THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702150677
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 58 lines
If you missed last week's Great Bridge-Western Branch dual meet wrestling match you can catch a repeat tonight, or at least selected highlights.
The Wildcats and Bruins go head-to-head at five weights in the Southeastern District tournament finals at Great Bridge and the outcome of those matches could decide the championship.
The Wildcats, seeking a record 13th consecutive title, have nine finalists overall to the Bruins' eight and lead by 24 points after three rounds.
Action continues today at 2 with second-round consolations. The finals are at 7.
The Wildcats' biggest disappointment came at 103 where Jason Honaker lost to Deep Creek's Fabian Harper 20-14 after leading 11-2.
But Derek Lipoli helped make up for that by thrashing Oscar Smith's Mike Phelps 11-2 at 160. Phelps had whipped Lipoli in the Tigers' stunning upset of Great Bridge in December that snapped the Wildcats' 50-match district winning streak.
Oscar Smith has only two finalists: David Singleton at 215 and Rafael Butts at 275.
Butts avenged one of his two defeats with a first-period pin of Lakeland's Nathan Carr and Singleton surprised Western Branch's Marqus Edmonds 6-4.
Western Branch has one advantage over Great Bridge: all 14 Bruins are still alive while the Wildcats' lost heavyweight Adam Swift.
Great Bridge's Brian Childress whipped Western Branch's Daniel Moore 11-2 at 112 in Friday's only head-to-head meeting between the teams. Moore beat Childress 5-0 last Saturday.
Tonight's showdown weights are 119, 125, 130, 145 and 160. The Wildcats won three of those matchups last week, including Bruce Fowler's 6-0 victory over Willie Evans at 119.
``I think our match is the key,'' Evans said after shutting down Oscar Smith's Gary Lewis 5-0 in the semifinals. ``Fowler has beaten me every year, but it's always been close.''
If Western Branch is to overhaul Great Bridge it probably will need to reverse last week's losses at 130 and 145. But the Wildcats' Charlie Haltom (130) and Steve Sakis (145) appear to be peaking.
Haltom had a fall and technical fall and Sakis had two pins Friday. Sakis will face Chris Mendez, who advanced with a 1-0 win over Indian River's Calvin Sutton. Mendez scored when Sutton cut him loose to start the third period.
In other noteworthy finals Hickory's Parker Crockford (140) and Nansemond River's Damon Hill (171) seek to become their schools first champions. Crockford, a freshman, faces Indian River's Luke Armagost, a two-time runner-up.
Hill, a state placewinner in Group AA last year, meets Western Branch's Andy Preston. Hill won the first meeting in overtime.
Also Butts faces Western Branch's Marvin Urquhart. Butts is the defending champ and Urquhart is ranked No. 1. They did not meet in the regular season. ILLUSTRATION: REGION MEETS
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[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]