By MATMEN, Monday, 8:50 p.m.
ALABASTER, AL — Chasing down a team with the pedigree that Thompson has as one of the more consistently-strong teams in the Southeast is a tough thing for an on-the-move program like Ft Walton Beach.
But the Vikings fared well at last weekend’s Southeastern Pools, placing fourth in the 18-team pool-and-flighted-bracket event with 321.5 points, just five behind third-place Gardendale AL and within shouting distance of runnerup Spain Park’s 354.5. Thompson far outdistanced the field, with 507.5.
Leading the FWB charge was Darius Brundidge (19th-2A at 195), who won his weight class on Saturday. After two pins and a decision to win Pool B on Friday, Brundidge had a bye into the bracketed semifinals, where he pinned his way through the rest of the weekend, with falls in the semifinals over Gardendale (2:08) and in the championship match in 2:54 over Chelsea AL’s Ian Osbourn.
At 145, Steven Banfield (9th-2A) had a pin in Pool G to win that; in the championship flight, Banfield took a 10-2 major over Dalton GA and a 6-2 decision over Northridge AL to reach the final and undefeated defending state champ Isaiah Powe of Gardendale. Powe had nine takedowns in the first two periods before winning by fall in 3:17.
The Vikings had four other wrestlers finish in the top four, as Santiago Mayic was 3rd at 113; 4ths were secured by Zak Vosburgh (120), Alexander Davidson (160) and Connor Roberts (182). Landon Burbidge added a 6th at 126.
Complete results for the tournament can be found HERE. All rankings from https://www.kabrawrestling.com/rankings
North Florida Matmen 