Dondre Harris, wrestling coach got a taste of state last year and wants first place this year.

“Overall, I feel like we’re a better team than last year,” Harris said. “In our first meet, we won first place. It’s the first year Bryant has ever brought back any hardware from a meet.”

Senior Ben Freeman went undefeated in the 126-pound weight division and junior Kyle Thompson went undefeated in the 152-pound weight class at the Conway Invitational, and Harris hopes to rely on those grapplers to get first place in state.

“I really didn’t expect to go beat Cabot and Conway,” senior Ben Freeman said. “I didn’t really realize it until we went in and started beating everybody.”

The wrestling team stomped the competition at Conway Jan. 18 by beating Russellville, 76-3; Greenbrier, 47-23; the Conway junior varsity, 78-6; Van Buren 51-27; and, in the championship round, Cabot, 38-30. That’s a total of 290-89. Takedowns scores two points, escapes one point and reversals two points and a near fall, which can result in two to three points. A near fall is where a wrestler’s shoulders are on the ground for at least two second.

“I try to pin my opponents as fast as I can,” senior Austin May said. “I try to catch them off guard and get my points early.”

May’s success of bringing back bronze has helped win several events such as the Conway Invitational.

“I was really surprised,” junior Kyle Thompson said. “Everybody just came out, worked like we wanted them too and did everything we taught them; that’s how we got first place.”

Even with conference Feb. 1, they’re still focused on state, Feb.14-15.

“I plan on winning it,” May said. “I’m in my mojo right now and I feel very confident in myself.”

May is in the 197-pound weight class and pinned five opponents at Conway.

“I’m probably in one of the toughest brackets out there,” Freeman said. “But I’m just gonna take this one match at a time and hopefully get first at state.”