GREEN COVE SPRINGS – With three weight classes empty from a district tournament ruling, Clay High had a tough row to hoe in defending their 17th region wrestling title, but five region 1-1A champions proved their mettle enough to give the Blue Devils region title number 18 in Saturday’s Region 1-1A championships held at Clay High School.

Lou Gagliardo at 106, Chris Merring at 120, Peyton Hughes at 126, Keath Sawdo at 145 and Kurt Jackson at 220 all won titles and moved the Blue Devils’ team score from an early third place position to the final championship podium spot.

Gagliardo, a sophomore, returns to state after a fifth place finish last year with a loss to Brandon Trask of Suwannee. Gagliardo returned the favor to Trask with his region final pin on Saturday.

Merring, the state runnerup last year at 113 to Lake Highland Prep’s Noah Castillo, just an eighth grader, beat Yulee’s Dylan Young 14-5. Young came in with a 41-2 overall record.

Hughes, also a sophomore, beat Pickren, the Arnold High state runnerup at 106 for a second time this year via a 7-6 decision. Hughes beat Pickren 4-2 at the Clay Rotary semifinal in January. Hughes’ state bracket was chock full of ranked wrestlers with Devin Kohn of The Master’s Academy, who beat Hughes in that Clay Rotary final, Max Metcalf of Florida High, a state qualifier last year at 120 beating Jaquan English of Raines, a sixth placer at 126 last year. Hughes beat Metcalf in the semifinal round while Pickren beat English.

Sawdo, fifth last year at 145, won a 3-1 decision over Jake Richardson of Florida High to advance. Richardson’s first match at state last year was to eventual state runnerup Anthony Artalona of Tampa Prep. Sawdo lost to Artalona in the semifinal with Artalona eventually losing to Lake Highland Prep’s Jake Brindley.

Jackson, 46-3 and a state qualifier in 2A for Middleburg High School, roared to the final with two pins and an 11-7 win over Marion NG of Wakulla before pinning Jonathan Wainwright of North Florida Christian for the title.

Also finishing in the top four at regions and advancing to state will be Dylan Fabiani at 132 (third), Cody Taylor at 138 (second) and Kaleb Collins at 195 (third). Collins finished third at 195 last year. Fabiani lost to eventual region champion William Pickren, fourth at 120 last year, in that semifinal. Taylor lost to state third placer at 132 Richie McClanahan in the final 9-0. Collins lost 3-2 to Florida High’s Cam Brown in their semifinal before rebounding to win third via pin. Collins beat Brown for third at 195 in last year’s state meet.

Region 1-1A

1. Clay 205

2. Wakulla 170

3. Florida High 158.5

4. Arnold 143.5

5. Suwannee 88