If the Parkland wrestling team can win its 266th consecutive match today, the victory will mean more than just extending the nation's longest current winning streak.
A victory also would mean a sixth consecutive NCHSAA duals championship for the Mustangs, who will take a 49-0 record into tonight's 5 p.m. Class 4-A final against Southern Pines Pinecrest (32-1) at Parkland.
Parkland stormed into the finals Thursday night with victories against Southeast Guilford (56-15) and Mooresville (34-31). The score against Mooresville is misleading — coach Maurice Atwood of Parkland forfeited the final three matches, handing Mooresville 18 points.
Atwood said that his wrestlers are healthy for today's final.
"The biggest problem we have is just being young and getting out there in the fire and try to keep those guys going, keep them focused and try to make sure they are mentally prepared," Atwood said. "Trust me, that's a fulltime job."
West Wilkes, another program with a winning tradition, defeated Mitchell 42-21 in the Class 1-A semifinals Thursday and will wrestle at Ayden-Grifton at 1 p.m. today for the Class 1-A title. West will be going for its third straight championship.
Parkland and Pinecrest each have a defending individual state champion — sophomore Drew Turner of Parkland at 113 pounds, and senior Dustin Roemer of Pinecrest at 152.
And Atwood said that Pinecrest is solid throughout its lineup.
"I think it will be a pretty good match," Atwood said. "They have a good team, we have some matches we should win, and so do they, and there are some that could go either way to dictate the outcome of the match.
"They were at WRAL Tournament (in December) the same time we were. We wrestled a couple of spots. I remember three matches we wrestled that we won, but I can't think of any that we lost. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen."
Atwood said he will try to get his wrestlers to school several hours before the match to keep his eyes on them.
"We will lounge around, chill out a little bit and relax and try to enjoy the calm before the storm," he said. "Cut up and tell jokes, and slowly but surely work our way into the mentality of the day and what's about to take place."
The national record for consecutive victories in dual matches is 309, and as long as they keep winning, the Mustangs would be in position to break that toward the end of next season. Atwood said that streak brings some added pressure.
"I believe they are excited for opportunity to wrestle in the state finals," Atwood said. "But I think in some ways they have an enormous pressure — the burden of not being the team to lose to end the streak.
"I think they are dealing with a situation where they feel this burden, and I could be wrong, but after awhile, I am sure they get tired of hearing about all the different wins and this, that and the other."
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