Randy Prater, right, congratulates James Sievers, left, after his win at the Archer Tiger Rumble tournament in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Nov. 9, 2025. Sievers won by fall over Jaxon Grant from Heritage-Catoosa. (Photo/Sydney Jarrard)
Social Circle’s wrestling team is a powerhouse that has historically dominated in both team and individual state competitions. In 2024, Social Circle rolled to a 55-12 victory over Mount Pisgah Christian in the finals at the 1A state dual tournament. In 2025, the Redskins and head coach Randy Prater faced a much more difficult bracket in the state tournament.
“For us, this was probably one of the toughest, if not the toughest, Class 1A state tournaments I’ve ever been a part of,” Prater said.
Social Circle is in for another challenging season.
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA), the governing body for high school sports, voted to reduce the number of classifications from seven to six, which forced a larger number of wrestlers into Social Circle’s state tournament bracket.
Every two years, the GHSA reclassifies schools based on the number of students in each football-playing school and organizes regions and classifications based on football. A school with a larger student population is placed in a larger classification.
Prior to the 2024-25 season, the GHSA separated teams into seven classifications: 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 6A and 7A. Beginning with the 2024-25 season, the GHSA reduced the number of classifications from seven to six. It also separated 1A into Division I and Division II, created a private school division and eliminated 7A. Wrestling opted not to split the 1A divisions, so 30 schools joined the existing 1A competition for the state wrestling tournament.
Six classifications in wrestling created deeper competition in the postseason. Wrestlers compete for state titles as teams, and there is a separate tournament for individuals to win titles in their weight classes. In the 1A individual state tournament last season, there were more returning state placers than there were places in the tournament.
Cale Prater, a senior wrestler at Social Circle and Randy Prater’s son, saw the effects of a larger classification size during the individual state tournament last season. Cale previously placed fifth in the 150-pound weight class in 1A at individual state in his sophomore year, but his junior year looked different.
It was just a lot of really good kids, especially on my side of the bracket,” Cale said.
In the first round of the state tournament, Cale wrestled a returning state champion who won in 2A the previous season. Cale lost in overtime, and the returning state champion lost later on in the tournament. Neither wrestler placed.
“I honestly should have prepared more because it was a big change with that many different wrestlers and new opponents and how many people came down,” Cale said.
Next year, the Redskins may get a bit of a breather because the GHSA voted to move back to seven classifications for the 2026-27 season. Wrestling may make its own decision to change the number of classifications in wrestling. If wrestling decides to adopt seven classifications next season, the level of competition for Social Circle will change again.
Bud Hennebaul, the GHSA wrestling coordinator, is concerned about moving back to seven classifications because of the strain it could have on smaller schools and the competition size. According to Hennebaul, the advisory committee is discussing whether or not to stay in six classifications.
“Most people that are true wrestling people understand it’s a competition, and they thrive on competition,” Hennebaul said.
Hennebaul said wrestling in the state of Georgia is growing and that six classifications cause the competition to be harder. He also recognizes that seven classifications allow more opportunities for wrestling to grow in Georgia.
It does provide more opportunity for those schools and kids to be state place winners or champions,” Hennebaul said.
In February, the GHSA coaches’ advisory committee will meet to discuss how many classifications wrestling should have. The decision will be made official in April after the spring GHSA executive meeting.
Social Circle will adapt to the changes again, just like they have in previous years. Coach Prater is not worried about his team’s performance. Social Circle plans to win another state title this season, no matter what changes lie ahead of them.
“Wrestling in Georgia has grown,” Prater said. “You know, you can’t deny that. Our high-level kids can compete with any high-level kids in any state.”
Sydney Jarrard is a student in the undergraduate certificate program at the Carmical Sports Media Institute at UGA.
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