ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702180048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
The potential for frayed nerves could be tremendous today at the Group A wrestling tournament.
A logjam of contenders cluttered the standings after the quarterfinals Friday night. Among the hopefuls was second-place Radford High, which was a scant six points out of first place. The Bobcats trailed first-place Strasburg (65.5 points), with defending state champion Brentsville District (58) and Rural Retreat (50) in dogged pursuit.
"Four teams have a shot at it,'' Radford coach Tony DeHart said. "At least it's exciting. It's a lot better than over on the other side.''
The ``other side'' was the Group AA meet, being held simultaneously at the Salem Civic Center. Grundy, which has won the past 10 state titles, had a substantial lead over Poquoson and nobody else was close.
Radford rolled into today's semifinals with five quarterfinal winners. Among them was 119-pounder Benji Fry, 125-pounder Ryan Hall, 130-pounder Brian Hudson, 145-pounder Mike Dunbar, and 160-pounder Peter Lee.
Fry had a rugged match with Justin Campbell of J.J. Kelly before prevailing 2-1.
"I couldn't score any points,'' Fry said. "I had a hard time with him. He was pretty strong. In the third period, I had a hard time getting out from underneath him.''
Fry had a hard time the whole night. After that struggle, he was wrapped four-layers thick, gloved and hooded, and moving around under a hot water pipe in the civic center annex in an attempt to sweat off some pounds.
"I don't have any fat to lose,'' he said. "All I have is water weight and I have to sweat that out. That and starve. I won't be eating anything tonight.''
There will be plenty of time for a major munch session later. Being a senior, Fry (30-3) is down to his last matches.
Dunbar, on the other hand, still has some wrestling to go, being a junior. That hasn't distracted him from concentrating on the task at hand this year. Dunbar wrapped up Matt Strouth of Northwood 9-4 in the quarterfinals.
"I usually go out there stronger than the other guy but not having as much technique,'' Dunbar said. "But this guy was stronger than I thought he would be. So I had to rely on my technique more than I thought I would.''
Dunbar missed part of his freshman year because of ineligibility then came back a year ago to finish 22-6 and fourth in the state at 145 pounds.
Dunbar had thought about moving up to 152 but decided it would be in the team's best interest for him to stay at 145.
Dunbar's older brother, Elmo, was a state champion last year at 189 before graduating. Similarly, Hall was trying to follow his brother, Andrew, as a champion. Andrew Hall won several years ago.
Kamal Chantal of Floyd County, undefeated at 152 and a state champion a year ago at 140 pounds, continued to win. He polished off Todd Kudirka of J.J. Kelly with a 3:17 pin in the quarterfinals.
Other Timesland wrestlers who moved into the semifinals: Jason Cuddy of James River (103), Chance Craft of James River (112), Joseph Goorskey of Floyd County (112), James Bear of Rural Retreat (119), Joey Coleman of Parry McCluer (125), Nat Vance of Rural Retreat (130), Mathew Blackwell of Floyd County (135), Paul Sink of Shawsville (135), Jeremiah Brockenbrough of Parry McCluer (152), Robbie Phillips of George Wythe (160), David Phillips of Floyd County (160), Kevin Solesbee of Glenvar (171), Justin Nowers of Rural Retreat (171), David Marshall of Fort Chiswell (189), Anthony Hagee of Rural Retreat (215) and Billy Joe Carter of James River (215).
