Seahawks get two district champs in weightlifting

For a while Franklin County didn’t even have a boys weightlifting team, let alone district champs, but times they are a changin’ under Coach John Cooper.

At last month’s district weightlifting meet,the Seahawks outscored both Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka in Traditional, and posted two district champs.

In the Olympic category, which does not include bench pressing, just snatch and clean-and-jerk, Port St. Joe and Wewa were neck-and-neck for fourth place with Franklin County finishing in last place.

That was because Cooper decided that he would go with the lifts that most benefitted his football program, and worry about building up the entire program later.

“This is the first ever time we’ve had multiple district champs,” he said. “The weightlifting program reflects your football team and we’re really proud of the 17 guys we brought to districts.

“It’s something tangible we can measure,” Cooper said. “We’re not happy we finished in the middle of the pack; we want to be like those guys who compete to win. Eventually we’re going to get there; eventually we’ll be able to be good at all of it.”

For Traditional, in the 119-pound category, Seahawk eighth grader Drew Ham finished second, with a 275-pound total, and eighth grader Jaxon Millender took seventh with 205. Neither the Tiger Sharks nor the Gators had finishers within the top 10.

In the 129-pound class, Wewa’s Braedun Skipper took first with a 385-pound total. 

In the 139-pound total, Wewa’s Jacquez Anderon was second, with a 375 total. While Seahawk junior Owen Juno was third with 370. Port St. Joe’s Lucas Rogers was sixth with 330, and Nathan Peacock seventh with 280.

In the 154-pound class, Seahawk junior Gavin Page was third with 415, with St. Joe’s Aydan Davis fifth with 395, and Wewa’s Amarion Hellum  sixth with 360. Franklin County eighth grader Bentley Millender was eighth with 345.

In the 169-pound class, St. Joe’s Blake Childress was third with 465; Wewa’s Peyton Harrell sixth with 425; and Seahawk eighth grader Maddox Shaw seventh with 400. St. Joe’s Colt Patterson was ninth with a 385 total, just ahead of Wewa’s Leland Burnett with 370.

In the 183-pound class, Wewa’s Tyran Williams was fifth with a 480 total, just ahead of St. Joe’s Asher Peacock with 465. St. Joe’s Hunter Ard was ninth with 390, ahead of Franklin County senior Khambrel Anthony in 10th with 355.

In the 199-pound class, Seahawk junior Eric Smith was district champ with a 575 total. 

“I’m proud of how hard Eric’s worked in the weight room,” said Cooper. “Last year he missed the medal stage by a couple pounds. This year he didn’t even have his best day (at districts) so there’s a lot of room to show in regionals.”

Finishing third was St. Joe’s Jacob Marshall, with a 520 total, with Wewa’s James Hardy eight with 440, and Seahawk junior Brayden Brown 10th with 405.

In the 219-pound competition, Franklin County senior Michael Hill became the school’s first ever back to back district champ, as he hoisted 570 pounds, five pounds more than St. Joe’s Camden Focht.

Wewa’s Ty Small was seventh, with a 465 total, and St. Joe’s Rui Jones 10th with a 340 total. 

In the 238-pound category. St. Joe’s Daniel Alaniz was fourth, with 520, ahead of Wewa’s Brody Speegle in fifth with 455. Franklin County junior Raymond West was eight with 365 pounds, and freshman Rodney Yowell 10th with 245.

Amongst heavyweights, St. Joe’s True Benedict was sixth with 475, and Cameron Miles seventh with 470. Wewa’s Chris Poncel was eighth with 430, and Seahawk sophomore Lucas Field ninth with 360.