Ohio is a long car ride, a tougher bracket, and a perfect early-season reality check. Georgia showed up, showed out, and left with receipts.
I just got back from the Grappler Fall Classic and my notebook is full of circled names, exclamation points, and “watch this kid” notes. Here are my 8 biggest takeaways from GFC:
1. Cody Clarke is THAT dude
7-0. Five bonus wins. And then a 3-1 controlled win over a tough Sabag in the finals.
No ranked wins on the weekend, but that almost didn’t matter. Clarke showed he can score in bunches and he can also get gritty and put on a ride when the match demands it.
He’s not just a top prospect in Georgia anymore. He’s a top national prospect. Dude is walking around in Penn State headgear and after 3 more years with Buford and the Treehouse, it’s not crazy at all to picture him in the blue and white down the road. The tools, the motor, the composure… it’s all there.
2. The Glasgow Girls are going to be stars
Glasgow Wrestling Academy rolled in and Dovi Magee, Miranda Lencrerot, and Victoria Terry all made noise.
Magee took the 140 elite division with three decision wins. In girls wrestling where most matches end in a quick pin, watching a freshman win three tight, gritty matches was huge. She had to wrestle, she had to scrap, and she got it done.
Lencrerot might have been the best “eyeball test” of the whole group. Third in elite, first in high school. Her shots are high-level and clean, she doesn’t put herself in bad spots, she has a motor most kids in her division don’t, and she’s nasty on top.
Both of these freshmen are must-watch this winter. I’m not getting ahead of myself… but if one or both of them finish with 3+ state titles, I won’t be shocked one bit.
3. Allie Proctor is as advertised
We’ve heard the name for years. We’ve seen her on the national circuit. But this weekend felt different.
Proctor won the girls elite 105 division going 3-0 with two falls and a 10-0 tech fall in the finals. Dominant.
She’s already entering the high school season ranked #2 in Georgia at her weight with wins over #3 and #4. Georgia has some dogs at 105 and I’m dying to see Proctor vs Breanna Higgins of Camden County. Different divisions so it won’t be a state finals match, but if we can get it at a regular season tournament, book it.
Proctor is officially on four-time watch.
4. Walker Woodard wrestles like a college kid, not a sophomore
4 of his 5 wins came by decision, 3 of which were one-score matches.
Woodard was slapping on tough rides, earning riding time in a sudden victory win, and scrambling like a vet when guys shot on him. The position and the pace were so mature.
He finished 5th and picked up another All-American honor after running into the eventual champ in the semis. This kid is climbing the P4P list fast. By the time he’s done in the red and black, we could be talking about one of the best prospects to ever come out of Georgia.
5. No surprise why Social Circle is top dawg
People love to talk about 1A/2A competition. Cool. Then explain this.
Social Circle sent 5 to Ohio: Woodard, Sievers, the Hargrove brothers, and incoming freshman Huck McLaulin. As a team they went 20-10 in individual matches at one of the toughest tournaments in the country.
They’re everywhere. They compete all the time. They roll in wearing Circle Training Center gear with CTC coaches in their corner. While other programs are chasing transfers, Social Circle is building killers in house and proving it on a national stage. Zero surprise they’re the #1 program in Georgia right now.
Sievers was ahead in his opening match before getting caught and pinned. Tough way to start a national tournament, but his response deserves some attention.
He came back through the consolation bracket and won every match on his way to the blood round, finishing one win short of All-American honors. That’s a long road after an opening-round loss, and there’s no room for another mistake.
No podium this time, but plenty of fight. Sievers shook off a frustrating start and gave himself a chance to wrestle for a medal. Another reason that Social Circle group is so tough.
6. Buford is loaded
The Wolves sent a squad and it showed.
Clarke won it. Cooper McArthur and Ty Gorman both hit the podium. Chris Metz went 4-2 and lost in the blood round but looked really good doing it. Camden transfer Jayme Jones and state finalist Trey Gregory also picked up wins.
