Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 19, 1994 TAG: 9402190172
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He who has the most wrestlers wins.
That seemed to be the synopsis of the early rounds of the Group A state high school tournament that began Friday at the Salem Civic Center.
Defending champion Brentsville District sent six wrestlers to today's semifinals, and through the quarterfinals, five more were alive in the consolation bracket. Those numbers were the respective highs in the 39-team competition, giving Brentsville a 65-56 lead over Coeburn.
Northampton and Riverheads were tied for third with 52 points. Strasburg held down fifth place (40) and two-time state champion Mathews (1990-91) was in sixth (39). Timesland teams, as a whole, did not fare especially well. Shawsville was in 14th place (23.5), just ahead of Grayson County and Parry McCluer, who were tied with Madison County at 21 points.
The six Brentsville competitors who escaped the first two rounds unscathed were Kenny McCauley (119 pounds), Ben Cornwell (135), Jess Moore (140), Luke Croushorn (145), Royce Clayborne (152) and Ward Hugh (171). McCauley and Clayborne made short work of their Grayson County quarterfinal opponents, recording second-period pins over Ernie Pritchard and Eric Montgomery, respectively.
Coeburn sent three individuals to the semis, one fewer than the two other teams most likely to challenge Brentsville, Northampton and Riverheads.
Roanoke-area wrestlers who remain in contention for titles are: Glenvar's Aaron Muncy (119), Narrows' Jarrett Rhodes (135), James River's Todd Washington (140) and Covington's Robert Stanier (heavyweight).
The two Shawsville wrestlers still alive in the winners' bracket, 103-pounder Alan Trout and 160-pounder Scott Holleman, advanced in radically different fashion.
Trout pinned Brett Alexander of Essex and Brentsville's Wes Persons in an aggregate 75 seconds. Holleman was involved in some high-scoring, action-packed, six-minute bouts. He beat Mike McCracken of Patrick Henry-Ashland by a technical fall 19-2, then came from behind to upend James Judson of Mathews 12-10.
"When I get on this level, I don't want to fool around," said Trout, who placed fourth in the state last year at 112. "I like to get it over with and concentrate on my next opponent."
Trout's season record through Friday night is 26-0.
It is unusual for a wrestler to move down in weight class as he gets older, but Trout had his reasons. "I did it to avoid a couple of people," he said. Trout's brother Zack, a freshman, wrestles 112 for Shawsville this year. Zack qualified for the state meet, but was pinned in his first match.
"Zack's another reason I wrestle 103," Trout said. "He couldn't cut the weight."
Legendary stories abound detailing Trout's inordinate strength, but he doesn't attribute it to weightlifting. "I work on a farm in Ellett Valley, tossing bales of hay and chasing cattle," Trout said.
Holleman (23-3) used raw strength and stamina to post his victories. "That first match [the 19-2 affair] was rough," he said. "I just couldn't seem to pin him. His shoulders were too limber; it seemed like his shoulders would just squeeze together.
Holleman, a fullback and defensive end for the football team, is only a sophomore and has high aspirations in wrestling.
"I'd like to win three state championships," he said. "Coach said that if I'm going to win, I've got to use some guts."
All three of Holleman's losses this year were to Narrows' Shannone Harman, who was eliminated by Northumberland's Tony Sebra in a quarterfinal.
Shawnee coach Ben Boyd, a former Group AAA heavyweight champion at Salem's Andrew Lewis, started the wrestling program at Shawsville two years ago.
"I'm proud of the kids," Boyd said. "I work 'em pretty good in practice, but you've also got to have heart, and these kids do.
"I told them that if you give 100 percent, good things happen."
Shawsville recorded an 8-6 record in dual matches this season. "We had a tough schedule," Boyd said, citing AA powerhouses Northside and Grundy among the opponents.
by CNB