THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996 TAG: 9601100800
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
South Hampton Roads teams didn't get any easy matchups when it came to the pairings for this weekend's Virginia Duals National Invitational High School Tournament.
Then again, considering the strength of the tournament beginning Friday at the Hampton Coliseum, there really are no easy pairings. Six nationally ranked teams will be in the 16-field, making it one of the most talent-laden tournaments in the country. (Ironically, it's only the second-toughest tournament of the weekend. The Tournament of Champions in Reno features nine Top-25 teams, including No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) and No. 2 Walsh Jesuit (Ohio).
Great Bridge, seeded third behind Nazareth (Pa.) and Grundy, will be favored to dispatch its first-round opponent, Overton (Tenn.). But the area's other National Invitational participants - Tallwood, Western Branch, Cox and Lake Taylor - face severe challenges their first time out.
The Lions must go up against St. Mark's (Del.), ranked No. 17th in the country by USA Today. The Falcons face Highland (N.J.), USA Today's No. 25 team. The Titans face Grundy, No. 10 in the USA Today poll. And the Bruins will meet Tri Valley from wrestling hotbed Pennsylvania.
Other first-round matches: Nazareth (No. 4 nationally according to USA Today) vs. Hayfield; Poquoson vs. Woodford (Ky.) and Herndon vs. Bakersfield (Calif.).
First-round matches will be held Friday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, with the second round commencing at 3 p.m. The finals, along with the championships of the high school ``Top Gun'' and ``Black & Blue'' Divisions and the 16-team college tournament, will be held Saturday at 9 p.m.
CENTURY MARK: The Wildcats' 71-6 victory over Lake Taylor Saturday was coach Steve Martin's 100th coaching triumph since he took over at Great Bridge prior to the 1991-92 season. Martin's coaching record currently stands at 101-4. Ironically, three of the four losses have come at the Virginia Duals - to Jefferson Township (N.J.), Nazareth (Pa.) and Parkersburg South (W.Va.). The fourth came last month against Grundy.
SO LONG: Cox 140-pounder Jason Timberlake won his first eight matches and rose to No. 2 in the area rankings before quitting the team and returning to his native Ohio. His spot in the lineup has been assumed by Derek Lipoli, a freshman who made an immediate impact by placing fifth in Deep Creek's Hornet Holiday Invitational.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD?: The Eastern District title will likely be decided Thursday, when seventh-ranked Granby travels to No. 8 Lake Taylor for a 7 p.m. match. The Titans have won the past two league crowns, but have seen seven projected starters transfer, quit or become academic casualties since the season began.
Even so, the Comets, who blew a 28-0 lead to Maury last year, refuse to see themselves as favorites.
``Last year, our guys were too tight, too nervous,'' Granby coach John Cerminara said. ``So we're taking the approach that it's just another match.''
BRIEFLY: The Suffolk public schools will make up a day lost to the storm on Saturday, but Lakeland coach Steve Wood said the Cavaliers will still be permitted to compete in Saturday's Catholic Invitational. Also, Lakeland's match against Franklin, scheduled for tonight, has been postponed until Jan. 17. . . . Great Bridge's Carl Perry, the most outstanding wrestler at last year's Virginia Duals National Invitational Tournament, will be featured on ESPN's ``Scholastic Sports America'' Monday at 3:30 p.m. The piece will be an updated version of the one which aired recently on WTKR. . . . Western Branch will be well represented in the college portion of the Virginia Duals. Michigan's Chris Viola, Oklahoma's Byron Tucker and Old Dominion's Wendell Turner are all former Bruins. . . . Saturday's Oak Duals at Norfolk Collegiate will feature a 112-pound bout between Wilson's Dana Worthington and Booker T. Washington's Sherika Sadler. It is believed to be the first girl-vs.-girl varsity matchup in area history. by CNB