High School Wrestling Spotlight : Trey Arant

Trey Arant found his athletic calling very early in life. He is a wrestler, and a good one. “Some friends told me that they thought it would be good for me,” said Arant. “After a while of convincing I decided I’d give it a try and I’m going on six years now.”

His second year of wrestling was in 2009 in the 8th grade. That year, he placed second in Middle School State in the 125-pound weight class. That same year he took first in the Beaufort County Middle School Competition and the Green & Gold Qualifying Tournament.

He just got better from there. In his freshman year, his first year on the varsity squad, Arant was a 2010 Lower State Qualifier in the 145-pound weight class.

His sophomore year brought a collection of notable accomplishments, including 2011 4A State Qualifier, 2011 Beaufort Gazette / Island Packet All Area Team in the 145-pound class, and first place in the Dutch Fork Silver Fox tournament, among others.

As a junior, Arant made the Beaufort Gazette / Island Packet All Area Team again, this time in the 160-weight class. He took first place in the 2012 4A Region 8 All Region and again topped the Dutch Fork Silver Fox competition.

Arant has amassed an impressive overall record thus far as he goes into his senior year, with a record of 81-43 with 57 pins, 18 reversals, and 76 escapes. He holds the Beaufort High School record for the fastest Technical Fall, 19-3 in just under 2 minutes.

Arant is strong in the classroom as well. His senior year will include college preparatory classes that will help get some of his basic college work done ahead of time. He has dual enrollment at Technical College of the Low Country moving forward with his prerequisite courses.

When he’s not hard at work wrestling or studying, Arant likes to relax around the house, spend time with friends or his girlfriend of seven months, Erin.

“I’d like to major in psychology and hopefully get a doctorate in it someday,” he said.

“He’s never considered himself to be a great wrestler,” said his father, Melton Arant. “He just goes out and wrestles.” Dad thinks his son has a decent shot at a wrestling scholarship. “People like to go out and watch him wrestle just because of the way he wrestles,” he said.

A crucial point in Arant’s high school wrestling career came last December when he suffered a shoulder injury and really didn’t tell anybody. He wasn’t the same wrestler. He was unable to do many of the things on the mat that the coaches were accustomed to seeing him do.

Eventually, Arant complained of a strained shoulder. After the season ended, a medical examination revealed a torn shoulder which would eventually require surgery. He wrestled for two months with the injury and made it all the way to second place in state competition, nearly winning the state title. The competitor that beat him had already been a two-time state champion in that weight class.

“People watching him who know him comment on how focused he is,” said his father. “He walks out on the mat and he’s all business. You never see him taunting and you never see him talking trash. He wants to wrestle and he wants to have a good match.”

Arant had few losses during the regular season. The only wrestlers who defeated Arant last year were placers and state qualifiers. Some of these losses came when he stepped up to a higher weight class.He lost to several who were state champions in higher weight classes.

The goal for his senior year is clear. “I’m hoping to make it back to state and win this time,” said Arant. “Hopefully, I won’t be bothered by my shoulder surgery.”

His father has a right to be proud. “We watched him come into his own and become a very independent, very fine young man. There’s great coaching. He got it from wresting because of the discipline and training.”