THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 20, 1997 TAG: 9702200281
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 78 lines
Athletes are told not to look ahead. That's what the media is for, right?
As the Eastern Region wrestling tournament opens today at Churchland High School, it's impossible to resist looking ahead to some delicious potential matchups.
Start at 125 where First Colonial's top-ranked Jason Bernd and Western Branch's second-ranked Richard Slocumb are on a collision course to meet in the finals.
Both are undefeated and haven't traded takedowns since Bernd pulled out a 5-4 victory in last year's state final.
That came one week after Slocumb beat Bernd 11-10 in the region final.
``I've been waiting all year,'' Slocumb says of a possible rematch. ``I haven't seen him this year but he's a tough kid. I hope to keep it close and win at the end.''
Bernd has followed Slocumb's progress through the newspaper and expressed admiration for his victory in a big tournament in Chapel Hill, N.C., in December.
``He keeps me on my toes,'' Bernd says.
Bernd predicts a low-scoring match reminiscent of the state final, should they meet again.
``We pretty much know what the other will do,'' he says. ``It should be intense. Even if we don't score a lot there will be a lot of flurries.''
Another potentially intriguing matchup is at 103 where Cox's top-ranked Bobby Ingram and Western Branch's second-ranked Matt Viola could meet. Ingram, a freshman, is 33-0. Viola merely is the defending state champ and is 16-0 since dropping from 112 in January.
The pressure would seem to be on Viola, but maybe not.
``When you go out to wrestle you can be offensive or defensive,'' Ingram says. ``I'm defensive now. A one-point victory is good enough to advance.
``In some matches lately, against Winston Escalante and Brian Consolvo, I think I could have won by a lot more if I had wrestled like nobody knew me.''
Ingram is leery of facing Viola at night - the finals are Saturday at 7:30 p.m. - after he's weighed-in that morning and had all day to eat.
``He could be up to 119 by then and that would work to his advantage,'' Ingram says.
Viola, a junior, likes his position.
``It was a great move for me to drop down,'' he says. ``I've had my eye on Ingram. I think it will be a good match.''
One class where the fireworks should start early is 275. There are eight quality heavyweights just in South Hampton Roads and four of them meet in the first round.
Oscar Smith's Raphael Butts, the 1996 state runner-up, meets Bayside's John Fuller and Kempsville's Donald Stakes, fourth at state, meets Lakeland's Nathan Carr.
The favorite, Western Branch's Marvin Urquhart, opens against Tallwood's Levar Wilkins and is taking nothing for granted.
``Butts is the guy to beat,'' he says. ``Carr's pretty good, too. The Beach is topsy-turvy and the Lake Taylor guy (Kris Kriz) and Maury guy (Nate Pauley), you have to worry about them, too. I lost to Kriz last year.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
E. REGION WRESTLING
When: Today, Friday, Saturday
Where: Churchland High School
Defending champion: Great Bridge
Returning individual champions with current weight and last
year's: Tallwood's Winston Escalante (103/103); Western Branch's
Richard Slocumb (125/119); Gloucester's Joey Legg (130/125); Cox's
Pierre Pryor (140/135); Oscar Smith's Raphael Butts (275/275).
Schedule: Today, first round, 4 p.m.; quarterfinals, 7 p.m.
Friday, first-round consolations, 2 p.m.; second-round consolations,
5 p.m.; semifinals, 7 p.m. Saturday, consolation semifinals, 2:30
p.m.; fifth place, 5 p.m.; third place, 6 p.m.; finals, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: All session pass, $12; general admission, $5; children
6-12, $3.
Notable: Great Bridge has won six consecutive championships and
qualified 12 wrestlers; Western Branch and Lake Taylor also
qualified 12, Denbigh qualified 11 and Cox, Tallwood and Gloucester
qualified 10 each. . . . Twenty-seven placewinners return,
including three at 103, three at 112, three at 130, three at 275.