ANDERSON – History was made Saturday evening for two local wrestling programs.
Both Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge came away with individual state champions at the 4A and 5A state tournaments at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center.
Catawba Ridge’s Jarrett Eubanks won the 175-pound weight class at the 4A level giving the Copperheads their first ever state wrestling champion. The senior leaves the school as the all-time wins leader with 154 wins and finished the season with a 56-1 record.
Eubanks beat Lancaster’s Peyton Miles for the third time in the past month winning 7-1 Saturday in the finals. Having seen his opponent so much this season helped, he said.
“The more I saw him the more I knew I could beat him,” Eubanks said. “It feels amazing. My coaches pushed me to go above and beyond. It was a great senior season.”
Sometimes getting hot at the right time of the year is all that matters, at least it did for Nation Ford wrestler Danny Gilstorf.
Gilstorf was going for Nation Ford’s first individual state championship since Markevis Duncan in 2012. There have only been two other Nation Ford wrestlers to win state titles for the school in Duncan and Stewart Snodgrass (2011) before Gilstorf did it Saturday night.
Gilstorf struggled at times this season, but has been red hot the past three weeks. Gilstorf beat St. James’ Nathan Rose 6-3 in the finals at 132-pounds.
“I have been focused on getting my head right,” Gilstorf said. “I looked at it as an opportunity for me to prove who I am.”
Nation Ford head coach Bret Peltier said it took Gilstorf going to some dark places to snap out of a slump and rebound in recent weeks.
“It was him believing in himself and believing in the coaching staff that we were going to put him in the right spot to win,” Peltier said. “Having a state champion is rewarding, but he is the one that put in the work.”
Fort Mill put one in the finals at 138-pounds in Aidan Eubanks, but a rough start to his match hurt as he was defeated 9-5 by Byrnes’ Conner Beaudin to finish second. Eubanks and Fort Mill’s Logan Shope will finish their Jackets wrestling career next week as part of the North-South All-Star wrestling weekend at North Myrtle Beach.
In the consolation finals, the Jackets’ Lincoln Greene (120) finished third winning 4-2 over Ashley Ridge’s Emory Dalton. Fort Mill’s Jacob Nally (113) finished fourth falling 16-5 to Fort Dorchester’s Zach Gomer and Tucker Gibson (126) finished fourth falling 5-4 to Jerome Fikes of Goose Creek.
“I am proud of their effort,” said Fort Mill head coach Adam Marullo. “I am proud of what they accomplished, but I feel like there is always room for improvement.”
Nation Ford had one in the consolation finals in Derek Bylone van Sandwyk (190) who fell 2-0 to Rock Hill’s Trey Robinson to finish fourth.
In 4A bracket, the Copperheads had one in the consolation finals with Cole Stukitz (138) finishing third winning 11-5 over James Island’s Jacob Rasamee. The Copperheads brought three wrestlers with two of them placing.
“I feel like we did awesome,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Nick Hansen. “I am super proud of them. They have worked hard.”
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
