Hough Dominates Home Regional, Crowns 6 Champs for Greensboro State Run
- Ryan Hayes
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
Cornelius, N.C.— William Amos Hough High School turned its home gym into a battleground this weekend, taking control of the NCHSAA 8A West Regional team title and sending a bunch of finalists and placers off to the state tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Any wrestler who made it to the finals or consolation finals is headed to states—the top four in each weight class move on—and Hough’s event put together one heck of a group ready to scrap for medals.
Hough put up 244.5 points to pull away from Northwest Guilford (217.5), Pinecrest (159.5), Hoke County (129.5) and West Forsyth (128.0) in a tough 15-team field.
Things kicked off at 106 where Hough junior Michael Santoro stayed on top of Northwest Guilford freshman Landon Weir for an 8-1 title win. Santoro gets ready like a pro: “I watch all my wrestlers before… look for their stance, look what I can set up.” He goes after them with “arm bars, deep tight waist, single legs… practiced over and over.” Hough coach Tripp Rogers and staff keeps his head straight: “They help me understand what I need to do, not get in my head.”
Hough freshman Brandon Lefler kept things going at 113, tech-falling Pinecrest’s Matthew Akins 18-2 in 3:09 to grab the title. Lefler talked about the gas tank that let him keep pushing: “You have to have more like a drive or stamina than your opponent. So off the mat, I’m making sure I have the best stamina that I’m able to do this kind of stuff.” He called the Huskies “all like one big family… driving ourselves.”
Hoke County junior Jekai Sedgwick (35-0) majored Hough’s Adrian Feliciano 12-4 at 120 for the championship, ready to climb higher after his third-place run at last year’s state tournament. That finish stuck with him: “I really took it to heart… trained a lot more.” Back when he walked in as an eighth-grader, “They saw potential on me. They pushed me to the best I can be.”
Northwest Guilford junior Carter Furman took 126 with a 12-2 major over Mallard Creek’s Charles Thompson after going 2-2 at states last year with a blood-round loss. “It hurt,” he said, “but I absorbed that… put the work in over the summer.” These days it’s all reps: Combat Athletics, Raw West, even work in his garage. “Working with my brother, everybody in the room… trying to get better every day.”
West Forsyth junior Abdul-Jamil Zaggout shook off an early takedown to beat Northwest Guilford’s Tristen Lawrence 12-5 at 132 for the crown. “His double got me,” he said, “but I went back to The Assassin… my favorite move since forever.” Zaggout gives credit to his New York coaches for those rough rooms that got him started, but West Forsyth is home now: “The environment is really kind. Everyone’s really friendly… care about you a lot.” For states: “Work 200% harder… pushing past my limits and winning a state title.”
Northwest Guilford sophomore Connor Reece ran the table at 138 with a 9-5 win over Pinecrest’s Mitchell Rowland. Rowland got him once in eighth-grade nationals, but not lately: “he hasn’t touched me” since. “I knew today wasn’t gonna be any different. The four-time champ talk fell flat with his early exit at last year’s states—“it crushed me”—so he got after it: “I did nothing but make sure that’s not gonna happen again.” Coach Kendall Nelson from K-Vegas put him back together: “He’s been with me since the start… made me who I am.” That slick Jonesy tilt in the final? Pure gut call: “Never hit one before… last defense, why not? and scored it.” Pressure just fires him up: “I let it build me… I’m Connor Reece, everybody’s gonna know my name.”
Hough junior Tyton Kostoff pinned Palisades’ Dentavis Golden at 144 in 2:43 for the win after wrestling states last year. “Get to my offense quick… wait for him to slip up—that’s exactly what happened.” The move from Ohio was rough—“big change”—but Tripp Rogers got him dialed in: “Paid attention to small details… wrestling in between those moves.” Hough’s room is special: “Guys committed… pushing each other… celebrate together.”
Northwest Guilford senior Jack Gibson, fourth at states last year at 150, doubled down with a 7-3 decision over Mallard Creek's Khalif Rhodes. At 157, Hough sophomore Vinny Grack stole a 1-0 nailbiter from West Forsyth's Abdeen Zaggout to grab gold. Heading into the finals, Grack's mindset was simple: "I need to win this match... or it's over for me." From freshman non starter to regional champ, Darkhorse Wrestling Club helped him improve: "Helped me get better year by year." Getting beat up by wrestlers like Bentley Sly kept him sharp: "Sometimes I need that beating." It's paying off: "Not having as many close matches." States plan: "Score more offensive points this year.
Hough’s Amiri Mingo survived 13-11 at 165; Charles E. Jordan’s Fares Alkurdasi pinned at 175; Hough’s Joey Ricci fell foes at 190; Northwest’s Wyatt Cantrell pinned at 215; Hough’s Nathan Mitchell squeaked 1-0 at 285—all finalists advancing to states.
