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Dedmon leaving Polk County for administrative role

By Andy Rhinehart

 

Polk County High School is on the lookout for a new wrestling coach.

After two seasons at PCHS, head coach Adam Dedmon resigned in late July to accept an administrative position in Cleveland County.

Dedmon, who earned his master’s degree in Administration and Supervision in May from Converse College, accepted a position as assistant principal at North Shelby School. North Shelby offers services to students in Cleveland County Schools between the ages of three and 21 who have significant intellectual disabilities and who have been placed at North Shelby by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team at their home school.

Upon coming to Polk County from Chase in 2018, Dedmon presided over a renaissance of the sport in the county. He worked with Russell Wilson to form the Wolverine Wrestling Club, a group that grew last season to include more than 20 wrestlers. He worked with Jerry Cox to help reinvigorate Polk County Middle’s program, which had its best season in years in 2019-2020 and produced a two-time conference champion in Topher Pearson as well as a school-record 15 qualifiers for the Blue Ridge Conference Tournament.

For his own program, Dedmon led Polk County to a tie for eighth in the team standings at the 2020 1A state tourney, the program’s best showing in a decade. Preston Burnett finished second in individual competition and Satchel McCoy finished fourth, with Trey Thompson and Collier Foster placing in the top six.

Polk had three Western Highlands Conference tournament champions, ending a title-less streak of eight years, and finished third overall at the tourney.

Dedmon will not be involved in coaching in his new position.

Polk County Schools is accepting applications for the vacancy. Under the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 2020-2021 calendar, wrestling will be held in spring 2021, with practice starting April 12 and the regular season running April 26-June 11.