Karson Crouse is the latest member of Surry Central’s wrestling program to hit a career milestone during the 2021-22 season.
Coach Stephen Priddy was first, winning his 400th career dual-team match on December 18. Just 12 days later on Dec. 30, Golden Eagle junior Jeremiah Price won his 100th career match.
During a tri-match on January 14 – the same night Surry Central held Senior Night – Crouse was recognized for his 100th career win. Crouse won twice as the Eagles defeated Forbush and Wilkes Central in Foothills 2A Conference competition.
Crouse is a two-time individual conference champion that medaled all three years in the conference tournament, a three-time regional qualifier, two-time regional medalist and two-time state qualifier. He has also been a part of three conference championships and three conference tournament championships as a team.
As a freshman, Crouse finished third in the 145-pound bracket of the Western Piedmont 2A Conference (WPAC) Tournament and qualified for the 2A Midwest Regional.
He made his first appearance in the state championship tournament as a sophomore, doing so by winning the 152 WPAC Championship and placing fourth in the Midwest 2A Regional 160 bracket. One of 16 wrestlers to qualify for the 160 bracket, Karson lost in the opening round via 7-2 decision to eventual fourth-place winner Trent Walker (45-4) of Currituck County. Crouse battled back to beat Reidsville’s Titus Harrison (16-11 and West Wilkes’ John Shepherd (46-6) in the consolation finals.
Crouse finished one match short of medaling, losing via 5-3 decision to First Flight’s Milosz Gargol (43-17).
Karson won the 170 WPAC Championship and finished fourth at the 2A Midwest Regional as a junior. He competed in his second state championship, but fell in the first round to Fred T. Foard’s Zane Birchet (28-2) who went on to finish third in the bracket.
The 2A Tournament usually gives medals to the top-six finishers instead of just the top four, but the tournament format was changed in 2020 due to COVID-19 protocols.
“He could’ve easily, in a normal year, come back and placed. I don’t have any doubts about that,” said Priddy following the 2021 state tournament.
Crouse is currently 20-3 as a senior as has reached the championship match in four major individual tournaments this season; winning the C.H. Necessary Invitational and finishing second in the Danny Linkler Memorial Tournament, Big A Memorial Invitational and Royal Viking Classic.
Karson’s only three losses this season were to wrestlers from larger divisions and in the championship matches of tournaments. Crouse went toe-to-toe with: Peyton Fisher (24-5) of 3A Kings Mountain, Alexander Gunning (27-2) of 4A Chapel Hill and Ziggy Malave (25-4) of 4A West Forsyth.
Crouse is undefeated against FH2A opponents this season.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com