Top-four placers like Hoke County’s Eli Harrelson (3rd, 190, state returnee) and Providence’s Colt Cambruzzi (3rd, 132) also punched their tickets, deepening Greensboro’s field.
NCHSAA 8A West Regional Individual Results
106 lbs
• 1st: Michael Santoro (Hough, Jr. 34-4) dec. Landon Weir (Northwest Guilford, Fr. 35-10), 8-1
• 3rd: Elias Marquez Flores (West Forsyth, Sr. 23-9) over Jakob Trujillo (Pinecrest, So. 31-12), For.
113 lbs
• 1st: Brandon Lefler (Hough, Fr. 44-1) TF Matthew Akins (Pinecrest, So. 40-7), 18-2 (3:09)
• 3rd: Jouse Hipolito (Hoke County, Fr. 38-9) dec. Davis McLaughlin (Myers Park, Fr. 27-10), 5-2
120 lbs
• 1st: Jekai Sedgwick (Hoke County, Jr. 35-0) MD Adrian Feliciano (Hough, So. 38-4), 12-4
• 3rd: Liam McCorquodale (Northwest Guilford, So. 40-8) over Jimmy Araujo (Pinecrest, Jr. 36-10), For.
126 lbs
• 1st: Carter Furman (Northwest Guilford, Jr. 42-3) MD Charles Thompson (Mallard Creek, Jr. 39-8), 12-2
• 3rd: Christopher Maynor (Charles E. Jordan, Jr. 30-18) over Ethan Finn (Pinecrest, Sr. 43-6), For.
132 lbs
• 1st: Abdul-Jamil Zaggout (West Forsyth, Jr. 25-4) dec. Tristen Lawrence (Northwest Guilford, Sr. 40-7), 12-5
• 3rd: Colt Cambruzzi (Providence, Jr. 40-3) MD Gabriel Allen (Hoke County, Jr. 30-12), 10-0
138 lbs
• 1st: Connor Reece (Northwest Guilford, So. 39-3) dec. Mitchell Rowland (Pinecrest, So. 31-4), 9-5
• 3rd: Cody Bui (Hough, Sr. 37-11) fall Ethan Collier (Providence, Sr. 28-12), 2:19
144 lbs
• 1st: Tyton Kostoff (Hough, Jr. 45-0) fall Dentavis Golden (Palisades, Sr. 18-6), 2:43
• 3rd: Marcello Scaldaferri (South Mecklenburg, Sr. 42-3) MD Weston Norton (East Mecklenburg, Sr. 31-15), 13-2
150 lbs
• 1st: Jack Gibson (Northwest Guilford, Sr. 33-2) dec. Khalif Rhodes (Mallard Creek, Sr. 44-8), 7-3
• 3rd: Ahmet Zaggout (West Forsyth, Fr. 25-9) fall Evan Williams (Pinecrest, Sr. 33-14), 0:23
157 lbs
• 1st: Vincent “Vinny” Grack (Hough, So. 43-6) dec. Abdeen Zaggout (West Forsyth, Sr. 22-4), 1-0
• 3rd: Isaiah Johnson (Hoke County, Sr. 31-7) fall Braxton Bragg (East Mecklenburg, Sr. 31-7), 2:40
165 lbs
• 1st: Amiri Mingo (Hough, Sr. 40-8) dec. DamiAngel Rolon (Mallard Creek, Jr. 39-5), 13-11
• 3rd: Easton Dean (Northwest Guilford, Jr. 37-14) dec. Timothy Holton (Hoke County, Jr. 35-11), 8-3
175 lbs
• 1st: Fares Alkurdasi (Charles E. Jordan, Sr. 33-6) fall Quinn Schiano (Hough, Sr. 39-13), 3:24
• 3rd: James Bailey (East Mecklenburg, Sr. 41-3) fall Ryder Sigmon (Northwest Guilford, Jr. 24-23), 1:56
190 lbs
• 1st: Joey Ricci (Hough, Sr. 34-4) fall Colton Bogan (Providence, Sr. 38-4), 3:23
• 3rd: Eli Harrelson (Hoke County, Jr. 41-6) MD Jadyn Bryant (Northwest Guilford, Jr. 44-9), 18-8
215 lbs
• 1st: Wyatt Cantrell (Northwest Guilford, Jr. 43-6) fall Cole Harrison (Pinecrest, Sr. 31-6), 3:11
• 3rd: Avery Small (Mallard Creek, Jr. 38-9) fall Holden Stallings (East Mecklenburg, Jr. 31-12), 2:10
285 lbs
• 1st: Nathan Mitchell (Hough, Sr. 8-4) dec. Finn Morgan (Pinecrest, Jr. 32-7), 1-0
• 3rd: Raimire Lewis-Taylor (Myers Park, Sr. 30-4) dec. Spencer Stanislawscyk (Northwest Guilford, Jr. 30-17), 4-2