Gators wrestling capture region crown
By Rob Gantt
Special to the HSSR
GOOSE CREEK – The Goose Creek Gators wrestling team finished the regular season with a perfect record in Region 6-AAAAA this season, securing its first region crown since 2014-15.
The Gators knocked off crosstown rival Stratford, 36-24, to officially lock in the crown and garner the region’s top spot for the Class AAAAA state duals. Two days later, the Gators coasted past Berkeley to cap the region slate with a 4-0 mark.
The Gators started six seniors versus the Knights and have 10 on the roster. GCHS coach Willie Nearhood, in his first season at Goose Creek, thanked his predecessor for preparing the older group on the squad.
“They came up with a coach (Devin Raho) that brought them from ground zero,” Nearhood said. “When he left, I knew it kind of hurt them. These seniors accepted me when I came in. I told them how I was. I told them we were going to push them hard and do things the right way. They just made the transition year really easy for me. I love all of them. I’ve called coach Raho many times during the season. He did a fantastic job getting these guys ready.”
Nearhood has more than 400 career victories.
In the Stratford match, Goose Creek led 30-25 heading into the last of 14 bouts. Gators heavyweight Andrew Adams recorded a fall in the first period to put the finishing touches on the win, making the Gators’ first-year leader a winner over his former squad.
“It was what I thought it was going to be,” said Goose Creek wrestling coach Willie Nearhood, who guided the Stratford program for 20 years before leaving in 2019.
The Gators never trailed after Montero Royal’s major decision in the opening bout at 106 pounds. Stratford evened the score at 4-4 a major decision at 113 pounds, but Goose Creek took four of the next five weight classes to go up 21-7 at the halfway point. Henry Schultz (120) won by fall, Jerome Fikes (126) and Jacob Butts (138) by major decisions and Jordan Baptist (144) by decision.
The Gators led 30-16 after 11 bouts following a win by decision from Brody Boulanger (165) and fall by Preston Rhodes (175). They were close to mathematically locking it up, but Stratford was able to force a decisive battle for all the marbles with wins at the next two weight classes.
Adams’ win at heavyweight gave the Knights victories in eight of the 14 weight classes and sealed the deal.
“I thought we would get more bonus points,” Nearhood said. “I thought we would get some pins. Stratford does a fantastic job of not going to their back. Early in the match with some of our better guys where we normally get big bonus points, we just didn’t get them. Some of the swing matches didn’t go our way early, so it kind of looked like it was going to be really tight.”
Against Berkeley, Royal, Schultz, Fikes, Jesse Ruiz (132), Butts, Baptist, Neshawn Fikes (150), Boulanger, Rhodes and Kendrick Carroll (175) won matches for the Gators.
The Gators host their first two playoff matches on Saturday, Feb. 3
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