The team portion of the season came to an end Saturday for Hilton Head High wrestling, as the Seahawks defeated Brookland-Cayce before losing to host North Myrtle Beach in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
The Seahawks started the day on a high note with a 45-32 win over the Bearcats, but they were stopped in their tracks by a powerful North Myrtle Beach team in the second round, losing 64-15.
In the win against Brookland-Cayce, Harrison Mancill, Alfred Young, James Levy, and Santiago Rueda all recorded pins, while Alex Ruckno, Mack Ford, and Drew Vigh won by forfeit, and Sam Alsobrook earned a hard-fought decision. The Seahawks trailed 32-27 with three matches remaining, but Levy’s pin and a forfeit to Vigh clinched the victory and Rueda added the punctuation with a pin in the final bout.
HHIHS couldn’t maintain that momentum in the second round, as the Chiefs rattled off eight straight first-period pins to open up a 48-0 advantage. Jesus Catalan stopped the bleeding with a decision at 106 pounds, and Levy and Rueda recorded pins for the Seahawks.
“As I look back at the team season, I couldn’t be more proud of my guys and the growth we have had,” HHIHS coach Patrick Boulware said. “Taking over this program two years ago, my goal has been to be better than the previous year. This year we did that. We lost in the first round last year, and this year we won it. That’s an accomplishment. Now we focus on the individual season.”
The Seahawks will be back in action Feb. 21-22 at the Class 4A Lower State individual qualifier at Bluffton High School.