TEAM SCORES
After quarterfinals
1, Strasburg (STR) 65.5; 2, Radford (RAD) 59.5; 3, Brentsville District (BD) 58; 4, Rural Retreat (RR) 50; 5, Madison County (MC) 45; 6, Floyd County (FC) 44.5; 7, Essex (E) 43.5; 8, J.J. Kelly (JJK) 35.5; 9, James River (JR) 35; 10, John Battle (JB) 33; 11, Coeburn (CO); 12, Mathews (M) 29.5; 13, Parry McCluer (PM) 29; 14, Manassas Park (MP) 23.5; 15, Riverheads (RIV) 23; 16, Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (PH) 22; 17, tie Shawsville (SHV), Powell Valley (PV), Holston (HO) 21; 20, George Mason (GM) 18.5; 21, tie Garden (GAR), Chilhowie (CHI) 17; 23, Glenvar (GLV) 16; 24, Northumberland (NOR) 14; 25, Chincoteague (CHIN) 13; 26, Fort Chiswell 11.5; 27, Northwood (NW) 11; 28, tie Covington (COV), Arcadia (A) 10; 20, King William (KW) 9.5; 31, Castlewood (CW) 8.5; 32,Grayson County (GC) 7.5; 33, George Wythe (GW) 7, 34, Sussex Central (SC) 6; 35, tie Randolph-Henry (RH), New Kent (NK), Cumberland (CUM), Buffalo Gap (BG) 4; 39, Bath County (BC) 3; 40, tie Stuarts Draft (SD), Rappahannock County (RC), Northampton (NH); Narrows (NAR), Nantua (NAN), Hurley (HU), Charles City (CC) 0.
FIRST ROUND
103 - Morgan (MAT) p. martinze (PM) :43; O'Neil (BD) d. Francis (CW) 9-3; Walker (RR) p. Babbin (MC) 2:58; Cuddy (JR) p. Solios (A) 2:47; Tiller (CB) p. Snyder (BG) :35; Sutherland (SV) p. Wuelzer (CTG) 5:25; Anders (GC) p. Stewart (SC) :57; Cogswell (STR) tf. Jones (NW) 20-3.
112 - Craft (JR) d. Ford (A) 7-4; Hemp (RH) p. Stevens (JB) 3:25; Little (NW) d. Fernandez ((GM) 10-6; Goorskey (FC) p. Wyatt (NK) 1:43; Williams (PV) p. Utz (MC) 1:01; Pope (GC) tf. Jones (KW) 15-0; Shelor (RAD) p. Brasure (CTG) 2:50; Lamma (STR) p. Brooks (CB) :44.
119 - Naglieri (MAT) p. Wright (PM) :59; Parades (MP) d. Sizemore (HOL) 8-2; Campbell (JJK) d. Croushorn 1-0; Fry (RAD) p. White (A) :51; Bear (RR) p. Shiflett (BG) 5:33; Young (COV) p. Harvey (E) 4:57; Abbott (SV) md. Knapstein (NK) 11-1; Wolford (STR) p. Widner 1:59.
125 - Wind (E) tf. Mullins (SV) 24-5; Skeens (CW) p. Webb (MC) 3:05; Davidson (RR) p. Webb (MC) 3:05; Hall (RAD) p. Bashaw (NT) 1:28; Strurgill (JJK) p. Myrtle (RH) :58; Copos (FC) md. Kanipe (A) 15-3; Coleman (PM) p. Spears (MAT) 5:13; House (BD) d. Bland (PH) 10-3.
130 - Vance (RR) p. Burroughs (E) 5:47; Coulehan (FC) tf. Chew (RH) 16-1; Woodberry (BD) d. Flight (SV) 7-0; Gaylor (JB) p. Cooke (NT) 1:50; Hudson (RAD) d. Lamb (MC) 7-0; Wilson (JJK) p. Spratley (A) 1:16; Farmer (HOL) p. Query (KW) 3:42; Jenkins (MP) tf. Ward (GC) 15-0.
135 - Dixon (E) md. Wright (PH) 12-3; Blackwell (FC) p. Barnes (MP) 1:57; Anderson (STR) p. Vaughn (RAD) 5:38; King (JB) p. Lindstrom (NK) :50; Sink (SV) p. Bhangu (GM) 3:58; Sanders (JJK) p. Vann (SC) 4:56; Sandstrom (CW) d. Ball (KW) 6-2; Martin (BD) p. Pickett (GC) 1:56
140 - Davis (JJK) d. Johnson (SC) 13-12; Weaver (MC) p. Wheeler (PM) 3:58; Daube (GM) d. Quesenberry (RAD) 10-6; Smith (PH) p. Merritt (CTG) 1:01; Huchins (FTC) md. Chambers (RH) 15-3; parks (HOL) md. Birch (A) 13-0; Griffitts (GAR) p. Knuth (MAT) 3:51; O'Dell (BD) md. Crowe (GL) 9-1.
