By DAVID WALSH
- The Herald-Dispatch
[email protected]
HUNTINGTON -- Odds are middle school and junior high wrestlers and coaches competing in the 23rd annual WSAZ Invitational share the same view on the event that Park Junior High coach Wayne Bennett does.
"It�s the most important tournament on the schedule," Bennett said Friday night before competition began at Veterans Memorial Field House. "When kids win here, it�s what they list on their resume."
The 2001 tournament has more than 40 schools competing in the junior high/middle school division. There are 28 teams in the high school division. Action resumes at 10 a.m. today.
The big reason the middle school and junior high entries consider this their main event is West Virginia and Ohio don�t have state tournaments for that level.
"This is the one everybody gets ready for," Point Pleasant Middle coach David Darst said. "It�s a whole different atmosphere here. It�s something they�ve never seen before."
In the latest West Virginia Mat overall rankings for this level, Blennerhassett Junior High is No. 1, followed by Edison Junior High, Shady Spring Junior High, Point Pleasant Middle and Milton Middle.
Blennerhassett is back seeking a third straight team title. Wood County schools are limited to one overnight event a season and this is the one the Bobcats choose.
"This is one of the best junior high tournaments going," coach Steve Porter said. "It�s the number of teams and the variety you see here. The kids look forward to this one."
This season, Porter is dressing two full teams here.
"We look on this as a vacation," Porter said.
Bobcats fans occupy the seats in the corner of the field house right above mat No. 9. On several occasions, after a Blennerhassett wrestler won, fans would wave their team blanket (blue and white) in the stands.
"Our fans take this serious," Porter said. "We have support."
On the mat, Blennerhassett�s Shaun Smith is seeking a third straight WSAZ title. The freshman competes at 135.
"We�re going to try to make it three in a row," Porter said of winning the team title.
Cammack coach David Riggs and John LeMaster, coach at Milton, know what it means to finish in the top eight in a weight class.
"You�ve done
something if you do that," Riggs said. "This will be the biggest thing
they ever go to. I tell them this prepares you for the future. You see
the best in Ohio and West Virginia."
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"It�s a real
challenge," LeMaster said. "The kids get exposure to styles they haven�t
seen. I tell them to have a good time. They learn by watching the high
school wrestlers."
Milton has two of the top entries in Adam Chapman, 31-0 at 145, and T.J. Farley, 17-1 at 190. The reason Farley doesn�t have as many matches as Chapman is because he plays basketball.
Point Pleasant had three wrestlers seeded No. 1 -- Cody Pumphrey at 90, Justin Cullen at 95 and James Casto at 115.
"I tell the kids to get so excited they can�t wait to get on the mat," Darst said. "The high school kids talk to them, too."
Through the 1980s and early �90s, Park won four team titles.
"The competition is great. It�s what we�re here for," Bennett said. "It�s a social thing, too. We see people we haven�t seen in a year."
For some schools, such as first-time entry Covenant School, the WSAZ is a true learning experience.
"I told the kids they have to be ready because they haven�t seen anything like this," said coach Tom Brooks, who has 17 wrestlers out for the sport.
Paul Brooks, Tom�s son, won the WSAZ while in the ninth grade. He also competed for the Huntington High varsity.
Covenant has five entries in the WSAZ. Jothan Rollins won his first match at 170. Nick Skiles won at 75 for his first win of the season.
"He was so excited. He didn�t know you have to sign the (match) card," Brooks said. "This is unbelievable for them."
Tonight, matches for third, fifth and seventh places start at 6:15 p.m. The championship round begins at 7:15 for middle school/junior high and 7:30 for high school. Defending champions are Huntington High in Class AAA and Williamstown in Class AA-A.
Huntington is defending champion in Class AAA in the WSAZ. Riverside, Ohio, second a year ago, returns. Williamstown is back to defend its AA-A title. Other teams to watch are Nitro and Buckhannon-Upshur.
In the junior
high competition, Blennerhassett and Edison, feeder schools for Parkersburg
South, are the favorites. In middle school, Point Pleasant and Milton figure
to contend.