The chase is on for the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Traditional (Individual) Wrestling State Championships takes place February 11-14, and Savannah-area programs are sending a solid group to the next round, the state sectionals.
These wrestlers are one step away from qualifying for the GHSA Traditional Championships, with the sectionals being held the weekend of February 6 and 7 at various sites.
Last weekend, from Jeff Davis to Glynn Academy to Richmond Hill, local wrestlers battled through long brackets, tough matches, and pressure moments. The were 86 wrestlers from Savannah-area programs finished in the top four, punching their ticket forward to sectionals.
That number makes a strong statement about Savannah wrestling, showing notable depth in every classification.
In Class 1A, Bryan County, Savannah Christian, and Savannah Country Day each advanced multiple wrestlers. Class 3A saw Jenkins finish as Area Runner-Up with 12 placers, and Beach, Calvary Day, Islands, Johnson, and Windsor Forest also had qualifiers.
In Class 4A, Benedictine led with 13 placers; New Hampstead added two more state qualifiers.
In Class 5A, Effingham County placed sixth and finished fourth as a team. But the story continues to run through South Effingham.
Their performance underscores South Effingham's continued dominance.
The Mustangs are Traditional Region Champions in three of the last four years. They are Dual Champions for the past four straight seasons. This year, they crowned seven individual champions and are sending 13 wrestlers on to Sectionals next Saturday. The program continues to set the standard in Region 1.
In Class 6A, Richmond Hill finished as Area Runner-Up, advancing 12 wrestlers, including Area Champion Alessandro Vitello (120 pounds).
In total, 86 Savannah-area wrestlers are advancing to the GHSA Traditional State Championships.
These athletes represent Bryan County, Savannah Christian, Savannah Country Day, Beach, Calvary Day, Islands, Jenkins, Johnson, Windsor Forest, Benedictine, New Hampstead, Effingham County, South Effingham, and Richmond Hill.
With qualifiers set, the focus now shifts to Clayton County Convocation Center in Morrow, Georgia.
As the competition intensifies, the brackets get tighter, and the lights get brighter. Savannah-area wrestlers are taking the state stage, ready for the challenge. Now it is about who finishes the drill! Here are the wrestlers moving on.
Note: Girls Area will take place this week due to weather canceling matches on Saturday, January 31.
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GHSA Traditional Wrestling — Area & Region Sites
Friday – January 30, 2026
Class 1A – Area 3
at Jeff Davis High School
Bryan County - 3 Placers
Jason Newman – Area Champion (138)
William Patrick – 4th (132)
Zane Renteria – 3rd (215)
Savannah Christian - 2 Placers
RJ Daniels – 2nd (215)
Ivyn Richardson – 4th (165)
Savannah Country Day - 2 placers
Charlie Kraruter – 3rd (144)
S’Zavier House – 4th (285)
Class 3A – Area 3
Jenkins High School
Beach – 3 Placers
Enrique Ramos – Area Champion (190)
Brandon Jones – 2nd (165)
Melvin Carter – 3rd (138)
Calvary Day – 5 Placers
Brexton Bell – Area Champion (175)
Dymear Williams – Area Champion (285)
Riley McCaslin – 3rd (113)
Uriyah Smoker – 3rd (132)
Josh Holland – 3rd (157)
Islands – 5 Placers
Gage Blevins – 2nd (126)
Croix Nicolini – 4th (150)
Gavin Liverman – 4th (175)
Wyatt Lopez – 4th (190)
Jakorie Evans – 4th (215)
Jenkins – 12 Placers, Area Runner-Up
Ángel De Los Santos – Área Champion (138)
Brendan Poole – Area Champion (150)
Blaine Worthington – Area Champion (157)
Lorenzo Cheever – 2nd (120)
Michael Young – 2nd (132)
Nicholas Curry – 2nd (144)
Firdawek Blair – 2nd (190)
Jordan Fann – 2nd (285)
Miles Stewart – 3rd (106)
Gabiel De Castro – 3rd (126)
Noah Lee-Whitaker – 3rd (175)
Ryder Wright – 3rd (215)
Johnson – 1 Placer
Mason Trappio – 4th (126)
Windsor Forest – 8 Placers, 4th Place Team
Dorian Bowling-Tynes – 2nd (138)
Ibn Bizzard – 2nd (175)
Valentino Aguilar – 3rd (144)
Dalton Bodaford – 3rd (150)
Devin Johnson – 3rd (165)
Elijah Lang – 3rd (190)
Lachlan Owens – 4th (106)
Tyson Gladfelder – 4th (120)
Class 4A – Region 1
at Perry High School
Benedictine – 13 Placers
AJ West – Area Champion (138)
Aiden Simmons – 2nd (126)
Walker Minnich – 2nd (144)
Benjamin Chapman – 3rd (215)
Jackson Call – 3rd (120)
Madden Horne – 3rd (106)
Peter Fallon – 3rd (157)
Wallace Glover – 3rd (113)
Brayden Ward – 4th (150)
Bryson Foster – 4th (285)
Dylan Wells – 4th (165)
Jaedyn Collins – 4th (175)
Michael Adams – 4th (132)
New Hampstead – 2 Placers
Camden Gates – 3rd (190)
Khang Luong – 4th (138)
Class 5A – Region 1
at Glynn Academy
Effingham County – 6 Placers, 4th Place Team
Jackson Eubanks – 2nd (175)
Adam Thompson – 3rd (138)
Caleb Holmes – 3rd (157)
Ethan Braswell – 3rd (106)
Layne Summers – 3rd (113)
Freddie Reese III – 4th (285)
South Effingham – 12 Placers
Andreo Manlove – Area Champion (113)
Brayden Bringer – Area Champion (138)
Christopher Hardeman – Area Champion (106)
Maddox Vasquez – Area Champion (144)
Mayson Young – Area Champion (126)
Noah Knowlton – Area Champion (132)
Tahrik Bailey – Area Champion (120)
Alex Miles – 2nd (157)
Kevin Steptoe – 2nd (285)
Caysen Fisher – 3rd (190)
Zachary Utnehmer – 3rd (175)
Ian Verrett – 4th (215)
Riley Atkins – 4th (165)
Class 6A – Region 1
Richmond Hill High School – 9 a.m.
Richmond Hill – Area Runner-Up, 12 Placers
Alessandro Vitello – Area Champion (120)
Blake Whittaker – 2nd (285)
Caiden Gaeth – 2nd (190)
Ethan Fitts – 2nd (150)
Jaylon Deal – 2nd (215)
Noah Hampton – 2nd (165)
Josh Pacheco – 3rd (138)
Kingston Mosley – 3rd (132)
Maxxwell Solie – 3rd (175)
Owen Moriarty – 3rd (144)
Carter Anderson – 4th (126)
Logan White – 4th (106)
The GHSA Traditional Wrestling State sectionals will be held at various sites. Here is the schedule as psoted on GHSA website.
Tickets will be sold exclusively on GoFan.
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Photo courtesy of Adrian Gibson, South Effingham High School Wrestling Club (Facebook)
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