Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 6, 1994 TAG: 9402070007
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
\ When Northside's Richie Oliver pinned an opponent in less than two periods for the third time Saturday night, closing the Blue Ridge District wrestling tournament, it appeared he was in a hurry to go home.
Not true, said the Vikings' heavyweight.
"You've got to be patient out there," Oliver said. "You've got to take your time, lay back and let the other guy make his move."
Oliver weighs 230 pounds, and as he competes with wrestlers who weigh as much as 275, he must use cunning and guile to compensate for his lack of girth.
Oliver's strategy worked perfectly Saturday as he ran his individual record to 26-1 with 21 pins and helped lead Northside to the district championship. The Vikings won six of 13 weight classes, easily outdistancing second-place William Byrd 208-143. Salem edged Lord Botetourt for third.
Alleghany was fifth, and Rockbridge County, the tournament's host for the first time, finished sixth.
Northside was the Group AA state runner-up to Grundy High School last year, but most of the Vikings' starters graduated. Coach Fred Wagner said he has been surprised by his team's 13-0 dual-meet record, as well as its Big Orange and Ironman tournament titles.
"We've got seven first-year starters," Wagner said. "And the district as a whole is much stronger than it was last season.
"Twenty percent of the wrestlers who placed at state last year were from this district. It's going to help us to be coming out of here."
Several of the Vikings' individual crowns were earned by narrow margins. Brad Hungate (112), Mark Mast (119) and Clifton Dunford (125) trailed in the second or third period of their championship matches. Hungate beat Byrd's Randall Sell 4-3, Mast overcame Salem's Drew Givens 8-5 and Dunford - a state runner-up in 1993 - edged Salem's Billy Bowes 9-8.
"I don't care if it's a pin or a one-point win as long as you've wrestled hard," Wagner said. "I tell our wrestlers that when you face adversity and get behind, let's see how you respond."
Oliver was the only wrestler to pin three opponents in the tournament. Northside's other winners were Chip Nininger (171) and Gary Thomas (189).
Three Byrd wrestlers were individual champions: Patrick Henderson, also a 1993 state runner-up, at 135; Heath Brogan at 140; and Jason Hogan at 152. Hogan pinned Botetourt's Barry Williams in 1 minutes, 24 seconds to improve his record to 21-1.
"I got him in a cradle," Hogan said.
Alleghany had two winners - Jeremy Bartley at 103 and Shane Davis at 130. Botetourt's Bobby Stewart was the 145-pound champion, and Salem's Jeremy Spillen prevailed at 160.
The top four finishers in each weight class advance to next week's Region III tournament, also at Rockbridge County. Northside, the 1993 regional champion, will send 12 wrestlers to regionals.
The addition of the Seminole and Piedmont districts to Region III will give the regional than 20 schools.
"We'll bring out an extra mat," said Rockbridge athletic director Dan Lyons, director of both tournaments. "We ran a little behind today, but I think we'll be all right." \
See microfilm for complete results.
by CNB