MOULTRIE — Colquitt County wrestling coach Greg Tillery says Antonio Sutton, his veteran, two-time Region 1-AAAAA heavyweight champion, has a chance to go deep into the state wrestling tournament that begins Thursday at the Arena at The Gwinnett Center.

The reason? Strength.

“They don’t call him ‘Bear’ for nothing,” said Tillery.

That strength has helped Sutton get out of a number of tough positions over the last two seasons, during which he has posted a combined record of 60-8.

“He has a chance to go deep in the tournament if if he will wrestle for six minutes,” Tillery said. “He has to take it to his opponents.”

Sutton, who is 25-5 this season, will face the heavyweight from Brookwood High in the first round.

He is the only one of the three wrestlers Tillery is taking to Gwinnett County today who has state tournament experience.

While Sutton was winning the Region 1-AAAAA championships at Coffee on Saturday, Ricky Grier was finishing third in the 215-pound weight class and Jocorey Dillard and Trey Brooks were finishing fourth in the 119-pound and 152-pound weight classes respectively.

Tillery calls Grier a “huge” surprise.

“He started out like he would never make it, but he worked hard and was coachable and he is reaping the rewards,” Tillery said of Grier, who will take a 22-9 record into the state tournament. “He is probably one of the biggest surprises in the region in any weight class.”

Grier’s first opponent in the tournament will be from Stephenson High.

Dillard was fifth in the region tournament last year and improved by one place this year.

He will take a 16-9 record into his meeting with a wrestler from Hiram High on Thursday.

Brooks is 5-9, but Tillery says people should not read too much into that record.

“The record is not indicative of the wrestler he is,” Tillery said of Brooks.

“He missed the first part of the season for disciplinary actions, handled it well and came back and has been as good as I can ask from a young’un.”

Tillery said the tough draws Brooks has received in several tournaments “should be a help this weekend.”

Brooks will meet an opponent from Camden County on Thursday.

Tillery said his quartet needs “to carry what has worked and take this momentum and run with it.

“We had a good night Monday at practice and coach (Keith) Sumner worked on what got them there and nothing new.

“We just have to get after it and see how it works out.”

Tickets for today’s matches at $7. Tickets for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are $10. A ticket for the four days of the tournament is available for $30.

The double-elimination tournament will be scored to the top six places.