MORROW — Five Ware County grapplers posted top six finishes with the Gators earning a fourthplace spot in the Class 4A two-day Traditional tournament here at The Arena at Southlake.
Jordan Maxwell (113 lbs.) recorded Ware County’s best finish placing third. Rodrigo Reyes (126), Jaden McKelvin (144), Aaron Bennett (150) and Gunter Fore (165) placed sixth in their respective weight divisions Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14.
Also representing the Gators were Noah Paul (120), Damarion Zanders (132), Evan Thomas (138), Collin Deal (175), Jalen Hampton (215) and Antonio Birch (285).
The Lady Gators were represented by Kira Brown (190), who went 1-2. Brown lost her opening match by (3:13), won by pin (3:09) and lost a 3-1 decision.
Woodland-Cartersville claimed the team title with 191.5 points. Rounding out the top five were Ola (136), Dalton (73), Ware County (58) and Benedictine (25.5).
• Maxwell (113) posted a 5-1 mark in his weight class. He opened the tournament with a 58-second pin. After losing by pin (5:01), Maxwell followed with a 17-0 technical fall to start his path through the consolation bracket.
He recorded a second consecutive technical fall decision winning 15-0. In the consolation semis, Maxwell recorded a pin (33 seconds) and followed with a pin (1:20) in the thirdplace match.
• Reyes (126) won his first two matches before losing three straight. He began the tournament with a 149 decision and a 16-1 technical fall before falling by a 21-5 technical fall in the semis.
Reyes suffered a 1-0 loss in the consolation semis and fell 12-6 in the fifth-place match.
• McKelvin (144) recorded a sixth-place finish while notching a 3-3 record. He opened with a 16-6 major decision before suffering a 194 technical fall setback.
McKelvin rebounded with a 20-5 technical fall victory and a 16-4 major decisions in reaching the consolation semis. He suffered a heartbreaking 13-12 decision and fell 8-5 in the fifth-place match.
• Bennett (150) placed sixth in his weight class finishing with a 3-3 record. Bennett won his opening match posting a 12-7 decision.
After losing via pin in the second round, he notched a pin (5:01) and a 13-2 major decision to advance to the consolation semis. Bennett lost his last two matches by pin (1:35, 2:57).
• Fore (165) also finished sixth posting a 3-3 mark. He recorded a pin (1:12) in his first match before falling via pin (5:45) in his second.
Fore recorded consecutive technical fall victories (17-2, 27-12) to reach the consolation semis. Fore suffered a pin (5:29) defeat and forfeited the fifthplace match.
• Paul (120) lost his first match via pin (5:07), won by forfeit and lost by pin (3:54).
• Zanders (132) went 1-2 losing a 15-0 technical fall in his first match. He posted a one-minute pin before dropping a 9-0 major decision.
• Thomas (138) dropped both of his matches via pin (3:43, 5:26).
• Deal (175) suffered a 16-0 technical fall lose and a pin (1:17) defeat.
• Hampton (215) suffered a pin (1:18) loss and dropped a 7-2 decision.
• Birch (285) lost his first two matches via pinfall (2:44, 1:33).
