Wakulla wins Talon vs. Tooth rivalry
By WALT JACOBS
Correspondent
The high schools of Wakulla and Suwannee have engaged in some epic battles over the course of their storied histories. Wakulla enjoyed success for a number of years, but for the past two seasons the pendulum has swung back in favor of Coach John Wainwright and company.
Last Thursday night, the schools faced off yet again in what has been billed as the Talon vs Tooth rivalry match, and the No. 7 War Eagles, led by Coach Nate Litowsky, looked to upset the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs.
In the opening match, Wakulla freshman Brayden Hodges had the arduous task of wrestling senior Eli Joliceur who is ranked No. 1 in the state at 106 pounds. Hodges gave a courageous effort but ultimately lost by technical fall in the second period. In duals like these, where every point matters, surrendering 5 points instead of 6 is considered a small victory.
At 113 and 120 pounds, Suwannee forfeited to Wakulla giving the War Eagles a 12-5 lead.
Matthew Thaxton added 6 more points for Wakulla with a pin over Tyler Phynney in the second period.
William Harvey continued the offensive with a win over Seth Dykes by tech fall.
Wakulla’s Colt Sanders and Troy Thaxton added pins of their own over Jonathan Gonzalez and Jose Garcia respectively.
At 150 pounds, Nate Jacobs notched a major decision over Arthur Vanderpool to add to the War Eagles’ lead. At this juncture, although Wakulla led 39-5, the War Eagles still had work to do to preserve the win. Mathematically, Suwannee was still in it, but would need 5 pins and a technical fall in the final six matches to pull off the comeback.
The War Eagles seized victory at 165 pounds, when a pivotal match between Wakulla’s Gavin Mitchell and Torynn Johns ended in a 12-4 major decision. Although the match ended in Suwannee’s favor, the Bulldogs would not be able to score enough points in the remaining matches to come back.
At 215 pounds, Blake Barodte scored the final six points for Wakulla when he pinned Joe Charron. The final score was Wakulla 45, Suwannee 32. There will be more at stake when the two schools meet again at Wakulla High for the FHSAA 1A District Duals Championship on Dec. 30th.
ALL HAIL QUEEN KENDAL, THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH
The Lady War Eagles traveled to Alabama on December 13th and 14th to participate in what has been proclaimed the “best high school girls wrestling tournament in the South.” Competitors from all over the southeast converged upon Enterprise High School to decide who would wear the crown and bear the title Queen of the South.
At 107 pounds, Emma Riggs picked up 2 wins over the weekend. Her first was a 1:16 pin over Mirabella Matson of Gulf Shores. Riggs picked up her 2nd win with a 59 second fall over Branlyn Patterson of Dadeville. Riggs’ efforts earned her 10th place in the weight class.
Julia Baggett also placed 10th at 132 pounds. She notched victories over Madison King of Robertsdale (Fall 3:27) and Isabella Tran of Choctawhatchee in sudden victory.
At 107 pounds, Kendal Haynie once again put on a dominant display of wrestling going 5-0 (4 pins and 1 tech fall) en route to a first place finish. In the finals, Haynie wrestled and pinned Molly Seidman, the 2024 Alabama State runner up. For her overall performance, Haynie was also named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler.
YULEE DUALS
On Dec. 13th, the boys wrestling team traveled east to participate in the Yulee Duals. The two-day event culminated with the War Eagles becoming the tournament champions.
Wakulla went 10-0 over the weekend and did so in dominating fashion.
Day 1 Results
- Wakulla 57, Episcopal 11
- Wakulla 38, Steinbrenner 30
- Wakulla 84, Raines 0
- Wakulla 60, Ridgeview 18
- Wakulla 83, Terry Parker 0
- Wakulla 70, Mandarin 10
Day 2 Results
- Wakulla 62, Beachside 14
- Wakulla 45, Steinbrenner 26
- Wakulla 54, Fletcher 15
- Wakulla 43, Yulee 29
WRESTLER of the WEEK
“Our freshman phenom, Kendal Haynie again showed why when she steps on the mat people pay attention. She rolled like a seasoned warrior, landing a 5-0 record on her way to not just the literal crown, but also the most outstanding wrestler award. She is building not only a tremendous high school record, but a reputation of excitement and excellence rare in such a young wrestler. We can’t wait to see how far she can go. Wakulla vs the World, Go War Eagles.”
Coach Benny Litowsky
COACH’S CORNER
We (coaches) are proud of our students who continue striving to define excellence on and off the mat. We hope to see everyone Wednesday (Dec. 18) for our next home dual vs Godby.
Coach Nate Litowsky
