STATE CHAMPS: Tift County middle school wrestlers, coaches, administrators and board members. The wrestling squad recently won its third consecutive state championship.

TIFTON — The Tift County Board of Education held two recognitions at its Feb. 8 meeting.

Middle school wrestling won its third consecutive state championship in January. Head coach Rayder Schemmel said that last year’s team was the first middle school team in Georgia to win two straight titles. “Why not do three?,” said Schemmel.

Tift finished undefeated in Georgia, with only a loss to a Tennessee team. Schemmel said that working as a family, working as a community, that anything is possible. He thanked Northeast Middle principal Jennifer Johnson and Eighth Street principal Paul Nelson. Without their support, “We wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

Each team member was presented a certificate.

Members of the 2023-24 middle school wrestling team are: Caden Amaro, Ulises Arteaga, Bo Bryant, Jayvian Chavis, Malik Day, Joshua Deshazer, Rowdy Garren, Cason Godwin, Levi Green, Aiden Greer, Sam Haswell, Daniel Hill-Searcy, Zavion Knight, Kellan Lukas, Knoxx Mack, Easton Marr, Emmanual Mathis, Joseph Melton, John Nipper, Legend Range, Jeremiah Rich, Max Richardson, Kaleb Ritter, Antony Rivera-Perez, Grason Schulkebier, Temaryson Stokes, John Sumner, Wyatt Thomas, Duncan Walker and Brodie Wood.

Rayder Schemmel is assisted by Britt Wilson, Ryan Tucker and Ruth Schemmel.

The other recognition was to Southwell Outreach and Development for its $3,000 donation to Tift’s Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) program.