Nineteen schools competed in the two-day George Thompson Memorial wrestling tournament, hosted by Winder-Barrow High School.

North Oconee fielded six athletes, one of whom, Tim Abbott, placed second in the 145-pound weight class. 

Each day of the two-day tournament lasted nearly 10 hours and was exhausting for both athletes and coaches. 

Abbott, a senior at North Oconee, displayed a strong performance throughout the tournament, which landed him in the 145-class championship match against Athens Christian. 

The championship match was tight, with each athlete showing substantial control and technique. Abbott tied the match at 2-2, but a late surge by the wrestler from Athens Christian garnered two points, ending the match at time with a score of 2-4. 

Titan head coach Brian Bishop commented to Oconee Patch, "Tim did a good job, and wrestled well. He only lost by two and it was a tough match." 

While the other North Oconee teammates did not fare as well as Abbott, each wrestled with spirit but was beaten in the end before the semifinals. 

Coach Bishop said, "We put six wrestlers out there and one placed. It was a pretty good tournament." 

The Titans' next match event will be Jan. 7 in the Area Duals.

Correction: The second reference to the Athens Christian athlete who wrestled Tim Abbott in the 145-pound final match incorrectly named the wrong school in an earlier version of this story.