THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 5, 1997 TAG: 9702050688
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: WRESTLING REPORT
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 55 lines
Everybody wants to be ranked, but with only 42 slots the competition is keen. So this week wrestling report takes a look at some of the best wrestlers who aren't ranked.
Duwyne Williams, Booker T. Washington, 171: He began the season ranked No. 1 and is 17-0. So what gives? Williams wrestled sparingly in December when the competition was piling up matches and he hasn't faced a ranked opponent. A case can be made that he should be ranked ahead of Western Branch's Andy Preston; Williams beat Preston 9-7 in last year's region tournament. But Preston took top-ranked Mohammed Youssofi of Cox and No. 2 Damon Hill of Nansemond River into overtime.
Kris Kriz, Lake Taylor, 275: This powerful senior is 18-2 with both losses coming in the Western Branch Team Rotational when he had a bad back. One of those defeats was to Cox's Steve Mings and Kriz passed up shot at the Bruins' Marvin Urquhart. So he has few victories of note. But in what has become perhaps the best weight class in the area Kriz has the tools to qualify for state.
Shawn Lemke, 152, Kempsville: He was ranked briefly and then lost to Green Run's Frank Lavoie. But at 20-3 with wins over Cox's Will Lewis and Deep Creek's Patrick Royster he's been the most consistent wrestler for the fifth-best team in the area.
Nathan Story, Tallwood, 145: He's 18-4 - 10-1 since mid-December - with all the losses coming to wrestlers from outside the Eastern Region.
Matt Scott, 103 and Robert Hilliard, 140, Churchland: Scott is 18-1 with the loss to Hickory's Mike Basham in the PIT. Hilliard is 16-1 with the loss to Bayside's Fred Jasmin, also in the PIT. Neither wrestler has a marquee victory, but with a combined 34-2 record they are worth mentioning.
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK: The Beach and Southeastern District dual meet titles will be decided this week when No. 4 Tallwood visits No. 1 Cox on Thursday and No. 2 Western Branch visits No. 3 Great Bridge on Saturday. Both matches are at 7:30 p.m.
The four teams boast 26 of the 42 wrestlers ranked by The Virginian-Pilot, including 11 No. 1s.
HEAVY DUTY: The deepest talent pool at any weight might be 275 where state runnerup Rafael Butts lost again last week.
Butts, Kempsville's Donald Stakes and Cox's Steve Mings all placed in the state last year, but none are ranked this week. Western Branch's Marvin Urquhart holds onto No. 1, followed by Lakeland's Nathan Carr and Bayside's John Fuller. That doesn't include Maury's Nate Pauley, who pinned Butts, or Lake Taylor's Kriz.
MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Rookie of the year Bobby Ingram from Cox puts his 29-0 record on the line against Tallwood's once-beaten Winston Escalante in Thursday night's 103-pound opener. Ingram has improved with the season, notching nine pins in his last 11 matches. Escalante has lost only to defending Group AA champ Mike Akers of Poquoson.