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Dixon wrestler, Schwisow sets all-time win record
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TOPSAIL VOICE
By Harvey Bradshaw
DIXON - Dixon High School wrestling has been on the scene for 24 years. In the early 1990s, under Hall of Fame Coach Homer Spring, the Bulldogs brought home four state titles (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994), dominating the conference so completely that they only put regional titles on the banner that hangs in the gym. Conference crowns were not worth mentioning.
Winning 100 matches was considered a worthy goal for any wrestler, and over the years 25 wrestling Bulldogs reached that summit. Matt Padgett came along in the glory years, made All-State three times, and posted 152 career wins. He set a record 53 wins in one season. That was in 1995.
In the 14 years since, as Dixon’s overall wrestling fortunes declined, no one has been able to equal that mark. Aggressive Kris King (137 wins) gave it his best shot but came up short. Mike Carlson, a tiger at 103 pounds, became Dixon’s only four-time state qualifier and also won137 matches before going to England to serve with the US Air Force.
All-State Andy Anderson, a vital cog in three state championship teams, put 136 wins on the board in the early 90s. Charles Parrish, all-state twice, put up 132 victories. Two years ago Cody Bradshaw notched 128 triumphs before going to Appalachian State. Matt Padgett’s record 152 wins, identical to his 152-pound weight class, seemed safe.
Then, four years ago, Jeremy Schwisow, a 130-pounder with one year’s experience in middle school, stepped on the mat for Dixon. He came along at a time when arch-rival Topsail had risen to the top of the Coastal Plains Conference and Dixon was struggling to get back to their previous championship level.
In the ninth grade, hampered by a shoulder injury, Schwisow went 21-19. Few thought that would be a record-breaking start.
In the tenth grade, up to 135 pounds, smarter, stronger, more experienced, Schwisow posted a 55-11 record that astonished everyone but his teammates and coaches. He had broken Matt Padgett’s single-season record of 53 triumphs.
“We were not surprised,” said Assistant Coach John Kissick. “He is ‘old school’ like wrestlers used to be. He wakes up, runs, works out in the off season, and does all the things you have to do on your own to win,” he said. “He is there to work and get better, the type that you want on your team. I hope he learned from me, and I know I learned from him.”
As a junior, up to 140 pounds and working on his best season at 29-5, ranked #1 in the region, having beaten the wrestler that eventually finished fourth in the state, disaster struck. Schwisow became academically ineligible late in the regular season, knocking him out of the conference tournament, the regionals, and the state championships.
“That really sucked,” said Schwisow. “My team was out there and I was not. I learned a bitter lesson, that if you want to compete in athletics you must put your school work first. I hope no one else makes that same mistake.”
Back on track and up to 145 pounds as a senior, Schwisow needed 47 wins to break Padgett’s career record. He got 51, and his name will go to the top of Dixon’s tie-dyed shirts that list all 100-match winners - 156 career wins—a new record.
“He’s the best team captain I ever had,” said Coach Dal Tomlinson, who took over Dixon’s program four years ago and now has them wearing hoodies that proclaim ‘WE’RE BACK’.. “He was a raw scrapper at first, but he learned the moves and he never gives up. He is a person of integrity, family oriented. He got the team started last fall when I was still busy coaching football. He sets an example for us all.”
When Schwisow’s name goes to the top of the win list on that Dixon tie-dyed shirt, he will join some illustrious company. Anthony Endicott, with 123 wins, became a state champion. Jody Padgett, with 121 victories, teamed with Buddy Batson (109 wins, state champion, NCAA All-American heavyweight at UNC Pembroke), C.D. Merritt (105 wins), and Jeremy Evans (100 wins) to form the “four horsemen” of their era.
Barry Suggs (113 wins) once had his eye cut badly during a tournament. His friend repaired the cut with super glue and he never missed a match. Danny Henderson (110 wins), made All-State and later became a referee. His head-to-head matches with Doug Banks of 4A New Bern are still considered classics.
Josh King (109 wins) just edged out Sonny Carlson (108 wins, All-State). That one match gave the King brother’s, Kris and Josh, a total of 246 victories and bragging rights over Mike and Sonny Carlson with 245. They are the only sets of brothers to compete at this level for the Bulldogs. Sonny Carlson in recent years has helped coach both wrestling and football at Dixon before moving to Texas. Schwisow credits him and Jeff Wise (102 wins, state qualifier two years ago), along with his coaches, with helping him achieve his goals.
Brent Goddard, the son of a Marine who is now a Marine himself going to flight school, put up 108 wins. Eddie Hollis of Holly Ridge, one of the pioneers, recorded 107. Chris Deemer, a transfer whose father, Doug, helped with coaching, matched that 107.
Joey Biggers (104 wins, all-state) is the only Dixon wrestler to qualify for state in three weight classes—171, 189, and 215 pounds. He actually weighed about 170 at the time. His favorite move was to give his opponent a cradle hold, kick out of it and pin the guy with a head and arm. Robert Birkhimer (104 wins) is remembered for studying “Beowulf” in between tournament matches. English was not his best subject.
A.C. Davis (104 wins) is the grandson of Cecil Davis, who still operates a one-man portable sawmill in his eighties. A.C. has his own tire business in Holly Ridge. Larry Yopp, a pioneer with one of Sneads Ferry’s oldest family names, posted 103 wins and made All-State. Nick Chambers, an overachiever who surprised a lot of people, recorded 101 triumphs.
Mitch Stegall did not make the 100-win list, but he was a two-time state champion. He well deserves to be included in any summary of the greatest Bulldog wrestlers of all time. He is now an assistant coach at West Wilkes, the team that lost to Topsail in this season’s playoffs. Buddy Batson was a Topsail assistant coach there. The Dixon wrestling roots run deep.
Coach/Athletic Director/ math teacher Homer Spring has seen Dixon athletes come and go for several decades. He loves wrestling so much that he still referees. He knows that Jeremy Schwisow is special.
“He was a young man who came to us for advice and who wanted to learn. Few people know how hard he worked to become the wrestler he became, or how he overcame injuries without complaining,” said Spring. “For his senior project he worked with the middle school wrestlers, where he got his start in eighth grade. He would make a fine coach.”
Schwisow himself is thinking of going to Cape Fear Community College and becoming an x-ray technician.
“It’s a growing field and it helps others”, he said recently in his soft-spoken manner. “I am proud of what I did here at Dixon, I appreciate those who helped and supported me, and I will always be a Bulldog”.
A Bulldog with a record 156 victories on the mat.
Winning 100 matches was considered a worthy goal for any wrestler, and over the years 25 wrestling Bulldogs reached that summit. Matt Padgett came along in the glory years, made All-State three times, and posted 152 career wins. He set a record 53 wins in one season. That was in 1995.
In the 14 years since, as Dixon’s overall wrestling fortunes declined, no one has been able to equal that mark. Aggressive Kris King (137 wins) gave it his best shot but came up short. Mike Carlson, a tiger at 103 pounds, became Dixon’s only four-time state qualifier and also won137 matches before going to England to serve with the US Air Force.
All-State Andy Anderson, a vital cog in three state championship teams, put 136 wins on the board in the early 90s. Charles Parrish, all-state twice, put up 132 victories. Two years ago Cody Bradshaw notched 128 triumphs before going to Appalachian State. Matt Padgett’s record 152 wins, identical to his 152-pound weight class, seemed safe.
Then, four years ago, Jeremy Schwisow, a 130-pounder with one year’s experience in middle school, stepped on the mat for Dixon. He came along at a time when arch-rival Topsail had risen to the top of the Coastal Plains Conference and Dixon was struggling to get back to their previous championship level.
In the ninth grade, hampered by a shoulder injury, Schwisow went 21-19. Few thought that would be a record-breaking start.
In the tenth grade, up to 135 pounds, smarter, stronger, more experienced, Schwisow posted a 55-11 record that astonished everyone but his teammates and coaches. He had broken Matt Padgett’s single-season record of 53 triumphs.
“We were not surprised,” said Assistant Coach John Kissick. “He is ‘old school’ like wrestlers used to be. He wakes up, runs, works out in the off season, and does all the things you have to do on your own to win,” he said. “He is there to work and get better, the type that you want on your team. I hope he learned from me, and I know I learned from him.”
