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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

The Davie wrestling team ripped off three wins in three days, the War Eagles are 8-1 in a “down” year and all the wins during the five-match winning streak have been by 23 or more points.

Davie is of course led by Hunter Testa, who is 80-6 in his career, which is one of the best records through 86 matches in program history. He went 28-3 at 182/195 as a freshman, he went 34-3 at 182 and finished third in the state as a sophomore, and he’s 18-0 at 182/195 as a junior. Among those 18 wins are 15 pins, and he has a 33-match winning streak in the regular season.

“He’s tough, man,” coach Perry Long said. “It’s unreal. It’s good to have him in the (practice) room. He gets them ready. He can rally them together and say, ‘Hey, this is what we need to do,’ and they’re all ears.”

Davie collected eight pins in a 48-25 home win over North Iredell on Dec. 20. Reid Nail, Andrew Davis, Lawson Hire, Jamarius Pelote, Jerred Alexander, Christian Boswell, Testa and Ryder Strickland stuck Raiders to their back.

“(Pelote) pulled out a nice win,” Long said. “I bumped Andrew up (from 126) to 132 and he came through like I figured he would.”

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Davie wrestled twice at N. Iredell on Dec. 22. In the first one, it bullied Magna Vista 66-12. Pinning were Nail, Hire, Davis, Luke Miller, Pelote, Testa, Brandon Wood, Brysen Godbey and Strickland. The Warriors of Ridgeway, Va., made a 98-mile trip to Olin.

Later in the evening, the War Eagles eased to a 51-24 win over South Iredell. Pelote and Alexander had pins and Dylan Miller won a decision. There were only six matchups because the Vikings handed out six forfeits.

Several War Eagles are having solid seasons. Godbey (19-4) is doing what everyone expected at 195/220. Hire (20-5 at 132), Alexander (18-7 at 170), Strickland (17-6 at heavyweight) and Nail (14-7 at 126) have all made considerable progress since last year.

“(Hire) will cross-face the mess out of you and get you in a cradle in a minute,” Long said. “He’s a cradle king. He’ll hit cradles from everywhere.”

Davis (5-1 at 126/132) has acquitted himself well as a freshman, and Pelote, another freshman, is on a tear at 152. He’s 12-9 with five straight pins. Sometimes his wins defy logic.

“Sometimes he’s a little sloppy as a freshman, but he’s still wrestling well,” Long said. “Sometimes I say: ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t do that.’ And it works for him.”