clancia
12-09-2007, 08:44 AM
This didn't make it over to HR Varsity last night, but here's coverage of the Denbigh Invitational:
NEWPORT NEWS - Entering the season, there was a lot of discussion about which wrestling team is the class of the Peninsula District this year.
Hampton answered some of those questions during the Denbigh Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
First and foremost, the Crabbers put some muscle behind their claim of being the top team in the district by taking home the first-place trophy with 195.5 points. In the process, Hampton beat fellow PD teams Menchville, Phoebus, Woodside, Heritage and Warwick.
Hampton placed eight wrestlers in the finals, and five won individual titles. The Crabbers claimed nine medals.
"We really wanted to come out tonight and make a statement, let some people know that we're not playing around this year," said Hampton's William Jefferson, who took first in the 215-pound weight class. "We were in first when the finals started, but some of our guys lost and we lost the lead. The coaches just told me that I could lock it up if I won, and I don't like to lose anyway, so I had a little extra motivation to win."
Norfolk's Norview finished second with 171 points, Virginia Beach's Landstown was third with 127, Menchville was fourth with 118.5 and Chesapeake's Deep Creek claimed fifth with 92.
Menchville wrestler Odis Wesby took home the Pat Shaw Award as the most outstanding wrestler in the tournament. He won the 140-pound weight class by pinning all four opponents.
"It feels great to be honored, and my friend George Sheppard, who won it last year, motivated me to come out and perform like this," said Wesby, whose longest match lasted just 1 minute, 39 seconds. "We were short-handed tonight because of some injuries and some problems making weight, so we didn't field the team we should have. This is an early tournament, so not winning it doesn't really matter to us.
"What's more important is that we were able to use this as a positive, because we saw some good things out of some guys in some slots we've been weak in."
Hampton, which also won the York Classic last weekend, stayed perfect on the season.
"That's our goal — to go undefeated this year," said the Crabbers' Sal Leonardi, who won the 135-pound class by pinning York's Richie Gibson. "Individually, it's my senior season, so I really want to go undefeated and win states. But we think we've got a great team this year, and we believe that we have what it takes to win it all. That's what we're aiming for."
Runner-up Norview had three first-place finishes, two seconds, one third and one fourth.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Hampton 195.5, Norview 171, Landstown 127, Menchville 118.5, Deep Creek 92, Tabb 87.5, York 74.5, Northampton 67, Phoebus 63.5, Nansemond River 56, Woodside 56, Warwick 46, Booker T. Washington 33, Denbigh 27, Heritage 9, Wilson 0.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
103 — Final: Vernell Woods, NansemondRiver, d. David Shamblen, Norview, 2-0. Third-place match: Malcolm Suiter, Phoebus, p. Teddy Wheaton, Landstown, 1:06.
112 — Final: Ronnie Thacker, Hampton, md. Mike Smith, Tabb, 9-0. Third: Javari Williamson, Deep Creek, p. Antonio Barnes, Norview, 1:31.
119 — Final: Nick Williams, Menchville, d. Francisco Bisono, Landstown 6-4. Third: Emanual Williams, Hampton, d. Ian Elliot, Menchville, 8-7.
125 — Final: Marcous Adams, Deep Creek, p. Walter Blackman Jr., Menchville, 3:32. Third: DJ Hoffman, Landstown, md. Jordan Agee, Denbigh, 11-2.
130 — Final: Marcel Jefferson, Norview, d. Dalton Louks, Deep Creek, 11-7. Third: Chaz Hall, York, md. David Keeling, Menchville, 12-3.
135 — Final: Sal Leonardi, Hampton, p. Richie Gibson, York, 1:55. Third: Clayton Moats, Woodside, d. John Hickman, Northampton, 3-2.
140 — Final: Odis Wesby, Menchville, p. Tony Leonardi, Hampton, 1:10. Third: Dexter Hunter, Booker T. Washington, p. Ryan Teter, Phoebus, 0:43.
145 — Final: Sterling Perry, Hampton, d. Travis Bryant, Norview, by injury forfeit. Third: Rudger Shankland, Tabb, p. Dennis Williams, Phoebus, 1:12.
152 — Final: Adrin Taylor, Norview, d. DJ Carlomany, Hampton, 8-2. Third: Enoch Obeng, Landstown, d. Ryan Rock, Northampton, 5-4.
160 — Final: Brian DelGrosso, Woodside, p Gabe Perkins, Hampton, 1:20. Third: Marquez Fields, Norview, p. Dre Huntley, Landstown, 4:45.
: Charles Copeland, Norview, d. Matt Robinson, Landstown, 10-4. Third: Caleb Jackson, Menchville, d. Rashad Holmes, York, 7-1.
189 — Final: Paul Bresnan, Tabb, p. Connor Ohara, NansemondRiver, 3:28. Third: Zak Stikeleather, York, p. Larry Thomas, Northampton, 0:52.
215 — Final: William Jefferson, Hampton, p. Eli Jackson, Warwick, 1:43. Third: Nico Carlson, Landstown, p. Justin Howell, Phoebus, 4:58.
285 — Final: Anthony Battle, Hampton, d. Randon Key, Warwick, 2-1. Third: Kinde'l Allen, Deep Creek, md. Nick Marcos, Menchville, 13-2.
