By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

 

          Latrell Schafer finished off a perfect season in a near-perfect way.

          The junior from Veterans finished 51-0 and with a GHSA state tradition wrestling title again after a 15-2 major decision win Friday in the Class 6A 175-pound weight class.

              The schedule has changed this year, with more finals completed on Friday. The finals in Classes 6A, 5A, 4A, and A were on Friday, with 7A, 3A, 2A, and girls on Saturday. Consolation semifinals and finals are split as well.

          It was an impressive season for Schafer, who won the 145-pound title in 5A last year.

          He was one of four wrestlers from Central Georgia and two from Veterans to stand on the top step of the podium Friday at the Macon Coliseum.

          Teammate Damien Johnson finished off a 48-2 season by nipping Carter Brickley of Lassiter 5-4 at 120 in 6A.

          West Laurens’ J.T. Bowers got past Zeb Dawkins of Walnut Grove 5-2 at 150 in Class 4A. And Lamar County’s Clint Williamson won by fall in less than three minutes over Irwin County’s Michael Joiner.

          Mary Persons’ Anthony Mannella will defend a state title on Saturday. He won last year at 160, and is in the final at 157 in Class AAA.

          Schafer had a bye, and rolled to wins of 15-0 (in only 1:23) and 16-1 before doing the same thing in the final.

          Johnson followed a bye with wins of 12-4 and 10-5. Bowers won 11-6 and 9-5 to reach the final.

          Williams won all three matches by falls, in 4:39 and 43 seconds before winning it.

          No Central Georgia teams are in contention for a team title this year. West Laurens, Lamar County, and East Laurens are in the top 10 in their respective classifications, all way behind the leaders and with no nearly enough wrestlers left to challenge.

          Kaitlyn Brown of Dodge County is the lone Central Georgia girl in action on Saturday, in the consolations at 100.

 

Team Standings

Through Friday, first place and Central Georgia teams

Class 6A

1. Woodward Academy 124
9. Veterans 59
27. Houston County, 18
42. Northside, 0

 

Class 5A

1. Jefferson, 213.5
12. Jones County 48
26. Warner Robins, 14

Class 4A

1. Lovett, 161
10. West Laurens 59
21. Perry, 26
28. Baldwin 15

 

Class AAA

1. Pickens, 103
16. Mary Persons, 33.5
23. Upson-Lee, 19
29. Peach County, 9

 

Class AA

1. Rockmart 206
17. Putnam County, 28
23. Northeast, 19
25. Dodge County, 17
30. Central, 5
32. Southwest, 3
33. Rutland, Washington County, 0

Class A

1. Social Circle, 224
7. Lamar County, 67
8. East Laurens, 59
13. Dublin, 35
24. Jasper County, 24
30. Crawford County 4

 

Finals

Class 6A

First place

120-Damien Johnson, Veterans, 48-2, def. Carter Brickley, Lassiter, 47-11, 5-4

175-Latrell Schafer, Veterans, 51-0, def. Joseph Lago, Etowah, 39-4, 15-2

Class 4A

First place

150-JT Bowers, West Laurens, 61-9, def. Zeb Dawkins, Walnut Grove, 32-6, 5-2

Second place

165-Drake Wood, West Laurens, 55-15, lost by fall in 2:29 to Chris Mance, Lovett, 27-4

Class AAA

157-Anthony Mannella, Mary Persons, vs. Cason Cannon, Pickens

Class A

First place

285-Clint Williamson, Lamar County, 38-5, won by fall in 2:38 over Michael Joiner, Irwin County, 30-11

 

Wrestling for points

Class 6A

Third place

190-Eason Martin, Houston County, 29-4, won by fall in 3:15 over Xavier Byams, Marist, 46-10

Class 5A

Fourth place

106-Hunter McCleskey, Jones County, 50-21, lost 13-3 to Robert Magana, Chapel Hill,34-5

Third place

175-Chi Anderson, Jones County, 61-6, def. Michael Turner, Loganville, 31-14,7-3

Class 4A

Fourth place

285-Donovan Funsch, Perry, 41-7, lost 6-2 to Guillermo Rosales, Johnson, 49-10

Class AAA

126-Dylan Ivey, Mary Persons

165-Eli Brown, Peach County

Class AA

113-Wyatt Stanley, Putnam County

132-Jarrdarrious Goolsby, Northeast

144-Jansen Kilgore, Dodge County

190-Tristian Lower, Putnam County

Class A

Third place

106-Andravious Brihm, Dublin, 47-11, def. Landon Headrick, Coosa, 23-20, 15-9

215-Jacob Griffith, East Laurens, 59-9, def. Lane Harris, Trion, 35-4, 12-7

Fourth place

150-Cole Page, East Laurens, 50-11, lost by fall in 4:25 to James Eldridge, Social Circle, 47-10

157-Roman Coley, East Laurens, 60-8, lost by fall in 3:26 to Kacen Taylor, Social Circle, 35-6

 

DFFs

Class 6A

215-Gabe Gibbs, Veterans, 47-7, def. Tayo Ogundele, Sequoyah, 44-13, DFF

Class 5A

113-Ryan Clayborn, Greenbrier, 28-12, def. Donnie Lowden, Warner Robins, 15-7, DFF

157-James Rackley, Jones County, 50-18, def. Malik Conley, Arabia Mountain, 28-5, DFF

Class 4A

138- vs. Austin Beverly, Cherokee Bluff, 13-7, def. Aiden Ingram, West Laurens, 16-4, DFF

157- Sam Reavis (Westminster Schools) 28-11, Sr. over Nathan Mitchell (Baldwin) 33-9, Sr. (DFF)

Class A

138-Sam Blevins, Lamar County, 36-12, def. Isiah Davis, Elbert County, 42-11, DFF

144-Hunter Hammock, Lamar County, 20-10, def. Tanner Mask, Oglethorpe County, DFF

165-Antonio Benjamin, Dublin, 46-6, def. Lantis Tobin, Metter, 8-4, DFF