Gators roll into Hanahan, take Hawk Invitational | Sports | Our Gazette

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Gators roll into Hanahan, take Hawk Invitational

Published Thursday, January 14, 2010 9:04 AM

By Rob Gantt
The Gazette

photo Rob Gantt

Goose Creek senior Shawn Williams has his hand raised by the referee after claiming the individual title in the heavyweight class Saturday during the Hawk Invitational at Hanahan High School.

photo Rob Gantt

Goose Creek senior Dontavia Reid has control of his final opponent and captured the 215-pound crown in the Hawk Invitational.

photo Rob Gantt

Hanahan’s J.J. Johnson (right) captured the individual championship at 103 pounds for the Hawks.

photo Rob Gantt

Goose Creek senior Jawaun Foreman eventually recorded a pin to win the final match at 152 pounds in the Hawk Invitational. He was one of three individual champions for the Gators on Saturday at Hanahan High School.

Goose Creek wrestling coach Leonard Covington had a pretty good vibe the Gators could finish near the top in the Hawk Invitational Saturday.

And his team delivered, claiming first place in the annual grappling event at Hanahan High School.

“This means a lot,” Covington said. “We feel like we’ve got a real strong lineup. I thought we’d do well but with 18 teams you never know. The kids wrestled really well. It turned out to be a real good day for us.”

Goose Creek’s weight-class champions were Jawaun Foreman (152), Dontavia Reid (215) and Shawn Williams (285).

The Gators finished with 259 points, 44.5 points ahead of second-place Hanahan. Wando was a distant third with 109.5 points. Edisto was fourth (106.5) and West Ashley (96) was fifth.

Lumberton (N.C.), Carolina Forest, Bishop England, James Island and Ashley Ridge were Nos. 6-10.

North Charleston, Waccamaw, Cane Bay, Burke, Military Magnet, Baptist Hill, Academic Magnet and Stall also competed in the tournament.

While it was a solid showing for the hosting Hawks, Hanahan coach Ray Adkins came away thinking his team missed another chance to beat their local rivals from Red Bank Road.

“I thought we had a chance to win the tournament and I hope we can win it next year,” Hanahan coach Ray Adkins said.

Goose Creek, ranked 12th in the last scmat.com Class AAAA poll, edged the Hawks in a match earlier this season and also defeated Adkins’ team in the Cane Bay duals during Christmas break.

The Hawks did get one post-tournament award when senior 125-pounder Michael Wolfe was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

In addition to Wolfe, J.J. Johnson (103) and Francis Boykin (135).

Other weight-class champions were Lumberton’s Donovan Gonderman (189), Carolina Forest’s Eric Connell (112) and Rob Spallone (145), Wando’s Antwon Wright (140), Javier Ayala (160) and Trent Williams (171), Bishop England’s Derek Geiges (130) and Ashley Ridge’s Emilio Uc-Tun (119).

Both Goose Creek and Hanahan had four runner-up finishers too.

Goose Creek now needs only to beat Berkeley and Wando in region competition to win its first region championship since 2007.

“It sure would be nice to win another one,” Covington said.

Hanahan won two matches Monday, beating Bishop England and Academic Magnet.

The Hawks, ranked second in Class AA, wrestle against Thursday at Cane Bay versus the Cobras and Edisto.

The Hawks then take on Timberland, Waccamaw and Socastee Saturday on the road.

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