Only a sophomore, Polk County High School’s Chase Emory left his mark at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 2A wrestling tournament in Greensboro, where he placed sixth in the state last weekend.

“Just to place is a great accomplishment,” remarked Wolverine head coach Phillip Miller. “He was in every match,” Miller added, noting that Emory, a 138-pounder, lost a competitive match to the eventual state titlist.

A week earlier, Emory was runner-up at the state’s West Regional Tournament.

“Now that he’s got a taste of it, he knows what he needs to learn,” Miller added. “No body’s going to work harder than he will.” He’s got two more years,” Miller said of his gifted sophomore. “Hopefully, he’ll turn this into a state title. Nobody’s going to work harder.”