LAKELAND — Lanier County Elementary School’s gym turned into a pile-driving, body-slamming spectacle earlier this month to raise money for the Lanier County High School marching band.

The spandex-fueled fundraiser, Santamania 2, touted seven matches including a tag-team championship match and a heavyweight championship match.

Throughout the matches, wrestlers faced off against each other using hands, feet, ladders, lightsabers, chairs, baking sheets and whatever else the wrestlers could get their hands on to win a match.

Wyatt Montgomery defeated Brick Sampson in the first match after several successful German suplexes and a failed backflip body slam off of a turnbuckle.

Chris Spyder defeated J.J. Dillinger. Dillinger seemed to have the upper-hand throughout most of the match, and landed several good hits on Spyder’s back with a kendo stick, but Spyder was able to rally his strength and overcome his opponent.

Knightmare Syndicate defeated Black Fury to win the Sunbelt Wrestling Entertainment Tag-Team Championship in a no-disqualification or count-out match. Nightmare Syndicate’s Alexander Knight and Aiden Knight pulled out everything from chairs to ladders to trash cans to win the match.

After the match, Aiden Knight gave a brief comment on the victory.

“It feels great to finally get (Black Fury) back where they belong,” he said. “It’s been a long road with them cheating to keep the title, but it feels good to finally beat them.”

Rookie Jackson Cruze defeated Jarrod Michaels via disqualification after Buck Buchanan interfered with the match. However, after the match was called, Buchanan and Michaels continued to fight.

Santa Claus stepped into the ring with a bag of presents to attempt to stop the fight, but was cornered by Michaels until Promoter Brooks “Hardcore” Robinson and Lanier County Band Director Matt Elder stepped in to end the chaos.

While Cruze won the match, he did not win the title because of the disqualification, Cruze said.

“This is the second time Jarrod proved to me he’ll cheat,” Cruze said. “I’ve just got to keep up at him, and I know I’ll take that heavyweight championship title from him.”

After the matches were done and children spent time on Santa’s lap, the ultimate goal of the night was to raise money for the band to receive new uniforms.

“It’s very unique,” Robinson said. “It’s a lot better than selling cookie dough. It’s good wholesome entertainment. Our shows are family friendly. We have something for all ages. We try to stay away from the vulgarities.”

The show brought in $700 for the band but it is still not enough to cover the full cost of the uniforms, Robinson said. The school needed thousands of dollars prior to the show.

For more information on Sunbelt Wrestling Entertainment, call Robinson at (229) 507-9532, or find Sunbelt on Facebook.

For more information on how to donate or help raise money for the the Lanier County band, contact Elder at jelder@lanier.k12.ga.us, jmelder@valdosta.edu or (229) 269-7060. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.