GREEN COVE SPRINGS - A final push into the finals and a pin with two seconds by still unbeaten Cheyenne Cruce got the Middleburg High girls wrestling team a coveted trophy with the Clay Rotary girls wrestling trophy heading to Middleburg High School.

“We keep a good work ethic on the girls' team and it has paid off,” said Cruce, a sophomore holding a 29-0 season record after pinning Key West’s Shannon Briggs with just two seconds left in the final match. “The girl from Apopka (junior Jada Jones, ranked second in 190, beat Cruce for third at state last year) and the Key West girl (Briggs) both gave me my best matches this year.”

Note: Apopka’s Jones is 16-2 with both losses to Cruce in regular season action with a third-period pin two weeks ago at the Lyman High School Girls Greyhound Open. Cruce beat Briggs last week at the Lake Mary Lady Rams Tournament of Champions; also with a third-period pin.

Middleburg added team points in the finals with a Gracie Bradshaw (4th-ranked in-state) vs. Lily Bradshaw final at 106 with the senior Bradshaw winning by pin; 9th-ranked Skyla Fisher second at 105 to Oakleaf’s Adrianna Barrientos in a first period pin, Memphis Moses at 110 as runner-up to Baker County’s Makayla Johnson, Sarah Walsh at 115 runnerup to Ponte Vedra’s Erin Rizzuto by pin and Heidi Castleberry at, third at 135.

“It’s a good dynamic for both teams to have competitive boys and girls teams in the same meet,” said Middleburg coach Coll Robertson. “They all train together and it may get chirpy, but in the end, I remind them we are on the same team and the support for each other makes the whole team fun to be with.”

In the rest of the girl's competition, Oakleaf’s girls finished fourth just behind state runner-up Ponte Vedra; 82.5-80, with individual titles to Adrianna (105, 2nd ranked) and Kailani Barrientos (120, 2nd-ranked) being joined on the top podium with 5th-ranked Jayla Harrison at 170 with a first period pin over Bartram Trail’s Paige Stewart.

For Oakleaf, also, Sofia Shirley Montijo was runnerup at 145,

In the boys competition, 2A-Clay High (8th in 1A last year) emerged in a toss up race with Hernando (19th in 1A last year) as both tied at 199 for the team title tie. Class 3A Buchholz was third at 163 with 2A Middleburg chasing with 153.5 points in fourth place. Oakleaf finished ninth with 94.5 points.

Clay and Hernando were within two points; 189-187, prior to the championship round of finals with Clay earning individual championship wins from Class 2A top-ranked (30-0) Jacob Bucci at 106 (6-0 win over Matanzas Timothy Mclean 5th ranked 2A) and 12th-ranked Dominic Martin winning at 170 (5-4 win over McKeel Academy’s Owen McNabb).

Also for Clay, Drew Holmquist at 113 and Brady Glavin at 126 (Lost by pin to 3A top-ranked Ethan Vugman of Bartram Trail 39-1) both lost in the finals. Kedtric Wilboun was third at 220 beating Ralph Richi of Key West 5-3. William Kelly was fifth at 285 losing to Fletcher’s Toby Matson (3A 6th-ranked) by pin.

Hernando had just one individual champion; James Gadsden at 145 who pinned Middleburg’s 8th-ranked Logan Moore for that title, but Hernando had runner-ups at 120 (Loss to Middleburg’s 18th-ranked Grady Woodard), 138 (loss to Palatka’s Mikade Harvey) and at 285, loss to Andre Otto of Key West).

Adding points to Middleburg’s Woodard at 120 were top-six finishes by 14th-ranked Tucker Cody at 220; runner-up to Thomas Jones of Riverside, and Moore at 145.

“This is a tough tournament and we have moved from thinking we could win to thinking it would be nice to make it to the second day,” said Middleburg coach Coll Robertson. “Logan and Leduc, Grady have been the mainstays in the room and keeping the guys focused.”

Oakleaf’s Isaiah Shevchook, 5th ranked at 195, finished third; 6-3 win over Duffy Mista of Sandalwood) as the Knights top wrestler in the championship round with Ian Hortinea fourth at 120.