Greenbrier pins losses on three teams during meet

Greenbrier High School's wrestling squad has a special award that goes to the team member with the most pins each season.

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It gives Wolfpack wrestlers extra motivation during matches throughout the season. It also makes wins by forfeit particularly frustrating because it means one less chance for a pin.

"I get here and I'm ready to wrestle," senior Gabe Moorhead said of the disappointment upon realizing a team has forfeited a slot. "We have an award called 'Mat Monster.' Whoever has the most pins on the year gets it. I'm leading on pins."

Moorhead bolstered his lead Wednesday as Greenbrier took on Evans, Westside and Richmond Academy in a meet at Evans. However, after two pins, he had no opponent to face in the final match because that slot was scratched.

He was among the individual winners who helped Greenbrier to a three-win sweep Wednesday. He's also one of a number of Wolfpack wrestlers with hopes of competing individually in the state tournament this season.

The Wolfpack defeated Columbia County rival Evans 51-15, Westside 54-24 and Richmond Academy 53-24.

It extended Greenbrier's dominance of Evans. Despite the Wolfpack being under new leadership -- Gralyn Harris and Chris McDaniel took over this season from former coach Brett Cooper -- they seem to be making another strong push.

"There's a lot of chemistry out there," Harris said of his squad. "We're trying to build a new team because half of my seniors, half of my seasoned wrestlers are out with injuries.

"A lot of new people are learning and getting a lot of mat time."

Harris runs the Columbia County Mat Club during the summer. It isn't limited to Greenbrier wrestlers; numerous athletes from other schools train with the club.

Harris said Greenbrier's goal is to make it to the state tournament as a team this season.

For Evans, the night was about trying to narrow the gap between the two programs. Evans has never beaten Greenbrier.

The Knights have a shorter squad this season than in past years. However, with many young wrestlers getting experience, coach Rich Davis believes the program is making strides.

"We tell them they're going to take their licks, but the experience they gain this year as ninth-graders and 10th-graders, you just can't replace it," he said. "You can't repeat it in the practice room either."

While Evans lost all three matches Wednesday -- also falling 54-21 to Westside and 42-33 to Richmond Academy -- it had several notable efforts.

At the 145-pound weight class, Nathan Chavez won a pair of matches and scored a victory by forfeit.

"The team looks up to me for questions: how to do moves, how to do this or that," he said. "During matches, when they're not sure what to do, I tell them what to do and they follow my example."

Meanwhile, his teammate, junior Rhys Cowling, had a memorable night; he pinned all three of his opponents.

"I've pinned people before, but I haven't ever gotten all three pins in one night," said Cowling, who wrestled at 160 pounds for the first time this season after having been at 171.

"To make it to state, you have to get at least top four in the region," he added. "I've gotten as high as fifth before, so I'm hoping to get to state this year."