Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 4-10, 2019 UCW 21 Jonathan Piland Cape Fear • Indoor/out- door track • Senior Piland has a grade point average of 4.62. He is a member of the Natural Science Academy, the county youth orchestra, all-county orchestra, East Regional orchestra and the N.C. Honors orchestra. He works in the freshman mentor - ing program as a lead mentor. He's active with the Lebanon Baptist Church praise team and the Snyder Baptist Church Singing Christmas Tree. Walker Brittain Cape Fear• Soccer• Senior Brittain has a grade point average of 4.46. He is active in speech and debate, the Environmental Club, Harvard Model Congress, Common Ground Initiative, Student Government Association, the BETA Club and journalism. He's also a freshman mentor and has served as a page for the North Carolina governor as well as in the North Carolina state house. Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop congratulates these amazing scholar athletes of the week and invites them to the Rocket Fizz Store at 1916 Skibo Rd. to receive a FREE FREE gift recognizing their achievement! www.rocketfizz.com Dallas Wilson seeks to join elite county wrestling company by EARL VAUGHAN JR. As far as Cumberland County's high school wrestling gurus can remember, there's only been one three-time state individual champion in the sport in county history. That honor falls to former Jack Britt star Richard "PNut" Tolston, who finished third in the state when he wrestled for Hoke County in 2012 then won three straight state titles as a Buccaneer from 2013-15. This fall, Cape Fear's Dallas Wilson, son of Colt head coach Heath Wilson who is also a for- mer state champion, will seek to become the second county wrestler with three state champi- onships. Heath won his second title last year, competing at 138 pounds. It's sure he'll move up in weight classification this season but it likely won't be until after Christmas before Heath and his father settle on which class Dallas will be competing in for his third state title. Heath Wilson said his son has reached a level of high school wrestling where he's forgotten more about the sport than Heath knew during his competitive days. "My biggest problem is finding somebody to push him to the next level,'' Heath said of his son. One way he's pushed Dallas to a higher level is by taking him to top national competitions, like the big freestyle tournament held over the summer in Fargo, North Dakota. "In Fargo, I saw a totally different, very aggressive wrestler come out,'' Heath said. "He came out banging.'' Dallas ran into a three-time state champion from Tennessee and rolled to a win. "He's at a new level,'' Heath said. Among the biggest challenges Dallas will face this year is the pressure of expectations, but Heath doesn't expect that to be a problem. "It's really nonexis- tent after all these other places we've traveled to,'' Heath said. "In North Carolina he's got the confidence that he's the best wrestler. "The biggest pressure he puts on himself is every day in that practice room. He's the hardest-working kid I've got. That's contagious. I like it to be contagious.'' Dallas agreed with his dad that he's become a more aggressive wrestler, coping bet- ter with opponents who stay in his face and won't back off, working harder to fight the opposition with his hands and find different angles of attack to knock them off balance. "You've got to be mean,'' he said. "You've got to have that grit. I definitely picked it up this summer. I have no excuse to lose in a state that I've won twice.'' The rest of the Cape Fear team will be seeking the same grit as it tries to bounce back from a second-place finish to St. Stephens High School in last year's state 3-A dual team championship wrestling match. The top individual returners for the Colts are Dallas and 220-pound Nick Minacapelli, who placed third in the state in his class last season. He'll be a late arrival this season because of his involvement with football. "We are looking for the second-stringers to come on strong this year,'' Wilson said. "They've got to per- form. I'm just waiting for that first scrimmage to see what comes out of our kids.'' Wrestlers Heath will count on early are Jaleel Parks, Jack Culbreth, Jose Paz and Aiden Barbour, who is the younger brother of graduated state champion Jared Barbour. HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS L-R: Dallas Wilson takes a picture with his father and coach, Heath Wilson. L-R: Dallas Wilson and Jared Barbour of Cape Fear pose with their championship brackets on the floor of the Greensboro Coliseum after win- ning NCHSAA state 3-A wrestling titles. Attention Students: Let Your Voice Be Heard Get published in our award-winning community newspaper Up & Coming Weekly Send in your feature articles, editorials, short stories, movie and music reviews or original poetry and artwork to: highschoolhighlights@upandcomingweekly.com Subject line: High School Highlights Please include your photo and school information.