Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503130041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM}
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Since William Byrd won the Group AA title in 1982, Grundy has risen to power in the Group AA ranks and teams from the eastern part of the state have dominated in Group AAA and Group A.
In all other sports - boys and girls - Timesland teams have won at least one state championship since Byrd's wrestling title. In boys' track, Byrd accomplished the feat in 1988. In all other sports, Timesland schools have won at least one state championship in the 1990s.
William Byrd's Barry Trent, the last Timesland wrestling coach to experience the euphoria of a state title, says part of the reason for the area's lack of a recent championship is the imbalance in the number of schools in the state's regions. It's tougher to come out of Region III than Region IV, where Grundy is the dominant team, or Region I, where powerful Poquoson wrestles.
There are 27 schools in Region III, compared with 12 in Region II and 14 in Region I. Poquoson and Grundy wrestlers have less competition for state berths.
There are other reasons.
``I think wrestling is like any other sport,'' Trent said. ``You get a good tradition and feeder system [like Grundy], the more people you have [participating], the better you'll be.
``Within Roanoke County, we have a good feeder system in the middle schools. What we don't have is elementary school [wrestling]. We won't have club wrestling and the little kids' programs like they have in Grundy and Tidewater.''
While Grundy won the Group AA title with 235 points, Blue Ridge District schools outscored the Golden Wave, with 2421/2 points. Tazewell and Richlands managed 50 points, enabling the Southwest to nose out the Blue Ridge 285-2421/2 as the highest-scoring district.
In Group A, no team from Region C, which is made up mostly of Timesland schools, has won a state championship.
In Group AAA, Franklin County was fifth in the individual tournament, but the Eagles were second to Great Bridge in the duals meet. The Eagles have finished as high as fourth in the individual meet, but no Roanoke Valley District team has challenged for a Group AAA team title at the individual meet.
The Eagles' Kris Kahila, though, doesn't think it's far-fetched to say his team might overhaul perennial Group AAA power Great Bridge in the near future.
``Being in the top five four times the past five years says something for our program,'' Kahila said. ``The kids have to understand that we have to go beyond the top [four or] five in the state and win the thing.''
Kahila's team lost seven matches by one point this year. Trung Nguyen and Landon Cuff each lost a first-round match by a point.
``We scored nearly 300 points in the Big Orange tournament'' at Byrd in January, Kahila said. ``I said there were matches that could go either way and you can lose a ton of points if you don't win them. That happened in the state.''
The longtime coach acknowledges Great Bridge and Grundy have great programs. ``They're very close to each other,'' said Kahila, whose team wrestles in a holiday invitational at Grundy. ``Both programs are committed top to bottom and have a lot of things going for them that a normal high school team doesn't.
``We can either sit around and make excuses, like we don't have this or that, or we can work hard. I choose the second.''
Kahila said one difference between Timesland teams and those from Grundy and Great Bridge is the way wrestlers approach each match.
``At Grundy and Graham, they go at such a fast pace for six minutes,'' Kahila said. ``It doesn't sound like a lot, but they leave a lot of people right there.
``Another thing is that they finish their moves. Several times we thought we had a takedown or a reversal, but the opponent stepped away before we got the points.''
George Miller, who stepped down last year as William Fleming's wrestling coach, says all the high school teams from the eastern part of the state have clubs competing 12 months a year.
``These guys are getting national recognition in the club. When they come to a state tournament, it's a piece of cake,'' Miller said. ``Also, some of our athletes play two or three sports. Their wrestlers play only one.''
It hasn't always been this way. The late Ken Shelton built a dynasty at Northside. The Vikings won state titles from 1967-70 as a Group AA school. Glenvar won a couple, then William Byrd and Northside gave the Blue Ridge District seven state crowns in eight years.
People from other parts of the state back then might have wondered if they would ever catch up with the Roanoke-area schools.
IMPORTANT MEETING: The Blue Ridge District principals will meet Monday at Lord Botetourt High School to consider, among other items, a proposed move from Region III to Region IV.
There is speculation that Region III will force out its Group A-sized schools, and if that happens, the Blue Ridge schools might decide to stay where they are.
In another attempt at realignment, Blacksburg and Christiansburg are expected to formally seek membership in the Blue Ridge whether that district is in Region III or Region IV. While the move makes sense for those New River District schools, the Blue Ridge is expected to vote against it.
EARLY START: It's still more than two weeks before spring sports officially get under way, but Cave Spring will kick off the season Saturday with its fourth preseason boys' soccer jamboree at Cave Spring Junior High School.
Eight schools are involved: the Knights, Patrick Henry, Lord Botetourt, North Cross, Roanoke Catholic, Magna Vista, Christiansburg and Heritage. The action begins at 9 a.m., with the final game to start at 4 p.m.
1,000 QUICKLY: Staunton River sophomore Hunter Hoggatt scored 27 points in the Seminole District tournament against Altavista, giving him a school-record 523 points this season. The guard has 1,014 points after leading the district in scoring as a freshman and a sophomore.
NEAR RETIREMENT: Burrall Paye has dropped hints that next season may be his last as the William Fleming boys' basketball coach. But Paye also says he wants to win his 500th game before leaving the coaching ranks.
If Paye is serious about pursuing that milestone, he won't retire after next season. Paye's teams have won 469 and lost 169. The most victories his team could get next year under current Virginia High School League schedule limitations would be 29, and the Colonels would have to go unbeaten and win the Group AAA title to do that.
by CNB