Fifty-four wrestlers from Baldwin County earned top-six finishes in their weight class at the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s South Super Sectional boys' wrestling championship last weekend in Birmingham and extended their postseasons by qualifying for the state championship meet.

Gulf Shores led the way in Class 5A where the Dolphins had a representative qualify for state in every single weight class behind four individual champions and five more finalists to help claim the team championship by 52.5 points over Tallassee. Gulf Shores was the only team on the Class 5A circuit to have a wrestler qualify in each weight class.

The Dolphins had winners at 126 pounds (Dathan Butt), 182 pounds (Landon Everett), 195 pounds (Lucas Salcedo) and 285 pounds (Sam Schepker) to help rack up 251 points in the team race.

Foley, Bayside Academy make history

In class 7A, Foley made program history with eight state qualifiers, the most it has recorded in a postseason, including its first sectional champion in Evan Catlin who earned a first-round pin to win the 138-pound division.

Daphne joined the Lions in punching eight tickets to state with an individual champion, Colton Rainer, and Bayside Academy joined Foley in making program history after Ben Swindle and Noah Breeland became the second and third Admiral wrestlers to qualify for the state championship meet.

Crook, Abroneaux earn individual titles for Tigers, Makos

Baldwin County and Orange Beach each had three wrestlers earn state qualifications as well as an individual champion on the Class 6A and Class 1A/4A stages respectively. Joaquin Crook and Shayd Arboneaux both claimed the 132-pound title in their respective brackets and will have a pair of teammates join them in the final meet of the season.

Also on the Class 6A circuit, D’vonte Simpson registered a runner-up finish in the 182-pound division as one of five Spanish Fort Toros to extend their postseasons. Elberta’s Colton Sullivan did the same in Class 5A’s 145-pound division and was joined by three more Warriors in qualifying for the state championship.

Fairhope’s four state qualifiers all earned different top-six finishes in the sectional championship. Led by Ben Shaw with third in the 152-pound division, George Kunz took fourth in the 106-pound division, Walker Holder was fifth in the 138-pound division and Steven Guynn finished sixth at 285 pounds.

Bayshore’s Heger headed back to state meet

After he grabbed a third-place finish in the 160-pound division at last year’s state meet, Caleb Heger is headed back to represent the Bayshore Christian Eagles alongside Reid Zakutney in the 170-pound division. At sectionals, Heger also took third with a 7-2 decision in the third-place match.

Jaedon Hill also recorded a third-place finish by decision in Class 6A’s 285-pound division to punch a ticket to state for the Robertsdale Golden Bears. Hill won a 5-2 decision over Cash Tatum from Pelham in the third-place match to extend his postseason as well.

Local top-six finishers who qualified for state

Class 7A

106-pound division
3. Micah Swiger – Daphne: 1:21 fall win over Fairhope’s George Kunz
4. George Kunz – Fairhope: 1:21 fall loss to Daphne’s Micah Swiger

113-pound division
4. Roman Morgan – Foley: 5:11 fall loss to Smiths Station’s Dustin Dunbar

5. Chay Long – Daphne: DFF win over Dothan’s Cooper Hall

120-pound division
6. Ethan Curry – Daphne: DFF loss to Auburn’s Bryson Parker

126-pound division
5. Kameron Palmer – Foley: DFF win over Auburn’s Lewis Miller

132-pound division
4. Toby Hymel – Daphne: 2:00 injury loss to Opelika’s Brayden Wilson

138-pound division
1. Evan Catlin – Foley: 0:41 fall win over Central’s George Esparza
5. Walker Holder – Fairhope: DFF win over Prattville’s Grayson Scott

145-pound division
4. Clayton Williams – Daphne: 3-2 decision loss to Enterprise’s Kaemon Smith
5. Charles Boling – Foley: DFF win over Central’s Elias Browning

152-pound division
2. Ethan Lassere – Daphne: 8-5 decision loss to Enterprise’s Cody Kirk

3. Ben Shaw – Fairhope: 1:16 fall win over Opelika’s Trace Gaither
5. Wyatt Allen – Foley: DFF win over Auburn’s Glenn Kindell

160-pound division
3. Owen Eiland – Daphne: 4:32 fall win over Smiths Station’s Nathaniel Jarmon

170-pound division

6. Eli Howard – Foley: DFF loss to Opelika’s Tommie Johnson

182-pound division
2. Gabe Morin – Foley: 1:26 fall loss to Prattville’s Jake McConnell

195-pound division
1. Colton Rainer – Daphne: 4-0 decision win over Smiths Station’s Robert Sanborn

220-pound division
3. Alexander Baca – Foley: 10-4 decision win over Baker’s Jacob Wilson

