Thompson High in 1st place in AHSAA Class 7A state wrestling championships

Five Thompson High wrestlers will compete for Class 7A championships on the final day of the AHSAA State Wrestling Championships on Saturday at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville.

The Warriors enter the final day with the lead in the team race. Thompson, which has 102 points, is followed by Central Phenix City (87 points), Vestavia Hills (72 points), Bob Jones (70.5 points) and Oak Mountain (68.5 points).

Dylan Lesueur (106) pounds, Emmanuel Oliver (113 pounds), Chandler Akins (126 pounds), Gabe Hixenbaugh (132 pounds) and Seth Whitlock (285 pounds) each will compete for championships on Saturday. Alex Ward (182 pounds) will wrestle in the third place match.

It’s an extra special quest for Hixenbaugh, who is trying to win a fourth consecutive state title. Hixenbaugh, a junior, won at 106 pounds as an 8th grader, 113 pounds as a freshman and 126 pounds as a sophomore.

Five other Thompson wrestlers competed on Friday. Derek Hussey (152 pounds), William Browder (170 pounds) and Isaac McAdams (195 pounds) each won their first match but eventually lost in consolation semifinals. Judah Campbell (120 pounds) and Nathan Roberts (138 pounds) were eliminated in the consolation first round.

Championship matches

106 – Dylan Lesueur (Thompson) 48-8 vs. Adrian Neco (Central Phenix City), 53-5

(Lesueur is 3-0 vs. Neco this season)

113 – Emmanuel Oliver (Thompson), 34-5 vs. Tyler Ivey (Grissom), 23-0

(Oliver and Ivey have not faced each other this season)

126 – Chandler Akins (Thompson), 44-9 vs. Mark Hurt (Central Phenix City), 41-6

(Akins is 3-0 vs. Hurt this season)

132 – Gabe Hixenbaugh (Thompson), 54-3 vs. Maxwell Kauffman (Central Phenix City), 53-4

(Hixenbaugh is 3-0 vs. Kauffman this season)

285 – Seth Whitlock (Thompson) 29-11 vs. Camron Hill (Montgomery Lee), 31-1

(Whitlock is 0-1 vs. Hill this season)

Third place match

182 – Alex Ward (Thompson), 38-19 vs. Nickolas Derdoski (Smith’s Station), 45-14

(Ward and Derdoski have not faced each other this season)