Hunt’s Judah Harris Heads to NCHSAA 5-A Championship Match After Winning First Regional Crown in 14 Years
Hunt High junior Judah Harris advanced to the NCHSAA 5-A 215-pound state championship match, a development that completes a run from regional standout to the state stage and gives Harris a chance to become only the fourth state champion in school history. The championship berth caps a season that has included a regional title, national judo success and a return from a season-ending football injury.
Championship Match Preview: Harris vs. Young
Harris earned the right to contest the 5-A 215-pound championship by winning two matches on the first day of the state tournament. In his bracket matches he pinned an opponent in just over a minute after building a big lead, then advanced with a dominant technical-fall victory. Those wins left Harris with a 39-1 mark on the season as he prepared to face Franklin High sophomore Garrett Young in the title match.
Young entered the championship match with a 45-2 record and also reached the final with fast pin victories in his semifinal and quarterfinal bouts. Harris and Young have never met in competition. Harris has said he expects a difficult match and plans to rely on his experience and determination.
From Regional Crown to State Stage
Harris became Hunt’s first regional wrestling champion since 2012 when he dominated the 215-pound bracket at the 5-A East Regional. He closed the regional with a technical-fall victory in the final and left the regional event with a 37-1 mark as he headed toward the state tournament.
The junior’s season resume is notable for more than wrestling results. A broken leg during football wiped out his sophomore wrestling season, but he returned to competitive grappling and won a national judo gold medal that earned him one of 16 Team USA spots for the International Judo Federation’s World Cadet Championships. Harris also helped his high school reach the NCHSAA 5-A football championship game in December and earned a Defensive Player of the Year honor for his contributions on that side of the ball.
Hunt has produced three past state wrestling champions; Harris would join that list if he wins the 215-pound title. The state tournament this year uses an eight-wrestler bracket in each classification after the association doubled the number of classifications, and Harris entered the 5-A bracket as the top seed.
Regional and Area Notes
Other area wrestlers also advanced from regional play. Southern Nash sophomore Lennon Ogden moved into the consolation semifinals at 113 pounds after splitting his first-day matches, and C. B. Aycock’s Zymir Best claimed a regional crown at 138 pounds. A Southern Nash freshman finished third in the girls 5-A regional at 235 pounds to secure a state berth.
What’s next: Harris will take the mat in the championship match with a chance to cap a season that included a regional title, national judo success and a return from injury. The state championship outcome will determine whether he becomes the next Hunt wrestler to claim a state crown and add a wrestling title to an already diverse athletic résumé.
