Fort Mill caps season of challenges with second straight wrestling championship
After winning a second straight state championship, Fort Mill wrestler Aidan Eubanks said the program might be on the cusp of something bigger.
“It means we are making a dynasty,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks won the clinching match, a 7-0 decision, as the Yellow Jackets won their second straight Class 5A title with a 32-27 win over Summerville in front of a raucous crowd at Dreher High School.
Eubanks’ win put Fort Mill up 32-15 and the Yellow Jackets forfeited the final two matches to make it look like a closer margin. It is the second straight year that Fort Mill has defeated the Green Wave in the championship.
Fort Mill wrestlers celebrated the title by lifting up coach Adam Marullo on their shoulders as he held the trophy high in the air toward the Yellow Jacket fans who had made the trip to Columbia.
“I didn’t want them to do that but I couldn’t stop them. They are a lot bigger than me,” Marullo said. “I’m just so happy. … Really excited to win another state championship.”
Fort Mill’s championship wasn’t without its share of adversity. The Yellow Jackets had to practice in a school cafeteria after a water pipe burst, damaging floors in the main and auxiliary gyms and wrestling room, a day before the first official day of practice in November.
The Yellow Jackets finally were able to return to their gym in late January.
“We had to adjust and adapt, find ways to get better and that is what these guys did,” Marullo said. “Overcoming adversity is just part of the season. It didn’t slow us down one bit. We continued to get better every single day.”
On the mat, Fort Mill overcame adversity in Wednesday’s Upper State championship match. The Yellow Jackets trailed 18-3 before rallying to beat Rock Hill, 36-28.
Against Summerville, Fort Mill won its first two matches from Jack Kadish and Theodore Ernst before Summerville won the next three, the final one by heavyweight Angel Lopez to put the Green Wave up 9-7.
But Fort Mill’s lighter weights took over as Luke Van Beynum (106) and Jacob Nally (113), won their matches by pins. Lincoln Greene (120) defeated Jacob Bullard by 10-1 decision to give Fort Mill a 23-9 lead.
“Our guys have done a great job all season,” Marullo said. “We took a little bit of a gamble moving some guys around and bumping some guys up. It all paid off for us.”
After Summerville’s Xavier Anderson won by pin to cut the margin to 23-15, Tucker Gipson (132) won a 3-2 decision in the final seconds to make it 26-15. The deciding point came with 21 seconds left as Gipson escaped a hold from Summerville’s Kaleb Pinckney.
Logan Shope (138) followed with a 5-3 decision as he won his 100th career match.
Buford loses in first title trip
Fort Mill was one of two area teams to make it to the wrestling finals. Buford made its first title trip but lost to top-ranked Chesnee in the Class 2A championship match, 39-19.
It was Chesnee’s first championship in its second appearance.
“Our goal this season was to make this and do it for our seniors,” Buford coach Garrett Plyer said. “And they did. I’m proud of them and let them know after the match.”
Chesnee jumped out to a 26-6 lead and wasn’t really threatened after that. The Eagles clinched it when Buford had to forfeit at the 106-pound class.
Buford match winners included Ian Gardner, Antonio Amos, Isaiah Baker, Michael Jaimez and Tucker Bohn.
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This story was originally published February 10, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
