GREENVILLE COUNTY – Thirteen wrestlers will be representing Fort Mill Township next week in Anderson after qualifying for the 5A and 4A state tournaments.
With two different qualifying tournaments about 30 minutes apart in Greenville County, Fort Mill and Nation Ford participated in the 5A state qualifier at Hillcrest High School, while Catawba Ridge participated in the 4A state qualifier at Eastside High School.
Fort Mill won the 5A state qualifier with 180 points beating Dorman with 149.5 as the Jackets had eight wrestlers qualify for the state tournament next weekend at the Anderson Civic Center Feb. 24-25.
The Jackets came away from the 5A qualifier with four Upper State champions. Aidan Eubanks (126), Noah Kitchton (145), TJ Miller (182) and Henry Debbout (220) all won titles Saturday at Hillcrest.
Eubanks won with a pin over Byrnes’ Conner Beaudin, while Kitchton got a 6-0 decision over TL Hanna’s Mark Mullikin. Miller won 6-4 over Woodmont’s Jack Price and Debbout beat Nation Ford’s Clayton Rygol 14-7.
Fort Mill’s Logan Shope (132) finished second falling 7-4 in a decision to Gaffney’s Mike Mabry.
In the consolation finals, Lincoln Greene (106) won by forfeit to finish third, while Jacob Nally finished fourth at 113-pounds and Caleb Brock finished fourth at 138-pounds.
For Nation Ford, the Falcons had three qualify for the state tournament. Rygol was the only one to get to the Upper State finals at 220-pounds, while Danny Gilstorf (126) and Mitchell Ladamus (132) finished fourth in their respective weight classes.
The 4A tournament saw Catawba Ridge bring 12 wrestlers to the two-day tournament, but qualified just one in heavyweight Tony Atkins, who finished second in his weight class, falling 4-0 to Midland Valley’s John Burke. Earlier in the tournament, Atkins picked up his 100th career win.
Atkins and Brooklyn Stanley, who will be wrestling in the girl’s division, will be representing the Copperheads at the 4A state tournament also next weekend.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
