A pair of Whale Branch wrestlers are headed to the state tournament after the Warriors claimed one individual title and had one runner-up finish at the Class 2A/1A Lower State qualifier Saturday at Timberland.
Sophomore Xavier Chaplin pinned his way through the 285-pound bracket as the No. 5 seed. Chaplin pinned the No. 4 seed in 22 seconds, then scored a second-period pin of top-seeded Christian Draper of Bamberg-Ehrhardt to reach the finals. Another first-period pin of C.A. Johnson’s Ja’Quarius Shaw gave Chaplin the Lower State title.
Senior Zakariya Williams finished second at 195, dropping a tough 8-6 decision to North Charleston’s Joseph Lawson in the finals. Williams pinned his semifinal opponent in the first round.
The state championships are Friday and Saturday at the Anderson Civic Center.