EDENTON – Fresh off claiming the 2026 All-Conference Championship on Jan. 26, the John A. Holmes High School Aces wrestling team has officially qualified for the State Dual Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the 2A East Region bracket.
The accomplishments mark a historic season for the Aces wrestling program, particularly as they come during Head Coach Sean McCroskey’s first year leading the team.
“I was informed this afternoon that we have officially qualified for the State Dual Tournament,” the coach announced on Facebook on Saturday, Jan. 31. “I am overjoyed in my first year as head coach to see these boys competing for a team state championship.”
According to NCHSAA rankings released Jan. 14, John A. Holmes ranked 22nd in the 2A classification with a 6-14 record and a total score of 34.59. The team has competed against some of the state’s top programs throughout the season, including Rosewood (34-4), whom they could face in the second round of the state tournament. Rosewood is ranked No. 1 in the East bracket.
Regional Wrestling Landscape
Several area schools are also competing in state tournament action across different classifications. A copy of the brackets appears below this article.
In the Class 2A tournament, Manteo High School (13-10, No. 18 ranked in Class 1A/2A) is ranked No. 4 and will face No. 13-ranked Bishop McGuinness Catholic in the first round.
In the Class 3A tournament, No. 6-ranked Pasquotank County High School (12-10, No. 17 ranked in Class 3A) will face No. 11-ranked Spring Creek High School in the first round.
In the Class 5A tournament, No. 6-ranked Currituck County High School (11-4, No. 7 ranked in Class 5A) will face No. 11-ranked Orange High School in the first round.
At the conference championship, the Aces dominated with several individual champions. First-place finishers included Rommel Cortezano (106), Colton Virginia (126), Giovanni Salinas-Villalobos (132), Chase Reid (138), Elijah Williams (150), Brendan Ganzert (175), Wyatt Ganzert (190), and Steven Ferebee (HWT). Selina Perez-Roblero claimed the Girls 132 Championship.
The team also saw strong performances from second-place finishers Ryan Shook (175), Jimmy Henson (215), and Noah Browder (HWT), as well as third-place finisher Cole Robinette (165).
The achievement is especially meaningful given the challenges the team has faced throughout the season.
“As everyone knows, we’ve had some tough dual matches this year, which makes this achievement a huge testament to this team’s resilience and perseverance,” McCroskey noted.
The Aces will face No. 9 seed East Carteret in the first round on Tuesday at Rosewood High School, weather permitting. Weigh-ins are scheduled for 4 p.m., with wrestling set to begin at 5 p.m.. A victory over East Carteret would advance John A. Holmes to face top-seeded Rosewood in the next round.
The state championship finals are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Novant Health Fieldhouse in the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, with matches at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m.
“Thank you all for your continued support—this team has earned this moment,” the coach said.
Individual Championships
The late-entry deadline to report for the men’s and women’s individual state championships was Jan. 31. The competitors have not been announced.
The women’s regionals will be held Feb. 6-7, while the men’s will be Feb. 13-14. The individual state championship, for both men and women, will be Feb. 19-21.
MIDDLE SCHOOL: The Chowan Middle School wrestling team will compete in the conference championship on Feb. 7 at Currituck Middle School, 4263 Caratoke Highway, Barco.