By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor 

ALABASTER – Nearly 60 Thompson High School wrestlers got a chance to earn some time in the city’s spotlight for the second time in three weeks on March 11, as the city’s school superintendent and Board of Education took time to praise the team’s dominating 2018-2019 campaign.

Earlier this year, the wrestling team captured its second-consecutive state championship and seventh state championship in the past nine years.

In mid-February, the Warrior wrestling team dominated the Class 7A state championship by totaling a tournament-record 180 points as a team, which was much higher than second-place Hoover, which had 116.5 points in the title tournament.

Last season, the Warriors also won the state duals state championship and recorded their 500^th dual match win.

“It was a dominating season. They won the state championship by the largest margin that’s ever been recorded in the state tournament,” said ACS Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers. “Coach (Shawn) Weltzin is the coach who started the program, and he also recorded the program’s 500^th win this season.

“What the THS wrestling program has accomplished, most of us would call that a dynasty,” Vickers added. “I want to thank you. This is a great group of young men.”

The following wrestlers were honored during the March 11 BOE meeting:

-Trey Thrasher

-Yanni Vines

-Blaise Albarado

-Cory Johns

-Tyler Johnson

-Dylan Leseur

-James Latona

-Trace Walker

-Dakota Green

-Harris Mitchell

-Sam Latona

-Matt Casey

-Chandler Akins

-Cody Wooten

-Jacob Alcorn

-Jax Scholl

-Emmanuel Oliver

-Will Garrett

-Seth Gatlin

-Luke Lamar

-Tyller Lane

-Gabe Hixenbaugh

-Henri Jimenez

-Nathan Roberts

-Judah Campbell

-Danny O’Leary

-Connor Hendricks

-Braydon Gray

-Josiah Campbell

-Jake Gillaspie

-Kaleb Martin

-Wilson Kennedy

-Jeffery Tubbs

-Cadan Avans

-Christopher Castaneda

-Derek Hussey

-Simon Callahan

-William Browder

-Jackson Scott

-Gregory Hamilton

-Ashunti Perry

-Benjamin Gallo

-Joseph Precise

-Tyler Gilson

-Gabe Stevens

-Jordan Austin

-James McClelland

-Michael Jackson

-Levi Babb

-Alex Ward

-Isaac McAdams

-Anderson Lee

-Ethan Harrell

-Jacob McPhearson

-Aubrey Glidewell

-Joshua Ledbetter

-Tucker Hutson

-Jeremiah Coney

Weltzin is the head coach, and Wes Barnes, Woodrow Briggs and Riley Pike are THS wrestling assistant coaches.