Colonels are state runner-up to Jefferson; Woodland earns top five finish

The Cass wrestling team came up just short Saturday at the GHSA Class 5A State Duals Championship at Jones County High School, falling to Jefferson in the state championship match, 37-33.

“I love our guys,” said Colonels’ head coach D.L. Koontz Saturday night. “They battled and we came up short. I thank them for giving it their all. The coin toss was what we needed to win so we could report where we needed to win.”

Cass beat Northgate and Ware County in the first two rounds on January 14 to reach Saturday’s Elite Eight.

Woodland, also among the final eight teams qualifying for the Gray, Georgia event, defeated Northside-Columbus and Greenbrier one week ago to earn a Top Eight spot. Saturday, the Wildcats finished in a tie for fifth.

Both teams opened the day with state quarterfinal wins. Cass defeated Eastside 66-15 while Woodland beat Cambridge 46-30.

In the state semifinal round, Woodland fell to Jefferson 39-20 and Cass took out Ola 39-31.

The Wildcats lost their first match in the consolation rounds to Harris County to finish tied for fifth with Cambridge.

The duals championship by Jefferson is their 20th in the 22 years GHSA has conducted a state championship in the format. The Dragons have seven titles in Class A, six in AA, two in AAA, three in Class 4A, and now one in Class 5A.

Woodland won the Class 5A title in 2019, ’20, and ’21 while Cass took the title last year.

Both local teams will now transition into the traditional format for the remainder of the season.

Woodland has won four traditional format state titles since 2003 including three consecutive between 2019 and 2021. Cass won the traditional format state championship in 2006 and 2022.

Jefferson has to be considered one of the favorites again in the traditional format tournament. The Dragons have won 23 state championships in the traditional format since 1983.

SATURDAY'S BOUT-BY-BOUT RESULTS

Championship Bracket / State Quarterfinals / Cass defeated Eastside 66-15

106 - Lee Camp (Cass) over Unknown (Unattached) Forfeit
113 - Nolan Christian (Eastside Hs) over Angel Castenado (Cass) Fall 5:04
120 - Grayson Poynter (Eastside Hs) over Jayden Taylor (Cass) Dec 4-4
126 - Hayden Mills (Cass) over Hasaan Williams (Eastside Hs) Fall 3:00
132 - Jake Crapps (Cass) over Jordan Hittle (Eastside Hs) Fall 1:58
138 - Tanner Toups (Cass) over Jordan Amedee (Eastside Hs) Fall 1:19
144 - Tyler McKnight (Cass) over Tucker Edmondson (Eastside Hs) Fall 0:45
150 - Mason Tompkins (Cass) over Nathan Sinyard (Eastside Hs) Fall 0:30
157 - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Damani Fleming (Eastside Hs) Fall 0:46
165 - Zach McKnight (Cass) over Grayson Carter (Eastside Hs) Fall 2:55
175 - Wyatt Bauer (Eastside Hs) over Michael Cameron (Cass) Fall 0:32
190 - Parker Dunn (Cass) over Michael Abernathy (Eastside Hs) Fall 0:24
215 - Kevin Henderson (Cass) over Logan Cowan (Eastside Hs) Fall 1:24
285 - Kail Ellis (Cass) over Unknown (Unattached) Forfeit

Championship Bracket - Semifinal Match

Cass defeated Ola 39-31

138 - J`Veion Redmon (Ola) over Tanner Toups (Cass) Maj 9-0
144 - Tyler McKnight (Cass) over Conner Kimbrough (Ola) TF 22-7
150 - Brian Papcun (Ola) over Mason Tompkins (Cass) Fall 1:11
157 - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Jared Walker (Ola) Maj 13-5
165 - Zach McKnight (Cass) over Talon Cole (Ola) Fall 0:49
175 - Xander Dossett (Ola) over Michael Cameron (Cass) Fall 0:30
190 - Zion Smith (Ola) over Parker Dunn (Cass) Dec 11-5
215 - Colby Lejeune (Ola) over Kevin Henderson (Cass) Fall 2:58
285 - Travis Nollman (Ola) over Kail Ellis (Cass) Fall 1:39
106 - Lee Camp (Cass) over Wyatt Johnsey (Ola) Fall 0:54
113 - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Lincoln Durden (Ola) Dec 7-3
120 - Ethan Harrington (Cass) over Jackie Black (Ola) Dec 7-3
126 - Rowdy Duck (Cass) over Landon Moss (Ola) Inj 1:40
132 - Jake Crapps (Cass) over Jobi Colbert (Ola) Fall 1:04

