THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210522
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Seventh-ranked Granby took a major step towards winning its second tournament title in five days Wednesday, as the Comets stormed to a 50-point lead after the first day of the second annual South Norfolk Wrestling Invitational at Oscar Smith.
The Comets, who won the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Saturday, racked up 134 points, easily outdistancing Lake Taylor (84) and Lafayette (75).
Granby will have a tournament-high seven wrestlers in today's finals, including top-ranked 145-pounder Chris Martin. Martin, a state runner-up a year ago, advanced courtesy of two first-period pins. Also in today's finals for Granby: No. 2 171-pounder William Thornton, a defending South Norfolk Invitational champion who will seek revenge against Churchland state runner-up Orlando Morton. The top-ranked Morton knocked off Thornton in the PIT final.
Second-place Lake Taylor got strong efforts from its self-proclaimed ``Four Horsemen'' - Paul Jimenez (103), Tremaine Baker (125), Lionel Davis (130) and Kenny Hessler (140). The four Titans, who take their nickname from a group on one of the professional wrestling circuits, all locked down finals berths. Fourth-place Currituck, Churchland and Lafayette also will have four finalists.
Action resumes today at noon with the consolation quarterfinals, followed by the consolation semifinals at 2 p.m., the third-place matches at 3:30 and the finals at 5:30.
In other matches Wednesday:
Western Branch 54, Kellam 18: The second-ranked Bruins, who wrestled 10 matches in two days in California over the weekend and didn't get back to Chesapeake until late Monday, still had more than enough to overwhelm the Knights. Sean Sanderlin, top-ranked at 152, won by pin in 16 seconds to improve to an area-best 17-0.
First Colonial 36, Kempsville 34: Trailing 30-13 after nine matches, the Chiefs won three of the next four matches by fall to put a scare in the No. Patriots. Dan McDonald (160 pounds), Richard Madson (171) and George Womick (215) registered pins as Kempsville trimmed the margin to 36-31. A technical fall or pin by heavyweight Donald Stakes would have given the Chiefs the upset. But Eric Miller held off Stakes, surrendering just three takedowns before losing 6-2. Jason Bernd (No. 2, 119), Pierre Pryor (No. 2, 135), Kyle Magyar (No. 3, 112) and Jeff Bernd (No. 3, 130) won for First Colonial. by CNB