Moate places 4th at state wrestling tournament

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, February 22, 2023

TIFTON — Damion Moate gave Tift County wrestling its final highlight of the 2022-23 season Saturday, Feb. 18. Moate placed 4th in the 175-pound division of the Class 6A state tournament. The remainder of competition left head coach Shawn Watson anticipating next year for the young wrestlers and pained over how close his veterans were.

Watson concluded that they were better as a unit than battling individually. Nine Blue Devils and Lady Devils competed at state last week. Not counting the bye earned by Donterrius Whitaker, only two of the other eight won a first round match.

“Scratch your head,” he said. “We were definitely a better duals team than an individual tournament team.”

Samantha Vicars and Abraham Soto were the first round winners. Danny Freeman and Moate both led in their initial matches, he said, but could not keep up the momentum.

Watson felt the lack of experience hurt. None of the nine wrestlers competing this time around advanced to the 2022 individual state championships. Caden Bowyer wrestled in the 2021 state tournament.

The exposure should help for next year. Out of the nine competing at state for Tift, seven will be back next year with only Soto and Whitaker graduating. Freeman, Addison Braswell and Dawson McMillan are sophomores. Vicars is a freshman.

“They’ve been there now and they know what to expect,” Watson said. “We’ll see for sure next season how much it will pay off.”

Tough brackets did not help, he said. The champion in Moate’s division, for example, won by technical falls in his first two matches before polishing off the championship by a major decision.

Watson said he was proud of Moate. Freeman and Vicars were one match win short of placing. “I can’t ask for more than that,” he said. “It hurts as a coach when you look at the overall — how you finished — and you know there are teams that you hammered [outscoring you].”

Of the whole roster, Watson probably feels the worst for Whitaker. After falling in the quarterfinals, Whitaker went off to the consolation side where a controversial call ended his season. Whitaker dropped his man for a double-leg takedown, both hitting the mat. The official ruled it was an illegal slam, ending the match.

Tift’s total slate of wrestlers at the state tournament were Braswell (125 pounds), Vicars (190), Bowyer (132), Whitaker (150), McMillan (157), Freeman (165), Moate (175), Michael Dixon (190) and Soto (215).

Watson said several of his seniors are looking at collegiate wrestling programs and Soto, he said, has been accepted to Mercer University where he has major academic plans.