The Oglethorpe County wrestling program will host a strong field in the eighth annual Doug Eberhardt Classic on Friday.
The invitational is expected to draw programs from across Georgia and South Carolina, offering the Patriots a midseason test against varied classifications and styles.
Among the headliners is T.L. Hanna of South Carolina, ranked eighth in Class AAAAA and considered one of the state’s top programs. Eastside, which finished fifth in Georgia’s Class AAAA last season, is also scheduled to compete.
The field also includes Darlington, a contender for the Class A level, and Duluth, a Class AAAAAA program.
The Doug Eberhardt Classic is named in honor of the former OCHS coach who helped establish wrestling as a mainstay at the school, and has become one of the program’s signature meets.
Wrestling will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
“We started this tournament eight years ago in honor of former Patriot state champion Doug Eberhardt, who passed away from lung cancer way too soon,” Oglethorpe County coach Steve Mason wrote in an email. “Doug was loved by everyone in this community. He brought a lot of joy to anyone he came in contact with.”