BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School placed second to Baker County at the Feb. 17 District 4-1A finals and automatically qualified 11 individuals — including three champions — for the Region 1 finals.
It was the second time in three years Union’s fourth-year program claimed a district runner-up trophy. The Tigers had a score of 244, which left them trailing champion Baker County by five points.
Despite its short period of existence, the UCHS program has now qualified 31 individuals for region-level competition the last three years.
The top four in each weight class earned the right to advance to the Region 1 finals, which will be held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25, at Wewahitchka High School.
Ethan Hancock, Ian Halfacre and Danny Thornton won their respective classes to become the Tigers’ first-ever district champions. Hancock won the 120 class, defeating Keystone’s Riley McGorty and Baker County’s Taz Kinghorn, while Halfacre won the 132 class, defeating Beaches’ Elijah Morrvaridy and Palatka’s Ismael Foster. Thornton topped the 195 class, defeating Interlachen’s Zack Link, Baker County’s Kelan Hendricks and Baldwin’s Taylor Davenport.
This marks the third straight year Halfacre and Thornton have advanced past the district tournament. Each placed third at last year’s district finals.
Rodney Barnett and Alexander Cortese were the runners-up in the 145 and 182 classes, respectively. Barnett defeated Florida School for the Deaf and Blind’s Jayden Rosario-Crespo before falling to Beaches’ Grady Smith. Cortese defeated Keystone’s Henry Carhuayo and Tocoi Creek’s Daniel Hageman before losing to Beaches’ Eddie Craig.
It was the second straight year Cortese has been a runner-up. He and Barnett, who improved upon last year’s fourth-place finish, are advancing to region competition for the third straight year.
Five earned third-place finishes for the Tigers: Kale Waters (113 class), Ethan Shea (138), Elijah Roberts (152), Colin Hadlock (170) and Dylan Lane (220). Waters and Shea will be making their third straight appearance at regionals, while Hadlock qualified for the first time.
Waters defeated Bishop Snyder’s Ethan Preston before losing to St. Johns Country Day’s Matthew Braddock. He bounced back with consecutive wins over Florida School for the Deaf and Blind’s Ivan McAlpin and Tocoi Creek’s Alessandro Brazan.
Shea, who placed fourth at last year’s district finals, defeated Bishop Snyder’s Joseph Morales before falling to Palatka’s Mikade Harvey. He then defeated Beaches’ Pierce Widrich and Baker’s Evan Irish.
Roberts defeated Tocoi Creek’s Ryland McGinley before losing to Baker’s Keith Ratliff. He then defeated Palatka’s Gabriel Huajardo before earning a win over McGinley again.
Hadlock, who was a fifth-place district finisher last year, began his day with a win over Keystone’s Alyx Nichols. After a loss to Tocoi Creek’s Lawton Case, he defeated Beaches’ Zayden Elmorabeti and Nichols again.
Lane defeated Baker’s Philip Spreadbury before losing to Keystone’s Steven Raab. He bounced back with wins over Bishop Snyder’s Kenyon Nunnery and Interlachen’s Shyheem Shivers.
Braden Adams also wrestled his way to a berth in the Region 1 finals, placing fourth in the 126 class. He opened with a win over Tocoi Creek’s Jordan Bogart, but then lost to Baker’s Jonathon Walker. A win over Beaches’ Ethan Hedrick set up a rematch between him and Bogart, with Bogart earning the win this time in the third-place match.
This will be Adams’ first region appearance after placing fifth at the district finals last year.
Also wrestling for Union were Ashton Newsom (160) and Landon Biddix (285), who both placed fifth. Fifth-place finishers could possibly compete at the region level if byes need to be filled.
After a loss to Interlachen’s Lial Landry, Newsom defeated Palatka’s Logen Cumbo. Newsom then lost to Beaches’ Makai Mitchell before bouncing back to defeat Baldwin’s Dominic Canchola.
Biddix had losses to Palatka’s Ben Clark and Florida School for the Deaf and Blind’s Antawn Wanliss, but since the class consisted of just five wrestlers, he was awarded fifth place.
The team would like to give thanks to its sponsors: Andrews Site Prep, Liberty Trucking, Shadd Trucking and Pritchett Trucking.
