The Long County Blue Tide wrestling program is one of the up-and-coming athletic programs in Ludowici and under new leadership in 2024, the team is looking to continue making big strides.

On Thursday, December 19, the team hosted its first of just three home meets when the Tide welcomed in the Appling County Pirates. The boys took on the Pirates in an official match while the girls faced off against Brantley County in a series of call outs.

The boys wrestled a total of six matches against the Pirates and the final score came down to the wire with the Pirates taking an early lead.

Dewey Smith, usually wrestling in the 113-pound weight class, wrestled up into the 120-pound class. He lost the match in three rounds as he fell 20-3 on a major technical fall victory for the Pirates.

Coleton Young was up next in the 157-pound class and he was down 13-10 late in the third round before his opponent scored a key reversal and takedown to win 18-10 for another major technical fall.

Things turned around for the Tide in the next three matches as Sandejago Wilson, in the 165-pound class, scored a first round pin to score six points and Raheem Williams, wrestling at 175, won with a major technical fall to score another five points.

Mareon Montgomery put victory out of reach for the Pirates as he came up in the 190-pound class and won on his own first round pin. Wyatt Walters took on a tough opponent in the 285-pound class and lost in a first round pin.

Officially, accounting for forfeit victories, the Tide had the win in hand from the start as they won 54-16. However, in matches that actually went to the mat, the Tide scored a narrow 17-16 victory over the Pirates.

The teams will be back on the road for the next month as Saturday, December 21, they will compete in a tri-meet against West Laurens and Bryan County in Dexter before going back up to Dexter for a two-day meet December 27 and 28.