Randolph-Henry High School and its wrestling program is bringing a growing number of visitors to Charlotte County thanks to its annual wrestling event, The Court House Classic.

The tournament took place this past Saturday and drew 15 school teams to compete, with the host Statesmen bringing the total to 16.

Statesmen Head Coach Zack Mowery was pleased with how the tourney went this year.

“It went fantastic,” he said. “… We had good competition. We had competition from all over the state. We also had a team from North Carolina, and this tournament has grown every year. Next year we’re looking to expand to 24 teams.”

Bringing this many people to town on a weekend in January gives Charlotte Court House and the county a chance to shine for a diverse and growing audience, helping raise the profile of the entire area.

Adding another important piece that makes the overall showcase of the area a success is the fact that Randolph-Henry’s wrestling program is, indeed, a strong one, establishing the school as a logical hub for large-scale wrestling events.

On Saturday, four Statesmen medaled, placing within the top four of their weight classes, and one Statesman wrestler won.

Mowery addressed the effect he hopes The Court House Classic has on his program and the county’s residents.

“Hopefully they can see that we are definitely taking the right step for this program and try to rally behind us, and just support, really, is all we’re looking for from the county, which has been good,” he said. “We’ve had good support. As we grow, maybe we get more kids out for wrestling and we grow from there.”

And so, too, does the county’s profile.