Watson recaps Tift wrestling season

Published 9:00 am Monday, February 21, 2022

TIFTON — Shawn Watson couldn’t be prouder of Sergio Martinez, Timothy Wright and Dalton Hancock. The Tift County High wrestling coach reflected on their runs in the state tournament recently and also on what’s to come in the future for his program.

The three wrestlers made it through a loaded sectional tournament to qualify for state, which took place at the Macon Coliseum.

Hancock placed, which makes Watson even happier.

“I was excited for him,” Watson said. Hancock’s accomplishment is even bigger as he’s also holding down a job. Hancock was also wrestling for a little more, dedicating the season to his grandfather. “It meant a lot to him, it meant a lot to him for his mom.”

There’s a chance Hancock and Wright pursue collegiate wrestling. Martinez is only a junior. “He’s going to be a great senior leader for me next year,” said Watson.

All three wrestlers won first round matches, Hancock a bit unusually: a forfeit. Normally, the tournament has alternate wrestlers available in case of injury, but Hancock’s opponent had a medical issue the day before state began.

“Sergio won his first round match against a tough kid from Archer (Gavin Frierson),” said Watson. That was a pin in the second period. Wright defeated an opponent from Newton, 10-9.

Watson was thrilled after these matches, knowing that all of them made it two straight wins, they would be guaranteed of placing.

“Tim wrestled great, but got a little banged up at the end,” he said about Wright’s second round battle. “It could have went either way.” The opponent, Thomas Rhodes of Roswell, pinned Wright in the second. Martinez had the horrible luck of facing Reed Walker, who eventually won the state title at 113.

Hancock scored a pin in the first minute to advance to the semifinals. There, he faced off against Zion Rutledge, a Hillrove wrestler who, too, eventually won state. Rutledge won over Hancock with a pin.

In the consolation bracket, Martinez won a technical fall in his first match. Wright was winning, said Watson, but hurt his ankle. He wrestled for more than a minute, but had to bow out because of the injury, ending his season.

Martinez fell soon after, in an 11-6 decision. Hancock faced Grant Laskey of Lowndes in the consolation, a wrestler he had seen often. Laskey earned the decision, though Hancock advanced far enough in the bracket to place.

As usual, Camden won the tournament. Colquitt County finished second. Lowndes was 5th and Tift placed 20th.

“I was tickled for Benjy (Scarbor),” said Watson. “He’s got some great kids over there.” Scarbor’s Packers scored 122 points to Camden’s 200, but had a sizable advantage over third place West Forsyth (84.5 points).

State will be the final time for at least two years that Tift will be matched up in state with Colquitt, Camden and Lowndes, as well as the rest of 7A. The Devils will be in 6A next year and Watson is already thinking about how to see more of the teams in Region 1-6A.

“I have to branch out a bit more,” he said. Veterans, Houston County, Northside of Warner Robins, Lee County and Thomas County Central are his new region opponents. Watson already has studied the state brackets to see which wrestlers will be the biggest challenges. Lee and Veterans were top 10 teams in state.

Watson said he has a great young group returning for 2022-23. His numbers and talent pool should be bolstered even more by a Tift middle school team which has won state two of the past three years. He’s met with that group in the past week.

His goal is to have not just a deep enough roster to be able to send separate teams out to different tournaments on the same days, but to also have a full girls roster. Five Lady Devils wrestled for Tift this year, the most in the high school’s history.

Watson issued thanks to everyone who made this season possible, “All the people and businesses who helped us out this year.”