WRESTLING: CBA's Hughes, a freshman, stands confident

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 17, 2017 10:02 AM

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GREENSBORO -- A quiet and humble student of the ancient martial art of jit-jitsu, Tyler Hughes doesn't size up an opponent when he steps onto the wrestling mat.

Instead, he relies on his best asset -- an even-keel mentality.

"They're all the same," said Hughes, a freshman at Charles B. Aycock.

"Anybody you go up against, you treat them the same. I want to be aggressive, make them break. I stay even tempered, don't get too riled up or too down on myself when I lose."

Hughes never swayed from that blueprint this winter.

The first-year varsity grappler filed a 48-11 worksheet that included two incredible feats -- an east 3-A regional championship and a place among CBA history. He's the fifth Golden Falcon freshman, according to records available, to qualify for the N.C. High School Athletic Association individual wrestling championships, which got underway Thursday evening.

He joins four predecessors -- Brandon Godwin (1997), Ryan Batts (2000), Turner Wood (2002) and Ronald Lynn (2004) -- who helped build Aycock into one of the state's elite programs. All four were four-time state qualifiers.

"My coaches talked about how special it was," Hughes said.

His next task?

Become Aycock's first state champ since Ngu Tran in 2007.

Hughes' quest began before noon today with an opening-round match against Anson County's Achee Hoskins, the No. 4 seed from the Midwest.

"After the first couple of events, I remember saying to (assistant coach) Mark (Bass) this kid is special and boy won't it be fun having him for four years?" Golden Falcons head coach Brian Doyle said. "It's so rare to have a kid with his natural talent. His work ethic, discipline and his training are unmatched.

"(As) the late Stuart Scott would say, 'he''s as cool as the other side of the pillow.'"

Hughes, a 152-pounder, spent the week sparring with Rosewood wrestlers to prepare for the state meet. He's received instruction from teammate Josh Wallace, who is in Greensboro for the third straight year. Bass coached Hughes in Little Falcons football.

But former MMA fighter Jake Whitfield might be Hughes' most knowledgeable instructor. The two chat regularly through social media. Every piece of training has helped Hughes become a better competitor who exudes an unbridled confidence.

"The confidence? It comes from my training, my coaches, my teammates," Hughes said. "Josh is a lot stronger than me, so it gets me used to wrestling against stronger people and his experience...he shows me a lot of different things.

"Jake used to be a wrestler, so he sends me messages on Facebook and tells me what I did wrong after he sees my videos. That helps me improve...learn different moves, techiques. Coach Bass has known me for three years, so he knows what I can do and he told me what to expect."

Hughes, not surprisingly, expected to reach states.

His season-long file includes individual crowns from the Grant Wilder Wilson Invitational, Falcon Invitational and Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference tournament. He placed third at the Jolly Roger and fourth at the Pierce-Davis Memorial.

"The thing I like about wrestling is it''s one on one," Hughes said. "I play football, too. You've got to rely on a teammate or the whole team. But wrestling, it's just you and the other guy. It's a lot of fun."

With a little confidence thrown in, too.