285-pound division
6. Steven Guynn – Fairhope: DFF loss to Smiths Station’s Jacob Zimdahl

TEAM STANDINGS

5. Daphne: 142
7. Foley: 130
10. Fairhope: 81

Class 6A
106-pound division

5. Braden Gress – Spanish Fort: DFF win over Benjamin Russell’s Colton Morgan

132-pound division
1. Joaquin Crook – Baldwin County: forfeit win over Homewood’s Bobby Chamorro
4. Austin Arthur – Spanish Fort: 12-8 decision loss to Mountain Brook’s Bill Bradford

152-pound division

3. Alia Vickrey – Baldwin County: medical forfeit win over Saraland’s Karter Hyatt

160-pound division
3. James McFadden – Spanish Fort: 3:32 fall win over Mountain Brook’s Jude Smith

182-pound division
2. D’vonte Simpson – Spanish Fort: 3:34 fall loss to McAdory’s Savian Graham

195-pound division
4. Kael Kornegay – Spanish Fort: 1:47 fall loss to McAdory’s Erik Lessears

220-pound division
5. Amonti Jones – Baldwin County: DFF win over Paul Bryant’s Justin Brown

285-pound division

3. Jaedon Hill – Robertsdale: 5-2 decision win over Pelham’s Cash Tatum

TEAM STANDINGS
7. Spanish Fort: 108.5
10. Baldwin County: 80.0
14. Robertsdale: 35.0

Class 5A
106-pound division
3. Abel Brantley – Gulf Shores: 1:31 fall win over Elmore County’s Stran Webb

113-pound division
3. Hayden Cook – Gulf Shores: 0:52 fall win over Elberta’s Gavin Crumpton

4. Gavin Crumpton – Elberta: 0:52 fall loss to Gulf Shores’ Hayden Cook

120-pound division
2. Noah Guthrie – Gulf Shores: 14-4 major decision loss to Shelby County’s Nick Sykes

126-pound division
1. Dathan Butt – Gulf Shores: 15-2 major decision win over John Carroll’s Thomas Zito

132-pound division
2. Ethan Sharkey – Gulf Shores: 7-1 decision loss to Tallassee’s Land Bell
3. Bennett Tyler – Elberta: 1:51 fall win over Beauregard’s Kameron Roberts

138-pound division
2. Taylor Cheek – Gulf Shores: 6-2 decision loss to Shelby County’s Caleb Mooney

145-pound division
2. Colton Sullivan – Elberta: 3:16 fall loss to Elmore County’s Carson Thomas
3. Charles Knight – Gulf Shores: 9-1 major decision win over John Carroll’s Alex Plaia

152-pound division
3. Cotton Crowell – Gulf Shores: 10-6 decision win over Birmingham Carver’s Artez Jones

160-pound division
4. Nick Carris – Gulf Shores: 4-3 tiebreaker loss to Tallassee’s Tra’Mel McCoy

170-pound division
2. Weston Reed – Gulf Shores: 5:22 fall loss to Shelby County’s Cole Sykes

182-pound division

1. Landon Everett – Gulf Shores: 3-2 decision win over Tallassee’s Caden Griffith

195-pound division
1. Lucas Salcedo – Gulf Shores: 5-4 decision win over Tallassee’s Nolan Addeo
4. Austin Harrison – Elberta: medical forfeit loss to Brewbaker Tech’s Demitri Flowers

220-pound division

2. Jackson Russ – Gulf Shores: 1:35 fall loss to Beauregard’s Jacob Clark

285-pound division
1. Sam Schepker – Gulf Shores: 6-4 decision win over Elmore County’s Christopher Eyerly

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Gulf Shores: 251

6. Elberta: 83

Class 1A/4A
113-pound division
5. Hayden Scelson – Orange Beach: DFF win over T.R. Miller’s Trent McGougin

126-pound division

4. Ben Swindle – Bayside Academy: medical forfeit loss to Saks’ Truth Thurman

132-pound division
1. Shayd Arboneaux – Orange Beach: 8-5 decision win over Montgomery Catholic’s Joseph Rodriguez

160-pound division
3. Caleb Heger – Bayshore Christian: 7-2 decision win over Montgomery Catholic’s Ryan Parker

170-pound division
5. Reid Zakutney – Bayshore Christian: DFF win over Escambia County’s Mason Huggins

195-pound division
2. Chase Sterling – Orange Beach: medical forfeit loss to American Christian’s Ansel Stinnett
5. Noah Breeland – Bayside Academy: DFF win over St. James’ AJ Alozie

TEAM STANDINGS
13. Orange Beach: 77
20. Bayshore Christian: 51
22. Bayside Academy: 29