WITH SEMONES RETURNING, GLENVAR CAN ONLY GET BETTER

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992                   TAG: 9202270347
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: N8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB McLELLAND CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WITH SEMONES RETURNING, GLENVAR CAN ONLY GET BETTER
While 15 Group AAA wrestlers and 10 members of the North Cross team are busy putting on the final touches for bids in their respective state tournaments, the seven Roanoke Metro Group A and Group AA teams are reflecting on the positives of their 1991-92 seasons.
Glenvar junior Brandon Semones won his second straight state Group A championship by taking the 171-pound class with his 50th straight victory. He won last season at 160.
Semones' return for next season makes Coach Dave Muller optimistic, especially with returning junior stars Ryan O'Malley (160) and Jason Porter (152).
James River not only won both the Pioneer District and Region C titles, but also enjoyed a 15-1-1 regular season record, the best in the school's history.
Junior Tony Bosanegra (103), unbeaten until the state tournament, where he finished second, led the Knights. Seniors Ken Fulton (189) and heavyweight Robbie Hendricks also placed in the state tournament.
Northside, which has won 35 straight matches over two-plus seasons and was 13-0 this year, won the Blue Ridge District and was second in the region. Freshman Clifton Dunford (103), who was second in the state, and junior Robin Keeling (140), who was third, led the young team.
Lord Botetourt, also a young team, was 14-1 for the season, losing only to Northside. The Cavaliers were led by senior Bryan Anderson, who was second in the state at 151, and junior Joe Sell, who was unbeaten until the state, where he finished fourth.
Staunton River won 12 season matches and was a close second in the Seminole District, under the leadership of senior heavyweight David Anthony and junior Todd Huddleston (103).
Salem has a solid program in the making and hopes are high for next season. But senior Luqman Wade, who has been the standout for three seasons, will be gone. Wade was unbeaten this season until the state tourney, where he was third.
North Cross plans to take 10 wrestlers to the state independent schools tourney at Norfolk Academy, although only junior Aaron Lange (171) won a Virginia Independent Conference Title.
Franklin County easily won the Group AAA Roanoke Valley District and Northwest Region titles and will be out to make a strong showing in the state tourney at Richmond's Ashe Center, where the Eagles will have nine entries, including four regional champions.
William Fleming coach George "Killer" Miller hopes undefeated Keno Shepherd (103) will be a state champion. Shepherd won both the district and state, and along with Semones is the only undefeated Metro wrestler. Fleming also will have two seniors - Edward Jones (160) and Walter Fizer (145) - in the state.
Cave Spring will send three wrestlers to the state - sophomore Mike Zirkle (130) and seniors Todd Doughty (151) and Ryan Taylor (189). Both Zirkle and Doughty were regional runners-up.
Patrick Henry, which lost all of its 12 season matches, failed to qualify a wrestler for the state.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB