By Clint Thompson

Special to the Times-Enterprise

CAIRO — Two Cairo Syrupmakers placed at the traditional wrestling state championships in Class AAAA last Thursday and Friday at the Macon Centreplex. Junior Antroveno Hadley finished fourth in the 106-pound weight division, while senior Brandon Green placed fifth in the 195-pound division. 

It’s the second straight year Hadley placed at the state meet. He finished sixth as a sophomore the previous year.

“(Antroveno) has a chance to be a three-timer,” said Cairo wrestling coach Kevin Elliott. “He was actually ranked No. 1 in the state for most of the year.

“He ran into a buzzsaw. Time was running out and he was getting a take-down right at the end and lost his balance. I think we would have been in the finals. It was just one of those things, but he fought all the way back. He lost to a tough kid from Columbus in the third and fourth place round.”

Elliott was especially proud of Green.

“The biggest surprise was my kid Brandon Green,” he said. “He’s one of those kids who was a program kid that never had a whole lot of success. He just kept digging and kept digging. Next thing you know he’s getting a dang fifth-place medal.”

Cairo finished 17th in the team standings ahead of Region 1 rivals Bainbridge (18th) and Thomas County Central (20th). Jefferson claimed the Class AAAA state title for its 19th state championship at any level in the last 20 years.

Unlike previous years when Cairo traveled to a tournament every weekend in December and January, the Syrupmakers were limited to just two tournaments this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week’s finish to the wrestling season was especially rewarding for Elliott and his Syrupmakers considering the adversity they overcame with COVID-19. 

“From all we’ve had to go through this year, we really came out strong,” Elliott said. “We had some other kids that did really, really well that were one match away from placing. I actually had four kids that were one match away from placing. I almost ended up with daggum six state placers.

“They were all young, just one senior that I lost. So they’ll all be back.”