THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412140179
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
A NEW CHAMPION will be crowned in the Portsmouth Invitational Holiday Wrestling Tournament at Churchland this weekend.
Lake Taylor, last year's winner, is not participating in the 10-team tourney.
Norview won in 1992 and the Pilots are not back either.
For the last nine years a school outside of Portsmouth has won the championship.
This year's field is the largest in tournament history - 10 teams. In addition to host Churchland, the entries include Wilson, Norcom, Oscar Smith, Indian River, Bayside, Catholic, Booker T. Washington, Cape Henry and Norfolk Collegiate.
Oscar Smith was the champion in 1990 and 1991. The Tigers were runners-up last year.
Churchland coach Darin Bracy, director of the tournament, believes five or six of the teams have a shot at the title.
``I would say this is the most balanced field we have ever had,'' said Bracy. ``Even making the seedings is a task. We've already had some surprise results in dual matches. Just about anybody can win this thing.''
Anwar Sparrow is the mainstay on the Oscar Smith team. Sparrow won the 189-pound title in last year's tournament and is competing at that same weight this season. He's No. 3 ranked in the area in that division.
Shawn Sanderson and Rodney Worsley are two other title hopefuls for the Tigers. Sanderson was fourth at 160 last year and is back at the same weight. Worsley is at 140. He took third at 135 last year.
Wilson's Steve Rahimpour is a favorite at 152 if he makes weight. He is No. 2 ranked in the area. Rahimpour placed third last year.
Norcom has contenders in 145-pounder Joseph Bracy and 171-pounder Juquana Madison.
Eric Smith (119) and Nelson Anderson (189) lead Indian River. Both were region qualifiers last year.
Bayside, one of three newcomers in the tournament along with Indian River and Booker T. Washington, has six starters back from last year's squad. Robert O'Keefe (135), Gil Roebuck (145) and 275-pounder John Fuller are among the holdovers.
Catholic has a pair of Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools champions in Ben Scotece (135) and Tom Juskevich (189). Scotece finished third at 130 in last year's PIWT.
Booker T. has good prosects in two wrestlers who transferred in this year - Jason Mallery (152) and Wilberto Santiago (189). Mike Vander (140) and Duyawne Williams (160) are the top returnees.
Robert Cautreaux, a 152-pounder, and Brent Matson, at 130, are the standouts for Cape Henry. Matson was fourth at 119 last year. Cautreaux and Ed Calle (135) also had fourth-place finishes a year ago. Calle remains at 135.
Norfolk Collegiate is gaining experience through tournaments. This is one of nine tourneys Collegiate will participate in this season. B. J. Berenguer (140), Frank Thomas (112) and 275-pounder Eugene Davis are among the key performers.
Churchland has definite title hopefuls in Tyree Murphy (125) and Joey Jesolva (152). Jesolva may wrestle at 145. Other contenders are Matt Scott (103) and Brett Staples (130).
The competition will be especially keen at 119, where three of the wrestlers who placed last year are back.
The tournament will start at 5 p.m. Friday. Saturday's matches will begin at 1 p.m. The finals will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is $4 per day. An $8 tournament pass will entitle those attending to come and go during each day. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by L. TODD SPENCER
ABOVE: James Worrell and Matthew Allen of Churchland wrestle in a
match to see which one would go to the Portsmouth Invitational
Tournament this weekend in the 160-pound class.
LEFT: Tiree Murphy, a junior at Churchland, is rated No. 2 in the
Tidewater area. He wrestles in the 125-pound class.
by CNB