Loris High was all set to wrestle Woodruff for the Class 2A Duals Championship on Thursday night. But during warm-ups, South Carolina High School League President Jerome Singleton put a halt to the match. The SCHSL was served a subpeona by Berkeley County to halt the match.
Earlier in the day, a SCHSL executive committee ruled 13-0 that Loris had beaten Hanahan 39-31 in the Class 2A Lower State Championship. One of the matches Hanahan won was scored a forfeit because it was discovered that the wrestler had competed in a weight class for which he was not certified. Hanahan argues that the rules were not clear in the SCHSL handbook. But the SCHSL countered, saying they sent out an e-mail to all schools on this very subject prior to the season.
Loris and Woodruff showed up for the title match on Thursday at Ridge View High School. But the competition was stopped. Hanahan is taking the SCHSL to court. The SCHSL is scheduled to appear at district court in Berkeley County next Tuesday. Loris Wrestling head coach Thomas Britt told NewsChannel 15, "The High School League promises to fight this."
Coach Britt added that this is unfair to all schools involved because many of the athletes will wrestle for individual titles Friday and Saturday at Aynor and then go on to compete in other spring sports. Britt says putting the 2A Championship on an indefinate hold will make it difficult for the wrestlers to be at their best when a decision is finally handed down. So the next match will take place in court between Hanahan and the SCHSL in Berkeley County. Loris and Woodruff will eagerly await the outcome.
