Southland varsity wrestlers take region, middle school finishes second

Published 7:29 am Thursday, February 4, 2016

From STAFF REPORTS

ALBANY – Southland Academy’s varsity wrestling team has done it again, winning the team’s tenth straight region 3-IAAA crown at the region tournament hosted by Deerfield-Windsor in Albany on Jan. 28.
The Raiders’ wrestlers took first place at the meet with 37 points, defeating Deerfield-Windsor, Tiftarea, Terrell Academy, Westwood, and Calwood along the way.
The Raiders had five wrestlers emerge from the meet as individual region champs. Cole Landreth took top honors in the 106-pound category. Tyler Kennedy won the 113-pound category and Tanner Rundle took first place in the 120-pound division. Morgan Youngdale and Stephen Turton swept the 170 and 182-pound divisions, respectively.
Region runners-up for the Raiders were Reagan Trollinger, in the 126-pound category, Billy Calcutt at 138 pounds, Jordan Grinnell at 145 pounds, and Brandon Revell and Stephen Barnes at 160 and 285 pounds, respectively.
Cale Revell took third in the 220 pound weight class.
Each of these 11 Wrestlers will represent Southland at the State Championships, scheduled to be held on Feb. 5-6 at the Georgia Southwestern State University Storm Dome in Americus.  According to a recent press release, this is the youngest team the Raiders have fielded at the state tournament in several years, with B. Revell as the only senior participating among the 11 state qualifiers.
Shortly after the school’s varsity team dominated the region in Albany, Southland’s middle school wrestling team traveled to Dublin to earn a second-place finish in the state tournament hosted by Trinity Christian School on Jan. 30.
Keaton Griffin, Tanner Humphrey, John Henry Crisp, Will Toms, Conner Cloer, Tyler Joyner and Tyler Kennedy all won individual titles.
Chet Toms, Colman Fort, Tanner Pritchard, Cale Revell, and Riley Parker finished as state runners-up in their respective weight classes.
Mitchell Turton, Landon Griffin, Cayce Joyner, Johan Garcia, Kolden Kenny, Will Minick, Greer Hagerson and Jack Stapleton finished in third place.

Photo by Jeremy Kennedy:   Southland Academy’s middle school wrestling team poses with their award after taking second place at the region tournament in Dublin.

Photo by Jeremy Kennedy:
Southland Academy’s middle school wrestling team poses with their award after taking second place at the region tournament in Dublin.