Josh Austin didn’t think there was enough interest in girls wrestling to have its own program at Oglethorpe County until two weeks before the start of this season.
Now, the Patriots are area champions.
“We had set the goal to go shock the world,” said Austin, who coaches the team.
The Patriots went into the area tournament on Monday with no prior dual meet experience. Despite that, they beat Harlem (the host school) and Burke County to advance to the final 16 teams in the state.
The moment the Patriots secured the victory was surreal for sophomore Victoria Miller.
“It was so emotional, because I was thinking about how last year I was one of four girls, and this year, we have a whole team of 12,” Miller said. “Seeing how much it’s grown just proves this sport is amazing, and it’s not just for guys. This is a girls sport.”
Austin said that winning the area didn’t seem like it could become a reality until in the final match against Burke County, when boys wrestling coach Steve Mason let him know.
“I was trying to keep up with the math of it, and I was so excited that I lost track, and Coach Mason looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know if you realize it yet, but y’all are area champs,’” Austin said.
Austin credits leaning on Mason for strategy during the dual tournament, being that it was the team’s first of the season.
Sophomore Akira Owens’ victory in the 110-pound weight class secured the victory.
“It was amazing, everyone was screaming my name and they were all cheering for me,” Owens said. “It was the best moment I’ve ever felt.”
The Patriots didn’t take a day to rest following their win, getting right back to practice the next day in preparation to host Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe in the next round, which likely will be scheduled for Saturday.
As the season comes to a close Miller and Owens are confident the program will continue to grow. Miller said the victory helps set the tone for the program and sends a message to others about its potential.
Owens echoed that sentiment, believing more victories could be in store.
“If we don’t win state this year, I believe we can definitely win state next year and the year after that,” she said.
Austin said the best part about this season is that it’s only the beginning.
“I have to keep pinching myself and bringing myself back to reality because although we’re getting to the end of the season, this is really just the beginning of what we’re going to do,” he said. “This isn’t the end of the journey, this isn’t the beginning of the journey, this is just the very, very beginning of the journey.”