BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School wrestlers Jason Bowden, Matthew Delano and Alyx Nichols earned the right to compete at the regional level after their performances at the District 4-1A finals on Feb. 16 at Clay High School.
The top four in each weight class automatically qualified for the Region 1 finals, which will be held Feb. 25-26 at Wakulla High School. Wrestlers who participated in fifth-place matches put themselves in position to possibly fill in vacant spots and advance as well.
Bowden and Nichols earned automatic bids with fourth-place finishes. Delano, who was one of seven from KHHS to wrestle in fifth-place matches, will move on also.
Bowden, who wrestles in the 126-pound class, was pinned in 2:29 by Palatka’s Alexander McCrystal to start his day, but he bounced back by pinning two opponents: Bishop Snyder’s Jose Fuerte in 1:14 and Baker County’s Gavin Sparkman in 2:28. He was then pinned in 1:29 in the third-place match by McCrystal.
In the 160 class, Nichols, after a first-round bye, was pinned in 50 seconds by Clay’s Luca Fiannca. Nichols pinned Bishop Snyder’s Joseph Miranda in 3:45 before getting pinned in 1:40 by Baker County’s Cannon Wimpey.
Five Keystone wrestlers earned fifth-place finishes: Jared Goetzman (113 class), Phoenix Contes (120), Luke Graves (145), Shepard Wingate (152) and Delano (220).
Goetzman pinned Florida Deaf and Blind’s Dino Jeudy in 52 seconds before losing by a 15-0 technical fall to Clay’s Braden Glavin. He was then pinned in 5:28 by Baker County’s Brock Duncan before recording a 14-6 major-decision win over Bishop Snyder’s George Preston.
Contes was pinned in 2:30 by Baker County’s Jonathon Walker before pinning Tocoi Creek’s Adrian Sandoval in 2:43. Contes lost by a 14-5 major decision to Palatka’s Ishmael Foster before recording a 7-0 win over Florida Deaf and Blind’s Khayree Lofton.
Graves began action by getting pinned in 3:18 by Union County’s Ethan Shea. He pinned Tocoi Creek’s Rylan McGinley in 1:40 before getting pinned in 2:02 by Bishop Snyder’s Amari Akel. In the fifth-place match, Graves pinned Florida Deaf and Blind’s Edilberto Martinez in 2:43.
Wingate, after a first-round bye, pinned Union’s Jameson Lang in 16 seconds. He then lost 6-1 to Clay’s Hayden Mesaroz and was pinned in 2:03 by Baker County’s Rasean Rayam. Wingate then won by injury default over Palatka’s Hayden Edwards.
Delano had a first-round bye before getting pinned in 16 seconds by Baker County’s Ian Doyle. He was then pinned in 5:05 by Bishop Snyder’s Daniel Brandenburg before winning the winning the fifth-place match over Palatka’s Benjerman Alicai by injury default.
Placing sixth for the Indians were Ethan Cosby (132), Talon Lybarger (138) and Coday Saley (285).
Cosby, after a first-round bye, was pinned in 3:34 by Palatka’s Mikade Harvey. After another bye, he pinned Wolfson’s Samual Harris in 3:22. Cosby was then pinned in 4:25 by Baker County’s Joshua Carter and in 2:40 by Tocoi Creek’s Willie Sims.
Lybarger had a first-round bye before getting pinned in 1:02 by Union’s Rodney Barnett. After another bye, Lybarger was pinned in 1:44 by Tocoi Creek’s Lucas Haraway.
Saley was pinned in 23 seconds by Bolles’ Jack Pyburn. After a bye, he was pinned in 2:21 by Baker County’s Chase Crews and then in 47 seconds by Tocoi Creek’s Jason Callahan.
Keystone finished sixth in the team standings behind champion Clay, Palatka, Baker, Union and Bishop Snyder.
