Bradley Newton, a captain of the 2020-2021 Dawson County Tigers wrestling team, won all three of his matches during a tournament at Lumpkin County High School on Dec. 22. 

“He is a returning state qualifier who is finally getting his lungs back from football,” Tigers head coach Arron Haynes said after the matches. “Great kid, great leader. When other kids don’t, he’s still working.”

This story continues below. 

The Tigers wrestled against Lumpkin County, Franklin County and Lambert High School from Forsyth County in the tournament. 

As a team, the Tigers did not win any matches, largely due to the fact that they were missing several weight classes because of athletes quarantining from COVID-19 exposure. 

Wrestlers Jack McCarthy and Isaiah Lail both won two of their three matches against Franklin County and Lambert. Riley Westbrooks and Scotty Warner won individual matches against Franklin County as well. 

Halfway through the wrestling season, Haynes said that despite a handful of wrestlers being quarantined, his team still knows what it takes to battle on the mat. 

“We’re a very young team and very inexperienced and the experience we have has been during COVID-19,” Haynes said. “We’re improving every day.”

After a short winter break, the wrestling team will be back in an area match at Gilmer Co. on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. The match will begin at 9 a.m.