The Ware County Gators Wrestling Team traveled to Valdosta High School on Saturday, December 20, 2025, to compete in the Wildcat Invitational, sending a limited roster but turning in an impressive day of competition. Ware County was represented by just four Varsity boys, four JV wrestlers, and five Varsity girls, yet the Gators made their presence felt with multiple podium finishes and championship performances.
Varsity Girls
The Lady Gators were paced by an outstanding performance from Yakira Brown, who captured 1st place at the 170-pound weight class. Brown dominated the tournament, recording five pinfall victories and scoring 26 team points for Ware County.
Following closely behind was Hannah Miller, who earned a 2nd-place finish at 170, with her only loss coming in the championship match against Brown. Miller collected four pinfalls on the day and contributed 20 team points.
Natalie Schueing finished 5th, highlighted by a pinfall victory, while Emmelee Haddock and Destiny Allgood each picked up a win during the tournament. Competing with just five wrestlers, the Lady Gators finished 7th overall with 59 team points. Lee County claimed the girls team championship with 129.5 points.
Varsity Boys
On the boys’ side, Jaden McKelvin delivered a dominant run to claim 1st place at 150 pounds. Entering the tournament as the 4th seed, McKelvin powered through the bracket with a pin, a tech fall, a decision win over the top seed, and a tech fall in the finals to secure the title.
Noah Paul and Jalen Hampton each finished 5th, earning two victories apiece. Leve Moore rounded out the Varsity boys with a 6th-place finish, picking up a win before being forced to medically forfeit his final two matches. With only four competitors, the Gators finished 10th in the team standings, while host Valdosta High School won the tournament.
Junior Varsity
The JV Gators had a strong day as well. Taishawn Muchison and Antonio Birch both captured 1st-place finishes, each going a perfect 4-0 in their weight classes. Charles Sams finished 2nd, with his only loss coming in the finals against Muchison. McKade Gardner closed out the JV results with a 4th-place finish, posting a solid 3-2 record on the day.
For more individual and team results, visit trackwrestling.com or warecountygatorwrestling.com.
For more photos, please click the link below.
12/20/2025: Ware County Wrestling @ Wildcat Invitational
Up Next
The Ware County Wrestling Team will now take a break from competition until January, when the Gators travel to Colquitt County to compete in the Packer Classic as they prepare for the upcoming postseason.
Go Gators!
