A total of 43 wrestlers from the Savannah area qualified for the Georgia High School Association state championships after performing well at their respective sectionals over the weekend. The local grapplers faced tough competition but showcased their talent and grit on the mat.
South Effingham High School led the charge with a dominant performance, sending an impressive 12 wrestlers to the state championships. Emilio Santana (120 lbs), Eli Wood (138 lbs), Brandon Bringer (157 lbs), and Ashton Anderson (285 lbs) all claimed individual section titles. At the same time, their teammates secured additional podium finishes to solidify the team's presence at the state meet.
Calvary Day School also enjoyed a successful sectional run, with Brogan Flannigan (175 lbs) securing the school's first-ever individual championship. The Cavaliers wrestling team secured state appearances as five wrestlers finished in the top 4. Kaiden Holloway (120 lbs) and Davis Richardson (190 lbs) were runners-up, while Brexton Bell (157 lbs) and Chpper Creager (285 lbs) placed third. Maddox Vasquez (126 lbs) finished fourth.
Benedictine's Xander Argentinis (157 lbs) put on a commanding performance to win his weight class. Connor Desautels (126 lbs) claimed third, while Windsor Forest's Zahmir Watkins (120 lbs) and Francisco Mozingo (215 lbs) also impressed with third-place finishes. Izzy West, a female wrestler from Richmond Hill High School weighing 106 lbs, was the only one from her area to finish first and advance. These individual achievements and strong performances from other local wrestlers ensure a well-represented Savannah contingent at the state championships.
The GHSA state wrestling championships will be held at the Macon Centreplex starting on Thursday, February 15th, with the championship matches taking place on Saturday, February 17th. With 43 local wrestlers vying for glory on the state stage, Savannah is poised for an exciting and potentially record-breaking showing at the biggest wrestling event in Georgia.
GHSA Wrestling
1A Section B
Bryan County
175 Raul Parrish (20-8) placed 6th
215 Carlos Arias (30-7) placed 6th
285 Byron Lewis (21-10) placed 6th
Class 2A Section B
Windsor Forest
120 Zahmir Watkins (22-6) placed 3rd
215 Francisco Mozingo (25-6) placed 4th
Class 3A Section A
Calvary
120 Kaidan Holloway (36-9) placed 2nd
126 Maddox Vasquez (20-11) placed 4th
157 Brexton Bell (22-6) placed 3rd
175 Brogan Flannigan (44-5) placed 1st
190 Davis Richardson (40-8) placed 2nd
285 Chipper Creager (44-7) placed 3rd
Class 4A Section A
Benedictine
106 Aiden Simmons (48-9) placed 4th
126 Connor Desautels (48-11) placed 3rd
157 Xander Argentinis (38-17) placed 1st
285 Kameron Cody (17-8) placed 6th and
Class 5A Section A
Jenkins
138 Malachi Williams (37-11) placed 6th
285 Bryce Anderson (32-16) placed 4th
Class 6A Section B
Effingham
150 Kevin Poythress (22-10) placed 6th
South Effingham
106 Christopher Hardeman (51-10) placed 5th
113 Alarik Gibson (49-10) placed 4th
120 Emilio Santana (53-6) placed 1st
126 Jacob Stellhorn (45-11) placed 2nd
132 Brayden Bringer (54-8) placed 6th
138 Eli Wood (54-7) placed 1st
144 Gannon White (48-6) placed 3rd
157 Brandon Bringer (55-1) placed 1st
165 Bobby Craun (34-13) placed 4th
175 DaMyon McFarlin (50-4) placed 2nd
215 Christopher Lord (52-10) placed 5th
285 Ashton Anderson (56-5) placed 1st
Class 7A Section A
Richmond Hill High School
106 Carter Anderson (34-10) placed 3rd
120 Brenden Fair (16-5) placed 4th
138 Cody Willoughby (36-7) placed 3rd
144 Miller Osteen (13-5) placed 2nd
175 Noah Hampton (31-10) placed 5th
190 Trey Bowkett (24-12) placed 4th
215 Blake Whittaker (16-14) placed 5th
GIRLS Section 2
Richmond Hill
110 Izzy West (30-2) placed 1st
PHOTO Credit: Calvary Day School social media pages
FOLLOW the Prep Sports Report on Twitter @PrepSav and Instagram savannahsportsreport. If you have any scores, information, or story ideas to share, please email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com.
Optim Orthopedics is a well-known name in Savannah's high school sports community, providing crucial medical support to local high schools. They have dedicated fellowship-trained Orthopedics Surgeons, including Dr. David Sedory for Benedictine Military, Bradwell Institute, and Liberty County, Dr. David Palmer for Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, and South Effingham, and Dr. Thomas Alexander for Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's. Optim Orthopedics's commitment to local athletes runs deep. They are proud sponsors of the Prep Sports Report, whose motto is, "Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game.
