By DAVID WALSH - The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Cabell Midland coach Ernie Sparks knows what kind of week it’s been for Huntington High’s wrestlers.

The Highlanders finished runner-up to East Fairmont in the Nitro Invitational last weekend, denying them a third straight team title in that event.

The first action for Huntington since that tournament is Saturday when the Highlanders take on Cabell Midland in their annual dual at noon at HHS.

"I knew we’d be in trouble before that," Sparks said. "He (HHS coach Bill Archer) was not happy. It’s been a down week. He’s been on them hard to get back up."

The trying week of practice for the Highlanders started Monday.

"We had a meeting of the minds," Archer said. "We just didn’t wrestle well. We had eight wrestlers place and all were underclassmen."

There’s an added attraction to this year’s dual. John Marshall and Sheldon Clark are also booked for action against the Highlanders and Knights. 

"This is still a big deal," Archer said of the match against Cabell Midland. "Plus, fans get to see one more ranked team."

"It takes a little away," Sparks said atmosphere created by the dual. "There’s two more good teams we have to face."

In the Jan. 7 West Virginia dual team rankings, Huntington is fourth and John Marshall is No. 5.

The Cabell County Team Championship Trophy goes to the winner of the match. Barboursville won the first in 1987. Milton won it in 1988 and shared it with Huntington in 1991. Cabell Midland held the trophy in 1999 and 2000. Huntington, before and after consolidation, has had the trophy in its possession every other year.

Despite being rivals, Saturday’s dual marks the first time these two young teams will cross paths this season. Each teams starts just three seniors.

Before Nitro, Cabell Midland lost to Class AAA defending champion Parkersburg South, then competed in the Cincinnati Duals, North Marion Quad and Domino’s Duals in Wheeling. They finished 3-5 in that two-day event. At Nitro, Knights senior Chris Gibbs suffered his first loss in the finals at 160.

"I picked a good year to upgrade the schedule," Sparks said.

Huntington won the Red Dragon Duals, the R.J. Reynolds Duals in Winston-Salem, N.C., Wendy’s Classic in Tiffon, Ohio and placed fifth in the Blue-Gray Battlefield Duals in Stratford, Va. In the St. Albans Duals, held at Huntington High, the Highlanders beat Sheldon Clark, 53-18.

Today provides the Highlanders a chance to atone for last year’s 34-25 loss to John Marshall. It was their only dual defeat during the season. The Monarchs finished third in the state last year, but had 10 seniors graduate. Key returnees are Kyle Mull (130), Jason Koontz (125) and Corey Adkins (140).