Perry wins third straight in county wrestling championships

By MATTHEW BROWN

Journal Sports Writer

mbrown@hhjnews.com

Perry High, in the first six-team Houston County wrestling championships, made it three in a row Saturday as the hosts, and did it with a perfect 5-0 record.

The round-robin format had everyone facing everyone one time by a set schedule, and it happened that Perry and Warner Robins High both faced off in the final round with similar unbeaten records. The Panthers defeated the Demons 45-34.

It started out with a forfeit to Perry, and then Billy Gordy grappled D. Campbell of Warner Robins at 113 pounds. This match was 4-4 after round 1, but Gordy, with 45 seconds left in the second, turned his opponent over for a pin and 12-0 Perry lead.

The 120 match pitted Demon Posten against K. Carroll of Perry. Posten was up 4-0 after two minutes, and there was a near fall scored at the buzzer of period No. 2. With another near pin deep in the third period, Warner Robins had four points.

But a second forfeit went Perry’s way (18-4), so the 132-pound match went to the mat between Moss and R. Campbell. Warner Robins’ Campbell, after two near falls in the first period, got the pin early in the second period.

Perry’s team, area champions, took two straight wins via pin, Lowe coming out of top in an action packed 138-pound match and Kalob Willis winning by pin in his 145 first period.

Down by 20 points, Warner Robins found a victory from Kirk at 152 pounds. He was trailing in a period with a lot of reversals 11-9, and in the second period Perry had a lead of 16-12. Kirk, however, turned things around to get the pin with 49 seconds on the clock.

Derekston Williams was in a tight battle in 160, 2-2 during the first period and 4-4 midway through the second. With a powerful takedown, Williams rode his way into the third period up 6-4. He traded two points for one with his opponent Taylor and won 14-8 for 33-16.

It was Greg Gilbert of Warner Robins, 170, winning six on a pinfall at the 25-second mark of his first period. Getting those points back for Perry was Battles at 182. He used an incredible cradle move to lead 5-0 in one period, then pinned his man Minter at 1:04 of the second.

The Demons still had a chance as the score read 39-22 with three matches and 18 potential points to be won. But Adam Parker, the 195-pound Panther, built up nine points in his first period with move after move. He won by pin in the second period.

Warner Robins’ Vail and Price were pin winners in the 220 and heavyweight matches.

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