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Every point mattered Saturday for Polk County in its second-round state wrestling playoff victory over Avery.

The points that Brady Carroll scored, though, felt like they counted just a bit more.

Wrestling at heavyweight for just the third time this season, Carroll scored a 2-1 decision over Avery’s Grayson Lolies, providing the points that the Wolverines needed to secure a 38-36 win over the four-time defending 1A West champions in Newland.

Polk County (35-5) advances to Wednesday’s third round, where the Wolverines will face Robbinsville. That match will be part of a four-team pod at a location to be determined. Top seed Mount Airy will face Bradford Prep in the other third-round match, with the two winners then squaring off in the regional final.

The Wolverines earned their shot at Avery after routing Hayesville 67-12 in their opening match. The two wins mark the first time since 2009 that Polk County has advanced past the second round in the dual team postseason. The 2009 team’s two wins came in a smaller playoff field and moved them into the regional final, where they fell to West Wilkes.

Zalen McCraw’s win at 175 pounds gave Polk a 35-18 lead in its battle with Avery. But the Vikings earned victories at 190 and 215 pounds, moving within 35-30. With Alexandero Ical Tuil, the state’s second-ranked wrestler, still to come at 106 pounds, both sides knew the heavyweight match would likely settle the outcome.

Carroll normally wrestles at 215 pounds but bumped up a class to battle Lolies. The strategy worked as Carroll delivered the win and three crucial team points to seal Polk’s triumph.

“Superman,” said Polk County head coach Thomas Hensley of Carroll. “We went nuts.”

The match included a showdown between the state’s top two wrestlers at 120 pounds, undefeated Cooper Foster of Avery and Polk’s Efrain Rivera. Foster won the match by pin, giving the Vikings an early lead, before the Wolverines answered with consecutive victories by Amon Villarreal, Brody Wolfe and Jaxtyn Virgil to take a lead they would never lose.

The day’s opening match offered none of the same drama, with Polk winning the first 12 matches before forfeiting at 215 and 285 pounds.