Junior High Report
by Brent Sams
March 30, 2001brentster@casinternet.net
Blennerhassett's Shaun Smith made it to the championship match where he took runner-up honors in the 119-pound class, losing a one point decision on a reversal late in the match. Other West Virginia competitors earning All-American status were Edison's Aaron Kelley, 3rd place 90 pounds; Barboursville's Jacob Stanley, 5th at 80 pounds; and Blennerhassett's Chad Porter, 6th place 95 pounds. In the 5th-6th grade division, Mark Politz took 4th at 130 pounds and Kevin Miller was 6th at 140.
Most every state in the country was represented at the AAU Middle School Nationals coming from as far west as California and New Mexico, and as far south as Florida and Georgia. Virginia Beach's proximately to West Virginia makes this an excellent tournament for state wrestlers to gain national exposure.
A panel representing the different aspects of the sport votes upon the Dutton Award. Voters come from a combination of coaches from the AA/A division and the AAA division, the Wrestling Officials Association and the media. Though, associated as a Parkersburg award, there are no voters from the Parkersburg area this year. In the sixteen-year history, there has been one tie for the award, 1993 between North Marion's Doug Moore and Williamstown's Mike Mason. No school has won more two awards with North Marion, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South and Wheeling Park each having two representatives. The award winner is announced around the first of April and presented at the State's Victory Award Dinner. A list of Dutton Award winners can be found under the Outstanding Contributor's link from WVMAT's front page. I don't know what the award looks like. (sources: "The Emergence of High School Wrestling in West Virginia" by George Nedeff, Dave Poe of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel, WVMAT)
The Central West Virginia Athletic Conference has been in existence for eight years.
Kanawha County did have a separate tournament from the Middle Schools for the Jr. Highs and Freshmen Teams but was late in reporting to make the last article.
75 pounds
Relegated to exhibition status this year, the 75-pound class was one of the
easiest for me to pick with the lack of tournaments hosting this class.
Those tournaments including this class in competition were the Scott Brown
Memorial, the Braxton County Invitational, the WSAZ, the Jr. OVAC and the
Harpers Ferry Invitational. These tournaments are to be commended for their
inclusion of the lightweights.
Rash of Independence and Green of Wheeling head up the list of competitors
at this weight. Rash won the WSAZ 75 pound title and claimed crowns at 80
pounds in the Independence Super Duals and the Raleigh County Championship.
His only defeats came when wrestling up at 80 pounds. Green was the
Outstanding Wrestler at the Jr. OVAC Championship.
Other top grapplers at 75 are Cullen of Point Pleasant, Cumpston of Cameron,
Diehl of Warm Springs, Hall of DuPont, Mazeska of Oak Glen and Wolfe of
Blennerhassett.
80 pounds
Ripley Middle's Phalen and Edison' Dunn headline the list of 80-pounders.
Their only losses on the season came at the expense of Barboursville's
Stanley when he wrestled down a weight at the WSAZ. Phalen won titles at
the Trojan Invitational, the Raleigh General Hospital, the Point Pleasant
Duals and the Spencer Invitational. Dunn's titles came at the Clash of
Champions and the Wood County Championship. Phalen and Dunn finished 2-3 at
the WSAZ.
Other grapplers to watch at 80 pounds are Boggs of Spencer, Dorbert of Warm
Springs, Leifhead of Sissonville, Patton of Blennerhassett, Smith of Buffalo
and Stilgenbauer of Hamilton.
85 pounds
Stanley of Barboursville, McCray of Williamstown and Shaw of Follansbee were
the top 85-pounders during the season. Stanley won the Cammack-Huntington
Hospital Tournament, the Trojan Invitational, the Ohio-West Virginia Super
Duals, the Cabell County Championship and the 80-pound crown at the WSAZ.
McCray won the crowns at the WSAZ and Wood County Championship. Shaw
claimed titles at the Jr. OVAC and Buckeye-Mountaineer Championship.
A very competitive weight class with other top wrestlers including Hayes of
Jackson, Lester of Shady Spring, Meade of Beckley-Stratton, Miller of Oak
Glen and Pumphrey of Point Pleasant.
