ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 27, 1996 TAG: 9604290086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
THE FRANKLIN COUNTY 152-pounder and Group AAA titlist is Timesland's Wrestler of the Year.
There wasn't much doubt about the top wrestling award in Timesland this winter, but there were some tight battles in several weight divisions.
Franklin County's Bryan Jones, frustrated a year ago when friend and teammate Trung Nguyen claimed the top award, had the perfect season this year with a 32-0 record. He won the Group AAA title in the 152-pound division.
Jones beat out William Byrd's David Anderson for Timesland's top honor. Anderson won the 125-pound Group AA title as he helped lead the Terriers to third place in the state standings.
Radford's Tony DeHart is Timesland Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to a third-place finish in the state and producing a pair of state champions. He beat out first-year William Byrd coach Adam Williams, a former All-Timesland wrestler at Cave Spring.
Franklin County dominated the team with three first-team choices. Joining Jones and Nguyen (112) is 145-pounder Ivan Trotter. Five Eagles made the second team.
William Byrd had two first-team selections with Randall Sell at 119. Staunton River made its best showing in All-Timesland with Josh Ridgeway (103) and Danny Thomas (135) making first team after strong showings in the state meets.
The other All-Timesland choices are: Pulaski County's Brian McGinnis (130), Northside's Jason Vaughan (140), Laurel Park's Anthony Lanier (160), Shawsville's unbeaten Scott Holleman (171), Salem's Jamie Giarla (189), Radford's Elmo Dunbar (215) and Covington's Jason Stanier (275).
Holleman, Stanier and Dunbar were Timesland's other state titlists on the first team. Three second-team choices were state titlists. Christiansburg's Jamie Harris won the 112-pound title in Group AA, and Radford's Stephen Murphy (125) and Floyd County's Kamal Chantal (140) were state titlists in Group A.
The toughest choices came at 112, 130, 215 and 275. Of those, it was closest in 112, where Nguyen nudged out the once-beaten Harris thanks to a close decision in the finals of the Grundy Invitational.
At 130, McGinnis overcame William Byrd's Lonny Wade, who won a Region III title but didn't get to wrestle in the Group AA meet because of mononucleosis. Liberty's Ricky Dooley, who lost to Wade in a Region III match, finished third in the state, but that wasn't enough to beat out McGinnis, who was sixth in Group AAA and the only Roanoke Valley District wrestler other than Jones and Nguyen to place in the state.
At 215, Dunbar overcame Byrd junior Timmy Boothe, who was fifth in the Group AA meet. Dunbar's unbeaten season and state championship were the difference.
In 275, it came down to Stanier and Bassett's John Miller. Stanier proved he could wrestle against upper classification opponents by winning the Big Orange, even though the field lost some strong entries after numerous postponements. That, and his state title, were enough to give him the nod for first team.
Jones said his confidence was much better this year than it was his junior season.
``Last winter I felt pressure to go undefeated.'' Jones said. ``This year I always felt I was going to win. It was drilled into my head and I became comfortable.''
Winning the Group AAA crown was the highlight for Jones. The RVD has had few state titles.
``The last month, I had an ankle injury, so I was glad to get there and get it over with,'' said Jones.
The Eagle wrestler, who had a career record of 143-16 over four years, said one of the differences this year was new assistant coach Warren Stewart, a Division II champion at Liberty.
``He weighs about the same as I do. Starting in the fall we wrestled every day,'' Jones said.
DeHart took over for long-time coach Buddy Shull when Radford, a Group A size school in enrollment, was still in Group AA and not considered a threat behind perennial power Grundy. This year, the Bobcats won the Three Rivers District and the Region C titles over another fast-rising program from Floyd County under coach Barry Hollandsworth.
DeHart joined Shull out of Radford University. ``We had done well in Group AA, finishing 10th in the state and qualifying six wrestlers for the state,'' recalled Shull. ``We said if we ever got to single A, we could win.''
The Bobcats haven't won a state title in the two years since they've dropped down, but they're getting closer. Shull is now assistant principal at Christiansburg and DeHart is building to the day when Radford will win a Group A title.
``There's a group of wrestlers who have come through from sandlot whom Buddy started out. Five or six of them stayed together and that was the nucleus this year,'' said DeHart.
``Dropping to single A has helped. Our kids are more competitive and it lets them feel better about themselves.''
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PAUL L. NEWBY II STAFF Here is the 1996 All-Timeslandby CNBwrestling team: Back row (left to right): Anthony Lanier, Laurel
Park (160); Jamie Giarla, Salem (189); Elmo Dunbar, Radford (215);
Jason Stanier, Covington (275); Ivan Trotter, Franklin County
(145); Middle row: Randall Sell, William Byrd (119); Brian
McGinnis, Pulaski County (130); Jason Vaughan, Northside (140);
Danny Thomas, Staunton River (135); Front row: Josh Ridgeway,
Staunton River (103); Trung Nguyen, Franklin County (112); David
Anderson, William Byrd (125); Bryan Jones, Franklin County (152),
Timesland Wrestler of the Year; Tony DeHart, Radford, Timesland
Coach of the Year. Not pictured is Scott Holleman, Shawsville (171).
2. chart - Wrestling 1996 All-Timesland Team