Orange wrestlers top Chapel Hill and head for 14th straight Big 8 title

The Orange Panthers scored seven pins, including victories by freshman Gavin Wiggins and sophomore Bailey Hawkins, to defeat Chapel Hill 64-7 and win its 14th consecutive conference championship Wednesday night at Chapel Hill High School.

The Tigers’ Cameron Bergey started the dual match with a 10-2 major decision, but Orange responded with major decisions, technical falls or pins in 11 of the final 13 matches. Juan Torres started the string with a pin over Brad Kenyon at 182.

Orange finished the match with pins in five of the final six matches. Mitchell Askew (106), Jamison Askew (126), Hakeem Jones (132), Gonzo Garcia (138), Charlie Fitzpatrick (145), And Josiah Ramirez all scored falls, while senior Joe Scott earned a technical fall at 152.

Orange’s string of dominance stretches across four leagues in two classifications since 2002. They finish the regular season 24-2, 6-0 in the Big 8. The state dual tournament pairings will be announced Monday and begin Tuesday. The Panthers are expected to be in the same quadrant as Eden Morehead, which eliminated Orange in the second round last season.

Turning Point

In the fourth match, with Orange ahead 9-4, Panthers sophomore Payton Wilson earned a major decision over Chapel Hill senior George McBurney 8-0. It was McBurney’s first conference loss this season.

They Said It

“We’ve got a lot of guys working hard right now. We have a younger team, but they’re doing a lot of good things. We’re really thankful and we’re really blessed. Big time.” – Orange coach Bobby Shriner.

By the Numbers:

99: Career victories by Chapel Hill’s George McBurney. He’ll go for 100 on Thursday night against Northwood.

45 seconds: Length of Garzo Gacria’s victory at 138.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 10:06 PM with the headline "Orange wrestlers top Chapel Hill and head for 14th straight Big 8 title."