Coach David Kirkland’s Bainbridge High School Bearcats wrestling team dropped a pair of close matches to the Chiles High School Timberwolves and Lincoln High School Trojans Thursday, Dec. 2 at Chiles in Tallahassee, Fla.

They were led in Tallahassee two strong winning efforts by Cole Bulger in the 125-pound weight division. As a junior this year, Bulger will be anchoring the team’s lightweights, along with Tucker Heard, Reid Heard, Tucker Long, and Bryan Ordonez.

“It was Cole Bulger’s first competition after a year off as a sophomore,” Coach Kirkland said. “He started off the year with a bang, winning both of his matches.”

Other strong performers in Tallahassee were Bryan Ordonez, who was 1-1 in the 140-pound weight class, Roberto Sierra, who was 1-1 in the 171-pound weight class, Charlie Emanuel, who was 1-1 in the 215-pound weight class and Brandon Crawford, who was 1-1 in the 285-pound weight class.

“We have a lot of younger guys, but the older guys are stepping in and really working with the new guys,” coach Kirkland said. “Lawrence Jones, Roberto Sierra and Brandon Crawford are our heavy guys. They are working very hard to improve the heavier classes.”

On Saturday, Dec. 4 the team traveled to Leesburg to compete in the Lee County High School Trojans Dual Tournament.

The Bearcats’ opponents were Fitzgerald, Hardaway of Columbus, Crisp County, Westover of Albany and Americus-Sumter County.

The Bearcats won against Americus-Sumter County but fell to the other teams, in part because of wrestlers who could not participate due to illness and injuries, Kirkland said.

Cole Bulger, at 119 pounds, was 1-0; Hunter Long, at 135 pounds, was 2-0; Tyler Pollock, at 145 pounds, was 2-1; Dantley Miller, at 145 pounds, was 1-1; Agapito Estala, at 152 pounds, was 3-2; Kawaii Fountain, at 171 pounds, was 2-0; Roberto Sierra, at 171 pounds, was 2-1; Javier Alverez, at 285 pounds, was 2-0; and Lawrence Jones, at 285 pounds, was 3-0.”