145 - Mundie (E) d. Guinn (CHW) 10-4; Brown (RAN) p. Craighead (SV) 1:42; Wynham (MC) p. Bobblett (JR) 4:37; Hoffman (PH) p. Turner (A) :16; Dunbar (RAD) p. Neff (STR) :58; Strouth (NW) p. Gay (SVC) 1:20; Register (MAT) d. Vance (GAR) 9-6; Stott (BD) p. Edwards (GC) :39.
152 - Gibson (MAT) p. Miller (JB) 1:57; Brockenbrough (PM) p. Sylvain (MC) 1:04; Boone (SV) d. Mahon (BG) 5-2; Rogers (PV) p. Wallop (CTG) :51; Chantal (FC) p. Hines (SR) 1:13; Kudirka (JJK) tf. Wilson (E) 20-4; Taylor (NK) p. Boyd (GAR) 2:45; Deschamps (GM) tf. Wolfe (COV) 18-1.
160 - Magerko (NT) p. Weaver (MC) 1:39; Burke (GL) md. Griffitts (GAR) 13-4; Phillips (GW) d. Roach (BC) 10-8; Crabill (MP) p. Clary (SC) :27; Lee (RAD) md. Johnson (PV) 14-4; Spittle (BD) md. Courtney (E) 10-1; Pittington (STR) p. Williams (A) :44; Phillips (FC) d. Plummer (CHW) 7-2.
171 - Whitaker (E) p. Anderson (MC) :21; Seales (FC) d. Sparrows (GW) 9-8; Goble (CHW) p. St. Clair (COV) 5:26; Bowers (STR) p. Cornett (KW) :49; Solesbee (GL) p. Linkous (CB) 3:19; Croushorn (BD) p. Wallop (CTG) 1:39; Smith (MP) p. Beckley (MAT) 2:42; Nowers (RR) p. Miller (PM) :56.
189 - Smith (E) p. Racine (MC) 1:59; Redden (RAD) md. Boone (CB) 13-2; Lingerfelt (JB) p. Yancey (COV) 4:58; Pollack (RH) p. Bartlett (NK) 2:58; Marshall (FTC) tf. Foore (CHW) 15-0; Noe (KW) p. Plaugher (STR) 2:08; O'Neill (BD) p. Rowland (A) 2:08; Keesce (NW) p. Lotts (JR) 1:17.
215 - Harris (MC) p. Hale (SC) 4:24; Hagee (RR) p. Jankowske (GC) 3:22; reedy (CHW) p. Mason (PM) 3:17; Dancy (MP) p. Matthews (A) :34; Carter (JR) p. Vannoy (HOL) 1:48; Goss (RH) p. Jeter (E) 3:48; Barker (CUM) p. Myers (NT) :48; Hamilton (CB) p. Martin (RAD) 2:45.
275 - Birch (CTG) p. Wright (RH) 5:14; Ringley (CB) p. Mason (JR) 2:25; Vance (GAR) p. Edmonds (FTC) :55; Hockman (STR) p. Parker (A) :56; Brown (GL) p. Ruble Brock (MC) p. Harcun (NT) :57; Jacobs (BD) d. Class (CC) forfeit; Colyer (JJK) p. Fitzgerald (PM) :34.
LENGTH: Long : 148 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS STAFF. Peter Lee of Radford andby CNBJeremy Spittle (right) of Brentsville District get tangled up during
the quarterfinals of the 160-pound weight class in the Group A
wrestling tournament at the Salem ivic Center. Lee advanced with a
pin.