The Bulloch Academy football team won the state championship this season for the first time since 1997. Joshua Mager was a member of that team and is hoping to add an individual state championship to his accomplishments with the Gators. Mager is seeking to be the first Gator wrestler since Harrison Wren in 2022 to bring home an individual title.

A starter on the team since his freshman year, Mager recently won his 100th career match. With region coming up next week and the GIAA state meet in February Mager feels like he’s ready.

“Coming in my freshman year I never believed I’d be able to reach 100 wins,” Mager said. “Last year I started thinking there was a chance at getting to 100 and so I made that a goal. I have a great group of people who support me and they really helped with encouraging me to get there. Being able to do it at home in front of all of them was very special.”

In his sophomore season Mager advanced to the state finals in the 175-pound division. He lost to Dean Massey of Westfield and vowed to return his junior year and try and get revenge. A return to the 175-pound division would be a tall task for Mager who had gotten up above 200 pounds for football season.

“It was kind of like in the movie Vision Quest.” Said Gator wrestling coach Trey Walker. “He really shouldn’t have been wrestling there. He had to drop weight and could have probably easily won state in 190, but he was determined to try and beat Massey.”

Unlike the movie Mager fell just shy of getting his revenge as he would have to settle for state runner-up again. This time around Massey is gone and Mager has his sights set on finishing with a state championship in the 190-pound division.

“We have wrestled against a lot of really good public and private schools this year,” Mager said. “I think the kind of competition I have seen this year has me prepared for region and state. There is a lot of history in our program and it means a lot for me to try and win a state championship and show the younger kids it can be done. Maybe that will inspire them to set goals and try and reach their dreams.”

Walker says Mager and his family have been very instrumental in trying to get the Gator wrestling program back to their days of competing for team and individual state titles.

“Joshua has been a cornerstone of our rebuild here at Bulloch Academy,” Walker said. He has volunteered a lot of time working with our younger kids. A lot of those kids look up to him and he has really been a role model for them. I think the future of wresting here at Bulloch Academy is bright and I am appreciative of all he has done for us.”

Bulloch Academy will host the region wrestling tournament next Thursday beginning at 5 p.m.