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Article: Phillip Gardner/Shelby Star GASTONIA — Crest won the team title and Hunter Huss junior Darius Stocks was named most valuable wrestler at Saturday’s Big South 3A Conference individual wrestling tournament at Forestview. Crest, the Big South’s undefeated regular-season dual-team champion, produced three individual champions: Dovery Lowery at the 130-pound weight class, Josh Clary at 140 and Jarrett Willis at 152. “We’re going to have fun today, guys,” Crest coach Arik Lemmon told his wrestlers before the tournament. “If we can win the tournament and be tournament champs, it’ll prove that we really deserve to win the conference.” Crest piled up 188 points, beating second-place Kings Mountain (142) and third-place North Gaston (127). Ashbrook, dual-team runner-up for the regular season, finished fourth with 125 points. Huss’ Stocks won the 125-pound weight class for the second straight year, pinning South Point’s Ash Davis in the championship round. “Me and my teammates really pulled it together this year and focused on conditioning more, and I think it really paid off in this tournament,” said Stocks, who missed a state berth by one place last season. Stocks improved to 25-1 on the season after pinning three of his four opponents Saturday and winning his first match 6-0. Afterward, the league’s head coaches voted him over the day’s other winners as wrestler of the year. “They see how hard he works on the mat, and I think all the coaches just love kids that bust their butt on the mat,” Hunter Huss coach Ricky Fortner said. Ashbrook led all teams with four champions: Josh Smith (103), Ali Charles (135), Chase Warren (189) and Mikey Dotterer (215). Kings Mountain won three titles: Josh Haraszkiewicz (160), Dustin Stone (171) and Jaris Williams (285). Bret Edwards (112) and Dylan Moses (145) won for North Gaston, and Brandon Cagle (119) delivered a title for South Point. Qualifying wrestlers will compete at the 3A West regionals Feb. 20 at Hickory St. Stephens. Saturday’s tournament had no bearing on regional qualifying. Crest will enter the dual-team playoffs as the Big South’s No. 1 seed against a wild card Tuesday. Ashbrook, the Big South’s No. 2 seed, will travel to face Mountain Athletic champion Enka.
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