By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
Davis Stubbs knew what it felt like to experience the ultimate disappointment. He would do anything to feel the ultimate thrill of being a champion.
On February 24, Stubbs learned that feeling when he earned his title of state wrestling champion at the individual state championship meet at the Anderson Civic Center.
It was a long time coming for a young man who had poured every ounce of his soul into the sport, reinventing himself and dropping down to the 215-pound weight class from the heavyweight position he wrestled in a season ago.
Those efforts, blood, sweat, and tears finally paid off when he won his final match, 4-3, against Le’Roy Tyus of Battery Creek High School.
“It felt like a relieving moment, honestly,” said Stubbs. “I kind of took it as a burden last year, and now to be able to say, hey, I’ve finally done it is an incredible feeling.”
For Davis, the climb to the mountaintop was one fraught with struggle, determination, and a willingness to do whatever it took to win. As a junior, Stubbs wrestled in the 285-pound weight class, advancing to the state championship match before falling 6-3 and finishing as state runner-up.
He did not physically feel his best, though, and made some tough decisions.
Davis first gave up football, where he was also a stand-out lineman, and pushed himself to his physical limits to cut weight and get healthier. Stubbs lost over 70 pounds in just nine months and was able to wrestle down a class for the first time in his career. The dividends were immediate.
“It is definitely worth it, but at the beginning it sucked,” admitted Stubbs. “It’s not fun at all to cut weight, but if you take several months to do it the right way, it’s honestly very rewarding.”
Davis finished his senior season with a 49-7 record with 39 pins. For his career, Stubbs holds a record of 87-20. Woodruff head wrestling coach John Harper expressed how proud he was of Davis and the effort he put into realizing his goal of becoming a state champion.
“As a coach you are happy for Davis because he has experienced that moment when the opposite has happened,” said Harper. “The best thing about it with Davis is he, from day one, trusted the coaching staff to help him improve. He is one of the hardest-working, good-natured kids I have ever had the privilege of coaching and it is always a wonderful moment seeing kids achieve their goals. It was great to see him have that moment of success after having a moment of falling short last year.”
As Stubbs prepared for his title tilt after wins in the quarter and semifinal rounds, he vowed this time would be different. The heartbreak of 2023 would be replaced by jubilation. Losing was never an option.
“It was like, I’ve been here before, so just wrestle like I have been,” Stubbs explained. “I knew everything would come together. I told myself to keep moving and just let (Tyus) wear himself down. Just don’t give up any stalling calls, and everything should be good.”
Looking back on his career and everything he has experienced, Davis says that everything he has gone through and pushed himself to do was all worth it. He was already going to be remembered as an athlete with an incredible work ethic and a drive to always get better. Now, he will be remembered as a state champion, too.
“I’ve always tried to do everything 100 percent,” he said. “I feel like that’s one of the biggest issues with some wrestlers, not doing things to the best of their ability. I never wanted to be someone that didn’t give everything he had.”
Mission accomplished.
Author: Tracy Sanders
