Four Buford wrestlers earned the title of state champion at the GHSA Class 7A Traditional State Championships in Macon on Feb. 15-17.
Junior Maddox McArthur (132 lbs), junior Drew Gorman (138 lbs), senior Grayson Santee (165 lbs) and senior Aaron Riner (215 lbs) won their respective weight classes and are state champions. This year’s team broke the school record for the most state champions in the state championship meet.
McArthur defeated Anthony Santos from Camden County in the 132-pound weight class with a 1-0 decision.
Camden County’s Waylon Rozier fell to Gorman in the 138-pound weight class after Gorman got a fall on Rozier at the 0:59 mark.
Santee won the 165-pound weight class after getting a major 9-1 decision over Lambert’s Xan Kelly.
Riner got a fall at the 1:32 mark on Michael Heyliger of North Cobb to take home the 215-pound championship title.
The Wolves had 12 individual state placers which is a new school record. As a team, Buford placed second behind Camden County with 240.5 points, breaking another school record. Camden County had 14 state placers and a total of 279 points. West Forsyth finished third with 101 points, Mill Creek was fourth with 95.5 points and Colquitt County rounded out the top five with 84 points. Buford finished second to Camden County at last year’s state traditional championships.
“We wrestled really well, ” said Buford head coach Tom Beuglas. “We broke the school record for points scored at the state tournament and we had four State Champions so it was a great tournament.”
Buford’s other top finishers were:
Second place: sophomore D.J. Clarke (113 lbs), senior Rylan Ibold (120 lbs) and junior Kieron McCormack (126 lbs)
Third place: junior Conor McCloskey (190 lbs)
Fourth place: senior Hudson Danielson (150 lbs)
Fifth place: senior Gavin Pope (144 lbs), freshman Callum McCormack (157 lbs) and junior Tre Butler (285 lbs)
