CHAPEL HILL — The Cary wrestling team pushed its unblemished record to 33-0 on the year a after dispatching host Chapel Hill and Green Hope in the first and second rounds of the state team-dual meet on Tuesday.

The Imps fell behind 9-0 to Chapel Hill (17-6) before rattling off 64 unanswered to cruise to victory. Green Hope (23-4) advanced after downing East Wake 42-32, making it a match-up of two Tri-Eight foes.

Cary all but swept the Falcons, giving up just two takedowns the entire match. The only team points given up came on two forfeits as Cary rolled to a 59-12 victory.

In all, the Imps won 24 of their 28 individual matches.

"We had three or four really close matches and I was proud of my guys who pulled those out," Cary coach Jerry Winterton said. "It's nice to get this day out of the way and get out of here at a decent time so we can go home and get some rest."

Out of the Falcons' four losses this year, two of them were at the hands of Cary.

"Cary is Cary," Green Hope coach Chip Bunn said. "I don't mind losing to Cary, especially if they're going to [win Thursday]. Then you can say you lost to guys who are going to be in the finals."

As a result of Tuesday's wins, Cary has now won 100 consecutive team dual meet matches.

Winterton said he was unaware of the streak that ended with the 2006 state final loss to Davie County.

"I hadn't thought about that. If he hadn't lost that match [to Davie], then we would've really been cooking," Winterton said. "That's pretty good, I did not know that."

Cary has asked the NCHSAA to host the east regional in next round, which will feature at least Leesville Road, which was victorious in their pod after defeating Fayetteville Pine Forest and host Fayetteville Douglas Byrd. "We definitely want to host," Winterton said.

The other two teams are Durham Riverside and Panther Creek. The winner of the East regional will host the state final as well.

"It'll be a real test Thursday. What happens Thursday I don't know," Winterton said. "Both matches will be tough and we'll just do what we can do."

Cary heavyweight Eloheim Palma, ranked No. 1 in the nation, took just one minute to collect two pins.

In the Tri-Eight conference tournament, a Fuquay-Varina wrestler begged his coach move up a weight class in order to grapple with Palma.

Green Hope freshman Dillon Macias also wanted Palma, and like that Fuquay wrestler, it was more for the honor and stories to tell friends and future kids —not necessarily for winning. He lasted 10 seconds before getting pinned.

Also collecting pins in both matches on Tuesday for Cary were 103-pound Ben Creed, 145-pound David Alecio, 152-pound Gabe Brotzman and 160-pound Matt Colvard.

In the final dual-meet match of his storied career, Chapel Hill senior Corey Mock scored a pin in 3:18. Mock will now try to become a four-time state champion when the individual tournaments begin on Feb. 13.