ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702180040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
The talk of a threat to Grundy's streak of Group AA wrestling titles was a false alarm.
The Golden Wave, with a new coach and some new stars, had a small lead after the first day. But by the time the championship matches began Saturday at the Salem Civic Center, Grundy had clinched its 11th consecutive state title.
The official count showed the Golden Wave racking up 269.5 points to runner-up Poquoson's 194.5. Timesland's top team finish was by Christiansburg, which took fifth with 69.5 points, just ahead of Region III champion William Byrd's 65.
``We've done a heck of a job so far,'' said Grundy coach Kevin Fiser, who has only three seniors on a team that reloaded rather than rebuilt after Kevin Dresser left and ended up coaching Christiansburg. ``I think, overall, this has been a pretty good team.''
That left the rest of the night for individual titles. Timesland didn't fare well with all six finalists taking losses.
In the very first match, Christiansburg's Jamie Harris, the 1996 champion at 112 pounds, came up short against Poquoson's Mike Akers in a 7-2 loss at 103.
Harris dropped weight classes this winter under Dresser and ran into Akers, who won the 103 title a year ago.
``I dropped to help the team,'' Harris said. Akers ``was just too good. Maybe on a different day I could have won.
``I could have lost at 112. There was a tough wrestler in that weight class also.''
The Blue Demons' other finalist, Eric Schmucker, dropped a 10-6 decision to Grundy's B.D. Robertson in the 152-pound match.
Robertson dominated by opening a 7-1 lead, but Schmucker fought back. With less than a minute left, he escaped, trimming Robertson's lead to 8-5.
At that point, Schmucker needed a takedown and a near-fall for the victory. Instead, Robertson ended the match by scoring a takedown with 11 seconds remaining.
Another of Dresser's wrestlers, Trinity Heckman, also placed. Heckman upset Poquoson's Graham Hunt 11-9 to secure third place in the 171-pound class.
``I knew he was capable of placing. I didn't knowing he was capable of getting third,'' Dresser said. ``He didn't wrestle last year, but he has gotten better each week.''
William Byrd's Timmy Boothe came closest to winning a title among Timesland wrestlers, dropping a 3-2 decision in the 215-pound class to Turner Asbhy's Steve Lane after giving up an early takedown.
``If I had taken my time and had patience, both in the beginning and at the end ... '' said Boothe, who had lost a bout to Lane in a preseason scrimmage.
Magna Vista, moving from Region III to Region IV this season, sent two wrestlers to the championship round, but both lost.
At 119, Grundy's Scotty Newport beat the Warriors' Darin Dickenson 9-3. Dickenson, who wasn't a Region IV finalist, surprised Newport with an early 2-2 tie before the Golden Wave wrestler pulled away.
Magna Vista's Waylon Ryder, who was a Region IV titlist, fell behind early and lost the 135-pound title to Brookville's Andrew Shuler, who came away with an 18-6 major decision.
In a replay of the previous week's Region IV final, Grundy's Scott Justus repeated as the 171-pound champ by beating Laurel Park's Anthony Lanier 10-4. Lanier was an All- Timesland wrestler last season.
