The Bethune Lions won eight weight classes to bring home the 2024 DCSD Middle School Wrestling Championships’ title. (Courtesy Photo)
The Bethune Lions captured eight weight class titles on the way to winning the 2024 DeKalb County Middle School Wrestling Championships title.
Bethune totaled 121 points followed in order by Chapel Hill (94), Tucker (36), Peachtree (21), Redan (19) and Miller Grove (11).
Chapel Hill got off to a quick start with Jahson Higgins (78 division) and Courtney Davis (85 division) captured gold in the weight classes.
Bethune then went on a run of five consecutive weight division gold medals beginning with Leon Woods taking down Chapel Hill’s Ryan Weaver in the 90-class final.
The 100-class championship went to Bethune’s Keyonne French in a win over Peachtree’s Francis Ho and Valentin Castillo won 105 over fellow Bethune wrestler Arron Castillo.
It was another Bethune-Peachtree battle at 110 with Bethune’s Amaury Barksdale taking the gold against Jax Chidester. It was a Bethune versus Chapel Hill match at 120 that went to Bethune’s Antwan Mathis over Chapel Hill’s William Bastian for the gold.
Tucker broke the Bethune run by winning the next two classes. The Tigers’ Luis Oquil bested Chapel Hill’s Quintin Bitting at 125. Jericho Combs gave Tucker the second of what would be three gold medals with a win over Robert Burnett of Miller Grove.
Chapel Hill picked its third title via a win by Amir Lamar over Bethune’s Miller Boswell at 137.
Bethune returned to the top of the hill with wins by Pierre West over Chapel Hill’s Keylan at 145 and Rakeem Polain taking the win at 154 over fellow Bethune teammate Athalia Rose.
Chapel Hill grabbed a fourth gold medal via a win at 175 by Braylon Brown over teammate K. Elder.
Tucker grabbed its third gold of the championships as Maverick Armour picked up the gold at 210 with a win over Redan’s Quantavious Green.
Bethune’s final and eighth gold of the tournament came at 275 in the form of a victory by Mekhai Perkins over Chapel Hill’s S. Brown.
Coach Henry Garrett’s Lions finished with 18 wrestlers placing in the top four. Three of those top four were silver medalists and four more captured bronze medals. Chapel Hill finished with 14 top four finishers including six silver medal winners and two bronze medals.
See link below for the 2024 DCSD Middle School Wrestling Championships results: