Bryson City – Spencer McCoy won his 3rd straight NCHSAA Wrestling State Championship Saturday. McCoy defeated Mitchell’s Will Atkins in the championship match. In the championship match McCoy outscored Atkins 10-4 to take the title.
McCoy entered his senior season as a heavy favorite to repeat as State Champion, but all of that seemed to disappear in November. In the Maroon Devils playoff run McCoy injured his knee, leaving him on the sidelines for the Devils final two playoff games against Whiteville and Starmount. For all intensive purposes it looked as if McCoy’s senior season would be over at that point.
But, after rehab and rest, things looked up and McCoy was cleared for full contact in late January. Coach Adam Jaimez worked his lineup masterfully to get McCoy enough matches to qualify for conference and regionals. McCoy took care of the rest.
In the finals McCoy pinned his first two opponents to qualify for the finals, a place he is all too familiar with. In the opening round he pinned Alan Gibson in a time of 1:21. In the semi-finals he faced a familiar foe in Rosman’s Landon Shipman (20-5), he pinned Shipman at the 2:18 mark to advance to the finals.
Then a little after 10 Saturday night he stood in the center circle with his hand raised again, becoming a 3 time NCHSAA State Champion, and concluding his career at Swain High School unbeaten in his two years.