Bruins second in state wrestling tourney

Published 10:32 pm Thursday, February 21, 2008

Northwest Whitfield advanced six wrestlers to the quarterfinals and was in second place in team standings after Thursday’s first round of the Georgia High School Association’s Class 4A state wrestling tournament at the Gwinnett Center.

Coach Allen Tucker saw four-time Area 7-4A champion Merle Bolton (119 pounds), David Lewis (130), Josh Lewis (152), Jermaine Hester (160), Steven Walkey (171) and Trey Selby (285) all win two matches and earn spots in today’s quarterfinals.

Eastside was leading the 4A team standings with 53 points and Northwest was second with 51.5. Dalton was 28th with 14 points and Southeast wsas tied for 53rd with four.

“Our kids have come down here on a mission,” Tucker said. “They’re wrestling good. Josh Lewis is a four seed and he beat a couple of one seeds to reach the quarters. They’ve all beat good kids. And we’ve got 12-13 guys still wrestling. I like our chances.”

Dalton had one quarterfinalist in Christian Washington (103), as did Southeast in Andy Pichardo (135).

In the Class 5A tournament, Murray County advanced just one wrestler to the quarterfinals, that being 171-pounder Zach Baggett. The Indians were in 16th place with 25 points while Collins Hill was setting the team pace with 78.5 points.

Bolton pinned Steven Crawley of Heritage in 2:50 and then pinned Michael Elsbury of Sequoyah in 1:16 to reach the quarterfinals.

David Lewis hammered Jahmal Adams of Jones County, 21-4, and beat Russell Shrader of Woodward, 7-1.

Josh Lewis pinned Austin Butler of Jonesboro (4:43) and decisioned Jonathan Slyvester of Sequoyah, 7-5.

After getting a forfeit in the first round, Hester defeated Kyle Green of Pebblebrook, 7-1, to reach the quarters.

Walkey pinned Madison’s Shadrick Jackson in 2:30 and then walloped Michael Carlise of North Clayton, 13-3.

Selby, who helped the Bruins to the Class 4A state football playoffs, recorded two pins. He nailed Sean Avery of McIntosh in 3:53 and make quick work of Cedar Grove’s Sam Johnson in 1:31.

Washington got past Upson Lee’s Stephen Marsh with a forfeit and then defeated Dylan Hanks of Woodland with a 12-6 decision.

Pichardo beat Justin Alderman of Northgate 6-2 and Timothy Green of Bainbridge 9-7.

“Andy went out a little nervous, but came back to wrestle really good in the second round,” Southeast coach Neal Nichols said.

After a first-round pin in 1:25, Baggett posted a 17-2 technical fall over Josea Hines of Newton to reach the quarters.

Cody Adams (130), Blake Rainey (152), Keith Bennett (162) and Jacob McConathy (285) all suffered second-round setbacks.

The tournament continues today.

Varsity basketball

— Christian Heritage 79, Randolph Southern 65: Three CHS players combined for 62 points, almost outscoring the entire Randolph Southern team as the Lions opened the Georgia Independent School Association state tournament with a solid victory.

Will Clark had 23 points, David Green 21 and Damien Chaney 18 for the Lions (20-7).

“We played well starting off but got away from our fundamentals,” CHS coach Chad Woodson said. “For some reason we looked slow.”

The Lions trailed 33-30 at halftime and by 55-53 after three quarters.

With Clark and Chaney getting nine points and Green six, the Lions outscored their opposition, 26-10, in the final eight minutes to notch the win.

“We were able to get to the free throw line and knock down 15 of 25 in the fourth quarter,” said Woodson, who is in his first season coaching the Lions.

Patrick Jackson paced Randolph Southern with 17 points.

The victory advanced the Lions into Saturday’s second round against the Frederica-Brentwood winner. That game will be played at Middle Georgia College and start at 1 p.m.