The Long County Blue Tide wrestling team has seen a ton of success since its inception in 2021. In just five seasons, the team has won the region championship three times, including the last two, and sent four boys to the traditionals state tournament.
Head coach Bryant Versprille is excited about his second season with the Tide after winning both the duals and traditionals region championships and sending four wrestlers to the traditionals state tournament where Andre Mills became the first placer in team history, finishing third in the 132 pound weight class.
“The biggest positive was seeing our boys truly buy into the culture we’ve been building, one centered on effort, attitude, and toughness,” Versprille said. “They worked hard, competed with pride, and began to understand what it takes to win consistently.”
He did say that the team found places where they can improve, saying that “inconsistency cost us at times but gave us clear areas to grow.”
The team has won the last two duals region championships and won the individuals region title last year. Versprille said the team has to “stay hungry” and “committed to our standard.”
“It’s easy to get comfortable after success, but our guys understand that repeating takes even more work than winning the first one,” he said. “We need to keep wrestling smart, wrestling hard, and getting a little better every day.”
The team lost Mills and Mareon Montgomery, two state qualifiers from last season, to graduation and Joseph Yeoman to transfer. They will rely on a lot of fresh faces this year, but Versprille is confident the team will step up.
“This season, we’ve brought in eight freshmen, and we’re hoping a few of them can step up and be that guy. If we stay focused and peak at the right time, we’ll give ourselves a great shot,” he said.
Much like the girls’ team, Versprille said that the biggest thing the team has continued to do is wrestle in the offseason and that is why he believes they will be successful.
“A lot of our guys wrestled with us this summer, and the coaching staff has stressed consistent strength training and skill work,” Versprille said. “We’ve also added more competitive intensity to practices, preparing our wrestlers for any situation. Our schedule is tougher this year by design, so by the time we reach region and sectionals, we’ll be battle-tested.”
When it comes to what the expectations are for the 2025-26 season, Versprille said it simply. They want to compete.
“Our expectations are to compete for another region championship and make a deeper run at state in both duals and individuals,” Versprille said. “More importantly, we want our wrestlers to keep growing as young men — showing toughness, leadership, and character on and off the mat. If we stay true to our E.A.T. mindset and focus on daily improvement, the results will take care of themselves.”
The boys will hit the mat for the first time on November 18 as they host Brantley County and Brunswick at Blakely Thornton Gym.