THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 10, 1994 TAG: 9412100377
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Cox High's wrestlers took a step towards loosening three-time defending champion Western Branch's grip on the Western Branch Invitational Friday, taking the lead after the first day of the 10-team tournament.
Cox, ranked second in the area, placed a tournament-high 11 wrestlers in the semifinals and amassed 83 points, 4 1/2 more than the second-place Bruins.
Third-ranked Western Branch has 10 semifinalists.
Action resumes today at with the semifinals at noon. The third-place matches begin at 6 p.m., followed by the finals at 7:30 p.m.
``I think we have a serious shot at winning this,'' Cox heavyweight Brian Wilson said. ``We just need to win the matches we're supposed to win.''
Wilson, one of two defending state champions in the field, will have one of those matches, against Western Branch freshman Marquis Edmonds.
Edmonds is one of six Western Branch freshmen in the tournament. But despite the youth, Bruins coach Terry Perdew isn't conceding anything.
``These guys have something you can't coach, and that's heart,'' Perdew said. ``We're going to be okay.''
Wilson is also one of three defending Invitational champions in the tournament, along with Deep Creek's Ryan Baker (171) and Salem's Chip Reyes.
Reyes, like Wilson a defending state champion, won here at 103 pounds last year and now wrestles at 119.
The Invitational's first day, which included first-round pigtails, the quarterfinals and a consolation round, proceeded mostly according to form. The top two seeds in each weight class reached the semis.
First Colonial used a strong performance in the consolation round to surge past Granby and into third place. The Patriots (six semifinalists) have 58 points; the ninth-ranked Comets (seven semifinalists) have 54.
``We're really excited about how we've done so far,'' Granby coach John Cerminara said. ``But the real tale will be told (Saturday).''
Seventh-ranked Salem is in fifth place with 44 points. Reyes won by a first-period pin in his opening match, and will face First Colonial sophomore Jason Bernd.
Bernd's twin brother Jeff is in the 125-pound semifinals.
Princess Anne (38.5 points), Maury (35.5), eighth-ranked Deep Creek (23), York (13.5) and Indian River (10) round out the field. by CNB