Campbell, an N.C. high school champion at Chapel Hill who went onto to earn All-America status at Appalachian State, returned to the school this season after coaching East Chapel Hill for the past couple of years.

He’s helped Colson work his way to an 18-0 record so far at 285 pounds.

“Working with coach Campbell on a daily basis has helped,” Chapel Hill coach Tripp Rice said last weekend. “He has really increased his match management over the past few years, and that is allowing him to have better outcomes.”

Colson went 3-0 Saturday in the annual Beast of the East invitational at Newport’s Croatan High, traditionally one of the best early season tests for high school wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. Winners are likely to see several of the wrestlers they may see again in the postseason.

The Tigers were coming off a good showing the weekend before at the Mt. Pleasant Invitational, where Colson also was 3-0 with two pins.

Tommy Morrison went 3-1 at Mt. Pleasant to earn third place at 126 pounds; Ethan Martin (3-1) took fourth place at 160, and Roberto Sibrian (3-1) was fourth at 195.

Last Saturday in Newport, Colson felled his first two opponents. He pinned Austin Bryant-Foye of New Bern in 70 seconds and then took down Croatan’s Johnathan Rigsby in 4:30. In the championship match, Colson faced previously undefeated Matthew Reed of Jacksonville for the 285 title and took a major decision 14-5.

“Alex was impressive in defeating that undefeated kid from Jacksonville,” Price said.

Chapel Hill holds its first home match since Nov. 20 when it hosts Raleigh Millbrook at 7 p.m. Wednesday and heads back out at the start of its holiday break for more road work Saturday at the Kyle Maynard Duals in Atlanta.

Chapel Hill will host its annual Tiger Holiday Classic Dec. 28-29.

Orange wins Eagle Invitational

Three Panthers won individual titles and three others reached the championship finals as Orange won the Eagle Invitational wrestling tournament last weekend at Eastern Alamance High.

Orange’s Jack Twomey-Kozak, fresh from his recent trip to New York as a High School Heisman finalist, won the 138-pound title with a 4-0 decision over Northwest Guilford’s Blake Millaway. Orange 145-pounder Anderson Pope won with a 4-2 decision in the finals over Leesville Road’s Matt Cesari. At 285, Bryon Stephenson of Orange edged Jordan’s Courtland Park with 2-1 decision in overtime.

In all, Orange had 13 of its 14 wrestlers finish in the top six of their weight class.

Orange’s Gonzalo Garcia Cantoral (113 pounds), David Peters-Logue (160) and Argie Burnette (220) all reached the championship finals to help the Panthers finish with 273 points. Northwest Guilford was second with 180, and Leesville Road third with 156.5.

East Chapel Hill finished eighth, led by Armond Berry (182) and Masai White (190) both making it as far as the championship finals.

Cedar Ridge placed 19th.