The Effingham County Rebels had three first-place winners and the South Effingham Mustangs had one in last weekend’s Shamrock Scuffle wrestling tournament.

The Rebels, who had 170 points, finished third in the team standings. The Mustangs took fourth with 151 points.

Matt Pickett, who entered the tournament unseeded, won the 120-pound class for the Rebels, pinning Jaterrias Dudley of Treutlen in the championship bout.

"Matt Pickett was the surprise of the tournament," said Rebels coach Nico Guggino. "He wrestled with a physical style that allowed him to win his weight class. I am proud of him because he has been working really hard this year and now it is paying off."

Bushey took the 145 title with a decision over West Laurens’ Keyon Taylor in the finals. Tavon Powell completed the Rebels’ first-place finishes with a win over East Laurens’ Nick Fordham in the 160 finals.

Bushey avenged a loss to Taylor earlier this season, winning in a match that came down to the last second.

"Tavon Powell had a great tournament as well," Guggino said. "He is such a good kid that his hard work in practice always puts him in a position to win matches."

South Effingham’s Josh Gaspard pinned all four of his opponents en route to the 132-pound championship, besting Colton Harrison of East Laurens in the championship round.

Tyler Smith of South Effingham took second at 195, losing in a decision to Matt Horne of Dublin in the final match. Luis Guerrero took third at 126, Zach Edmonds was third at 170 and Andrew Leahy was fourth at 285. Will Hobbs (145) and Patrick Mack (160) each reached the consolation finals in their weight classes.

The Rebels picked up three second-place finishes, with Steven Shores (126), Andreas Stefan (152) and Cheyenne Hunt (220) all reaching the championship match. Rashade Herbert (132) and Andrew Irish (195) had fourth-place finishes.

"I feel we started off a little slow but got better as we wrestled throughout the day," Guggino said. "We are trying some new things and the kids are actually adapting very well."

ECHS hosts Johnson and Southeast Bulloch today at 5 p.m. South Effingham will take part in the Sweet Onion Classic at Toombs County today and Saturday.

The Area 2-AAAA traditionals will be held Feb. 4 at South Effingham.

"Because the area tournament is only two weeks away, we really need to stay focused on our goals and continue to work hard during practice to achieve them," Guggino said. "This is the most difficult time of the year for every wrestler in the state because of the mental and physical burnout everyone is experiencing. We have a very mature group of kids so I expect us to be ready."