90 pounds
Porter of Blennerhassett, Rush of Triadelphia and Ward of Buckhannon-Upshur
were the elite of 90-pounders. Porter claimed claim championships at the
Clash of Champions, WSAZ and Wood County. Rush won the Jr. OVAC and Ward
won the Cameron tournament and was undefeated at the Buckhannon Duals.
Rounding out the top eight are Ellis of Wahama, Hereford of Point Pleasant,
Neal of Shady Spring, Painter of Western Greenbrier and Spencer of Jackson.
95 pounds
Greynolds of East Fairmont and Osuna-Cotto of Blennerhassett were the top
95-pounders. Greynolds lone reported victory was at the Cameron Tournament.
Osuna-Cotto finished his Jr. High career with victories at the Clash of
Champions, the WSAZ and the Wood County Championship.
Other top 95-pounders includes Cummings of Calhoun, Kelley of Edison, Kelley
of Huntington, Lodge of Mannington and Warner of Point Pleasant.
102 pounds
The state's best 102-pounders were Bailey of Jackson and Chapman of Shady
Spring. Bailey went undefeated at the Clash and won the Wood County
Championship. Chapman won every tournament he entered with championships at
the Scott Brown Memorial, Raleigh General Hospital, the Independence Super
Duals, the Andrew Jackson Ironman, the WSAZ and the Raleigh County
Championship.
Other top wrestlers include Gillespie of Point Pleasant, Hetzer of
Huntington, Hughes of Cameron, Lee of Moundsville, Setliff of Cabell Midland
and Stewart of Independence.
110 pounds
Kins of Follansbee and Porter of Blennerhassett stand atop the 110-pound
class. Kins won the Jr. OVAC Championship and the Buckeye-Mountaineer
Conference. Porter went undefeated on his way to winning the Clash of
Champions, the WSAZ and the Wood County Championship.
Allen of Nitro, Digman of Braxton County, Koontz of Moundsville, Russell of
Point Pleasant, Stevens of Oak Glen and Wilson of Beckley-Stratton were
other top wrestlers at 110 pounds.
116 pounds
Chambers of Oak Glen, Eaton of Edison and Smallridge of Buckhannon were the
best of the 116-pounders. Chambers won the Warwood Duals, the Indian Creek
Tournament, the Jr. OVAC and the Buckeye-Mountaineer Conference. Eaton was
the WSAZ and Wood County Champion. Smallridge won the Cameron Tournament.
Another tough weight class with outstanding performances also coming from
Dudley of Huntington, Goodrich of Calhoun, Gustiness of Charles Town, Munson
of Blennerhassett and Scarbro of Shady Spring.
123 pounds
Mahan of Oak Glen and Smith of Blennerhassett controlled the 123-pound
class. Mahan won the Warwood Duals, the Indian Creek Tournament, the Jr.
OVAC and the Buckeye-Mountaineer Conference. Smith won the Clash of
Champions, the WSAZ and the Wood County Championship.
Other notable wrestlers were Kearns of Clay, Kuhn of Moundsville, Jackson of
Hamilton, McQuillen of Beckley-Stratton, Sampson of McKinley and Tucker of
Riverside.
128 pounds
Ray of East Fairmont and Young of Blennerhassett ruled the 128-pound class.
Ray won the Cameron Tournament and Young ran the gauntlet winning the Clash
of Champions, the WSAZ and the Wood County Championship.
Another balance weight class with Eads of McKinley, Moore of Point Pleasant,
Nelson of Beverly Hills, Northcraft of Oak Glen, Smith of Edison and Thomas
of Beckley-Stratton also turning in outstanding performances.
135 pounds
Smith of Ripley Middle stands head and shoulders above all others, not only
in the 135 pound weight class, but is an easy pick for Outstanding Wrestler
in the State. Smith won the Trojan Invitational, the Raleigh General
Hospital, the Point Pleasant Duals, the Spencer Invitational and the WSAZ
tournament.