State Championship Match

Jefferson defeated Cass 37-33

150 - Tyler McKnight (Cass) over Carson Goodwin (Jefferson) Fall 1:50
157 - Mason Tompkins (Cass) over Elias Vermillion (Jefferson) Dec 7-0
165 - Creed Thomas (Jefferson) over Kirecg Roe (Cass) TF 17-2
175 - Zach McKnight (Cass) over CLAYTON BEINE (Jefferson) Fall 2:46
190 - Luke Cochran (Jefferson) over Parker Dunn (Cass) TF 22-7
215 - Nolan Martin (Jefferson) over Kevin Henderson (Cass) Fall 2:53
285 - Sammy Brown (Jefferson) over Kail Ellis (Cass) Fall 0:38
106 - Lee Camp (Cass) over Barrett Clayton (Jefferson) Fall 1:01
113 - Roman Belardo (Jefferson) over Hunter Barrett (Cass) Fall 0:16
120 - Chaz McDonald (Jefferson) over Caden Alford (Cass) Fall 2:17
126 - Rowdy Duck (Cass) over Tucker Kazienko (Jefferson) Dec 10-8
132 - Jake Crapps (Cass) over Dallas Russell (Jefferson) Dec 4-3
138 - Tanner Toups (Cass) over Davis Dollar (Jefferson) Fall 4:08
144 - Dominic Haines (Jefferson) over Austin McArthur (Cass) Dec 6-3

Championship Bracket / State Quarterfinals / Woodland defeated Cambridge 46-30

132 - Paul Lanier (Woodland) over Mason Truncale (Cambridge) Dec 7-6
138 - Hayden Santora (Woodland) over Will Thomas (Cambridge) Maj 11-0
144 - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Ty Tossi (Cambridge) Dec 4-1
150 - Cullen Kane (Cambridge) over Christian Cothran (Woodland) Fall 0:33
157 - Jovante Luke (Woodland) over Wills Kelly (Cambridge) Fall 0:27
165 - Heath Tatum (Woodland) over Jonah Murdock (Cambridge) Fall 3:08
175 - Coleman Buschi (Cambridge) over Melvin Ramos (Woodland) Fall 0:55
190 - Owen Jones (Woodland) over Wyatt Smith (Cambridge) Fall 3:56
215 - Charles Higdon (Woodland) over Cameron Phillips (Cambridge) Fall 1:17
285 - Kwadrus Wilson (Woodland) over Gabe Chigwere (Cambridge) Fall 2:12
106 - Amari Kinnamore (Woodland) over Mykyta Liutyi (Cambridge) Fall 4:08
113 - Jacob Riggins (Cambridge) over Aiden Buchan (Woodland) Fall 1:18
120 - Kian Shenassa (Cambridge) over Samuel Askew (Woodland) Fall 1:20
126 - Hunter Keane (Cambridge) over Nathan Cates (Woodland) Fall 0:24

Championship Bracket / Semifinals / Jefferson defeated Woodland, Cartersville 39-20

138 - Hayden Santora (Woodland) over Davis Dollar (Jefferson) Dec 6-1
144 - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Dominic Haines (Jefferson) Dec 7-3
150 - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over Carson Goodwin (Jefferson) Fall 3:00
157 - Jovante Luke (Woodland) over Elias Vermillion (Jefferson) Dec 4-1
165 - Creed Thomas (Jefferson) over Heath Tatum (Woodland) Fall 1:02
175 - Clayton Beine (Jefferson) over Melvin Ramos (Woodland) Dec 7-4
190 - Nolan Martin (Jefferson) over Owen Jones (Woodland) Dec 10-4
215 - Luke Cochran (Jefferson) over Charles Higdon (Woodland Dec 12-5
285 - Sammy Brown (Jefferson) over Kwadrus Wilson (Woodland) Dec 3-2
106 - Amari Kinnamore (Woodland) over Barrett Clayton (Jefferson) Fall 3:59
113 - Roman Belardo (Jefferson) over Aiden Buchan (Woodland) Fall 1:19
120 - Chaz McDonald (Jefferson) over Noah Cates (Woodland) Fall 0:15
126 - Tucker Kazienko (Jefferson) over Nathan Cates (Woodland) Maj 10-1
132 - Dallas Russell (Jefferson) over Paul Lanier (Woodland) TF 26-11
Woodland's team score was adjusted by -1.0 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Consolation Bracket

Harris County defeated Woodland, Cartersville 37-36

144 - Davin Lundquist (Harris County) over Zachary Wallace (Woodland) Fall 1:00
150 - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over Davis Brooks (Harris County) Fall 1:00
157 - Jovante Luke (Woodland) over Kaden Schacht (Harris County) Fall 3:55
165 - Matthew Vonwettering (Harris County) over Heath Tatum (Woodland) TF 15-0
175 - Brock Johnson (Harris County) over Melvin Ramos (Woodland) Fall 0:43
190 - Owen Jones (Woodland) over DJ Maddox (Harris County) Dec 7-5
215 - Charles Higdon (Woodland) over Denver Degonia (Harris County) Fall 3:00
285 - Kwadrus Wilson (Woodland) over Wesley Sappington (Harris County) Fall 1:47
106 - Nick Nguyen (Harris County) over Amari Kinnamore (Woodland) Fall 2:26
113 - Aiden Buchan (Woodland) over Ethan Bresnahan (Harris County) Fall 4:32
120 - Aiden Byrd (Harris County) over Noah Cates (Woodland) Fall 1:11
126 - Tyler McGuire (Harris County) over Nathan Cates (Woodland) Dec 12-5
132 - Davis Culpepper (Harris County) over Paul Lanier (Woodland) Maj 18-6
138 - Hayden Santora (Woodland) over Lane Morris (Harris County) Fall 1:18
Woodland's team score was adjusted by -3.0 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Harris County's team score was adjusted by 1.0 for Tie-break criteria