They wrestle for different clubs in the offseason, but when they put the Buford singlet on, it clicks. This dual team is going to be STACKED. And that looming rematch with Camden in the dual state finals? Yeah, the anticipation just got turned up to 100.
Drawing Harrison Murdock right out of the gate is a tough way to start your weekend. Gregory responded by rattling off three straight consolation wins, and every one came with bonus points. A 21-second pin over Nathan Craig, a 17–2 tech fall over Frank Miceli, and a 15–5 major decision over Bryce Householder. That’s a pretty strong answer to an opening loss. Gregory finished 3–2 at 165 Elite, giving Buford and Treehouse another performance worth talking about. The Wolves’ depth keeps showing up.
7. GA youth looked really good
Middle school Georgia picked up 8 All-Americans and the future looks bright.
GA All-Americans at GFC:
- Beau Abbott – 1st, Treehouse Wrestling Club
- Aviyahn Mills – 1st, Treehouse Wrestling Club
- Ozzy Elliot – 2nd, Glasgow Wrestling Academy
- Jestin Seiz – 4th, Level Up
- Charlie Tanksley – 5th, Morris Fitness
- Tajuan Davis – 5th, Treehouse Wrestling Club
- Harleigh Wiley – 6th, Treehouse Wrestling Club
- Kyheim Peterson – 7th, Glasgow Wrestling Academy
Our GA clubs are developing elite kids early and they’re not afraid to go chase top competition outside the state. I’m already putting these names on my high school watchlist. They’re coming.
8. Gorman vs Asad is going to be a great rivalry
These dudes SCRAP.
They met at Super 32 early entry a few weeks ago. They ran it back again in Ohio, and this time Asad earned his shot at Gorman after pinning the #1 seed in the prior match to make the matchup happen. Gorman has gotten the win both times, but every match is a dog fight.
They wrestled at 98 pounds which tells me we’re seeing both of them at 106 this season: Gorman at Buford and Asad at Hillgrove. That puts us on a collision course for the 5A state finals and I am 100% here for it.
They’re little, but they’re physical. You can tell there’s no love lost. It’s the kind of matchup that makes the crowd gather around the mat. Sign me up for 4 years of this. I’ll pay extra.
More Georgia highlights from GFC
Leah Jordan fought her way back
Jordan finished fourth at 155 Elite, and her match with Victoria Terry gave Georgia another battle worth talking about. Terry finished fifth, putting both girls on the All-American list.
These two are already part of the conversation at D2 155 back home. Getting that matchup on a national stage, with both leaving as All-Americans, gives us another reason to circle the weight this winter.
Jack Procter brought the pinning power
Jack finished 3-2 at 132 Elite with pins over Alex Cohen and Alfredo Cheang, plus a 3-0 win over Lucas Milian. His run ended against Kayden Mcdonald. Two falls and three wins deserve a mention.
Bianca Barbarossi put wins on the board at two weights
Bianca beat Presleigh Casselman 13-6 and Aaliyah Langell 14-6 at 170 Elite. At 190 Elite, she added a 14-4 tech fall over Tatum Roe. Georgia’s upper-weight girls had more happening than the championship headlines alone.
Brighton Prine won a nail-biter
Prine pinned Grady Lanz in 1:48, then edged Kamden Deshon 9-8 at 120 Elite. That one-point win is another result worth pulling out of the notebook.
Zuri Mccalpine-Ingram answered with a fall
Zuri rebounded from her opening loss at 130 Elite by pinning Kayden Tinkey in 2:56. A tough opener didn’t keep her from getting a win on the board.
Shivani Panykar made the podium
Panykar finished sixth at 100 Elite. Another Georgia girl earned a place on the podium, adding to the state’s showing across the girls brackets.
Ronan An’s finish deserves some context
Ronan finished sixth at 285 Elite, but an injury forced him to forfeit the rest of his matches. Before that, he pinned Manraj Sahota and John Nagy, then beat Carlos Rodriguez Jr. 4-0 in the quarters to secure his All-American finish.
