MOULTRIE – Only four wrestlers from each weight class will advance to Sectionals from Saturday’s Region 1-7A traditional wrestling tournament at Lowndes High.

And with the region being perhaps the most competitive in Class 7A, Colquitt County coach Benjy Scarbor believes some top wrestlers might not qualify.

“Our region is the deepest in 7A,” the veteran coach said as he prepared his young team for the region tournament. “There could be some kids who might not make it.”

The Packers, who lost three state individual champions and several other top performers from the outstanding 2022 team, could send out as many as five freshmen and three sophomores on Saturday.

“We are going to have a lot of them in the region tournament for the first time,” Scarbor said.

And they will be going up against wrestlers from defending state champion Camden County, a strong Richmond Hill team and competitive teams from Lowndes and Valdosta.

At 106, either freshman Quin Mitchell will sophomore Luis Garcia will represent the Packers.

At 113 will be promising freshman Cristobal Camarena, who has a 23-20 record.

Another freshman, Britton Marshall, who is 17-23, will go to the post at 120.

Eric Henson, one of the Packers top performers, will be at 126. He is 36-11 with 22 pins.

“But he is in a tough weight class,” Scarbor said of Henson, a veteran junior.

Another junior, Billy Lawton, will go out at 138. He is 34-16 this season with 25 pins.

Senior Michael Bledsoe, who is 25-14 with 12 pins, will wrestle at 144.

Russell Flowers, a sophomore, has been one of the Packers steadiest performers and is 39-10 with 26 pins.

But he suffered an injury at the Port City Classic in Brunswick last week.

“He is going to give it a shot,” Scarbor said of Flowers, who will wrestle at 150. “He’s going to try to power through.”

Junior Trenton Dunbar will wrestle at 165 and another freshman, Ethan Yingling, will go at 175.

Senior Jean Garcia will be at 190.

Sophomore Matthew Dillon, who is 14-7 at 215, has been out a couple weeks with an injury.

“But we’ll have him back,” Scarbor said.

JaQuavian Daniels, who has posted a 17-4 record with 17 pins at 285 since joining the wrestling team after starting on the offensive line for the football Packers, will face some challenging competition on Saturday as well.

Three members of the Colquitt County girls wrestling team will compete in Area 2 competition beginning at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Jeff Davis High School.

The top four in each weight class will advance.

Representing the Lady Packers will be sophomore Kimyra Crawford at 130 pounds and freshmen Jennifer Tercero at 115 and Marjory Sanchez at 145.