
The Wildcats have won 20 state championships overall with the last two coming in 2017 and 2019. They are obviously primed to make another run.