Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 21, 1993 TAG: 9302210302
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
FRANKLIN CO. WRESTLERS RULE
Late Saturday night at Heritage High School, Franklin County wrestling coach Kris Kahila was sick.He was fighting a serious sinus infection, he was tired and he was watching the 325th and final wrestling match of the two-day Group AAA Northwestern Region wrestling tournament.
But Franklin County's heavyweight entry Rickey Young offered his coach a sure-fire cure-all.
Young pinned his opponent, James Davis of Woodbridge, capturing the Eagles' fourth individual championship and adding to Franklin County's first-place points total. He even sent Kahila a little early.
The win was Franklin County's second consecutive regional title and third in the past five seasons. With 211 points, the Eagles finished comfortably ahead of second-place Stonewall Jackson (175 points).
"I think we've got a reasonable shot at the state [title]," Kahila said. But winning is not getting monotonous for Kahila, in his 15th year at FC. "This year we had a new twist. The addition of the Cardinal district made four districts competing for the first time."
The Roanoke Valley District fared well with six individual winners in the 13 divisions. William Fleming finished a solid fourth, and Cave Spring placed ninth.
In addition to Young, Franklin County's champions included Daniel Gearhart (135) and defending regional winners Thomas Simmons (145) and Hasani Menefee (152).
Other champions from the RVD included Fleming's Keno Shepherd at 112 and Patrick Henry's Albert Nugue at 130.
Shepherd, last year's state runner-up at 103, was upset in the finals of last week's district tournament. The defeat helped him prepare for this week's matches.
"That match made me realize I have to work," said Shepherd, a 5-3 winner in the finals. He's aiming for a state title next week in Richmond.
Nugue, who in five years of wrestling never has been pinned, brought PH its first regional titlist since 1988. Nugue, an outside linebacker and kicker for the Patriot football team at 165 pounds, has lost weight but not his cunning. He beat Franklin County's Daniel Worley 7-5 in an all-RVD regional final.
"I'm extremely excited to be going to the state," Nugue said.
PH coach Scotty Smith praised Nugue's intelligence on the mat.
"Albert's a good controller," Smith said. "He takes advantage of situations when they arise, and he doesn't make mistakes . . . He's hard to beat."
Fauquier's Cody Claymier, a ferocious 125-pounder, was easily named the most-outstanding wrestler in the 19-school competition in a vote of the coaches. Claymier has a 91-11 career record and this season is 27-0 with 16 pins.
Fleming's Eddie Jones, who entered the tournament undefeated at 171 pounds, was derailed by eventual champion Gary Allamong from James Wood. Allamong also is unbeaten. Jones rallied to finish third in the consolation bracket.
"Tell the people from Roanoke I won't let 'em down at state," Jones said. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the state competition.
\ see microfilm for complete results.