The Fort Mill varsity wrestling team capped off a perfect regular season with a sweep of rivals Catawba Ridge and Nation Ford.
Fort Mill improved to 15-0 on the season and won the Region 3-5A title with the Jan. 23 sweep. Playoffs start Feb. 1.
The tri-match started with Catawba Ridge and Nation Ford. Both teams had one region win coming into the match. The match was close from the beginning and both teams exchanged the lead until the holes in the Falcons lineup caught up with them as Catawba Ridge won 46-26.
The Copperheads went up 12-0 with forfeit wins by Conrad Woodring (132) and Antonio Kutas (138).
Danny Gilstorf (144) won 8-7 to put Nation Ford on the board. Jace Smith (150) kept things going for the Falcons with a 18-5 major decision, before Cole Stukitz (157) got a first period pin for Catawba Ridge.
The Falcons then rallied for three straight wins from Camron Magyar (165) with a 13-5 decision and back-to-back first period pins from Lucas Bolduc (175) and Derek Bylone van Sandwyk (190).
Catawba Ridge’s Alex Johnson (215) got a 11-2 major decision to bring the Copperheads within one.
Nation Ford’s Michael Kay (hwt.) picked up a 7-1 decision, but Catawba Ridge won the last four matches, three by forfeit as Taylon Winker (106) got a third period pin. Jacob McClure (113), Elijah Jones (120), and Angel Acosta (126) all picked up wins by forfeit.
The Copperheads would take on Fort Mill next, but it wasn’t close as Fort Mill won 65-9. Catawba Ridge dropped to 8-6 overall on the season and 2-4 in region duals.
Lincoln Greene (138) got things started for Fort Mill with a first period pin and Jayden Nguyen (144) picked up a 19-4 tech fall.
Catawba Ridge got a win at 150-pounds with a second period pin by Cole Stukitz.
Broden Mitcheson (157) came back for the Jackets with a 17-2 win and Dillon Monahan (165) got a 12-0 major for Fort Mill. Mason Metcalf (175) and Ted Ernst (190) picked up first period pins for the Jackets and Krystian Villatoro (215) won by forfeit.
That set up a big battle between Fort Mill’s Jonathan DaSilva and Johnson at heavyweight. DaSilva would get a 4-1 win to keep momentum in the Jackets corner, but Catawba Ridge came back with a 12-7 decision by Winker (113).
Fort Mill came back with first period pins by Luke Van Beynum (113), Jacob Nally (120), and Grayson Wallen (126). The pin by Nally was his 150th career win. Tucker Gibson (132) finished out the dual with a second period pin.
Fort Mill and Nation Ford finished the night off with the Jackets getting a 66-6 win. Nation Ford dropped to 6-12 on the season and 1-5 in region duals.
Getting wins for Fort Mill was Nguyen (144), Keenan Coston (150), Mitcheson (157), Monahan (165), Metcalf (175), Maurice Lawrence (215), DaSilva (hwt.), Brody Harris (106), Van Beynum (113), Nally (120), Wallen (126), Gibson (132), and Greene (138).
Bylone van Sandwyk (190) picked up the lone win for Nation Ford with a second period pin.
Jan. 23 Roundup
The Catawba Ridge girls’ basketball team fell to Clover 63-23 to drop to 2-4 in Region 3-5A and 7-11 overall on the season. The Catawba Ridge boys’ team fell 46-39 to Clover to also fall to 2-4 in the region and 9-11 overall.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
