Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 6, 1991 TAG: 9104060066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Martinsville's 119-pound Lemart Stockton is the one, following his brother, Stacy, as the Timesland wrestler of the year. Now Lemart hopes to follow Stacy, who shared honors last year with Christiansburg's Jeff Stanley, by getting a scholarship to Virginia Tech.
Martinsville's Spencer Chang, who consistently has produced fine teams with wrestlers such as the Stocktons, is Timesland's coach of the year, selected by the Roanoke Times & World-News sportswriters with input from Timesland wrestling coaches.
While Lemart Stockton made the grade, a change of weights by Glenvar's Jamie Soltis from 103 to 112 pitted him against Franklin County's Scott Southall. This meant one of last year's top wrestlers would not repeat. Soltis emerged the winner after going unbeaten and winning his second Group A championship. Southall did not place in the Group AAA tournament.
The other returnee, Adam Williams of Cave Spring, moved up a weight class from 125 to 130 and makes the All-Timesland team for the second consecutive year.
The only other unbeaten wrestler is Tim Nininger of Christiansburg, who won the Group AA title in the 103-pound class.
Cory Walton at 125 and Mark Ivey at 189 are other Martinsville wrestlers making All-Timesland, giving the Bulldogs three selections.
Cave Spring and Carroll County each have two spots on the team. Joining Williams is Noah Tempkin (135) for Cave Spring. Carroll County is represented by twins Chad Dillon (145) and Chris Dillon (140). The Dillons combined for a 65-5 record with Chad losing the state championship in the last second and Chris finishing third.
Chris Dillon tied Alleghany's Robert Gillespie for the 140-pound All-Timesland slot. Dillon's only loss came in the Group AA semifinals, and Gillespie, by luck of the draw, lost to the same wrestler in the championship. Gillespie's only other defeat this year was to Tempkin, and it was impossible for area coaches to make a distinction.
The All-Timesland team is rounded out by Lord Botetourt's Bryan Anderson (152), Pulaski County's Curtis Rollins (160), Tunstall's Christopher Long (171) and Fieldale-Collinsville's Sam Stewart (heavyweight). Anderson and Long are juniors, and both placed in the Group AA tournament, Anderson finishing third and Long second.
Lemart Stockton had tough competition in his weight class from Franklin County's Jack Tatum, who won the Group AAA Northwestern Region crown but failed to place in the state tournament.
Stockton's only loss came at the Grundy Invitational where he was beaten by Grundy's Shane Bowman, one of the state's best wrestlers.
By the state tournament, Bowman dropped to the 112-pound class, where he won the championship, and Stockton pinned another outstanding Grundy wrestler, Eric Kendrick, to win the 119-pound title. It was Stockton's second pin of Kendrick this year.
"This was my best year because I was stronger," said Stockton. "Last year, I didn't lift weights. But [Martinsville football] coach [Taylor] Edwards pushed me on the weights after I had signed up for his weight class."
Stockton's victory in the state tournament was possibly the most exciting championship match of the Group AA finals. The Martinsville wrestler got his pin as the second-period ended. Earlier, Kendrick had taken brief one-point leads.
"At first, I was just going for the win. Then I got him on his back and I figured I might as well go for the pin," said Stockton. "It was extra special because he was from Grundy."
Stockton had competition from Nininger, Soltis and Tempkin as wrestler of the year. Coaches polled felt Stockton had the better season than Nininger and Soltis because of strength of schedule.
Chang's Martinsville team won its ninth consecutive Piedmont District title and nearly upset Brookville for the Region III title, which came down to the Bees needing and getting a pin in the heavyweight class. Martinsville finished sixth in the Group AA tournament, beating out the Bees. Earlier the Bulldogs edged perennial power Franklin County for second place in the Grundy Invitational to become the first Timesland team in years to beat the Eagles.
"I felt like we had good wrestlers on each end of the lineup and if the middle of the lineup developed, we'd have a quality team," said Chang. "We liked our chances in the regional all year, and you can't fault the kids for a super effort."
Chang beat out Franklin County coach Kris Kahila. Kahila's Eagles won their fourth consecutive Big Orange tournament with a young team that by the end of the season had six sophomores in the Roanoke Valley District finals.
\ BEST ON THE MATS
1990-91 \
ALL-TIMESLAND 103 - Tim Nininger, Sr., 33-0, Christiansburg
112 - Jamie Soltis, Sr., 26-0, Glenvar
119 - Lemart Stockton, Sr., 28-1, Martinsville
125 - Cory Walton, Sr., 30-4, Martinsville
130 - Adam Williams, Sr., 30-2, Cave Spring
135 - Noah Tempkin, Sr., 32-2, Cave Spring
140 - (tie) Chris Dillon, Sr., 34-1, Carroll Co.
140 - (tie) Robert Gillespie, Sr., 24-2, Alleghany
145 - Chad Dillon, Sr., 31-4, Carroll County
152 - Bryan Anderson, Jr., 24-2, Lord Botetourt
160 - Curtis Rollins, Sr., 26-3, Pulaski Co.
171 - Christopher Long, Jr., 29-1, Tunstall
189 - Mark Ivey, Sr., 26-6, Martinsville
Hwt - Sam Stewart, Sr., 27-5, Fieldale-Collinsville
\ WRESTLER OF YEAR: Lemart Stockton, Martinsville
\ COACH OF YEAR: Spencer Chang, Martinsville
\ SECOND TEAM: \
103 - Keno Shepherd, Soph., William Fleming;
112 - Scott Southall, Sr., Franklin Co.;
119 - Jeff Tatum, Sr., Franklin Co.;
125 - Mark Andrews, Sr., William Byrd and Timmy McDaniel, Sr., Parry McCluer;
130 - Tony Garland, Sr., Northside;
135 - Marvin Loyd, Sr., Glenvar;
140 - Jason Porter, Soph., Glenvar;
145 - Rick Carroll, Sr., Bassett and David Perry, Sr., James River;
152 - Brian Proctor, Sr., William Byrd;
160 - Brandon Semones, Soph., Glenvar;
171 - Dustin Lyons, Sr., Pulaski Co.;
189 - Robert Hull, Jr., Lexington;
Heavyweight - Tony Inge, Jr., Martinsville.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on April 9, 1991\ Correction
Because of wrong information provided to the newspaper, Franklin County's Jeff Tatum was listed as having not placed in the Group AAA wrestling tournament when he actually finished fourth in the 125-pound weight class.
\
Memo: Correction