TEAM STANDINGS
1, Grundy (Gru) 269.50; 2, Poquoson (Poq) 194.50; 3, Turner Ashby (TA) 85.50; 4, Brookville (Bkv) 78.50; 5, Christiansburg (Cbg) 69.50; 6, William Byrd (WB) 65; 7, Sherando (Sro) 64; 8, Tabb (Tab) 53; 9, Liberty-Bealton (LBt) 52; 10, Harrisonburg (Hb) 48; 11, Warren County (War) 46; 12, Matoaca (Mat) 38; 13, Bassett (Bas) 37; 14, Magna Vista (MV) 36; 15, Northampton (Nh) 35.50; 16, Broadway (Bw) 35; 17, Virginia High (Va) 32; 18, Laurel Park (LP) 30.50; 19, Bruton (Bru) 29.50; 20, York (Y) 27.50; 21, Jefferson Forest (JF) 26; 22, Northside (Ns) 24; 23, Lee County (Lee) 21; 24, King George (KG) 20; 25, Handley (Han) 19; 26, Spotsylvania (Spv) and Salem (Sal) 16, 28, Marion (M), Appomattox (App) 15; 30, Southampton (Sh), Lord Botetourt (LB) 13; 32, Grafton 12; 33, Nandua, Patrick County 11; 35, Rustburg, Carroll County (CC) 10; 37, Fauquier 9; 38, Fort Defiance 8, 39, Western Albemarle 7; 40, Staunton River 5,.50; 41, Lebanon 5; 42, Richlands 4; 43, Spotswood, James Wood 3; 44, Tunstall, Tazewell, Orange County, Martinsville, Louisa County 2.
Championship matches
103-Akers (Poq) d. Harris (Cbg) 7-2; 112-Hartford (Gru) d. Austin (Mat) 5-2; 119-Newport (Gru) d. Dickenson (MV) 9-3; 125-Young (Gru) d. Brooks (LBt) 13-9; 130-Hendershot (JF) d. Deel (Gru) 7-5; 140-Shuler (Bkv) major d. Ryder (MV) 18-6; 145-Baker (TA) major d. Woody (Bkv) 24-8; 152-Robertson (Gru) d. Schmucker (Cbg) 10-6; 160-Brad Fitzpatrick (Poq) d. Bishop (Gru) 13-8; 171-Justus (Gru) d. A. Lanier (LP) 10-4; 189-Waite (Tab) d. Smith (Bru) 6-3; 215-Lane (TA) d. Boothe (WB) 3-2; 275-Owens (Gru) p. Hull (LBt), 4:59.
Third-place matches
103-Belcher (Gru) d. Madonia (WB) 4-2; 112-Bran. Fitzpatrick (Poq) Butcher (Sro) 12-7; 119-Austin (Mat) d. Sell (WB) 2-1; 125-Cardone (Nh) d. England (Sro) 4-2; 130-DeSantis (KG) d. Summerlin (Bkv) 7-3; 135-Lucas (Hb) d. Holloway (Poq) 9-7; 140-Mason (War) d. Bayliss (Sro) 2-0; 145-Hurr (Poq) d. Cochran (Gru) 4-3; 152-Shively (Bas) d. Inge (Poq) 11-8; 160-Loan (Hb) d. Anthes (Spv) 9-7; 171-Heckman (Cbg) d. Hunt (Poq) 11-9; 189-Reynolds (Bw) d. Giarla (Sal) 2-1; 215-Hale (Va) d. Holmes (Y) 3-0; 275-Prieto (TA) d. Gilliland (Bkv) 4-2.
Fifth-place matches
103-Dunn (Gra) d. Kessler (War) 6-3; 112-Walker (WB) d. Prokup (Y) 6-5; 119-Miskell (Poq) d. Jenkins (KG) 4-0; 125-Gillisipie (Poq) d. Lyle (App) 8-1; 130-Forrest (Poq) d. Palutke (Sro) 4-2; 135-Roop (Ns) d. Templeton (Tab) 8-5; 140-Glovier (Bw) d. Barnard (CC) 5-2; 145-Sperry (War) d. C. Lanier (LP) 6-2; 152-Wright (Hb) d. Callands (Rus) 17-10; 160-Thomas (Sro) d. Maki (M) 7-4; 171-Satterfield (Lee) d. Ruth (Wa) 9-4; 189-Shutts (JH) d. Huffman (TA) 7-4; 215-Bynum (Sh) d. Sanchez (Bas) 4-3; 275-Edwards (Va) d. Namkung (Tab) 4-2.
LENGTH: Long : 111 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY STAFF. Grundy's Scotty Newport (right) triesby CNBto take down Magna Vista's Darin Dickenson in the 119-pound final
Saturday. Newport won 9-3.