ANDERSON – Sometimes in wrestling a wrestler knows when it is over. For Fort Mill’s Noah Kitchton it didn’t take long.
Kitchton won an individual 5A state title at 145-pounds beating TL Hanna’s Mark Mulilkin 7-0 in the finals of two-day tournament held at the Anderson Civic Center Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25.
“I knew I was better than him on top and in the neutral position,” Kitchton said. “I knew after that first time I dumped him to his back, it was over.”
A senior, Kitchton becomes the most recent state champion from Fort Mill. He is the 20th different wrestler at the school to win a state title and the first one since 2020. Kitchton was one of eight wrestlers that the Jackets brought to the state tournament. Of the eight, five of them placed in the top four in their weight class.
Besides Kitchton, TJ Miller (182) got to the finals and lost 13-5 to Summerville’s Mason Ayers to finish second in the state.
Finishing in the top four besides the two finalists were Lincoln Greene (106), Aidan Eubanks (126) and Logan Shope (132). Eubanks finished third with a first period pin over Cane Bay’s Tyson Schimer. Both Greene and Shope finished fourth. Greene lost 6-5 to Fort Dorchester’s Zachary Gomer-Chrobocin and Shope lost by fall to Clover’s Jaden Sikorski.
Fort Mill wrestlers Jacob Nally, Caleb Brock and Henry Debbout failed to place at the tournament.
“It wasn’t a great tournament for us,” said Fort Mill head coach Chris Brock. “I expected to put four in the finals. It’s not what we wanted. In many cases, we were our toughest opponent.”
For Nation Ford, who brought three wrestlers in Danny Gilstorf, Mitchell Ladamus and Clayton Rygol, only Rygol placed in the tournament finishing third at 220-pounds. Rygol was cut open over his right eye on the first day of the tournament and wrestled on Saturday with his head bandaged the majority of time as to not open the wound.
Keeping the wound closed was a struggle for Rygol who won his consolation finals match 8-6 over White Knoll’s Tyrone Robinson scoring in the closing moments of the match.
“For him to come back and doing it that way was huge,” said Nation Ford head coach Bret Peltier.
Peltier said he wished the tournament had went better for his guys but was proud in how they performed.
Catawba Ridge had just one wrestler in heavyweight Tony Atkins qualify for the 4A state tournament, also held at the Civic Center, but he failed to place in the top four losing in the blood round.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
