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HUNTINGTON - Not since a 4-year stretch between 1991-94 has Cameron been atop the small schools in West Virginia as far as wrestling is concerned.
That's when the Dragons ruled the Class A-AA division. However, with the state tournament divided into three divisions since 2018, they are on the verge of winning the Class A title as they lead second-place Greenbrier West by a whopping 90.5 to 50 entering the final night of
the 75th annual state tournament inside Mountain Health Arena.
"We're just trying to win matches, but we are keeping an eye on the leaderboard," Cameron head coach Tim Jones admitted. "We've had a good tournament so far, but we're not done yet."
The Dragons have two state finalists in seniors
Adam Angel (170) and Ian Bush (182). Both won two matches Friday.
"We're proud of Adam and Ian. Adam had a close match but pulled it out. Ian dominated," Jones said. "Adam has been a wonderful addition to the team, not only on the mat but in the (wrestling) room. "Adam is a great workout partner for Ian in the room and were glad to have him."
Angel placed fourth at 170 last year while competing in Class AAA for Wheeling Park.
Bush is seeking a third state crown. He is a WVU recruit.
The Dragons have six state placers as freshman Slaton Pettit (106), junior Payton Neely (138) and classmate Gunnar Bryan (285) fell in their semis. They are joined by sophomore Ashton Hoge (126).
Cameron's point total is also third-best among Class A/AA teams, trailing only Point Pleasant (194) and Independence (93).
Oak Glen has one state finalist in sophomore Logan Davis (106). He earned his berth with a
major decision in the semifinals.
Davis was third last year at the same weight, something that his head coach said was beneficial for him this year, although he is ranked No. 1.
"He got the nerves out last year, if you can do that, but the experience was really good for
him," Oak Glen head coach Patrick McGillian
said of Davis. "I'm excited to see what he does."
Hayden Lamb (113), Clayton Lamb (120) and Braxton Dlugopolski (152) all earned berths on the awards podium.
"Clayton came up big with a late takedown. He bounced back after a tough loss when he thought he should have went further as a senior.
"Hayden also bounced back, as did Braxton. We're proud of all of them."
Clayton Lamb was fifth at 120 last year, while Dlugopolski was fifth at 138. Tyler Consolidated's Kaden Huffman (113) and Tyler Huffman (160) also earned state places.