By the time Cameron McCarley flipped Max Ridgeway for the final time, he only needed a few seconds to gain a pin and the win.
Overcome by emotion, McCarley crawled to the middle of the mat, still on his knees, and thrust his arms in the air. Before the Westside celebration could swallow him up, McCarley shook Ridgeway s hand, then blew kisses toward the ceiling, raising an extended index finger above his head.
Trailing by 24 points after seven matches, Westside stormed back during the heart of its lineup to gain six wins five by pin in the final seven matches to take a 41-36 victory at T.L. Hanna on Monday night.
The win assures Westside of at least a second-place finish in Region 1-AAAA and a home match to open the state duals on Feb. 5. Even with six upperclassmen in the lineup, it was three Ram sophomores who collected victories during that decisive stretch, punctuated by McCarley.
It was a match that only a rivalry could script as each team got five pins, swaying the cheers with each thump of the referee s hand.
After Westside climbed to within 30-29, the teams exchanged pins first at 160 when Hanna sophomore Matt Hilliard got six points over sophomore Cameron Moore. Then at 171, Westside junior Logan Howell dropped Hanna sophomore Justin Addis.
That set off an alarm for McCarley.
As soon as he stepped off the mat, it went through my head, I gotta go, it s go time, it s do or die, said McCarley, a 189-pounder
And even though he prayed for help throughout the day about the outcome of the match, McCarley said he never could have imagined in a million years that he would decide the outcome. But when McCarley put Ridgeway in a move called Saturday Night Ride, he got the pin with 18 seconds remaining in the second period.
I just think the Lord really blessed me with a victory today, McCarley said. He just blessed me with the moves to hit at the right time, and I put him away. It s real emotional.
Being the last man and only being a sophomore, it feels good to help the team out.
This was the second time this season Hanna led Westside midway through the match by at least the equivalent of six pins. At the Anderson County Duals, the Yellow Jackets were up 36-6 before Westside rallied to win 48-36.
Whenever we wrestle Westside it s always going to be close, Hanna coach Keith White said. You can t win if every time you lose, you lose by pin, you just can t give away six (points).
White said too often his wrestlers got on the Rams backs and then went for their knee or hips.
That s when the Rams turned them over and got pins.
They were probably trying too hard and got caught a couple of times, White said. Most of it was just the Westside guys digging in and turning our guys and pinning them.
With remaining matches against Greenwood and Easley, Hanna still has a shot at the playoffs.
We ve just got to pick up and move on and put this behind us, White said.
The win gave Westside its biggest victory of the season and brought Westside coach Todd McCormick who has led a sophomore-laden team all season to tears.
I m at a loss for words, he said, wiping away the tears. Tonight, I think we can say we came together as a team for the first time all year.
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