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The 16 best wrestling teams in the 3A state classification will be descending on Troup County on Friday and Saturday as Troup High School is set to host the GHSA 3A Duals State Championship. 

“We have cameras, we have Flow Wrestling, GHSA all here to document it and we have medals, trophies and T-shirts to hand out,” Troup head wrestling coach Drew Garner said, bursting with enthusiasm. “It’s a lot, but it’s going to be awesome.”

The entire Troup wrestling program, the school, staff and the community at large have put in countless hours this week to ensure that Friday and Saturday will be days to remember for hundreds of wrestlers and their families from across the state.

“We started on Tuesday, got the mats laid out then we got rugs and chairs out. The cheerleaders have come in, and they’ve provided decorations, the ambassadors have stepped in and they’ve helped with Miss (Tiffany) Graham helping out a lot,” Garner said. “The boys’ team, the girls’ team, the middle school team, the youth team have all been working to make this happen. The communal support we’ve got from places like Tom’s Coffee Truck, Waffle House, Kona Ice, and tons more has been essential. So, yeah,  it’s been one community rooted together.”

The Tigers, who won, are one of those 16 teams alongside: Jefferson, Dougherty, Stone Mtn., Heritage (Catoosa), Long County, Harlem, Upson-Lee, Lumpkin County, Gilmer, Jenkins, Oconee County, Bainbridge, Luella, Dawson County and West Laurens. This tournament, like the dozens that the Troup wrestling program has hosted since the gymnasium opened in 2020, will bring a wide range of people to Troup County to help drive growth for wrestling in West Georgia.

“Columbus is hosting the 2A and Heard County is hosting 1A, so this is a great chance to showcase West Georgia wrestling,” Garner said. 

Troup is no stranger to taking part in the state tournament. The Tigers have won nine state titles in total with the last one coming in 2001 with Garner helping the Tigers capture that championship as a wrestler. All nine of Troup’s state championships come in the traditional format with the first duals state championship being held in 2002.  

Troup has had individual wrestling champions since then, including back-to-back state champion Braydon Bowen (℅ of ‘23), but the team title has remained elusive over these past two decades.

The Tigers just missed out on a top-8 finish a season ago in 4A and were one of the last eight teams standing in 2023. Despite losing a plethora of talent from last year’s team, the Tigers are right back in the hunt.

“We were a little bit more experienced and seasoned last year than we are this year, but I feel like we are more balanced this year even though we are so young,” Garner said. “There will be some guys out there that are nervous and this is their first state meet, but I just keep telling the guys that we have faced a lot of the top teams in the state already in other tournaments.”

Reigning 3A state champions Lumpkin County and reigning 4A state runner-up North Hall are just a pair of powerhouses that Troup will have to contend with. 

No. 1 seed Jefferson features five of the no. 1 ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes according to Georgia Grapplers.  

“This is the state tournament so anything can happen,” Garner said. “This is the best of the best and this classification is even tougher than (4A) last year.”

The double elimination tournament will be just boys with the girls state championship taking place at Lumpkin County on Jan. 25. It is a gauntlet as the eventual champion will have to be nearly perfect against elite competition to stake their claim as the state champions. 

Troup High previously hosted the state championship tournament in 1988 and 1990.

“I actually remember being here in the old gym watching it,” Garner said with a childlike grin as he recalled his youth. 

The opening round will commence on Friday at 4 p.m. The Tigers are the sixth seed and will wrestle the 10th-seeded Oconee County Warriors in the first round.