By Shane Scoggins
Publisher
Eight Franklin County Lion wrestlers will begin competition Friday in the Georgia High School Association’s Traditional Wrestling Tournament in Macon.
Junior Brady Simms, sophomore Jacob Baughcum, sophomore Will Ballenger, senior Kenly Eavenson, sophomore Hunter Page, sophomore Jonah Burger, sophomore Tyler Pursley and freshman Zane Puff are all scheduled to compete for state championships in their individual weight classes.
“It’s exciting,” Coach Kevin Compton said. “I believe eight is the most we have qualified for the state tournament.”
In addition, junior Kam Osborne will be an alternate for the tournament.
Competition will begin Friday at 8 a.m. for the Lions in the Macon Coliseum.
Four rounds will be held Friday, with championship matches and consolation bracket semifinals and finals beginning Saturday at 9 a.m.
“There are some roadblocks we have to navigate to bring home some individual state championships,” Compton said. “We have several that should be competing for individual titles and, of course, just like any tournament, anything can happen. The eight guys going all have a shot at it all.”
The Lions qualified for the state tournament by finishing in the top six of the Class AAA Sectional Tournament Saturday in Toccoa.
Simms led Franklin County with a first-place finish in the 175-pound sectional tournament.
After a bye in the first round, Simms won by first-period pin in his next two matches and then won a major, 13-0 decision in his finals match.
Eavenson, Ballenger and Baughcum all finished as sectional runners-up.
Eavenson, wrestling at 132 pounds, received a bye in the first round and then won with a first-period pin in the quarterfinals and by a 13-6 decision in the semifinals.
He lost by pin in his finals match.
After a first-round bye, Ballenger pinned his quarterfinal opponent at 138 pounds in the first period and won by 11-6 decision in the semifinals.
He lost by fall in the second-period in the finals.
Baughcum took second at 144 pounds after a bye, an 11-4 decision win in the quarterfinals and a second-period pin in the semifinals.
He lost a 9-4 decision in his finals match.
Page went 4-1 to take third place at 126 pounds, garnering three pin-fall victories and an 11-6 decision in the third-place match. His only loss was a 13-4 decision to the sectional champion in the semifinals.
Burger and Pursley each finished fourth.
Burger compiled a 3-2 record in the 157-pound bracket, with all of his victories by pin.
Burger lost in the semifinal to the second-place finisher and fell by a close 9-8 decision in the third-place match.
Pursley fell in his first-round match in the 190-pound bracket but battled all the way to the consolation finals.
He lost by pin in the third-period in the first round, received a bye in the second round and then notched a pin, a 7-5 decision victory and another pin to make it to the consolation finals, where he lost 6-1.
Puff finished fifth at 165 pounds.
Puff won his first two matches by pin and then lost by pin in the semifinals and consolation semifinals.
In the fifth-place match, he pinned his opponent in the second period.
Osborne will serve as an alternate in the 150-pound bracket after a seventh-place finish.
Osborne lost by an 8-0 decision in the first round to the eventual second-place finisher.
After a bye in the first round of the consolation bracket, Osborne pinned his opponent in the second round before falling by pin in the third round.
Osborne battled back to win by pin in the seventh-place match.
Freshman Kaydon Roberts also qualified for sectionals at 120 pounds.
Roberts won his first-round match by forfeit and then fell by pin in the quarterfinals to the sectional champion.
In the consolation bracket, Roberts wrestled well but lost in a sudden victory (overtime) decision.
Lion junior Jose Sigala also qualified for sectionals but did not wrestle due to illness.
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Brady Simms took first place in the Class AAA Sectional Tournament. He leads a contingent of eight Lions to the state tournament in Macon beginning Friday.
