Prime Opportunity

Don't expect Fort Dorchester wrestling coach B.D. LaPrad to deliver a fire-and-brimstone speech to his team about avenging last year's loss to Rock Hill in the Class AAAA state championship. The Bearcats gained a 28-24 victory to prevent the Fort from winning its second straight state title.

"It's really not about revenge," said LaPrad, whose team battles Rock Hill at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ridge View High School. "Last year was last year. We haven't talked much about that and we didn't earlier in the season when we faced them in a dual. What we talk about is the opportunity to win a state championship."

Last year, Fort Dorchester won three straight bouts to close the gap at 25-24 entering the final event of the night. But the Fort's hopes were dashed when unranked Chase Ballard rallied from a 4-1 deficit to upset Ashley Bracklein in the 145-pound classification.

That gave the Bearcats a 33-2 record and the title. Fort Dorchester was 24-2, despite a relatively young team.

The Fort has cruised along this winter, holding the top spot in the state wrestling poll. The Patriots advanced to the championship by jumping to a 38-point lead en route to a 46-24 win over Summerville. The Patriots already had a 10-point victory over the Green Wave during the regular season.

The Patriots easily handled Rock Hill this season and have confidence heading into the match.

"Last year, I felt like we were the underdogs," LaPrad said. "They beat us in the regular season. This year, we've been the No. 1 team and, obviously, we have another year of maturity. We have confidence and that takes a lot of the stress out it."

Fort Dorchester has a wrestler ranked in the top 10 in all but two weight classes.

Michael Young is No. 1 in 145, while Seiji Borja is No. 1 in 152. Geno Porter is No. 2 in the 215-pound division.