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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The Ellis wrestling team handed North Rowan an 85-15 thrashing on Nov. 4.
The road rout lifted Ellis to 2-1. Ten Jaguars – Greyson Daughtry (90), Austin Eggers (98), Ayden Davis (106), Connor Cornatzer (113), Mason Barnes (120), Jason Moxley (132), Jaleel Collins (144), Connor McNeil (150), Elmer Salas (157), Vincent Clements (165) – feasted on the Mavericks with pins, and heavyweight Henry Butler dominated with a technical fall. North gave Ellis forfeits at 76, 83, 126 and 176.
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Jamey Holt entered his 12th year at North Davie with a stellar 111-22 record, but he’s undermanned in 2024. In a 74-30 season-opening loss at China Grove on Nov. 4, the Wildcats handed over five forfeits, and the Red Devils hardly needed any help.
Recording pins for North were Hailey Thao (76), Aubrey Ishuin (83), Brennen Mason (90), Sawyer Hall (144) and Peyton Jordan (175).
Three days later, four forfeits played a key role in North’s 66-41 loss at Mooresville.
“We wrestled better but five forfeits is making our margin for error razor thin,” Holt said.
North got pins from Thao (76), Ishuin (83), Chris Gonzalez (98), Hall (138), Jordan (175) and Mason Sheppard (215). Brennen Mason had a tech fall at 90.
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South Davie opened the season with two wins, but the Tigers ran into a different animal – Erwin – on Nov. 4. Erwin and China Grove are both behemoths.
“They are really good – really good,” coach Russell Hilton said after a 90-15 home loss to Erwin. “Erwin and China Grove (which beat Erwin by one) are really good. You can tell those boys have wrestled in the offseason for a while. They were big, strong and physical. It’s been a while since I’ve been beat like that.”
South’s winners were Harris Wagstaff (pin at 138) and Rico Evans (decision at 98). Erwin forfeited at 158. Wagstaff and Evans are both seventh graders.
“(Wagstaff’s) a great kid who works hard,” Hilton said. “He does everything we ask him to do. We picked him to be our captain. All his hard work is starting to pay off.
“(At 98), it was a close match until the third period. That kid put (Evans) in a couple of bad spots, but Rico was ahead of him the whole time. He went 18-1 last year. He’s a really good athlete.”