By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor 

HUNTSVILLE – There are 46 wrestlers from eight wrestling teams across Shelby County who have qualified for the 2016 wrestling state championships, which are taking place from Feb. 18-20. A total of 105 schools will be represented in some capacity at the state championships, which will take place at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. There will be three state championship events, the 1A-5A meet, the 6A meet and the 7A meet. Per AHSAA rules, the top eight finishers in each weight class at the 1A-5A and 6A Super Sectionals earned a spot in the state championship, while the top four finishers from each weight class at the 7A Super Sectionals earned a state championship bid.

Only six wrestlers will represent Shelby County in the 1A-5A meet. Noah Seiger, a freshman from Calera, was the only Eagle wrestler to qualify for state, and did so in the 126-pound division. Helena had three wrestlers qualify for state in seventh-grader Will Miller (106-pound class), eighth-grader Nathan Dunaway (170-pound class) and senior Caleb Coons (160-pound class). Montevallo is also sending two wrestlers to the state meet in senior Jhovanie Yanez (145-pound class) and eighth-grader Ariel Suarez (220-pound class). Shelby County is the final school that is sending wrestlers from the 1A-5A class, as Nevada and Denver Wages, a ninth and 11^th-grader, respectively, qualified. Nevada Wages will compete in the 120-pound class while Denver Wages will compete compete in the 220-pound class.

Chelsea and Pelham are the only two 6A schools that wrestle in the county, and are sending a total of 16 wrestlers to state. Of those 16, 10 are from Chelsea and are as follows: Brantley Ledbetter in the 106-pound class, Austin Sciara in the 120-pound class, defending 6A 120-pound champion Aaron Ledbetter in the 126-pound class, Joe Harmon in the 132-pound class, Clint Glaze in the 138-pound class, Bailey Blake in the 145-pound class, Joseph Wipperman in the 152-pound class, Nick Thrasher in the 160-pound class, Michael Waller in the 170-pound class and Caleb Gore in the 182-pound class.

Pelham on the other hand is sending six wrestlers, and two have not lost a match all season. Double-amputee Hasaan Hawthorne is 33-0 this season and is wrestling in the 145-pound class while Dillon Turner is 27-0 and is wrestling in the 152-pound class. Joseph Schifano (160-pound class), Giovanni Adan (170-pound class), Alex Montgomery (182-pound class) and Karl Nagel (195-pound class) round out the other Panthers who will be competing.

All three 7A schools in the county will be represented at the state meet. Spain Park is just sending one wrestler, ninth-grader Jack Rivers in the 106-pound class, while Thompson and Oak Mountain are sending a combined 23 wrestlers.

Oak Mountain, one of the top wrestling programs in the state this season and potentially the best option to knock off the Thompson dynasty, is sending 11 wrestlers: Alex Thomas in the 106-pound class, Brett Cruce in the 120-pound class, Blake Randle in the 126-pound class, Carson Lester in the 132-pound class, Michael John Harris in the 138-pound class, Mingyu Lee in the 145-pound class, Hall Morton in the 152-pound class, Barrett Blakely in the 170-pound class, Coleman Reeves in the 182-pound class, Jaried Buxton in the 195-pound class and Armond Lloyd in the 285-pound class.

The final 12 wrestlers from Shelby County come from the five-time defending state champion Thompson Warriors. Thompson has four individual state champions returning in Gabe Hixenbaugh, who won the 7A 106-pound title a year ago and is now wrestling in the 113-pound class, Dominc Latona, who won the 7A 120-pound title last year and is now wrestling in the 126-pound class and TJ Rayam, who is the two-time defending 285-pound champion, and is back in the heavyweight class again. Riley Pike is also a former individual state champion, as the senior won the 120-pound title in 6A two years ago before not wrestling last year. Pike will compete in the 152-pound class this year at state.

The other wrestlers rounding out the list for Thompson are Chandler Akins in the 106-pound class, Nathan Roberts in the 120-pound class, Austin Akins in the 132-pound class, Jacob Megois in the 138-pound class, Dakota Collins in the 160-pound class, Garrett Allen in the 170-pound class, Nicholas Mobelye in the 195-pound class and Jeran McCarthy in the 220-pound class.

The state championships start on Thursday with the 1A-5A and 6A prelims and quarterfinals, and end Saturday with the championship finals for all three meets.