Winzenried uses disrespect as fuel for Horry-Georgetown wrestling title

When you’re as good as Carolina Forest wrestling standout John Winzenried, who needs motivation?

Highly regarded as one of the state’s top grapplers at 152 pounds, one look at Saturday’s Horry-Georgetown Wrestling Championships tournament bracket took him aback.

“Coming into the tournament I was seeded third, and I was like ’something doesn’t seem too right. I feel like I could beat everyone in here,’ ” he said. “So I was like, oh well … if people want to keep doubting me, guess I’ll have to show everyone I am No. 1.”

Making doubters believers is easier said than done. Yet, Winzenried proved to be a man of his word.

Tied in the waning moments of his match with North Myrtle Beach’s Rashaan Vereen, Winzenried found the wherewithal to escape a hold, earning a crucial point that proved to be a winning one in a 7-6 decision.

“It was definitely tough. (Vereen’s) got heavy hands and I knew that coming into the match,” he said. “I knew mentally the most important part was telling myself, ‘I’m not losing, I’m not losing.’ I didn’t come here to win second place. I don’t train twice a day for second place.

“No matter what, I knew I was winning that match.”

Closely contested throughout, a Vereen takedown with a minute left pulled him even with the Carolina Forest standout at 6-all. With the North Myrtle Beach grappler in advantage and on the brink of potentially stealing the match, desperation forced Winzenried into action.

“All conditioning … all mental. Bottom is nothing but mental,” he said. “Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving. I drill on it all the time, I put it on the mat to show all that work was not for nothing. It paid off there.

“Forty seconds left, I knew I had to keep moving, I had to get something. I knew he couldn’t hold me if I kept moving. So that’s what I did.”

After winning one of the tournament’s toughest divisions, Winzenried claimed Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. In addition, his Carolina Forest team earned first place honors based on their performance throughout the event.

Socastee lightweights carry more than their share of the load

Light in weight only, Socastee’s smallest grapplers wanted their impact as heavy as possible on Saturday’s Horry-Georgetown Wrestling Championships.

Braves wrestling coach Jeff Gibbins can check that one off the list, as his group of lightweights placed an entrant in each of the four lightweight division title matches during the event.

Two of those — Eugene Utley at 120 pounds and Freddie Edwards in the 126-pound weight class — wound up leaving Little River with gold around their neck.

“It’s not just what you do here, it’s also what you do in practice, what you do outside of practice and school, just throughout your life,” Utley said after his 6-4 decision over Aynor’s Dalen Johnson. “You have to be mental, physical and passionate about wrestling.”

In a back-and-forth match that saw the competitors trade points, Utley claims it was his willingness to kick it into high gear that allowed him to walk out with the 120-pound championship.

“You got to understand, it is never over. You can come back from anything,” he said. “There were times where I was ahead, but then he was ahead and took back points. That’s when you have to work your hardest, when you have an opponent as tough as (Johnson). Whenever you have an opponent that great, you have to kick it into high gear.”

Or in Edwards’ case, have the guts to tough it out.

Seemingly in control with a little over a minute remaining, his match with St. James’ Adam Biamonte was halted after an official noticed Edwards grabbing at his knee.

Though not necessarily a doctor’s diagnosis, the Socastee wrestler claimed he felt something move in his knee, and that any movement would not only do further harm to it — but allow his opponent to potentially earn much-needed points.

“It was just that my knee came out and I was like if I stand up and he catches this knee it’s going to be over … he’s going to get the reverse,” he said. “So I just had to stick a leg in and ride it out.”

Following a medical timeout, Edwards was able to do enough to keep Biamonte off the scoreboard, earning a 4-0 decision and the 126-pound title.

With such success, both Utley and Edwards know such depth can only help the team — particularly as more important tournaments loom.

“It feels good knowing you have all these good players,” Edwards said. “We have some below that are doing great and then our heavier guys are getting better everyday, so we have a good team building up.”

Injured groin or not … Wunderlich was passing this test

Sure, Carolina Forest’s P.J. Wunderlich wanted to celebrate his 113-pound title, his second straight at the Horry-Georgetown Wrestling Championships.

But first, there was a necessary trip to the trainer’s table.

Wunderlich said he guesses it was a week ago when he suffered a pulled groin during wrestling practice. Wanting to take part in Saturday’s event, he spent the past several days resting, hopeful it would be good to go for the event.

Blessed with a top seed in the weight class, he earned a two-round bye — needing only a pair of victories to claim the 113-pound championship.

While his semifinal matchup with Waccamaw’s Jackson Clemons proved to be no problem, his fitness was tested to the max against Socastee’s Tyler Ward in the final.

Tied 5 at the end of regulation, their battle waged into overtime. With seconds remaining in the extra stanza, a takedown by Wunderlich earned him a 7-5 win and the title.

However, that was far from the first thing on his mind.

“I’ve been getting a lot of physical therapy on it, it’s a really hard injury, you know … a pulled groin,” Wunderlich said. “I’m normally a flexible kid and I stretch, but sometimes things happen.

“When I was doing mat returns and was squatting, that’s when it happened (initially). But I think when (Ward) had my leg, and I twisted an unusual leg that’s when it happened again.”

Though earning the weight class’ top spot, the injury helped him return to the status of an “underdog” … at least in his opinion.

“I wouldn’t say there was a lot of pressure, but you’re expected to win as a No. 1 seed,” he said. “I love being the underdog, Like, that’s what I’m used to being. In this county I’m pretty dominant. (Ward) is a hell of a wrestler.

“He knows what I’m doing and I know what he’s doing. … But I just told myself that I don’t want him to be the old me … he scared me for a little bit.”

Hometown boys bring home gold

For one as composed as Curtis Wolfe on the mat, it took a few moments to pull himself together following Saturday’s Horry-Georgetown Wrestling Championships.

Performing in front of friends and family at North Myrtle Beach High School, the Chiefs standout merely wanted to make them proud.

With a gold medal around his neck after a dominant match en route to the 170-pound championship, one cannot blame him much for being a tad emotional.

“Words can’t explain,” he said. “I want to thank my team and family for pushing me out there everyday, making sure I’m doing the right things. Just me never giving up, because I love this sport and I love doing what I’m doing. You have to make sacrifices for this sport to do good.”

Wolfe was emphatic in earning the title, pinning Carolina Forest’s Colin Crooks in the second period. With his two victories at the meet, he improved his record to 20-4 this season.

Still, he believes there is more.

“I don’t know, there is such a fire in me knowing I can do it, believing in myself,” he said. “… By doing this, it tells me I can make it further and to keep doing what I’m doing.”

In addition to Wolfe, teammates Marcelous and Kwame Livingston earned tourney titles in their respective weight classes.

This story was originally published January 21, 2017 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Winzenried uses disrespect as fuel for Horry-Georgetown wrestling title."