COLUMBUS — Pierce County High School will have four grapplers competing in the Class AA state tournament after earning spots here Saturday at the state Sectional “B” tournament.
The finals, being staged at the Macon Centreplex, begins Thursday, February 13 for Class A through Class 4A. The top eight grapplers in each weight class from the two Sectionals advanced to the championship.
Andrew Watkins (132 lbs.) and Cooper Davis (138) were the highest finishers for PCHS during the February 8 Sectional with each placing fourth in their respective weight classes. Also earning spots were David Lyons (215), who finished sixth, and Gregory Sallet (120) with an eighth-place showing.
The Bears had nine other wrestlers participating Saturday led by the 10th-place outing of Ralph Williams (157). The list includes Cody Ammons (106), Caden Sloan (113), Landon Taylor (126), Roy Carter (144), Elijah Dixon (150), Corran Johnson (165), Cameron Tyre (175), and Greyson Sikes (190).
PCHS finished 11th overall in the 25-team Sectional scoring 55 points. The Lovett School (240) won the team title and was followed by Cook (230), Franklin County (211), Columbus (197), East Jackson (182), Union County (150), Hart County (127), Appling County (77), Columbia (72) and Hardaway (64) Finishing 11th thru 25th were Pierce County (55), Stephens County (52) Salem (49), Jordan (41), Shaw (38), Redan (29), Miller Grove (22), Sumter County (20), Spencer (18), Crisp County (13), Kendrick (7), Carver-Atlanta (4), South Atlanta (2), Washington (0) and Carver, Columbus (0).
• Watkins (132; 47-13) won his quarterfinal match via pin (3:45) over Union County’s Thomas Gary. He fell to Lovett’s Patrick Smyth by pin (1:43) in the semifinals.
Watkins bounced back with a pin (2:01) over Shaw’s Pedro Reyes in the consolation semis before dropping a 10-4 decision to Franklin County’s Kaydon Roberts in the third-place match.
• Davis (138; 48-18) captured his first match with a 20-second pin of Carver-Atlanta’s Tenerian Stewart and a 16-4 major decision over Hart County’s Ben Westmaas. Stephens County’s Ashton Justus won by pin (1:11) in the semifinals.
Davis came back to pin (24 sec.) Columbia’s Bredan Harris in the consolation semifinals before losing a 21-2 technical fall to Cook’s Maliq Vickers.
• Lyons (215; 54-7) may have finished higher had he not suffered an injury having to forfeit in the consolation semis and the fifth-place match. He opened with a pin (2:52) of Columbia’s Larmarco Castleberry.
After suffering a 3-1 loss in the quarterfinals to Franklin County’s Nate Stratton, Lyons pinned (4:39) Shaw’s Malik Evans and Union County’s Ayden Lee (3:37) in the consolation bracket. He had medical forfeits over the two scheduled matchups.
• Sallet (120; 21-32) went 2-3 losing his last two matches to place eighth. He notched a pin (52 sec.) in his first match win over Miller Grove’s Dejuan Julien and lost a 17-2 technical fall decision to East Jackson’s Isaac Robbins in the quarterfinals.
Sallet followed in the consolation round with a pin (2:52 ) of Shaw’s Geno Whittaker before suffering a 12-9 sudden victory setback to Salem’s Najee McClain in the next round. Sallet forfeited in the seventh-place match.
• Williams (157; 14-31) went 2-2 en route to a 10th-place finish. He lost via pin (1:58) to East Jackson’s Tristan Sloan in his opener. After suffering a pin (29 sec.) setback to Lovett’s Nick DeNapoli in a consolation round matchup, Williams pinned (2:38) Redan’s Josiah Davis. He followed with an 18-3 technical fall loss in the ninth-place match to Salem’s Keron Clark.
• Ammons (106 lbs.; 30-27) lost twice by pin fall. He fell to Franklin County’s Aden Pirkle (2:00) and Spencer’s Bryce Knight (34 sec.)
• Sloan (113; 12-49) suffered consecutive pin defeats falling to East Jackson’s Angel Rodriguez (15 sec.) and Dev Patel of Columbus (22 sec.)
• Taylor (126; 12-18) dropped a 9-3 decision to Shaw’s Chandler Wiggins and lost an 18-2 technical fall decision to Stephens County’s Donavin Turner.
• Carter (144; 24-41) was pinned (1:31) in his opening match to East Jackson’s Ryan Lampe. He bounced back with a pin (3:21) in the consolation bracket against Hardaway’s Jamariyon Abron. Lovett’s Henry Edmonds (56 sec.) and Salem’s QuanMeire Ashe (1:19) pinned Carter in his next two matches.
• Dixon (150; 23-30) suffered a pin (4:48) loss to Shaw’s Kevin Logan in his opening match. He lost an 18-0 technical fall decision to Stephens County’s Carter Fowler in the consolation bracket.
• Johnson (165; 14-40) suffered three losses falling his opener via pin (26 sec.) to Jordan’s Dalvin Harris, losing a 150 technical fall decisions to Cook’s Harrison Carnine and a 17-2 technical fall to Hart County’s Champ Blackwell.
• Tyre (175; 16-45) lost three times by pin fall against Jordan’s Jerick Maddox (14 sec.), Hart County’s Ethan Stovall (45 sec.) and Union County’s Kevin Kilpatrick (41 sec.)
Sikes (190; 20-38), after winning his first match via forfeit, lost in the quarterfinals by pin (45 sec.) to Lovett’s Chris Mance. Hart County’s Kenyon Harris recorded a pin win (3:47) with Appling County’s Tim Ramos following suit (2:03).
