By DAVID WALSH - The Herald-Dispatch
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Randy Snyder/The Herald-Dispatch Huntington and Cabell Midland wrestlers my be competing a lot against each other this weekend at the WSAZ invitational.

HUNTINGTON -- There’s a new entry, some familiar entries are missing, but outcome of the 22nd WSAZ Invitational high school wrestling tournament is expected to be boil down to the usual list of schools.

"It’s going to be another tough, close tournament," Huntington coach and tournament director Bill Archer said Wednesday night after the seeding meeting wrapped up at his home.

Competition begins today at 5 p.m. for middle school and junior high wrestlers. High school matches start at 6:30. Third-round action begins Saturday at 10 a.m. Place matches are Saturday at 6:15 p.m., followed by the championship round beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Awards will go to the top eight finishers in each weight class.

The new entry for 2001 is Riverside. located in Painesville, Ohio. Missing are George Washington, Hurricane, St. Albans, Ravenswood and Ripley. They’re competing in Ripley’s Viking Classic.

That leaves Herbert Hoover, Huntington, Riverside, Point Pleasant and Cabell Midland to battle it out for the Class AAA title. In Class AA-A, Independence, Williamstown and Wirt County are teams to watch.

Huntington has five wrestlers seeded No. 1. They are Billy Barrett at 125 pounds, Robbie Williams at 130, Jason Mays at 145, Joey Thomas at 171 and Mitch Hastings at 215.

"We’ve still got to do it on the mat," Archer said.

Cabell Midland’s two top seeds are Justin Stanley at 119 and heavyweight Byron Wellman. Point Pleasant’s John Bonecutter is top-seeded at 160. Nitro’s three No. 1 seeds are Jacob Frerichs at 103, Matt Easter at 112 and Robby Ripley at 140. Ripley, at 25-0, he is just one of four unbeaten wrestlers in the state through Jan. 16.

In the first high school coaches’ poll released Tuesday, defending state champion Parkersburg South is No. 1 by a wide margin. Nitro is second, Huntington third and Cabell Midland No. 5.

At least one girl is scheduled to compete in the high school division. Erica Dye of Wirt County is the No. 4 seed at 103. Last week, she finished seventh in the Winner’s Choice/Rotary Tournament in Fairmont.

In junior high, Blennerhassett returns to defend its title. Five of its wrestlers come in unbeaten. They are Chad Porter (90 pounds), Feliz Osuno-Cotto (95), Corey Porter (110), Shaun Smith (123) and Seth Young (128).

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