Early-season results in high school wrestling don’t always translate into postseason success, but several area wrestlers showed they plan to be a factor come state tournament time with impressive showings at the May River Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Five Lowco area wrestlers captured individual titles and two more were runners-up in the 17-team tournament.
Cane Bay squeaked out the team title with 181 points, edging runner-up Dreher (168.5).
Beaufort High (140) finished fourth and was the only team with three champions — James Dagin (160), Michael Cenci (170), and Jeremiah Simmons (195).
Host May River was without six projected starters who are transitioning from the Sharks’ run to the Lower State final in football, but the Sharks still finished seventh and had six placers, including 113-pound champion Isham Peace. Peace was one of the biggest stories of the weekend after pinning Hilton Head High’s James Levy — last year’s 106-pound state runner-up — in the finals. The Sharks also had a runner-up in Chad Hadden at 126.
Hilton Head High was eighth and had four placers, Battery Creek was 10th and had two fourth-place finishers, and Bluffton finished in 13th thanks to 285-pound champion Cam’ron Darby.
Championship Finals
106: Asher Honea (Cane Bay) dec. Bryson Harper (Dreher)
113: Isham Peace (May River) pinned James Levy (Hilton Head)
120: Logan Kira (Cane Bay) tech. fall Delshaun P. Robinson (Cane Bay)
126: Yannis Charles (Clover) dec. Chad Hadden (May River)
132: Leon Wang (Dreher) dec. Cooper Rhue (Wando)
138: Ron German (James Island) dec. Nick Kotiw (Wando)
145: Walker Rhue (Wando) pinned Jalyn Mckeen (Cane Bay)
152: Kole Barron (Wando) pinned Wilton Grice (Clover)
160: James Dagin (Beaufort) pinned Nathan Newman (Philip Simmons)
170: Michael Cenci (Beaufort) dec. TJ Stacey (Clover)
182: Hunter Tindall (South Effingham) pinned Jace Walling (Dreher)
195: Jeremiah Simmons (Beaufort) dec. Malkolm Stephens (South Effingham)
220: Graysen Latham (Clover) pinned Taylor Rivera (Cane Bay)
285: Cam’ron Darby (Bluffton) pinned M Settles (Dreher)
Consolation Finals
106: Carson Enix (Clover) pinned Sam Degroat (Battery Creek)
113: Jacob Simmons (Cane Bay) won by forfeit over Raleigh D’antico (Cane Bay)
120: Anton Blanchard (South Effingham) pinned Terrence Calloway (Colleton County)
126: C j Baker (Cane Bay) pinned C j Ciccarelli (May River)
132: Claas Prikker (Clover) dec. Thomas Lee (Cane Bay)
138: Dorian Brown (Clover) pinned Johan Linares (Battery Creek)
145: Adam Napier (South Effingham) dec. Matthew Durrance (Beaufort)
152: Colton Phares (Beaufort) pinned Gabriel Juarez (May River)
160: Nate Calalang (James Island) major dec. Wyatt Banfield (May River)
170: Anthon Funderburk (May River) dec. Josh Smith (Dreher)
182: Ean Gardner (Hilton Head) dec. Tristan Rivera (Cane Bay)
195: Isreal Salmeron (Hilton Head) pinned Zhane Chinn (Wando)
220: Chris Davis (Dreher) pinned Jessie Salinas (Hilton Head)
285: Mac Hilton (Dreher) pinned George Cabrera (Cane Bay)
