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Emerson Hill is a champion in the making. The Troup High freshman is already one of the top wrestlers in the program and he just continues to get better.

“There were some other sports before wrestling, but I didn’t enjoy them like I do wrestling,” Hill said. “It was hard at first, but I started to like it once I started beating people.”

The freshman’s wrestling prowess was on full display in the week of Jan. 12-18. Hill pinned two opponents at the region tournament, helping the Tigers to a third consecutive region title. This was just the appetizer for Hill, who would go 4-0 at the 3A state duals at Troup High.

“It was hard, but I’ve faced some of the wrestlers before,” Hill said. “There were definitely moments I thought I would lose.”

Hill’s match against Taylor Thompson, an opponent he has wrestled before, of Jefferson in the championship match was one for the books. The freshman trailed at multiple points in the match before eventually going on to get a pin, temporarily keeping Troup in it. The Tigers would eventually go on to lose to the Dragons and finish as the runner-up, but it was no fault of their talented young freshman.

“I thought at one point that he beat me,” Hill said. “It was kind of a relief (when he got pinned).”

Hill and Thompson have gone back and forth since their middle school years. 

Moments like these have been a long time coming for Hill. The current freshman just started wrestling in the fifth grade, and by his seventh-grade year, Hill was helping Long Cane win the first state championship in program history.

“I don’t really know why I got into it, I just saw some wrestling videos and thought it would be something I could be good at,” he said. “I really didn’t start beating people until my seventh-grade year.

“That year was a lot of fun.”

The freshman season is not quite over for Hill yet. He has compiled a record of 31-12 so far, but will now have a chance to compete at traditional wrestling and potentially go on to compete at the GHSA traditional state championship in Macon in February. 

“I want to place this year,” Hill said.

Hill’s quest to place at state will start on Saturday at the traditional wrestling region tournament at Troup High. 

There will be two Hills looking to place at state or even win a state championship this season. Emerson’s older sister Evey is a part of the Troup wrestling program as well. 

“Sometimes we like to wrestle, but she usually wins,” he said.

“He always ends up at the girls’ practice once his practice ends and sometimes he will end up showing the girls a move and whoops up on me,” added a smirking Lily Hill, Emerson’s mother and an assistant coach with the team. “I try to keep them away from each other on the mats because they go a little too hard.”