VALDOSTA, GA — Last year, Bay had its first placewinner in 19 years at the Allstate Wildcat Invitational.
No idea, at this writing, how long it’s been since the Tornadoes left Valdosta HS with an Allstate champion. But, Bay can start counting toward a new streak after the Tornadoes finished sixth out of 16 teams Saturday.
Top-ranked (1A at 113) and unbeaten Tornadoes junior Derrick Williams ran through the tournament while giving up just three escapes — and none in Saturday’s two matches — in bringing home Bay’s historic individual title.
After pins on Friday over two Georgia wrestlers from Colquitt County and host Valdosta, Williams turned up the pressure on Saturday, with a 56-second semifinal pin over Cairo (GA), then shut out Lee County (GA)’s Karol Olalde, 5-0, behind takedowns in both the first and third periods.
The title run led the Tornadoes’ group of seven placewinners on the day, as Bay scored 127 points as a team.
And it was nearly duplicated by Bay senior Elijah Stillgess at 138, who pinned his way into the final behind 3 pins in 2:43, with falls over GA-based wrestlers from Pelham and Thomas County Central, as well as a 53-second semifinal pin over Wiregrass Ranch’s Lorenzo Sanchez. But Stillgess had no ability to slow down multiple-time Georgia placewinner Danny Brewer of Lee County, as Brewer took an 8-0 major.
Like Stillgess at 138, South Walton sophomores Isaac Brinson (126) and Gibson Moore (132) also reached the finals in their respective weight classes.
Brinson (10th in 1A-126) bonus-pointed into the 126 final behind pins over Thomas County Central and Toombs County, combined total of 58 seconds, followed by a 12-4 major over Coffee County, but Brinson then lost by fall in the finals to Lowndes’ Ethan McCullough, himself a multiple-time GA state qualifier.
Moore (18th in 1A-132) also lost to another Lowndes McCullough in the 132 final, but not before racking up a pin, a 3-1 decision over the 2 seed from Colquitt County and an 11-0 major in the semis. In the final against Lowndes’ Tyson McCullough, Moore couldn’t keep up with the offense, as McCullough won by third-period tech fall (21-6).
The Seahawks were ninth as a team in the 16-team event, with 78 points.
Rankings are per https://kabrawrestling.com/rankings
Complete results from Saturday’s tournament can be found HERE.
North Florida Matmen 