After Smith, the weight class gets competitive with Efaw of Taylor County
and Norman of Edison leading the rest of the pack. Efaw went undefeated
while winning the Mason-Dixon Conference. Norman won the Clash of
Champions, the Wood County Championship and finished as runner-up to Smith
at the WSAZ.
Also competing with the best at 135 are Cremeans of Milton, Gustiness of
Charles Town, Nibert of Cabell Midland, Pauley of McKinley and Whipkey of
Cameron.
145 pounds
Davis of Harpers Ferry and Walters of Edison were the front runners of the
145-pound class. Davis won the Scott Brown Memorial, the Braxton County
Invitational and the Harpers Ferry Duals. Walters won the Clash of
Champions, the WSAZ and the Wood County Championship.
Another tough weight class with top competition coming from Adkins of
Moundsville, Lowery of Riverside, Merritt of Cabell Midland, Taylor of
Huntington, Weese of McKinley and Wolfe of Blennerhassett.
155 pounds
One of the best balance weight classes made the 155-pound weight class the
toughest to figure out. Mauck of Miller had a great season winning the
Mason-Dixon Conference and having lost to only Simmons of Moundsville.
Simmons was undefeated but had a short season and missed several key
match-ups, one against Blennerhassett's Wilkenson. Wilkenson finished third
at the WSAZ having lost 4-3 to WSAZ Champion Perry of Charles Town. Perry
had a high scoring dual loss against Warner of Harpers Ferry. Warner had
won the Harpers Ferry Duals and the Braxton County Invitational but finished
third at the Scott Brown Memorial behind runner-up Sturgill of Park and
champion Smith of Western Greenbrier. Sturgill had won the Raleigh General
Hospital and the Raleigh County Championship but lost a one-point decision
to Perry and overtime criteria to Beatty of Edison, both at the WSAZ.
Beatty had lost twice to Wilkenson, who lost two matches to Wilson of
Jackson, who was defeated by Beatty at the Wood County Championship.
Western Greenbrier's Smith won the Scott Brown Memorial and the Independence
Super Duals but finished as WSAZ Runner-up to Perry of Charles Town. Perry
won etc... but lost to etc...etc... Foltz of Oak Glen and Blackham of Taylor
County also turned in good seasons.
A great weight class with no front runners but was a wrestling junkie's
delight to follow.
165 pounds
The two wrestlers that head the list of 165-pounders are Radcliff of Edison
and "Psycho" Sillex of Harpers Ferry. Radcliff won the Clash of Champions,
the WSAZ and the Wood County Championship. Psycho had some bad luck last
year where he defeated several top wrestlers in his weight class, but
injuries and letting his guard down caused some hard losses. Psycho stayed
injury free this year and has earned respect and is now known as MR. Psycho.
Mr. Psycho won the Scott Brown Memorial, the Braxton County Invitational and
Harpers Ferry Duals.
Other wrestlers to watch at 165 are Barker of Cabell Midland, Bird of Horace
Mann, Johnson of Milton, McCoy of Stonewall, O'Malley of Braxton County and
Potts of Oak Glen.
190 pounds
Broce of Ritchie Middle and Cremeans of Cabell Midland were the stars of the
190-pound class. Broce won the Spencer Invitational and the Wood County
Championship. Cremeans won the McKinley Duals, the Andrew Jackson Ironman
and the WSAZ.
Others making a name for themselves at 190 are Ferguson of Beverly Hills,
Hamrick of Eastern Greenbrier, Province of Edison, Richardson of Cabell
Midland, Riese of Harpers Ferry, Sharpe of Herbert Hoover, Stephan of
Follansbee.
Heavyweights
Dearman of Hamilton, McCourt of Buckhannon and Richards of Riverside were
the top dogs of the big dogs. Dearman claimed titles at the Clash of
Champions and the Wood County Championship. McCourt won the Cameron
Tournament and Richards walked through the Trojan Invitational, the McKinley
Duals, the Independence Super Duals, the Spencer Invitational and the WSAZ.
Other big dogs of the mat include Cox of Charles Town, Elson of Cameron,
Hammack of Sissonville, McCormick of Point Pleasant and Williams of
Blennerhassett.