Sunday, February 15, 2009
Blue Demons again dominant
Christiansburg wins seven individual crowns and sends all 14 wrestlers to the Group AA meet.
Photos by Jared Soares | The Roanoke Times
Grundy's Jeremy Hurley (top) upset Magna Vista's Tony Gravely to win the 119-pound title.
Carroll County's Blake Bowman grapples with Christiansburg's Brady Epperly (right). Bowman beat Epperly to win the 130-pound title.
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RIDGEWAY -- One streak ended and one continued to gain momentum during the Region IV wrestling tournament at Magna Vista on Saturday.
Tony Gravely's quest for a third straight undefeated season ended in the 119-pound finals while Christiansburg's quest for an eighth straight Group AA championship stayed right on track.
The Blue Demons won the region with 334 points and gained momentum heading into the state tournament.
Gravely, of Magna Vista, dropped a 10-3 decision to Jeremy Hurley of Grundy in the 119-pound championship.
"He had a sinus infection all week, not getting the proper rest he needs," Warriors coach Zeak Ca'Stle said. "It's not anybody's fault. [Hurley] wrestled a good match."
Gravely still has a shot at his third Group AA title, though, at the state tournament next week and Ca'Stle knew what to tell him.
"You're still going to states. Get yourself healthy and win ... your third title," he said.
When asked if his senior would have any extra motivation after the loss, Ca'Stle replied emphatically, "Oh yeah, definitely."
Gravely was unavailable for an interview after the match.
As for the final team results, Grundy took second with 197 points, Hidden Valley placed third with 131.5, Abingdon took fourth place with 116.5 and Cave Spring was fifth with 113.
Christiansburg earned the lofty score by placing 11 wrestlers in the finals and winning seven individual championships.
The Blue Demons will also send all 14 wrestlers to the state tournament as nobody finished lower than third in their class.
"We had some guys that have been struggling a little bit throughout the year so the main goal was to get everybody to wrestle good and get 14 guys in the state tournament and we accomplished that," Christiansburg coach Daryl Weber said.
"Win or lose. Take first, second, third, whatever, that's all behind you now.
"You need to get yourself to the state tournament, position yourself as well as you could and now everything's wiped clean."
Devin Carter earned the first Blue Demon championship, at 112, with a pin over Hidden Valley's Taylor Shumate in 1:52, and Christiansburg was on its way.
"I just went out there and wrestled my match," Carter said. "I knew I could beat the kid if I just wrestled the way I knew."
Rich Eva, Tyler Miles, Derek Woody, Braden Carter, David Cheney and Jon Weber also took home championships in their respective weight classes for Christiansburg.
Grundy had the second-most individual championships with three.
Other Timesland winners were Neal Kennedy of Blacksburg at 103, Blake Bowman of Carroll County at 130 and Andrew Miller of Bassett at 285.
The tournament also gave Christiansburg a chance to evaluate itself against perennial challenger Grundy and Carter liked the results.
"It shows that we've got a good chance at state," Carter said.
Team scores
1. Christiansburg (Cb) 334, 2. Grundy (Gr) 197, 3. Hidden Valley (HV) 131.5, 4. Abingdon (Ab) 116.5, 5. Cave Spring (CS) 113, 6. Salem (Sa) 112, 7. Patrick County (PC) 103, 8. Blacksburg (Bl) 102, 9. Carroll County (CC) 68.5, 10. Bassett (Ba) 66, 11. Magna Vista (MV) 60, 12. Richlands (Ri) 55, 13. Marion 45.5, 14. Tunstall (Tu) 44, 15. Tazewell (Tz) 43.5, 16. Graham 43, 17. Pulaski County (Pu) 33, 18. Martinsville (Ma) 28.
Individual results
Championship round
103 -- Kennedy (Bl) d. Vance (Gr), 8-2.; 112 -- Carter (Cb) p. Shumate (HV), 1:52.; 119 -- Hurley (Gr) d. Gravely (MV), 10-3.; 125 -- Anderson (Gr) p. Dowdy (Cr), :40.; 130 -- Bowman (CC) d. Epperly (Cr), 6-5; 135 -- Owens (Gr) m.d. Linkous (Cr), 17-4; 140 -- Wilson (Ab) d. Dotson (Gr), 8-6; 145 -- Eva (Cb) d. Williams (HV), 5-3, OT; 152 -- Miles (Cr) d. McLanahan (Gr), 10-7; 160 -- Woody (Cr) d. Cox (Ab), 9-5; 171 -- Carter (Cr) d. Hodges (Ba), 4-3; 189 -- Cheney (Cr) d. Adkins (PC), 3-1; 215 -- Weber (Cr) p. Semones (Sa), 3:42; 285 -- Miller (Ba) d. Dowdy (Cr), 5-1.
Consolation finals
103 -- Krafft (Cb) p. Anderson (CS), :53; 112 -- Vandyke (Gr) p. Wood (Ri), :59; 119 Quesenberry (Cb) d. Saxton (Ri), 4-1; 125 -- Jones (Bl) p. Ory (Sa), 1:15; 130 -- Rife (Gr) d. Benitez (CS), 1-0; 135 -- Talevi (CS) d. Tuell (Sa), 7-1; 140 -- Rakes (Cb) d. Patterson (HV), 6-2; 145 -- Myers (Bl) p. Howell (Gh), 5:49; 152 -- Mecca (CS) m.d. Cole (PC), 15-3; 160 -- Peterson (Bl) p. Bowman (Pu), 3:04; 171 -- McClanahan (Gr) d. Wright (Ab), 3-2; 189 -- Mitchell (Ab) d. Hall (Sa), 3-1; 215 -- Bembry (PC) p. Prater (Ab), 5:42; 285 -- McCraw (CC) d. Teal (HV), 5-3.
Championship semifinals
103 -- Kennedy (Bl) p. Yang (HV), 1:53; Vance (Gr) d. Krafft (Cb), 9-6; 112 -- Shumate (HV) p. Mobley (CS), 4:22; Carter (Cb) tech. fall Vandyke (Gr), 21-5; 119 -- Gravely (MV) p. Wilson (Tz), 1:17; Hurley (Gr) p.Coner (Sa), 1:46; 125 -- Dowdy (Cb) p. Ory (Sa), 5:23; Anderson (Gr) p. Jones (Bl), 2:41; 130 -- Bowman (CC) d. Benitez (CS), 11-4; Epperly (Cb) d. Rife (Gr), 9-5; 135 -- Owens (Gr) tech. fall Tuell (Sa), 16-1; Linkous (Cb) p. Allison (Tz), 5:34; 140 -- Wilson (Ab) m.d. Patterson (HV), 15-3; Dotson (Gr) d. Rakes (Cb), 4-2; 145 -- Williams (HV) m.d. Myers (Bl), 14-4; Eva (Cb) p. Stanley (Ma), 3:04; 152 -- McClanahan (Gr) d. Mecca (CS), 5-3; Miles (Cb) p. Cole (PC), 1:20; 160 -- Woody (Cb) tech. fall Willard (CC), 15-0; Cox (Ab) p. Bowman (Pu) 1:24; 171 -- Carter (Cb) p. Wright (Ab), 3:25; Hodges (Ba) d. McClanahan (Gr), 6-4; 189 -- Cheney (Cb) d. Groseclose (Ms), 8-3; Adkins (PC) d. Hall (Sa), 10-4; 215 -- Weber (Cb) p. Prater (Ab), 1:37; Semones (Sa) d. Bembry (PC), 3-2; 285 -- Dowdy (Cb) p. Huffman (Tu), 4:11; Miller (Ba) d. McCraw (CC), 5-2.
