Toast of the Coast: Knipper conquers major challenges en route to another wrestling state title
The telling aspect of Justin Knipper’s turning point was when it happened.
The decorated Socastee wrestler had already won an individual state title as a sophomore and was one of the state’s best in his weight class as a junior. But even in his mind, that wasn’t enough.
Unsatisfied with his performances, he attended a pair of camps, one in Georgia and another at Virginia Tech. He squared off against former and current college wrestlers.
It was there The Sun News Toast of the Coast Wrestler of the Year got his mojo back by clearing his head.
“I wrestled just to wrestle,” Knipper said. “At that point, I knew that I could pretty much hang.
“I think I can compete with anybody who steps on the mat with me. I’ve learned a lot more about the sport since last year. When you understand it, it’s easy to compete.”
Whatever clicked last summer carried over to Knipper’s senior season. After losing two early matches in the first full tournament of the season, he rattled off 34 consecutive wins, none bigger than the Class AAAA 120-pound individual championship against Gaffney’s Zack Clary, a two-time state champion.
Knipper won the finals match by a score of 4-3. The impact of that single point was much larger, not only for the Braves wrestler but for the sport as a whole.
Clary was the first wrestler in state history to win his first 100 high school matches and entered state finals at 141-0.
“He actually got interviewed after his semifinals match asking him about how he was undefeated,” Knipper said of Clary. “No one thought he could be beat. It was an amazing moment. I finally accomplished what I was working toward.”
Socastee coach Jeff Gibbins believed that was only a matter of time.
“Whenever he sets his mind to something, he’s not going to stop until he gets it,” Gibbins said.
For most of the 2014-2015 season, the biggest challenge was Knipper himself. Although he was wrestling two weight classes above the 106-pound class he was in as a sophomore, maintaining the necessary levels to remain at 120 wasn’t easy.
Frequently, he’d check in on Monday weighing 132 or 133 pounds and have to shed the excess in a hurry.
“There were times when weight was an issue,” Gibbins said. “He’s missed weight before. Whenever you’re pushing yourself to that level, that happens. … What Justin was doing to himself this year was the limit.”
Knipper was ultimately named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Class AAAA individual tournament. He’s also recently verbally committed to Virginia Tech, where he’ll have an opportunity at the NCAA’s highest level.
It’s of little shock that the Blacksburg, Va., campus was also where he started to regain his confidence. It gave him an edge, and it led him to the top.
“I had it in my mind,” he said, “that I didn’t want anything less than first.”
THE TEAM
Wrestler of the Year
Justin Knipper
School | Socastee
Class | Senior
Weight | 120
Noteworthy | Named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Class AAAA individual meet after winning his second state title. Finished the year 37-2 overall en route to also earning region and Lower State championships.
Shea Burke
School | Waccamaw
Class | Senior
Weight | 145
Noteworthy | Two-time all-state selection and Toast of the Coast honoree won the Class AA individual title and was 35-1 after a 32-4 finish during his junior season.
Tyler Davis
School | Waccamaw
Class | Senior
Weight | 285
Noteworthy | The Citadel football signee made the most of his short time on the mat, going 19-2 and winning both the Class AA state championship and the Lower State title.
Raesean Diggs
School | North Myrtle Beach
Class | Senior
Weight | 220
Noteworthy | Finished the season 38-3 overall between 285 and 220 pounds. At the lower weight class, won the Lower State title and finished as the Class AA runner-up.
T.J. Fox
School | Aynor
Class | Senior
Weight | 220
Noteworthy | Finished 36-4 and earned both the Class AA state individual title and the Lower State crown; undefeated against Class AA-A opponents.
Logan Gammon
School | Socastee
Class | Senior
Weight | 132
Noteworthy | Region VI-AAAA and Horry County champion set a school record for wins by going 47-7 during the regular season and throughout the Lower State tournament.
Landon Lawson
School | Aynor
Class | Senior
Weight | 126
Noteworthy | Class AA state champion and three-time Lower State champ was 33-11 this year and won 70 matches between his final two seasons with the Blue Jackets.
Michael Mewhorter
School | St. James
Class | Junior
Weight | 145
Noteworthy | Class AAA state runner-up and Lower State champion was 39-2 overall after qualifying for the state individual tournament for the second time.
Zach Mor
School | Socastee
Class | Senior
Weight | 182
Noteworthy | Three-time state tournament qualifier finished fourth in Class AAAA this year after putting up a 46-5 record and earning the Horry County and Coastal Clash titles.
Cody Prince
School | North Myrtle Beach
Class | Senior
Weight | 126
Noteworthy | Carolina Forest transfer finished 43-7 this season with the Chiefs and won the Horry-Georgetown Invitational. Also finished fourth at Lower State tournament.
Zach Sanders
School | St. James
Class | Junior
Weight | 170
Noteworthy | Two-time state qualifier went 36-3 this season, not losing a match until the Lower State finals. Selected to the Class AAA/AA North-South All-Star wrestling roster.
Jacob Seifert
School | St. James
Class | Senior
Weight | 126
Noteworthy | Two-time individual state tournament qualifier and 2015 Lower State runner-up was named to North-South All-Star roster after going 35-5 this year.
Arman Singh
School | Waccamaw
Class | Senior
Weight | 138
Noteworthy | Ranked as No. 1 in the state throughout much of the year; finished 33-3 and was the state runner-up after moving up two weight classes from his all-state junior season.
Chase Smith
School | St. James
Class | Junior
Weight | 113
Noteworthy | Finished fourth at the Class AAA individual state meet and piled up a 31-11 record throughout the season.
Daquan Smith
School | Aynor
Class | Senior
Weight | 170
Noteworthy | One year after setting the school wins record,
pushed his career record to 124-21 by going 37-5 and finishing as the Class AA runner-up in the individual state tournament.
Jalil Smith
School | Georgetown
Class | Senior
Weight | 285
Noteworthy | Former state champion went 39-2 and earned all-state honors with a second-place finish at the Class AAA tournament after winning the Lower State title.
Coach of the Year
Matt Anderson
School | St. James
Noteworthy | Steered six Sharks to the Class AAA individual state tournament after leading the team to Lower State finals in the team duals tournament.
This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Toast of the Coast: Knipper conquers major challenges en route to another wrestling state title."