Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 20, 1993 TAG: 9302200248
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION
Robbie Dickinson of Parry McCluer High and Jimmy Adams of James River were looking ahead and looking back after the opening day of the Group A state wrestling tournament Friday.Each made his way into today's semifinals with convincing victories. Each has long memories of prior disappointments.
For Dickinson, the sour memories go back about a month, to a tournament at Mathews High and a 3-0 loss to Dettrick Stith of Sussex Central. It was Dickinson's only loss in 21 outings this season. The good news is that Dickinson, a state champion at 160 pounds last year, gets another crack at Stith in today's 11 a.m. semifinals at the Salem Civic Center.
"I'm in better shape now," Dickinson said after plowing Jamie Harris of Northwood under with a pin at 4:50 in the quarterfinals. "We'd been playing football into December and I hadn't had much [wrestling] practice. But that's no excuse. He beat me. Hopefully, things will be different this time."
Things already are different for the 152-pound Adams (25-3), who wrenched a knee last year and never even made it to the state tournament after a promising start. At least he's progressed to the big show this time around.
But as rotten luck would have it, the knee locked up on him in the Region C tournament last week - in a match in which he was leading - and he had to settle for third place.
Adams came back, limber as ever, this week. He generally had his way in a 8-3 decision over Dan Roller of Stuarts Draft in the quarters.
"He beat a guy from George Wythe [John Elliott] whom I'd already beaten," Adams said. "[Roller] beat him 8-1, so I knew he was going to be tough. I figured if I could get some early points from him, then he might get tired and I could ride him out. That's what I did."
Adams faces Ward Hugh of Brentsville District in the semifinals. Jayme Woodson of Covington takes on Markus Turner of Sussex Central in the other semifinal.
"I feel like I'm getting done what I need to get done," Adams said. " Now if I can just keep it up."
Brentsville District leads the team competition with 71 points. Powell Valley is second with 59 points followed by Mathews (50), Sussex Central (48) and Stuarts Draft (44 1/2).
Elsewhere in the meet, Glenvar's 189-pounder Brandon Semones pushed his winning streak to 73 bouts with two more pins. He'll take on Derrick Mason of Mathews in the semifinals as Semones sets his sights on his third state title.
Jason Midkiff of Narrows tangles with Ben Smith of Sussex Central in the other semifinal.
Tony Bocanegra of James River (103) is still alive after dropping Shane Thompson of Northwood 18-8. Bocanegra, a state runner-up last year, will grapple with John Tabelon of Manassas Park today.
At 112, both Levi Taylor of Rural Retreat and Nick Ardwin of Grayson County made it to the semifinals. They won't see each other, though, unless both make the final.
Spencer Cooke of Grayson County and Jason Hamilton of Parry McCluer, 119-pounders, are two more Region C representatives in the semifinals. Chad Goodman of Region D's Chilhowie made it at 130. Chilhowie also advanced 160-pounder Todd Gillespie.
Eric Rector of Grayson County will take on David Knowlton of Stuarts Draft in a 145-pound semifinal.
In the heavyweight division, Parry McCluer's Jason Barger has a brutal semifinal rumble ahead with Sussex Central's Antonio Prosise, a University of Virginia football recruit. Prosise was the state runner-up to Joel Ides of old Lexington High at 189 last year.