THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 18, 1995 TAG: 9501180541
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
This year's Virginia Duals high school tournament might have been a national championship in name only, but next year's event might actually go a long way towards determining who's really got the best team in the country.
Midway through Saturday's inaugural National Invitational Team Wrestling Championships, organizers were already declaring it a success and announcing plans to expand from eight to 16 teams while upgrading the quality of an already strong field.
``This time, we sort of got the best teams in the Southeast,'' high schools director Bill Smith said. ``Now, we're going after the best field we can have.''
Smith isn't ready to name some of the teams he's contacted, but anyone with a high ranking in the USA Today or Amateur Wrestling News polls should consider themselves invited.
``Last year, we got a late start and a lot of teams already had their schedules made,'' Smith said. ``This time, we're starting right now.''
Parkersburg South (W.Va.), which took the title Saturday, will be invited back, and spots will be held for at least two Virginia schools, most likely the Group AAA and Group AA champions, Smith said.
The organizers are clearly looking to steer the high school tournament along the same course taken by the college event, which began as an eight-team tournament, was expanded to 16 teams and wound up serving as the national duals championships.
What remains to be seen is whether this bigger and better tournament will have a significant impact on sagging attendance figures for the Virginia Duals. It will have to, because, despite another star-studded college field, the high school tournament generated again generated virtually all the local spectator interest.At no time during the three sessions of the two-day tournament did there appear to be more than 1,500 spectators in attendance.
TOURNAMENT WRAP: Cape Henry Collegiate continued its surge among private school programs with a second-place finish in the 12-team Christchurch Tournament over the weekend. Matthews High placed first, with the host school coming in third.
Norfolk Collegiate, the only other South Hampton Roads team in the field, finished 12th.
Robert Gautreaux (145 pounds) led the Dolphins as he pinned three of his four opponents in less than 30 seconds. He tied teammate Nick Gomez (130) for the fastest pin - 16 seconds.
Cape Henry place-winners were Micheal Sival (second at 103), Brent Matson (third at 125) and Brian Kelley (fourth at 140).
The team's showing continued a string of solid efforts for Cape Henry, a school which four years ago didn't even have a team. Earlier this year, the Dolphins won their own tournament and placed sixth in the Orange Bowl Sunshine Open in Florida.
They've also proven to a legitimate dual-match team despite a 4-5 record, as evidenced by a 35-31 loss to Norfolk Academy.
``Our only problem is numbers,'' said Cape Henry coach Pete McCoy, who took only eight guys to the Christchurch tournament. ``We're two or three guys away from making really strong stand.''
LOOKING AHEAD: A pair of matches with serious regional tournament implications highlight tonight's wrestling schedule. In the Beach District, third-ranked Cox takes on No. 6 Salem in a battle of league unbeatens. The Falcons could use a return to form by 140-pounder Jesse Correll, formerly top-ranked in the area but who has struggled of late.
The other headliner pits No. 8 Deep Creek against No. 2 Western Branch. The Hornets have won five in a row after an 0-5 start and are bubbling with confidence for this match. The youthful Bruins haven't been beaten all season and appear to be peaking. Tonight's winner will most likely nail down second place in the Southeastern District, although, as usual, Western Branch will go into its Jan. 28 match at Great Bridge expecting to win.
BAD BREAK: Great Bridge's Jimmy Hawthorne, the sophomore 119-pounder who place third in the state last year, has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and could miss the rest of the season, Wildcats coach Steve Martin said. Hawthorne was unbeaten in his first 12 matches and appeared to be wrestling as well as anyone in the area before going down. His absence has already been felt by Great Bridge - with Hawthorne, the Wildcats probably would have won Saturday's Virginia Duals tournament. The official word on Hawthorne's status won't be known until the results of Monday's MRI are in, but Martin said that, given Hawthorne's toughness, he wouldn't be surprised to see the sophomore back by tournament time. by CNB