At least 19 local wrestlers will head this week to one of the largest single high school sporting events in the Southeast: the North Carolina high school wrestling championships.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will host the annual championships Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Greensboro Coliseum.

Almost 1,400 matches will be contested over the course of the event that crowns 56 different individual champions. There will be one winner in each of the 14 weight divisions for each of the NCHSAA’s four classifications.

Perennial Big-8 champion Orange is sending the largest group, featuring six qualifiers who placed in the top four in last weekend’s regional championships at Eden Morehead. They include Mideast 3A champions: Joe Scott at 152 pounds and Payton Wilson at 220.

They’ll be joined in Greensboro by Panther teammates Bailey Hawkins (120 pounds), Hakeem Jones (132), Josiah Ramirez (160) and Jamar Davis (170).

Northwood also is sending two Mideast champions: Hunter Queen at 160 pounds and his brother Michael Queen at 182.

Carrboro will have two 2A regional champions leading its contingent: Otto Wollin at 120 pounds and Maxim Gault at 170.

This week’s event marks the seventh straight year that the 1A classification will have its own individual weight class champions. The NCHSAA has been offering a championship in the sport since the 1930s.

The 4A first round begins at 5 p.m. Thursday. The 2A and 3A weigh-ins and first round will follow. Friday, the 1A wrestlers will begin their quests for championships as weigh-ins will start at 12:30 p.m. and quarterfinals for 1A will start at 2 p.m.