Earning a chance to win an individual state title in wrestling is quite an accomplishment.  It takes hard work, dedication and a drive to be the best.  Up until this moment of the season you were helping your team succeed.  But now, you are on your own.  Your goal is to be the top individual wrestler in your weight classification in the state of North Carolina.  All the training, long practices and a coach screaming in your ear has finally paid off.  You are among the few with still a chance to win it all.

For Charles Williard and TJ Hines that opportunity is just four days away.  They will head to the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday, February 23rd. to not only represent Glenn High School, but to show their friends, family and coaches that it was worth the effort.

They will once again take the mat, one on one, but this time it will be against the state’s best wrestlers.  This is the first time that either Williard or Hines has made it to the state finals.  I’m sure that from the time that they qualified last Saturday, up until the time they take the mat in their first ever state finals match, they will both experience a wide range of emotions.  They will be happy and nervous at the same time.  They will hear their class mates and fellow Bobcat wrestlers wish them well in the tournament.  They will hear their coaches say, “do this”, “remember this” or “don’t try this”, a thousand times this week at practice.

Any time that a team or an individual makes it this far in their chosen sport, it brings out the best in those around them.  In the case of  Charles and TJ, it gives everyone a reason to be proud, not only of these two young men, but to be proud of their school, and proud of the efforts of all of the Bobcat athletes and their coaches.

We certainly wish the best for Charles and TJ as they go for a state championship.  Go wrestle hard, have fun, and cherish the opportunity to be among the very best.

You have earned your moment in the spotlight, so go out and enjoy it!!!

GO BOBCATS!!!