Prep Highlights: South Effingham wrestling team wins state duals championship
The South Effingham wrestling team entered the season with sky-high expectations under head coach Christopher Bringer, in his fourth year leading the program.
On Saturday, the Mustangs reached one of their goals as the team won the Class 6A GHSA Team Duals State Meet held at Gainesville High School.
It was the first state championship by a team in any sport in South Effingham High history, Bringer said. The Mustangs rolled to a 58-16 over Lassiter in the first round, then beat Creekview 44-16 before knocking off North Forsyth 36-28 in the championship match.
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"All three of the matches were tough, especially in the championship against North Forsyth," Bringer said. "I'm so proud of the guys because it was a total team effort. Every kid had to step up. We were focused on not getting pinned if we lost a match, and when the opportunity was there -- we were looking to get those pins, and we were able to do that."
Bringer said he had several wrestlers who went 3-0 in the meet including DaMyon McFarlin at 175 pounds, Enrique Santana, Stephen Tootle at 113 pounds and his son, sophomore Moose Bringer.
"We were worried about the 175-pound weight class to start the year by DaMyon cut the weight to make it and then beat the No. 4 ranked wrestler in the state in overtime in the championship match," Bringer said. "And Stephen (Tootle) wrestled so well, competing in a nasty weight class. Emilio Santana and Ashton Anderson also won key matches for us."
Bringer said his senior class, which includes Nick Sessions, Enrique Santana, Tootle and William Christmas, has been vital to the team's success.
"It's been really cool to see how they have progressed over the last few years," Christmas said. "And winning a state title is something they'll never forget."
Woodville-Tompkins boys beat Savannah High in key region matchup
The host Wolverines rolled to a 71-48 win over Savannah High in a key Region 3-A Division I matchup on Friday night.
Woodville improved to 13-8 and 8-0 in region play with the win, while Savannah High dropped to 14-6 and 5-2. Woodville is now ranked No. 6 in the state among Class A D-1 teams by Sandysspiel.com, while Savannah High is at No. 8.
Senior Alfonzo Ross had 29 points and Jonathan Pickering added 21 for the Wolverines, while Wes Walker and Tyler Grant were key with their rebounding. The Woodville-Tompkins defense came up big -- holding Savannah's leading scored Maki Joyner to 11 points.
Woodville plays at Metter Tuesday and hosts New Hampstead on Saturday. Savannah High hosts Claxton Friday and Screven County Saturday.
Calvary Day girls remain unbeaten in Region 3-3A
The Calvary Day girls closed strong on Friday night in a 68-44 Region 3-3A win over visiting Beach, as Georgia College & State signee Hannah Cail led the way with 29 points. Sophomores Destini Gooddine (11 points) and Breanna Jones (15 points) also had strong showings for the Cavs, who went on to beat host Savannah Christian on Saturday 64-24.
Calvary is 13-5 overall and 9-0 to lead Region 3-3A. Savannah Country Day (13-2, 8-1) is sitting in second place. Calvary beat SCD 69-45 in their first meeting on Jan. 13.
Savannah Christian's Byrd commits to Kennesaw State
Savannah Christian senior Maggie Byrd has committed to play volleyball at Kennesaw State, the SCPS Athletics Twitter account announced Monday.
Byrd was an All-Greater Savannah first-team pick this season as a middle blocker after knocking down 214 kills, with 47 blocks, 41 aces and 40 digs on the year for a Raider squad that reached the state quarterfinals and finished with a 28-14 record.
Byrd is also a two-time defending state champion in the high jump for the Raiders.
Bryan County's Ashanti Brown sets school record
Bryan County sophomore Ashanti Brown set a school single game record for rebounds on Friday as she pulled down 23 to go along with 20 points in a 64-50 win over Metter Friday night.
Brown is averaging 12 points and 13 boards per game for Bryan County (14-4 overall and 5-3 in Region 3-A Division I play). Bryan County is ranked 10th in the state among Class A Division I teams by Sandysspiel.com
Tyler Tift of Habersham School among state scoring leaders
Tyler Tift of The Habersham School is having an excellent season for the Patriots. The senior is averaging 25.5 points per game for Habersham, which competes in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
Maxpreps.com has Tift listed as the second leading scorer among all teams in the state, behind Christian Anderson of Lovett, who is putting up 26.2 points per contest. Tift is adding 2.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the Patriots, who are 9-5 overall and 2-0 in region play.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Prep highlights: How South Effingham won state dual meet wrestling crown
