GREEN COVE SPRINGS - With a much-anticipated big show from the Class 2A defending state champion, the talk around Clay High prior to the Clay Rotary Invitational, it was Tocoi Creek and Buchholz highs that didn't get the memo as the two area stalwart programs waged a championship battle on day two with Tocoi Creek eventually edging Buchholz 239-234.5 for the Clay Rotary title.

"We figured Buchholz would be a strong candidate to challenge Somerset who was coming in with a strong lineup and Tocoi Creek was going to come in as a challenger," said Clay Rotary director Hunter Hill. "This tournament is always a good championship level meet that gives wrestling fans a glimpse into what may happen in March (at the state meet)."

Somerset finished third with 223 points with Clay the top Clay County school in fifth with 179.5 points.

Somerset and Tocoi Creek both had three individual champions with St. Johns Country Day School getting two and Buchholz just one. Bishop Kenny won at 126, Hernando won at 106, Episcopal won at 138, Bolles won at 215 and Buchholz 285. Derryl Godbolt won by pin in the final over Tocoi Creek's Braylon Lawrence in the final match of the night.

St. Johns Country Day School, with a limited lineup, but with a powerful set of grapplers with champions Bryce Fiore at 113, Hunter Hill at 157 and a second place from eighth grader Baron Nelson at 144, finished as the eighth team with 100.5 points.

Hill, a freshman, won "Most Outstanding Wrestler" of the tournament with three pins to the final and a tough 3-2 win over Creekside junior Luke Manghisi in the championship match. Manghisi knocked Clay's Calvin St. Clair in that semifinal with St. Clair finishing third.

Fiore, the top ranked at 113 in Class 1A, scorched his bracket with three pins under a minute to the final and a tech fall 20-2 score in the final against Creekside's Luke Mims.

Clay, though, accumulated points by numbers with just one champion—Benjamin Mitts at 120—and thirds from Drew Holmquist at 165, St. Clair's third at 157 and Calvin Wells third at 126.

Orange Park's Elijah Grant finished third at 132 with Terrion Butler fifth at 190.
Fleming Island got a fourth at 175 from Zion Longmire and sixth at 144 from Matthew Braddock. Orange Park finished 12th, Fleming Island was 17th and Ridgeview was 18th.