THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502220148
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 29 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
THE STREAMLINED Group AA wrestling tournament season gets underway Saturday with the Region I championships at York High School.
Unlike Group AAA, the smaller Group AA doesn't have a duals tournament. Furthermore, since only Matoaca among Southside District schools has a wrestling team, the seven-team Bay Rivers District doesn't even bother with a league tournament. The top seeds in each weight class for the regional tournament, to be determined during a meeting of coaches this week, will be declared unofficial district champions.
Action in the one-day regional tournament begins Saturday at 9 a.m. The finals should begin at approximately 7 p.m.
The top four finishers in each weight class will advance to the Group AA state tournament March 3-4 at the Salem Civic Center.
AND STILL CHAMPIONS: Poquoson continued its dominance of the Bay Rivers District by copping its fourth league title in five years.
Still, no one's complaining about the power of the Islanders. Besides lending credibility to the relatively young Bay Rivers, the presence of the perennial state runners-up helps light a fire under the wrestlers and coaches of other district schools, according to Lakeland coach Steve Wood.
``Having Poquoson around has caused us all to work harder,'' Wood said.
Among the also-rans, Nansemond River appears to be doing the best job of closing the gap. The Warriors didn't lose a district match until Feb. 8, when Poquoson knocked them off, 36-21.
``The score doesn't tell the whole story,'' Nansemond River coach Doug Dohey said. ``There were a lot of close matches.''
The Warriors bounced back and smacked Southampton, 54-13, to finish second for the third straight year with a 5-1 district mark. Nansemond River has gone 15-3 against district opposition the past three seasons, with all losses coming to Poquoson.
York placed third, with Lakeland fourth.
A spate of injuries may have cost the Cavaliers third place, as an undermanned Lakeland team fell, 43-26, to York last week.
``We had two guys out with shoulder injuries, my 135-pounder had a rash and couuldn't wrestle and two other guys had the flu,'' Wood said.
That match was a microcosm of the season for Wood, who said at one point he was using seven junior varsity wrestlers to plug holes created by wounded, suspended or disaffected former varsity starters.
Southampton, Bruton and Franklin rounded out the standings, in that order.
REGIONAL FORECAST: Just as they did during the regular season, the defending regional champion Islanders figure to collect another top team honor this weekend. But the individual tournament format should also produce several state qualifiers from Western Tidewater.
A roundup of the potential regional placewinners:
Lakeland: Wood believes the Cavaliers could send as many as seven wrestlers to the state tournament, including Mike Sheline (103), Jeremy Guinn (112), Jarvis Boone (119), Robert Guinn (125), Jonathan Thompson (160), Ellis Temple (189) and James Temple (275).
Both Temples reached the regional final last season and placed in the state tournament. Boone and Robert Guinn were state qualifiers a year ago.
Thompson also qualified for the state tournament, but couldn't compete after being ejected from the regionals for flagrant misconduct. This year, with a 23-1 record and no losses against regional opponents, Thompson appears to be the Cavalier most likely to win a regional title.
Nansemond River: Seven Warriors loom as serious contenders for state berths, led by Damon Hill (171), a freshman who has a team-best 21-2 record, tied a team record with 12 pins and led the Warriors with 87 team points.
Other top Warriors include Grayson Craun (145), unbeaten in the district and winner of a school-record 67 near-fall points, Jason Taylor (130), the team leader in reversals; Sam Tep (103); Mike Merrell (119) and Whitney Craun (145), also unbeaten in the district.
Southampton: As many as five Indians could make the state cut, according to coach Tim Mason. Jeff Nadeau (119), fourth in the region last year, Hank Stieh (125) and Glenn Sturdiven (152) look like the best bets. Nadeau's brother, Greg, was a state runner-up two years ago.
Chris Edwards (130) and William Jones (275) could also break through, Mason said.
Franklin: The Broncos struggled as a team in their return to Group AA, but Jonathan Beale (160) and Carlos Whitehead (135) could take some individual honors. Otherwise, Franklin will continue to be hurt by the mid-season loss of two of its best wrestlers. Lajuan Whitfield, a state placewinner last year, is academically ineligible, and J.J. Whitehead (no relation to Carlos) has been sidelined since being involved in a car accident during the Christmas break. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Nansemond River's Thomas Merrill gets the better of Churchlands's
Eric Neeth during a recent match.
Nansemond River freshman Damon Hill prepares to pin James Worrell of
Churchland.
by CNB