| Friday, Coach Randy Moss' Perry Panthers faced against West Laurens for a shot at the Elite Eight. "This is just a special atmosphere, he said as fans prepared to yell and scream in the Centreplex. It's an animated atmosphere for sure, but even if you couldn't care less who makes a pin, these matches are a win for taxpayers. Dennis Tallini is with the Georgia High School Association. "With wrestling, the event is three days long. Our schools come in on day one and stay 'til it's over. If they're eliminated, they may go home, but most of them are going to be here a full three days, so the hotels and restaurants will see an increase in activity," he explained. "After weigh-ins, we usually carry the guys out. We usually take them up to Arkwright and let them eat and come back here 'til it's time to wrestle," Moss said. This year, the Centreplex will host the Duals, or team championships, and the individual tournament in February. The Convention and Visitors Bureau says when we hosted both events in 2015 the two tournaments brought in roughly $2 million. Every year, we get the duals to the tune of about $440,000 of economic impact. "Being centrally located, it's the perfect spot because you've got the southern teams and the northern teams. They can just meet in the middle. I know last year with the state tournament, we held it in Perry at the Agricenter, so everyone's just bringing it to Middle Georgia, which is good for the sport and it's also good for the sport of wrestling in this area. We've got to catch up and compete with these north Georgia teams," Moss said. http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/ghsa-wrestling-tournament-brings-in-big-money/385898822 |
