Tift County wrestlers, including individual state champion Dalton Burks (back row, center) and head coach Shawn Watson (left) gather in the Tift County wrestling room days after finishing tied for ninth in the Class AAAAAAA traditional wrestling tournament Saturday.

TIFTON — Dalton Burks is learning to deal with the celebrity life.

Just the other day, he said someone at Love’s Travel Stop stopped him and asked if Burks was someone he had seen on the internet.

On Facebook, Burks said a video he posted has 6,000 views.

The video is part of the reason for the celeb status. It shows Burks escaping Gabriel Lee in the fourth overtime of the Georgia High School Association state 160-pound wrestling finals last Saturday in Macon. Burks won the match, 5-3, to become Tift County High’s first individual champion in 20 years.

Besides Burks’ title, teammates Charley Powell and Jake Pratt also placed. Powell was fourth at 195 pounds and Pratt finished third at 132.

Pratt took fifth place in 2016. Burks said he was happy to see Pratt improve and was amazed that Powell did so well in spite of an injured knee.

Finishing first at state had long been a goal of Burks.

“I knew I wanted to take home the gold,” he said.

He qualified for state as a sophomore and in 2016, Burks wrestled in the state tournament at 170 pounds, predicted, he said, to finish fourth.

However, after winning his first match by a 15-0 major decision, Burks lost in the quarterfinals. He was eliminated in the consolation round before getting a chance to medal. Worse, it was by a wrestler he had beaten by pin in the sectional tournament a week earlier.

“I cried for like three months,” he said.

Such is the state tournament, Burks said.

“It’ll get in your head.”

A year later, Burks was back again, but in a different weight class.

Burks had wrestled at 170 pounds, but at the beginning of the year, head coach Shawn Watson suggested that he drop down to 160.

Burks admitted to some hesitancy in changing weight classes.

But, he said, “I knew in my gut” that Watson was right. Burks went 42-3 during the season.

Lee defeated Burks once during the regular season, a 4-2 overtime result at the state team duals in January.

Upon the rematch with Lee in the championship, Burks told himself he could do it.

The two were tied, 2-2, at the end of regulation.

During the first overtime, Burks said he tried to go for a takedown.

“I had to wrestle smart,” he said.

Neither scored, sending it to another overtime. Burks had his choice of what position to take to open and picked bottom. He scored, but Lee did as well. Tied again, they went into sudden death overtime.

Burks was again in the bottom position and needed an escape to win. If Lee was able to keep Burks down, Lee would be the victor.

Burks escaped and the title was his.

The match is engraved in his memory.

“A real intense memory,” said Burks. “I can still look back on it and remember every second.”

Many Tift Countians were in attendance Saturday, and he said it was “heartwarming” to see everyone there.

Colleges are now talking to Burks about his future.

He said Emmanuel College (in Franklin Springs) has spoken to him and Lourdes University of Sylvania, Ohio, had been interested in both himself and Pratt.

“Either your dream comes true, or your heart gets broken,” said Burks of the state tournament.

This time, it was the dream.