Lee County’s James Monteiro wins state wrestling title

MACON — For the second straight season, the Lee County Trojan wrestling team has a state champion.

Senior James Monteiro earned the latest title, earning a 4-3 win in triple overtime over Alexander’s Spencer Meyers Saturday afternoon in the 285-pound championship match in the Georgia High School Association Class AAAAAA traditional state meet at the Macon Centreplex.

The win capped a 39-1 season for Monteiro, whose only loss this season came to a two-time state champion wrestler from Tennessee that is ranked eighth nationally.

“It feels incredible,” Monteiro said of the state title. “It is unlike anything else. I have been working hard for five years, trying to get up on the podium (top spot).”

In taking the title, Monteiro became the fourth Trojan to win a state title overall and second in as many years. Aaron Maxfield won at 106 pounds last year. Zach Thompson (2011, 119 pounds) and Conley Pines (2006, 112 pounds) won the other state titles for Lee County.

The Trojans nearly had a double title Saturday as Juan Alaniz competed in the 113-pound finals. However, the senior lost a 4-3 decision to Noah Bullock of Dacula, losing on a one-point escape by Bullock with 44 seconds left in the match. Alaniz finished the season with a 43-6 record.

Sylvester Jackson, a junior, finished fourth for Lee County. He lost a consolation match on Saturday to Abe Elia of Pope, 4-2, when Elia earned a reversal for two points in the third period.

Sparked the three top-four finishes, Lee County earned ninth place out of 51 scoring teams in AAAAAA with 74.5 points, a point off eighth-place Creekview (75.5). It is the second straight top 10 finish for the Trojans, who earned fifth-place last year.

“I can’t be disappointed with the kids as they exceeded what I expected of them at the beginning of the year,” said Lee County head coach Tom Matheny, who said it was “supposed to be a rebuilding year.” “I am so proud of them for their accomplishments. This was another stepping stone for the program. Hopefully a couple of kids will buy into more and we can continue to build.”

Monteiro and Meyers ended their championship match tied 1-1 after regulation. Both earned an escape to start a period with Monteiro doing so in the second period and Meyers in the third period.

After going scoreless in the one-minute first overtime period, the two went to the two 30-second overtime periods. Meyers deferred his choice to the third overtime and Monteiro chose bottom to start the second overtime.

After Monterio worked his way up on two switch tries, Meyers shoved him out of bounds twice in the first 10 seconds, the second time landing on Monteiro, reinjuring his bruised ribs from last week and knocking his breath out.

However, Monterio noticed a Meyers’ flaw during that action.

“I noticed he didn’t unlock his hands and after I came back from the injury time, I thought if he didn’t let go on the switch, I would try something,” Monteiro said. “We stood up and ran and I clasped both of his hands together and he got a lock-hands call (one penalty point) then I reversed, stood up and got away (for an escape).”

After returning to the center of the mat for the re-start, Monteiro’s strategy worked and he earned both points for a 3-1 lead with eight seconds left in that overtime.

Heading into third overtime, Meyers chose down, needing two to tie it.

“One, not two,” Monterio said of his strategy, noting he didn’t mind giving up a point. “I wrestled the match trying to avoid going out of bounds as much as possible, so I could keep my stalling warning in my back pocket.”

Meyers earned an escape with 19 seconds left, closing the gap to 3-2, but Monterio, after picking up the stalling warning, held on in the final seconds to take the victory.

“He tried a shot, but it didn’t work and that was the match,” Monterio said.

Monteiro, who finished fourth in the state last year, earned pins in his two tournament matches over Dalton’s Uriel Fraire and Habersham Central’s Tyler Purdee, both coming in the third period. He advanced to the finals with a 4-0 semifinal win over Valdosta’s Demetrius Allen.

“James is a cerebral wrestler and has very good strategy,” Matheny said. “He did a good job of wrestling (in the finals).

“He worked hard all season and had an incredible season.”

In Alaniz’s championship match, Dacula’s Bullock grabbed the lead at the start of the second period after the two went scoreless in the first period. Bullock chose the bottom position to start the period and quickly earned an escape.

Alaniz nearly earned a takedown midway in the period, but Bullock avoided it, staying in the neutral position. With 20 seconds left in the period, Bullock hit on a double leg takedown, extending his lead to 3-0 heading to the last period and leaving Alaniz to play catch-up.

“Get a point and try to add to it to catch up,” Alaniz said of his strategy going to the last period.

At the start of the third period, Alaniz started on bottom and immediately hit a granby roll off the whistle for an escape. He then earned a takedown with 1:18 left to tie the match up at 3-3.

“I got in a single (leg) takedown and went out the back door,” Alaniz said of his takedown.

With Alaniz on top and the clock running under a minute, Dacula’s Bullock earned an escape right before the two went out of bounds on the upper right corner of the mat. The escape put Bullock up 4-3 with 44 seconds left.

Despite a stalling warning in the final seconds, Bullock was able to hold off Alaniz’s attempts for a takedown for the win.

“I could have done better,” Alaniz said. “There are some things I could have done better. It was a tough loss.”

For Alaniz, the state runner-up finish came a year after not evening making it out of sectionals as a junior.

“Having the right mindset and being dedicated,” Alaniz said of his keys to a successful turnaround.

Alaniz advanced to the championship by beating Sequoyah’s Kasey Karch on a second-period pin, Bailey Anderson of Richmond Hills on an 18-1 technical fall decision and Dalton’s Matthew Tankersley by a 9-2 score.

Jackson, who finished the season with a 47-11 record, opened the tournament with a first-period pin of Greenbrier’s Roshod Nixon before losing to Brantley Emanuel of Effingham County on a second-period pin. Jackson, though, bounced back by beating Lucas Chitty of Tucker on a first period pin, beating Derek Whitmore of Northgate 9-3 and pinning Dalton’s Joseph Reese to reach the consolation finals.

“Honestly, I was really happy I placed,” Jackson said. “My freshman year, I knew I wasn’t going to do anything. Last year my sophomore year, I was just trying to make it to state. This year, I wanted to place and I am glad I placed. Next year, I plan on getting first.”

Lee County had 10 individuals compete at the state championships after qualifying last week. The others were Ethan Dooley (120), Yoshi Pizzarro (126), Kyle Grimsley (138), Matt Bruner (145), Dimitri Bonner (152), Mitchell Grantham (160) and Aaron Lloyd (195).

Dooley (Fr., 17-13) lost two straight matches, both on decisions (9-5 and 10-9). Pizzaro (So., 17-23) also lost two straight, the last an 8-5 decision. Grimsley (Jr., 29-24) went 1-2, winning one consolation match by forfeit. Bruner (Sr., 34-18) lost two straight, the last a 4-1 decision.

Bonner (Sr., 16-16) and Grantham (Sr., 36-20) both went 1-2. Bonner earned an 8-3 decision in the consolation opening round and Grantham took an 8-2 win, also in the consolation opening round.

Lloyd (Sr., 23-16) opened with a win by injury default in the first period then lost on a pin with one second left in the first period during the second round and lost an 9-0 decision in the consolation second round.