The bracket shows a semifinal forfeit and medical forfeits in the consolation semifinal and fifth-place match. That matters when you look at his placement. He earned his spot in the final four before the injury ended his day. Hopefully he gets healthy and back on the mat soon.
Harrison Murdock gave Georgia another finalist
Murdock went 5-1 and finished second at 165 Elite. He opened with a tech fall, added two major decisions, then beat Brendan Nardin 12-6 in the quarters and Devon Weber 8-3 in the semis.
Matthew Staples got him in the final, but five straight wins and a runner-up finish at GFC deserve their own spotlight. Three bonus wins to start, followed by two decisions to reach the championship match. That’s a strong weekend.
Nathaniel Park made his wins count
Park went 3-2 at 138 Elite, and every win came with bonus points: a 17-4 major over Hudson Morris, a 19-4 tech over Aiden Rowe, and an 11-3 major over Isaac Brown.
His championship-side loss came against eventual finalist Maddox Laymon. Park then answered with another major in the wrestlebacks before his run ended against Samuel Adams. No podium this time, but three bonus wins in this field are worth talking about.
Ashton Glasgow can light up the scoreboard
Glasgow came out scoring at 138 Elite, opening with 16–0 and 15–0 technical falls. Two matches, 31 points scored, zero allowed.
He later picked up a 1–0 win over Reed Wicker, showing he could also get through a match where every point mattered. Glasgow finished 3–2 in Elite and added four more wins in Varsity, including two pins and a major decision.
Seven wins across the two divisions is a lot of work in one weekend. There’s plenty to build on here heading into the high school season.
Badesire Lubala deserves some attention
Lubala deserves some attention for his weekend, too. After an opening bye, he pinned Rylan Puckett in 3:58 to reach the championship round of 16.
A loss to Layden Acevedo sent him to the consolation bracket, where he answered with a 4–2 win over Derik Palmer. His run ended against Kaden Meyer in the consolation sub-quarterfinals, the round immediately before the blood round.
Lubala finished 2–2 in contested matches, putting another Glasgow wrestler within reach of the placement rounds.
Cruz Hezel came out ready to roll
Hezel started his 157 Elite run with a 17–0 technical fall over Landyn Lowes, then followed it with a 2–0 decision over Jaedon Calderon.
Two wins, two shutouts, and two very different ways to get the job done. Those victories put him into the championship round of 16 before losses to Terriel Cooke and Cruz Abalos ended his tournament at 2–2.
That opening stretch deserves a mention. Hezel gave Treehouse another wrestler winning matches in a deep Elite field and brought home experience he can carry into the winter.
Ohio was a statement trip for Georgia. From national-level prospects to freshmen who look like vets to middle schoolers who are already AA’s, the depth is real.
Season is almost here. If GFC was the preview, the main event is going to be wild.
Boys High School Elite
| Wrestler | Weight | Finish | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Gorman | 98 lbs | 6th | Teknique |
| Cooper McArthur | 126 lbs | 4th | Teknique |
| Cody Clarke | 132 lbs | 1st | Treehouse |
| Walker Woodard | 150 lbs | 5th | Circle Training Center |
| Harrison Murdock | 165 lbs | 2nd | Minion Training Center |
| Ronan An | 285 lbs | 6th | Level Up |
Girls High School Elite
| Wrestler | Weight | Finish | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shivani Panykar | 100 lbs | 6th | Level Up |
| Allie Procter | 105 lbs | 1st | Teknique |
| Zuri McCalpine-Ingram | 130 lbs | 5th | Charles MF Angels |
| Dovi Magee | 140 lbs | 1st | Glasgow Wrestling Academy |
| Miranda Lencrerot | 145 lbs | 3rd | Glasgow Wrestling Academy |
| Leah Jordan | 155 lbs | 4th | Level Up |
| Victoria Terry | 155 lbs | 5th | Glasgow Wrestling Academy |
| Bianca Barbarossi | 170 lbs | 2nd | Treehouse |
| Bianca Barbarossi | 190 lbs | 3rd | Treehouse |
Photos by Tyree Henry and Jake Tucker
