MORROW, Ga. – Union County High School juniors Kevin Kilpatrick and Paxon Legatt capped dominant seasons by claiming state championships at last weekend’s Class AA Traditional State Tournament at the Clayton County Convocation Center.
Legatt, a two-time state champion, finished the season undefeated and did not surrender a single takedown across 51 matches. The only points scored against him came on escapes, which he conceded following his own takedowns.
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The state’s top-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, Legatt cruised to his second consecutive title, closing the tournament with his second victory over East Jackson’s Tristian Sloane in seven days.
Legatt opened the weekend with first-period pins against Holy Innocents’ Finn Ferrero and Lovett’s Nolan Markos, then followed with a 19-3 technical fall over Miller Grove in the semifinals before posting a 13-3 major decision against Sloane in the championship match.
While Legatt’s path to a state title was clear-cut from the start of the season, Kilpatrick’s championship run required a comeback. His year was nearly derailed by an early shoulder injury, but he rebounded by winning area and sectional titles before capturing the state crown at 175 pounds.
Kilpatrick went 4-0 at the tournament, highlighted by a dominant 17-1 technical fall over top-ranked Ryan Miller of Columbus in the semifinals. He carried that momentum into the championship bout, defeating Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe’s Jonas Watkins by 19-3 technical fall.
On Friday, Kilpatrick opened his run with first-period pins against Lovett’s Shep Greene and Salem’s Isaiah Cage.
Other Union County placers included junior Eli Flowers, who finished second at 120 pounds; junior Jada Taylor, who earned third in the girls’ 145-pound division to become the highest-placing girls wrestler in school history; and senior Thomas Gary, who placed fourth at 132 pounds.
For more state tournament wrestling coverage, see the Sports Section of this week’s newspaper.
