THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 17, 1994 TAG: 9412170429
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Qualifying six for the finals, Oscar Smith took a commanding lead after the semifinal round of the Portsmouth Invitational Wrestling Tournament on Friday at Churchland High School.
Oscar Smith, runner-up last year and seeking its first Portsmouth Invitational title since 1991, racked up 110 points. Only Bayside, with 92 1/2 points, seemingly has a chance to overtake the Tigers. The Marlins have four wrestlers in the finals.
Cape Henry stands third with 71 points, followed by Norfolk Academy with 70 1/2, Wilson with 62, Indian River with 54 1/2, Booker T. Washington with 32, Churchland with 29 1/2, Catholic with 25 1/2 and Norcom with 8.
The 10-team field is the largest in the long history of the tournament.
Officials went scurrying to the record book but were unable to ascertain if an eight-second pin by Wilson's Steve Rahimpour over Norcom's Maguell Martinez at 152 pounds in the quarterfinal round was a tournament record.
``I can't remember a faster one,'' said Darin Bracy, the Churchland coach who has been affiliated with the tourney through most of its years.
Cape Henry's Michiel Sival nearly matched Rahimpour's feat, registering a pin in nine seconds over Jeff Furrow of Indian River in their 103-pound quarterfinal match.
Oscar Smith has finalists at 112, 135, 140, 171, 189 and 275. One of two defending champions in the field, 189-pounder Anwar Sparrow, pinned Indian River's Antwain Britt in 35 seconds.
Sparrow is ranked No. 3 in South Hampton Roads at 189.
The other 1993 winner back in the finals is Wilson's Jason Lewis, who pinned Indian River's Lydell Sykes in 1:47 and Churchland's James Worrell in 43 seconds.
Churchland's Tiree Murphy, the No. 2 wrestler in the area at 125, drew a first-round bye and pinned Brent Matson of Cape Henry. He spent nearly six hours at the gym to wrestle 37 seconds.
Rahimpour, a third-place finisher last year bidding for ranking at 152, pinned Bayside's Wes Kandare in 1:39 in their semifinal bout.
Norfolk Academy's Clay Weisburg, the area's third-ranked 112-pounder, posted a pair of victories.
Another wrestler bidding for ranking, Bayside heavyweight John Fuller, notched two wins by falls.
Weigh-ins are scheduled 11 a.m. today. The consolation bouts will start at 1 p.m.
Championship matches will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Admission is $4. by CNB