Tift hosts Region 1-7A traditional wrestling tournament Saturday

Published 11:00 am Friday, January 28, 2022

TIFTON — The Region 1-7A traditional wrestling tournament comes to Tift County High School Saturday morning, with grapplers from Tift, Colquitt County, Camden County and Lowndes vying for top seeds for the upcoming sectionals.

Seeding is pretty much the only goal of the varsity region tournament part. “All four will qualify,” said Watson of those entered in each weight class. All the wrestler has to do is make weight. “We should qualify all 14 guys.”

The region matches are the main event of the competition, but Blue Devils head coach Shawn Watson said they won’t be the only wrestling on the bill. Junior varsity wrestlers will also compete and, if any other school has female wrestlers — Tift has five — there is a chance some matches would be arranged there as well.

“It’ll be on two mats, varsity will be on two mats,” he said. “We’ll have four mats going.”

Weigh-ins are at 10 a.m.

Tift is fortunate to have some of the luckiest wrestling mats in the state right now. They’re the same ones the middle school won the state duals championship on two weeks ago. “Hopefully, it’ll rub off,” said Watson.

As usual, Camden County is expected to put on a show. The Wildcats won their eighth straight 7A state duals title last Saturday, defeating North Forsyth, 56-18. They’ve also won the last six traditional crowns. Watson noted that the Blue Devils have done just as well against Camden this year. Colquitt reached the final four at the same tournament before finishing out of fourth place in the consolation bracket.

The Devils made the state duals sectional, but were bounced by North Paulding.

“On paper, if we had done the things we should have done, we would have beat them, 40-36,” said Watson. “I give [North Paulding] credit. They beat us in three spots I didn’t think they would.”

The good news out of sectionals is that Tift was able to keep everyone healthy.

“The biggest thing is that we haven’t had guys true to their weight,” he said. Watson’s wrestlers in the 170-pound class have generally been about five pounds lighter.

The 182-pound guys have been closer to 170 and, sometimes, his 182-pound wrestlers are wrestling up at 195. “I haven’t had a true “’95-pounder this year.”

Zach Carter, Damion Moate, Andrew Taylor and Jiovanni Torrez have all been giving up significant weight in those divisions.

Watson is bringing up a few eighth graders to wrestle with the JV.

Tift’s Lady Devil wrestlers may not be in action this weekend, having already been entered into the sectionals. It depends, he said, on if any other squad has any female along with them who wants to wrestle.

Five Lady Devils are on the team this year, the most in Tift history. Devyn Sand, who won a match at state last year, is the most experienced of the group as the only sophomore. Angell Dixon, Sadie Davis, Abigale Barnes and Addison Braswell are all freshmen.

Sectionals take place Feb. 5 at LakePoint in Cartersville. Region 1’s sectional will also include wrestlers from Region 3, 6 and 8. The top six at sectionals move on to the finals, to be held Feb. 10-12 in Macon.