JACKSONVILLE — Just three teams congregated at Episcopal School to contest Wednesday night’s 1A-District 3 duals tournament.
But they were three of the top four seeds for the tournament, and the competition was pretty feisty nonetheless, particularly in the final, where two-time defending champion Yulee had to stretch to overcome the pesky hosts, 42-36, to win a third straight 1A-3 duals title.
Yulee (8-1 in duals for the season) will host next week’s 1A-Region 1 quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The Hornets will face Baker County in one quarterfinal, while Episcopal (7-9) will take on District 4 champion Clay in the other quarterfinal, with the two winners meeting for a spot in the Region 1 final on January 21 at Osceola HS in Kissimmee.
The Hornets spotted the Eagles a 21-0 lead, as Cohen Chesser (120), Christian Ryan (132) and Baylor Maurer (138) all had pins, with Scott Busey (126) taking a 7-5 sudden-victory win as well.
But Yulee cut that lead to 21-18 on a 3-pin run from Dylan Johns (145), Austin Adamson (152) and Jesse Johnson (160); the teams would then trade points at 170 and 182, with Brennan Doherty winning by fall for Episcopal at 170 and Alex Smith by pin at 182. Lawson Perry’s 5-1 win at 195 got the lead back to six, 30-24, but Braylen Ricks’ fall at 220 effectively clinched the dual for the Hornets, who had forfeits in hand at 285 and 113. Turner Glenn (106) closed out competitive action with a pin for Episcopal.
The Eagles got to the final thanks to a 49-26 win over Fernandina Beach in the semi. The Pirates (5-5) did have one lead, 14-13, but the Eagles effectively put the dual away thereafter, with five wins in six weights from 152 through 220.
Chance Wolffe (152), Christian McGarity (182), Perry (195), Maddox Davidson (220) and Glenn (106) had pins for Episcopal, with Busey taking an 8-0 major at 126 and Ryan winning by 8-3 decision at 132.
For Fernandina Beach, Woods (138) and Brooks Rohe (170) won by fall, with Cael Kubatzke taking a 16-0 tech fall and Cole Misciagna winning by a 12-6 count at 145.
Yulee will host its two-day Joe Bees Memorial Battle of the Border IBT starting on Friday, while both Episcopal and Fernandina Beach will go to Riverside’s USMC Challenge, a one-day IBT starting on Saturday.
Box scores from the two duals can be found HERE. (There’ll be a little scrolling involved)
MISSING: If your team isn’t being written about as we move into the duals post-season and middle third of the regular season, it’s due to results gone missing. Go to our SCHEDULES page; if your team is listed as PENDING for a given event on a given day, I didn’t get results. I’ll still take them, at any time; coaches all have my work email.
North Florida Matmen 