JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Garrett Tyre was in a bad place.
The Clay High School wrestler had all the potential to be one of the program’s top grapplers but fell into the rut of life, with bad choices, a bad attitude and the wrong people around and influencing him.
A year later, Tyre, the All-News4JAX wrestler of the year, completely turned things around. Not only is he on a better path in life, Tyre won the only state championship by an area boys wrestler this season with a buzzer-beater finish against his biggest rival to cap his career in storybook style.
It could have turned out much different for Tyre, who went 49-2 as a senior in the 220-pound weight class and signed with Coker College. A year ago at this time, that type of success didn’t seem possible. Tyre was headed down the wrong path in life, compounded by an early end to his season in wrestling. In the months that followed, Tyre was faced with a choice.
Tyre said it came down to getting back on track or throwing away his talent. Call it tough love from family and friends that held him accountable.
“It was my parents, my siblings. Pretty much the whole wrestling community saw what I was just throwing away,” Tyre said. “I wouldn’t have to do much to be in the state tournament. And if I just put in enough effort, they knew I could have won it [last year]. And they saw a lot of wasted talent last year. They pushed me, didn’t let me slide back.”
Tyre finished fifth in the state tournament as in 2020 after a 42-win season and should have done better than that last year. But Tyre didn’t even make the state meet.
“I got hit with a flagrant misconduct call my last match last season against the school down the road [Fleming Island] and ended up getting suspended for two weeks the week before districts,” Tyre said.
“So, my season was over. Just wasn’t doing the right stuff after that, being a bad kid. People around me helped me get straightened out. And I was like, ‘I want to win this.’ I’ve been wrestling since I was 5. And nothing past high school has been my goal, I just wanted to win a state wrestling championship.”
Tyre wasn’t going to even be on the mat if he didn’t make some significant changes in his life. He was hanging around the wrong people, making bad choices. The abrupt halt to his junior season put Tyre in an even worse frame of mind.
“Just all season last year, I was just not a great person to be around. But I still don’t think if I didn’t get DQ’d like that, my season didn’t in the way it did, I don’t think I would have been here. I think I would have still been on the same path. So, in the grand scheme of things, I’m still glad that’s what happened.”
Tyre had a hard pivot and said that he began to get rid of the negative in his life. By the time wrestling season started in 2021, he was laser focused on being a better person and a dominant grappler.
Just like he said he thought it would, Tyre’s season came down to a state title match with rival Jamari Watson of Raines. Tyre handed Watson his only two losses of the season entering that final match, a decision win in the Clay Rotary and a pin to win region.
It was Tyre’s most difficult match of the season, compounded by a pair of injury stoppages that threatened to end it after a clash of heads left him cloudy and woozy.
Watson led the match early in the third period, but Tyre finished. He took Watson down with less than 5 seconds to earn the decisive point in a 4-3 win.
“If there was any finish in my high school career, I think that was the way it would have to end,” he said. “I was just thinking like, ‘I did it.’ My whole life led up to this moment. And I finally did it.”
ALL-NEWS4JAX FIRST TEAM
The boys wrestling team was compiled by Shannon Heaton for News4JAX.
Weight class, Name, School, Yr.
106, Topher Pearson, Suwannee, So.
Season record: 53-8. District 2-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state 8th place.
113, Jayce Paridon, Fleming Island, Fr.
Season record: 58-1. District 2-2A champ, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state runner-up.
120, Ethan Vugman, Bartram Trail, Jr.
Season record: 49-2. District 1-3A champ, Region 1-3A champ, 3A state runner-up.
126, Brody Boehm, Suwannee, Jr.
Season record: 53-8. District 2-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state 4th place.
132, Mikade Harvey, Palatka, Jr.
Season record: 30-3. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state 3rd place.
138, Kaden Schaefer, Fleming Island, So.
Season record: 43-8. District 2-2A champ, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state 7th.
145, Luke Boree, Clay, Sr.
Season record: 28-7. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state 7th.
152, Tyson Mills, Matanzas, Sr.
Season record: 45-7. District 4-2A champ, Region 1-2A runner-up, 2A state runner-up.
160, Enzo Gamba, Fernandina Beach, So.
Season record: 40-2. District 3-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state 7th place.
170, Jordan Mills, Matanzas, So.
Season record: 51-5. District 4-2A champ, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state runner-up.
182, Jhoel Robinson, Fleming Island, Jr.
Season record: 61-4. District 2-2A champ, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state runner-up.
195, Garrick Schwartz, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.
Season record: 42-11. District 2-3A champ, Region 1-3A champ, 3A state 7th place.
220, Garrett Tyre, Clay, Sr.
Season record: All-News4JAX wrestler of the year. 49-2. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state champion.
285, Jack Pyburn, Bolles, Sr.
Season record: 34-3. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A champ, 1A state 6th place.
SECOND TEAM
Weight class, Name, School, Yr.
106, Shane Duhaylungsod, Fleming Island, Fr.
Season record: 49-12. District 2-2A champ, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state 8th place.
113, Braden Glavin, Clay, Fr.
Season record: 29-11. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A 3rd place, 1A state 8th place.
120, De’Quon King, Raines, Sr.
Season record: 18-4. District 3-1A champ, Region 1-1A runner-up, 1A state 5th place.
126, Riley Girgis, Middleburg, Sr.
Season record: 30-6. District 2-2A runner-up, Region 1-2A runner-up, 1 match from 2A state medal.
132, Austin McKinney, Suwannee, So.
Season record: 58-9. District 2-1A champ, Region 1-1A runner-up, 1A state 7th place.
