The Putnam County High School wrestling team traveled to Monticello on Nov. 17 where it dominated Jasper County (52-18) and Piedmont Academy (30-26).
Senior wrestler Mark Winslette captured his 100th win in Monticello by pinning a Jasper County opponent.
The next day, both the Lady Eagles and War Eagles were on the road, as the boys’ team competed at The Gauntlet in Gray, where they went 2-3 overall. The War Eagles wrestlers beat Peach County but lost to Mount De Sales, West Laurens, Brunswick, and Veterans.
“Forfeiting four weights (-24 points) is never a recipe for success, but we fought through adversity and put a few wins in the column,” PCHS head wrestling coach Joe Hutsell said.
Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles made a trip to Campbell High School in Smyrna on Nov. 18 to compete in the Spartan Scramble.
“The girls showed out on the mat in the Lady Spartan’s round robin,” PCHS girls’ coach Sandra Webb said. “I couldn’t be more proud of each one of them. (They) really dug down deep and it showed.”
A pair of Lilys led the way for the PCHS girls’ team, with Lily Armistead placing first in Junior Varsity and Lily Frisch third in varsity wrestling.
Additionally, for the JV, Ashlyn Fuller was fourth, while Kannericka Nelson was fourth in varsity, followed by Addison Hutsell and Natalie Hinson (5th), Rhiyonna Johnson and Isabella Hinson (6th), with Juana Guerro and Jade Mullis both fighting hard and making some impressive moves on the mat.
The War Eagles were able to stay home and host the fourth-annual Battle in the Briar Patch on Nov. 21, with the War Eagles competing against 15 schools while the Lady Eagles faced wrestlers from 17 schools. Overall, the Battle at the Briar Patch showcased more than 300 wrestlers.
The Lady Eagles placed second as a team, with notable finishes for Frisch in second and Armistead placing third to dominate the same championship bracket. Meanwhile, Hutsell was second and Nelson placed third in their respective weight divisions.
The boys’ team also took to the mat hungry for wins and finished their day third overall. Senior Tristan Williams dominated his weight class and took first, while Noah Long and Zaccaria Long faced off in the championship round in their weight class to place first and second, respectively. Winslette and Demetreez Ramsey Booker also finished third in their respective weight classes.
A busy week for Putnam County was not quite over, however, as the wrestling team faced one more road trip to North Oconee High School before getting to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Titan Scramble included nine teams on Nov. 22 and the combined Eagles’ teams carried their momentum from the previous tourneys to North Oconee for an overall second-place finish.
For the Lady Eagles, Armistead and Isabella Hinson faced off in the championship match with Armistead taking the win. Nelson and Natalie Hinson also took first for Putnam in their classes, while Michelle Hernandez and Ashlyn Fuller took second in each of their respective classes and Frisch placed third.
The War Eagles squad continued the winning trend with a pair of first-place finishes by Noah Long and Winslette. Williams took a hard-fought second, while Zaccaria Long, Joe Ward, Bryson Brown, Wyatt Stanley, James Goss, and Jamiel McClendon were all able to capture the third-place spot in their classes.
Putnam’s wrestlers will be back on the mat this Saturday in the Atlanta Invitational at North Atlanta High School.