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BA wrestling prepares for repeat
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    It took blood, sweat, tears, and a couple of close calls for Bulloch Academy’s wrestling squad to reach the top of the mountain.
    As the reigning GISA Class AAA state champions, this year’s task will be staying there.
    Last season, the Gators left the competition in the dust, racking up an astounding 281 points and beating the next closest school by 73 points to claim its first ever wrestling title. This time around, the Gators know that the focus is on them.
    “We know that we’ve got that big target on our backs,” said BA coach Andy Tomlin. “It’s vital to keep up our focus and hard work. It’s easy to get after it every day when you’re chasing a title like we have been the last few years. It’s a whole new ballgame when you have to go out and defend your title every night.”
    Also different for the Gators will be the makeup of this year’s team.
    Of the three individual state champs that Bulloch boasted last season, Codi Johnson and Caleb Bohannon are now graduated and junior Daniel Hendrix — who secured an individual title in 2011 and 2012 — is not wrestling this season.
    As a result, starting slots in many of the weight classes are wide open as the Gators start the season.
    New faces are being counted on to step up this year, but Tomlin is confident that in addition to building last year’s championship squad, the Gators have also been building a solid base of middle school and underclassmen that can will allow the program to keep pumping out wins.
    “Joshua Bohannon is Caleb’s younger brother and will be stepping up this year,” said Tomlin. “He’s only a freshman, but I feel like he can be in contention at state. There are also plenty of others like Eddie Howard, Drew Salter and eighth grader Davis Childs who will be helping us out a lot.”
    The Gators still have one individual state title holder in their ranks as Mitchell Ball returns for his junior season. Ball won state titles as an eighth grader and again as a freshman before jumping up several weight classes and finishing fourth in the 120 pound class last year.
    “We want these guys to lead us into the new era of BA wrestling,” said Tomlin. “We finally got that title, but now we want that championship era where we’re contending and competing to be the best every single year.”
    Bulloch isn’t taking anything lightly early on.
    Knowing that his squad will have to deal with the state’s elite sooner or later, Tomlin has packed the Gators’ schedule full of the best competition around.
    Some early illnesses have kept the Gators from reaching full strength just yet, but Tomlin is confident that things will come around.
    “We’ve had our share of issues, but we’re getting there,” said Tomlin. “Some guys have missed some time and we’re still getting some guys motivated. Sometimes, it’s hard to get people going once they have that championship ring to look at every day, but I have no doubt that we’re going to be a very strong team again this season.”
    The Gators host Robert Toombs, David Emanuel Academy and First Presbyterian Christian Academy tonight before travelling to Perry for the Odoban Lethal Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

    Mike Anthony may be reached at (912) 489-9404.