138, Brandon Lewis, Palatka, Sr.
Season record: 35-7. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A runner-up, 1A state 3rd place.
145, Matthew Kotler, Fleming Island, So.
Season record: 44-13. District 2-2A runner-up, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state 6th place.
152, Tyson Musgrove, Suwannee, Sr.
Season record: 49-9. District 2-1A champ, Region 1-1A runner-up, 1A state 3rd place.
160, Ronan Bozeman, Fleming Island, Jr.
Season record: 49-19. District 2-2A champ, Region 1-2A 3rd place, 2A state 6th place.
170, Joshua Sandoval, Fleming Island, Jr.
Season record: 59-10. District 2-2A runner-up, Region 1-2A 3rd place, 2A state 4th place.
182, Tony Carter, Mandarin, Sr.
Season record: 34-2. District 1-3A champ, Region 1-3A champ, 3A state 5th place.
195, Toby Kinghorn, Baker County, Sr.
Season record: 34-7. District 4-1A champ, Region 1-1A 4th place, 1A state 6th place.
220, Jamari Watson, Raines, Sr.
Season record: 18-3. District 3-1A champ, Region 1-1A runner-up, 1A state runner-up.
285, Toby Matson, Fletcher, Jr.
Season record: 46-3. District 3-2A champ, Region 1-2A champ, 2A state 3rd place.
Honorable mention
School, Wrestler (weight class, year)
Atlantic Coast: Joel Dudley (152, Sr.).
Baker County: Chase Crews (285, Sr.).
Bartram Trail: Preston Pena (145, Jr.); John McNames (170, Jr.).
Bishop Kenny: Jacob Harless (113, So.); Christopher Hampton (132, So.); Collin Hearn (160, Jr.); Luke Ghannam (170, Jr.); Roberto Cuartero (152, Jr.).
Bishop Snyder: Angel Lecointe (285, Sr.).
Bolles: Jacob Witt (120, Sr.); Denny Vohs (138, Sr.).
Clay: Jacob Bucci (106, Fr.); Rylan Herrera (126, Fr.); Josh Kumpf (138, Sr.); Hayden Meszaros (152, So.); Luca Fiannaca (160, Sr.); Ethan Larsen (170, Sr.); Ethan Daniels (285, So.); Kedtric Wilbourn (195, Sr.); Dominic Martin (182, Jr.); Maverick Rainwater (120, Sr.).
Columbia: Joseph Rice (170, Sr.).
Creekside: Conner Wright (126, Jr.); Keanan Sexton (138, Sr.); Diego Rivera (160, Sr.); Vincent Approbato (220, Sr.).
Englewood: DiSean Hires (145, Sr.).
Episcopal: Turner Glenn (106, Fr.).
Fernandina Beach: Cael Kubatzke (120, Fr.); Caden Kubatzke (126, Jr.); Lucas Crawford (182, Jr.).
Flagler Palm Coast: Timothy McLean (106, Fr.); Carson Baert (113, Fr.); Kole Hannant (120, Jr.); Timothy King (152, Sr.); Bryce Dodge (160, Sr.); Blane DeFord (170, Sr.); Marcelo Gonzalez (182, Sr.); Dalton Schell (220, Jr.); Seth Davis (285, Sr.); John Hald (126, Jr.).
Fleming Island: Laird Duhaylungsod (120, Fr.); Joshua Mukaddam (132, Sr.); Christopher Chop (152, So.); Ethan Hoffstetter (285, Jr.).
Fletcher: Ryden Ashmore (120, Sr.); Cole O’Brien (126, So.); Christopher Strong (152, Sr.); Josh Daltro (160, Jr.).
Mandarin: Jameel Smith (132, Sr.); Adrian Rodriguez (170, Jr.); Jaelen Simmons (195, Jr.).
Matanzas: Dylan Parkinson (138, Jr.); Landon Wright (195, jr).
Middleburg: Jackson Hornback (106, Fr.); Wyatt Leduc (120, Fr.); Logan Moore (138, Jr.); Grady Woodard (113, So.).
Oakleaf: Jordan Mitchell (285, Jr.); Angel Rodriguez (106, Fr.); Keon Barrientos (126, So.); Onjel Caraballo (182, Sr.); Marcus McGee (132, Sr.).
Orange Park: Trevion Sermons (160, Jr.).
Ridgeview: Derrick Mosley (220, Sr.)
Riverside: Thomas Jones (220, Jr.).
Sandalwood: Duffy Mista (195, jr).
St. Augustine: Wilson Nguyen (132, Sr.); Christian Jackson (145, Jr.); Clint Griffin (160, Sr.); Jaquan Whitty (285, Jr.).
Suwannee: Eli Jolicoeur (113, Fr.); Marshall White (145, Fr.); James Prentice (170, Sr.); Dustin Wood (182, Jr.); Austin Howard (160, Jr.).
West Nassau: Jackson Holcomb (113, Jr.); Blayden Tharpe (120, Jr.); Jakob Turnage (170, Jr.); Nolan McKelvy (182, So.).
Westside: Olleon Hickmon (138, Jr.).
White: Benny Lewis (160, So.).
Yulee: Austin Adamson (138, Jr.); Alex Smith (182, Fr.); Christopher Aud (195, So.); Braylen Ricks (220, So.); Austin Hoyle (285, Jr.); Dylan Johns (145, Jr.).
The Sharks remain the only area boys team to win, or even play for, a state championship. Ponte Vedra is 254-37 all-time since its inaugural season in 2009. This final four trip is the program’s eighth.