LAKE BUTLER — Clay’s string of district traditional titles is the stuff of area legend.
Thursday afternoon at Union Cty, the Blue Devils added another district title, taking their fourth straight district duals title.
Clay (6-1) dropped just two matches in two victories, rolling past Bolles (79-0) and the host Tigers (72-9). The Blue Devils will be the only Jacksonville-area Region 1 host on January 14, as Clay will take on Episcopal in a quarterfinal dual at home.
Thursday, Clay set a tone right away in the win over the Bulldogs (5-9), winning by fall or technical fall in the first seven contested matches.
Only one match went the full six minutes, as Ethan Larsen powered through to a 7-5 win at 182. Maverick Rainwater (113), Dalton Huckelberry (126), Chandler Thomas (132), Aiden Mayo (145), Cale Hoskinson (170) and Garrett Tyre (220) all won by fall for the Blue Devils, while Gunner Ivey (15-0 at 120) and Dominic Martin (16-0 at 152) added tech falls. Clay also had five forfeit wins at 106, 138, 160, 195 and 285.
The middle dual matched Bolles against the hosts and projected to be the most competitive, and it was. Bolles jumped out to leads of 12-0 and 18-4, only to see the Tigers (3-4) roar back on a 24-0 run to go up 10, with a forfeit in hand. Not to be outdone, Bolles closed the door with back-to-back-to-back pins to clinch the win.
Jacob Witt (113), Bryson Hubbard (120), Denny Vohs (132), Jackson Brill (170), Ethan Asbury (182) and Jack Pyburn (285) each had pins for the Bulldogs’ points, while Union Cty got falls from Cade Vaughn (138) and Alexander Cortese (152), plus a 10-0 major from Ian Halfacre (126) and three forfeit wins at 145, 160 and 106.
In the final dual of the night, Clay again started fast, roaring out to a 36-0 lead before Union got on the board. Hoskinson’s 16-second pin at 170 clinched the dual in favor of the Blue Devils, who’d go on to win five more weight classes.
In addition to Hoskinson, Ivey (120), Thomas Viens (126), Leo Garcia (132), Luke Boree (138), Mayo (145), Josh Kumpf (152), Ethan Daniels (285) and Rainwater (113) won by fall, with forfeit wins at 182, 195 and 220. Caleb Crawford (3-1 in overtime at 160) got the Tigers on the board, and Christian Simmons (106) added a pin later.
Results for all three duals can be found HERE.
Regions will be next on Clay’s docket next week, while Bolles and Union County helped ensure an extra weight allowance for the Keystone Memorial tournament field at Fleming Island, where the Bulldogs and Tigers will be on Friday and Saturday.
North Florida Matmen 