Junior Brandon Navixay wrestles against Winder Barrow High School on Dec. 10 at the Stoudenmire Bowl. The team sent 11 wrestlers to the State Championship in Macon, Ga on Feb. 9. “(Navixay) tough first round match that we won, lost but wrestler great to the number two ranked guy in the quarter finals,” wrestling coach Tim Stoudenmire said. “Now he’s gonna wrestle back and get third.”
By HANNAH GALE – Sports Editor
The Clarke Central High School wrestling program sent 11 wrestlers to the state tournament in Macon, Ga.
The Clarke Central High School wrestling program progressed to the the Georgia High School Association AAAAA State wrestling championships in Macon, Ga on Feb. 9. The team had a successful day one, and is currently competing in day two.
According to head wrestling coach Tim Stoudenmire, junior Brandon Navixay had a “tough first round match that we won, lost (but wrestled great) to the number two ranked guy in the 1/4 finals. Now he’s gonna wrestle back and get third.”
Junior Jaysean Galloway “upset the number two seed by wrestling the entire time and winning by two points at the end of the match.” Stoudenmire said. Galloway also competed against “the number one seed in the 1/4 finals last night by throwing the guy to his back and winning by one point, with less than 10 seconds on the clock.”
Galloway has already earned all-state status but he isn’t done in the tournament.
Freshman Dagmars Oliver “had a great season that came to end last night after two hard fought matches where simply put, he got beat by better guys,” Stoudenmire said.
Senior Zack Chastain got an (acromioclavicular) shoulder sprain last week, but still competed in the tournament. He competed against two tough opponents back-to-back and, according to Stoudenmire, “(Zack) just never recovered. Zack’s season and career came to an end last night after nearly 150 matches in four years and he gave me his best every time.”
Senior Bangahly Touray wrestled a good opponent three times this season, and wrestled him again last night. “Ben lost a tough one last night in the 1/4’s but is still alive in the wrestlebacks. He will get third,” Stoudenmire said.
Sophomore Me’Shai Coleman “lost by one point (to a really tough kid) on a terrible call. I would not not want to be in the path of Me’Shai Coleman for the next two days as he makes his way back for third,” Stoudenmire said.
Senior Calvin Nimely is one “of the favorites at 160 to end up in the finals,” Stoudenmire said. “Cal has wrestled well so far and is undefeated, sitting in the semi-finals with just one match to go to reach his goal of being a state finalist.”
His twin brother Melvin Nimely is also in the semi’s “after a great day of wrestling (with a cold). One tough match to go to reach the finals,” Stoudenmire said.
Sophomore Zyon Rushad, a first time wrestler who started only three months ago, is now in the top eight for the state. “Zyon is still alive and kicking like a mule, he had a great night last night, can’t wait to see what this kid does today and for the next two years,” Stoudenmire said.
Sophomore Jadyn Rittenberry “had a great season that came to an end last night, after two really tough matches where he handled himself well. I really am proud of the progress that this kid has made on many levels,” Stoudenmire said.
Sophomore Jamorris “Hitman” Hart “lost a tough first round match that we should have won but he came back in the next round last night to beat a kid that he lost to last week at sectionals,” Stoudenmire said. “He’s wrestling well in a grown man’s weight class (285) and he can’t even drive yet.”
The wrestling program has been working for a state championship since the beginning of the season, and now the team is closer than ever.
