In a match that was of state championship quality Richmond Hill’s Colin Dragon defeated Effingham County’s Connor Nevin by fall at 3:19 to win the 126-pound match in the Ernest Homes St. Nick Invitational held at Richmond Hill High School.

Brunswick won the team competition with 321 points while the Wildcats were second at 276.5 followed by Enterprise, Ala., with 237.5, Vidalia at 187.5, Effingham at 175.5 and the Richmond Hill B team at 122.5.

Other teams in the field included New Hampstead, Benedictine, McIntosh County Academy, Brunswick B, Bulloch Academy and Islands.

Dragon, a senior who is now 29-1 on the season, had breezed into the championship match winning his previous three matches by fall at 0:22 seconds, 0:49 and 2:51. Nevin, 35-3, had taken a similar path to set up what was the most outstanding match of the meet.

Two other Wildcat wrestlers took first-place with freshman Carter Anderson (11-4) winning by a fall at 2:53 over Brennan Neumann of Vidalia at 106 pounds and junior DarVante Menzie (30-4) won at 175 by beating teammate Owen Osden (4-3) 1-0 by decision.

In addition to Osden, a sophomore, second-place finishes were also earned by senior Bradley Barrett (24-2) at 150, sophomore Miller Osteen (13-3) at 157 and junior Trey Bowkett (21-9) at 190.

 Junior Cody Willoughby (16-4) was third at 132, freshman Blake Whitaker (16-13) was third at 215 and sophomore Juwan Harvey took third at 285B.

 Fourth-place finishes went to Roman Slaughter at 126, Areze Barnett at 138, Raymond Luna at 150 and Caden Whitaker at 157.

 Richmond Hill’s next matches will be the Raider Invitational on Dec. 28-29 and the May River Shark Invitational Dec. 29-30.   

The Wildcats are facing major challenges this year as they have moved up to Class 7A where they are in Region 1 with Camden County which is seeking its ninth straight state championships in both dual and traditional. Colquitt County was second and Lowndes County fifth in last year’s state meet while Valdosta was second in Class 6A.