ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210040
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: RAY COX
Common ground for high school wrestling teams in the New River Valley is, for the most part, lacking.
The Group A teams such as Radford, Floyd County and Shawsville rarely cross paths with AA Blacksburg and Christiansburg. The AAA entry from Pulaski County hardly ever sees any of the rest.
But one experience they do share: the challenge of assembling a full team.
Numbers are a battle wherever you look. Being able to fill out a full lineup card is a novelty - almost like somebody other than Grundy (10 times in a row) winning an AA wrestling championship.
Aside from being the biggest of the New River Valley wrestling schools, Pulaski County differs from the rest in another respect.
``We've got every spot in the lineup filled,'' said first-year Cougars coach Wayne Viers.
That's a claim none of the other five can make. Radford hopes to make up for the lack of quantity with quality. Bobcats coach Tony DeHart is scrambling to plug athletes in at the upper weights, where heavyweight Chris Vicars is recovering from a twisted knee and Elmo Dunbar is losing weight to get down to 215.
It is in the lower weights that the Bobcats are going to be particularly solid. Ryan Hall at 119 pounds, Stephen Murphy at 125, Benjy Fry at 130 and 152-pounder Peter Lee all have high hopes.
Hall is moving up after winning a Group A Region C championship and finishing fourth at the state at 103. Murphy is making the leap from 112 to 125 after winning the region and finishing fourth at state with a 25-4 record. Fry won the region and was fifth at the state at 119. Lee went 17-9 and included a regional championship among his triumphs at 152 last year.
``Up to 152, we are going to be very solid this year,'' Murphy said. ``I'm very optimistic.''
Outgoing Pulaski County coach Fred Blevins left Viers a well-stocked cupboard. At the head of a talented cast is 171-pound junior J.R. Osborne, who had a bang-up 32-8 season capped with Roanoke Valley District and Northwestern Region titles and a third-place finish at the state meet. Another veteran, 130-pounder Brian McGinnis, won the 125-pound district championship last year and 140-pounder Spencer Hite was also an RVD champ.
Other potential contenders include 112-pounder J.T. Thomas, 119-pounder Lee Pannell, 125-pound Mitch Gilmer, 135-pound Ryan Rorrer (9-4), 152-pound Eric Queen (21-12) and 189-pound Ryan Brockmeyer.
Christiansburg is another one that won't have all 14 weight classes filled, which galls coach Dean Underwood to no end. Still, the Blue Demons will be represented by those they do send to the mat.
Jamie Harris had a terrific campaign at 112, going 30-3 and finishing second in the state. Likewise John de Rossett at 103, who was third in Region IV. Eric Schmucker was a New River District champion and regional runner-up a year ago. When he recovers from a broken finger that he sustained in football, he'll be one of the best the Blue Demons have. Darrin Slusher could have the same type of impact at 171 as he did at 160, where he was a regional runner-up last year.
Elsewhere, Underwood hopes freshman Adam Toler can cut some weight to 145. He is expected to be a fine wrestler in time. Nathan King had a tough year last year as a heavyweight but has been showing a lot of progress as a 215-pounder this year.
Christiansburg is short on experience but not potential at other weight classes.
``By the end of the season, we could be pretty tough once some of these younger kids get some experience,'' Underwood said.
Experience is what Blacksburg lacks most.
Everybody on the team either has one season of cradles and headlocks on his resume or has never before been on a mat. Now that it appears that 189-pounder Kip Kenyon won't be able to wrestle (he's recovering from a repaired knee), the Indians' most promising guy is heavyweight Nathan Cumbee. He is capable of a great deal (he went to the state last year) but must learn to avoid strategic blunders in the heat of action.
Cumbee was the only Blacksburg wrestler to make it to the state a year ago.
Floyd County is maybe a year away from being a strong contender in Group A. As it is, the Buffaloes have had a good turnout with 25 wrestlers on hand, none of them seniors.
Camal Chantal was sixth in the state as a 135-pounder last year but he'll be at 140 this year. Patrick Coulahan had a nice year at 112. David Phillips is the defending Three Rivers District champion at 152.
Shawsville has a new coach in Jeff Maynard. It didn't take long for Maynard to find out who 171-pounder Scott Holleman is.
Holleman is a two-time Three Rivers and Region C champion and was the state runner-up last year. Much is expected this year.
Anthony Creasey won the district at heavyweight last year but he'll be wrestling at the new 215 class this year. And Matt Abbott at 119 and Jeremy Flight at 135 have both been looking good this year.
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: RAY COX/Staff. Radford High School wrestlers (clockwiseby CNBfrom front left) Stephen Murphy, Bryan Hall, Benjy Fry and Peter
Lee. The Bobcats are hoping that their quality will make up for
their lack of numbers. color.