Parkersburg South, Calhoun Co. out front in respective classes at state tournament

By DAVID WALSH - The Herald-Dispatch
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HUNTINGTON -- After the first round of the 55th annual West Virginia High School Wrestling Tournament, the Class AAA leaderboard has the familiar names at the top. In Class AA/A, the same holds true with one exception.

"Statement night? No. It�s just tonight," Parkersburg South coach Tim McCartney said after Thursday�s session ended at the Huntington Civic Arena. "It�s one match at a time, six minutes at a time. We can�t look past anybody."

Parkersburg South, seeking a record fourth straight Class AAA title, holds the lead with 34.5 points. The Patriots had nine of their 12 qualifiers win. Parkersburg, which defeated the Patriots for the title in the Region I Tournament last Saturday, is second with 32 points. John Marshall is third with 31.

Oak Glen, the favorite to make it five straight Class AA-A championships, finds itself in second going into today�s second round. The Golden Bears have 34.5 points. Nine of their 12 qualifiers won.

Calhoun County, the Region 3 champion, went 11-for-11 Thursday night and is on top with 37.5 points. Leading the charge for the Red Devils is senior Chris Morris, who won his first match by pin to improve to 41-0. He was voted outstanding wrestler in the Region III Tournament.

"We had a good opening round," Calhoun County coach Mike Stump said. "We go back to work tomorrow."

McCartney said his wrestlers had forgotten the regional defeat and were anxious to get started.

"The kids worked hard to get here," he said. "People have no idea what they�ve been through. They�re completely unified. John Marshall has good kids. Parkersburg has good kids. Anything could happen."
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Parkersburg South has won six of the last seven titles and 12 overall. Only two schools outside Parkersburg have won the Class AAA title since 1987. North Marion was the last to do it in 1998.

Parkersburg South also won three straight from 1983-85 and 1995-97, while Parkersburg did it from 1992-94. The Big Reds were eighth here last year.

After the final match Thursday, Parkersburg coach Scheny Schenerlein had a heart-to-heart talk with his wrestlers.

"We can�t wrestle like this," the second-year coach. "We have to do a better job to win."

The state tournament marks one of the few times all season that Parkersburg South has its starting lineup available. Several wrestlers sat out earlier meets, and several came to the state meet with nagging injuries.

"If we were healthy, we�d be really tough," McCartney said. "We�ve been beat up all year."

Huntington, champion of Region III, is sixth with 18.5 points. The Highlanders got off to a good started, but fell back as the evening progressed.

"Tomorrow�s when it matters," Huntington coach Bill Archer said.
 

Randy Snyder/The Herald-Dispatch Huntington's Robbie Williams, bottom, brings Parkersburg's Derrick Knapp to the mat Thursday during a first-round 130-pound match.

Oak Glen started 0-2 while Calhoun County won all six of its early matches. One of the big wins for the Red Devils came at 130 where Derek Metz, fourth in the regional, beat Region 1 champ Sean McIntosh of Oak Glen (7-0). Eric Metz picked up a key win at 145.

"The kids have responded all year," Stump said. "We lost the first weekend (to Wirt County in a dual) and haven�t lost since. Oak Glen�s got the mystique, but our kids believe."

Oak Glen coach Larry Shaw said he knew his wrestlers would be challenged.

"We didn�t score a bunch of bonus points," he said. "We�ve got to advance guys.

"We�re not wrestling really well now. I don�t know why. It�s not been easy. I hope we can gain some momentum."

One point Shaw made is six of the wrestlers are competing here for the first time.

"There�s the anxiety level," he said. "You�ve got to go through it. Our draw wasn�t great. It�s just not getting any easier."

Wirt County�s Erica Dye, who last year became the first girl to place in the tournament when she finished fourth, pinned Braxton County�s Adam Ridler with 14 seconds left in their first-round match. Her record is now 33-6.

"I felt a little sluggish. I was a little slow at the beginning," Dye said. "Everything went well. I think I need to take it up a step tomorrow."