GRAPPLING: Dawson McMillan wrestles at December 2023’s Tift Duals.

TIFTON — Tift County’s wrestling team goes to the state duals tournament this weekend with dreams of a championship. The Blue Devils won the Region 1-6A duals title Jan. 12, their first region championship since 2016.

“You could tell they wanted it,” said head coach Shawn Watson, whose team destroyed Thomas County Central for the big trophy. “I told them to ‘Go take what’s yours.’ and that’s what they did.”

The Lady Devils will have to wait for the traditional tournament to make a mark at the state level in 2024. Decimated by injuries, Tift tied two opponents at region, but Watson said they lost on criteria: forfeits.

Tift’s girls won in the weight divisions they were able to suit up. Watson said current rules make it harder to overcome forfeits, which tipped results in both duals in favor of their opponents.

Watson said the Lady Devils had six pins to Northside’s two, but were undone by the forfeits. A similar situation played out against Houston County.

State for the Blue Devils takes place at North Forsyth High at Cumming Jan. 19-20. In the first round, Tift faces off against Jackson County, runners-up of Region 8-6A to North Forsyth. Should the Devils win, they would face either Johns Creek or Creekview. That would be the case if they fell in the first round as well.

State is not quite double elimination, but any team who drops a dual can potentially work their way up to third place. Except, of course, the team that loses in the championship.

Watson said his team stepped up at region. Daniel Soto was injured in the Packer Duals. The Devils had a wrestler sick at region and another was hurt.

“We went to the team duals with three starters out of the lineup,” he said. Watson admitted he was nervous.

Antron Johnson dropped down to the 113-pound class to help out, with Danny Freeman dropping to 175. Then Tift began rolling. “Everything fell our way,” he said.

After destroying Northside (of Warner Robins) and Veterans in earlier rounds, they found themselves facing Thomas County Central for the title. TCC made the championship round after upsetting host Lee County.

Watson said he told his wrestlers not to overlook the Jackets — “Let’s be region champs right now.” A loss would have meant Tift faced Lee for true second place, a team that matches up well against them.

Tift certainly did not take TCC for granted, a blowout victory that left no doubt.

Watson and crew are ready for this chance on the big stage. “I hope teams overlook us,” he said. If everyone is healthy, Watson said, “We may shock the world.”

The world has seen a good bit of Tift’s wrestlers at the middle school level recently. The middle school squad won state yet again over the weekend for the third straight year. The title is their fourth in five years.

Wrestlers from those teams are already paying off and Watson is amazed at the depth he has on the high school roster. He sees it exploding even more soon.