As a junior, up to 140 pounds and working on his best season at 29-5, ranked #1 in the region, having beaten the wrestler that eventually finished fourth in the state, disaster struck. Schwisow became academically ineligible late in the regular season, knocking him out of the conference tournament, the regionals, and the state championships.
“That really sucked,” said Schwisow. “My team was out there and I was not. I learned a bitter lesson, that if you want to compete in athletics you must put your school work first. I hope no one else makes that same mistake.”
Back on track and up to 145 pounds as a senior, Schwisow needed 47 wins to break Padgett’s career record. He got 51, and his name will go to the top of Dixon’s tie-dyed shirts that list all 100-match winners - 156 career wins—a new record.
“He’s the best team captain I ever had,” said Coach Dal Tomlinson, who took over Dixon’s program four years ago and now has them wearing hoodies that proclaim ‘WE’RE BACK’.. “He was a raw scrapper at first, but he learned the moves and he never gives up. He is a person of integrity, family oriented. He got the team started last fall when I was still busy coaching football. He sets an example for us all.”
When Schwisow’s name goes to the top of the win list on that Dixon tie-dyed shirt, he will join some illustrious company. Anthony Endicott, with 123 wins, became a state champion. Jody Padgett, with 121 victories, teamed with Buddy Batson (109 wins, state champion, NCAA All-American heavyweight at UNC Pembroke), C.D. Merritt (105 wins), and Jeremy Evans (100 wins) to form the “four horsemen” of their era.
Barry Suggs (113 wins) once had his eye cut badly during a tournament. His friend repaired the cut with super glue and he never missed a match. Danny Henderson (110 wins), made All-State and later became a referee. His head-to-head matches with Doug Banks of 4A New Bern are still considered classics.
Josh King (109 wins) just edged out Sonny Carlson (108 wins, All-State). That one match gave the King brother’s, Kris and Josh, a total of 246 victories and bragging rights over Mike and Sonny Carlson with 245. They are the only sets of brothers to compete at this level for the Bulldogs. Sonny Carlson in recent years has helped coach both wrestling and football at Dixon before moving to Texas. Schwisow credits him and Jeff Wise (102 wins, state qualifier two years ago), along with his coaches, with helping him achieve his goals.
Brent Goddard, the son of a Marine who is now a Marine himself going to flight school, put up 108 wins. Eddie Hollis of Holly Ridge, one of the pioneers, recorded 107. Chris Deemer, a transfer whose father, Doug, helped with coaching, matched that 107.
Joey Biggers (104 wins, all-state) is the only Dixon wrestler to qualify for state in three weight classes—171, 189, and 215 pounds. He actually weighed about 170 at the time. His favorite move was to give his opponent a cradle hold, kick out of it and pin the guy with a head and arm. Robert Birkhimer (104 wins) is remembered for studying “Beowulf” in between tournament matches. English was not his best subject.
A.C. Davis (104 wins) is the grandson of Cecil Davis, who still operates a one-man portable sawmill in his eighties. A.C. has his own tire business in Holly Ridge. Larry Yopp, a pioneer with one of Sneads Ferry’s oldest family names, posted 103 wins and made All-State. Nick Chambers, an overachiever who surprised a lot of people, recorded 101 triumphs.
Mitch Stegall did not make the 100-win list, but he was a two-time state champion. He well deserves to be included in any summary of the greatest Bulldog wrestlers of all time. He is now an assistant coach at West Wilkes, the team that lost to Topsail in this season’s playoffs. Buddy Batson was a Topsail assistant coach there. The Dixon wrestling roots run deep.
Coach/Athletic Director/ math teacher Homer Spring has seen Dixon athletes come and go for several decades. He loves wrestling so much that he still referees. He knows that Jeremy Schwisow is special.
“He was a young man who came to us for advice and who wanted to learn. Few people know how hard he worked to become the wrestler he became, or how he overcame injuries without complaining,” said Spring. “For his senior project he worked with the middle school wrestlers, where he got his start in eighth grade. He would make a fine coach.”
Schwisow himself is thinking of going to Cape Fear Community College and becoming an x-ray technician.
“It’s a growing field and it helps others”, he said recently in his soft-spoken manner. “I am proud of what I did here at Dixon, I appreciate those who helped and supported me, and I will always be a Bulldog”.
A Bulldog with a record 156 victories on the mat.
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