Three more Colquitt County wrestlers sign to compete at next level
May 12—MOULTRIE — Three more Colquitt County High wrestlers will continue their careers at the next level next season, including state champion Nathanial Taylor.
Taylor and Jesus Grijalva of the Packers boys team and Kelsa Whitaker of the girls team signed with Brewton-Parker College in Mt. Vernon.
The signings bring to five the number of Colquitt County senior wrestlers who will compete next season.
Two-time state champion Austin Paradice has signed with UT-Chattanooga and 2022 state runner-up Ethan Sellers has signed with Life University.
Former Colquitt County assistant Kenny Mason is finishing his first year as the associate head coach at Brewton-Parker and was in town on Tuesday to witness the signings.
Mason is certainly familiar with Taylor and Grijalva.
Taylor finished fifth at the Class 7A state tournament as a junior in 2021 and this year, in his final match as a Packer, claimed his first state title, winning the 138-pound championship with a 7-5 sudden victory over Camden County's Porter Bryant in the finals.
Taylor is one of just five Colquitt County wrestlers to have won a state championship, joining Travis Register (2012 and 2013, at 220 pounds); Nic Jarvis (2019, 220 pounds); Austin Paradice (2021 at 145 pounds and 2022 at 160 pounds); and Logan Paradice (2022 at 132 pounds).
He finished his senior season with a 33-6 record, helping lead the Packers to second place at the state championships, the program's highest finish in school history.
Grijalva, who wrestled at 170 pounds, qualified for the state tournament for the second year in a row this season and turned in a fifth-place finish.
Whitaker, who placed fifth in the state girls tournament this season, becomes the first Lady Packer to sign a college scholarship.
Packers coach Benjy Scarbor said Whitaker "has lots of athletic ability," but "still needs to learn a lot of wrestling at the next level."
Whitaker will wrestle freestyle at the college level, which is different from the high school sport.