NEWPORT NEWS - Entering the season, there was a lot of discussion about which wrestling team is the class of the Peninsula District this year.
Hampton answered some of those questions during the Denbigh Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
First and foremost, the Crabbers put some muscle behind their claim of being the top team in the district by taking home the first-place trophy with 195.5 points. In the process, Hampton beat fellow PD teams Menchville, Phoebus, Woodside, Heritage and Warwick.
Hampton placed eight wrestlers in the finals, and five won individual titles. The Crabbers claimed nine medals.
"We really wanted to come out tonight and make a statement, let some people know that we're not playing around this year," said Hampton's William Jefferson, who took first in the 215-pound weight class. "We were in first when the finals started, but some of our guys lost and we lost the lead. The coaches just told me that I could lock it up if I won, and I don't like to lose anyway, so I had a little extra motivation to win."
Norfolk's Norview finished second with 171 points, Virginia Beach's Landstown was third with 127, Menchville was fourth with 118.5 and Chesapeake's Deep Creek claimed fifth with 92.
Menchville wrestler Odis Wesby took home the Pat Shaw Award as the most outstanding wrestler in the tournament. He won the 140-pound weight class by pinning all four opponents.
"It feels great to be honored, and my friend George Sheppard, who won it last year, motivated me to come out and perform like this," said Wesby, whose longest match lasted just 1 minute, 39 seconds. "We were short-handed tonight because of some injuries and some problems making weight, so we didn't field the team we should have. This is an early tournament, so not winning it doesn't really matter to us.
"What's more important is that we were able to use this as a positive, because we saw some good things out of some guys in some slots we've been weak in."
Hampton, which also won the York Classic last weekend, stayed perfect on the season.
"That's our goal — to go undefeated this year," said the Crabbers' Sal Leonardi, who won the 135-pound class by pinning York's Richie Gibson. "Individually, it's my senior season, so I really want to go undefeated and win states. But we think we've got a great team this year, and we believe that we have what it takes to win it all. That's what we're aiming for."
Runner-up Norview had three first-place finishes, two seconds, one third and one fourth.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Hampton 195.5, Norview 171, Landstown 127, Menchville 118.5, Deep Creek 92, Tabb 87.5, York 74.5, Northampton 67, Phoebus 63.5, Nansemond River 56, Woodside 56, Warwick 46, Booker T. Washington 33, Denbigh 27, Heritage 9, Wilson 0.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
103 — Final: Vernell Woods, NansemondRiver, d. David Shamblen, Norview, 2-0. Third-place match: Malcolm Suiter, Phoebus, p. Teddy Wheaton, Landstown, 1:06.
112 — Final: Ronnie Thacker, Hampton, md. Mike Smith, Tabb, 9-0. Third: Javari Williamson, Deep Creek, p. Antonio Barnes, Norview, 1:31.
119 — Final: Nick Williams, Menchville, d. Francisco Bisono, Landstown 6-4. Third: Emanual Williams, Hampton, d. Ian Elliot, Menchville, 8-7.
125 — Final: Marcous Adams, Deep Creek, p. Walter Blackman Jr., Menchville, 3:32. Third: DJ Hoffman, Landstown, md. Jordan Agee, Denbigh, 11-2.
130 — Final: Marcel Jefferson, Norview, d. Dalton Louks, Deep Creek, 11-7. Third: Chaz Hall, York, md. David Keeling, Menchville, 12-3.
135 — Final: Sal Leonardi, Hampton, p. Richie Gibson, York, 1:55. Third: Clayton Moats, Woodside, d. John Hickman, Northampton, 3-2.
140 — Final: Odis Wesby, Menchville, p. Tony Leonardi, Hampton, 1:10. Third: Dexter Hunter, Booker T. Washington, p. Ryan Teter, Phoebus, 0:43.
145 — Final: Sterling Perry, Hampton, d. Travis Bryant, Norview, by injury forfeit. Third: Rudger Shankland, Tabb, p. Dennis Williams, Phoebus, 1:12.
152 — Final: Adrin Taylor, Norview, d. DJ Carlomany, Hampton, 8-2. Third: Enoch Obeng, Landstown, d. Ryan Rock, Northampton, 5-4.
160 — Final: Brian DelGrosso, Woodside, p Gabe Perkins, Hampton, 1:20. Third: Marquez Fields, Norview, p. Dre Huntley, Landstown, 4:45.
: Charles Copeland, Norview, d. Matt Robinson, Landstown, 10-4. Third: Caleb Jackson, Menchville, d. Rashad Holmes, York, 7-1.
189 — Final: Paul Bresnan, Tabb, p. Connor Ohara, NansemondRiver, 3:28. Third: Zak Stikeleather, York, p. Larry Thomas, Northampton, 0:52.
215 — Final: William Jefferson, Hampton, p. Eli Jackson, Warwick, 1:43. Third: Nico Carlson, Landstown, p. Justin Howell, Phoebus, 4:58.
285 — Final: Anthony Battle, Hampton, d. Randon Key, Warwick, 2-1. Third: Kinde'l Allen, Deep Creek, md. Nick Marcos, Menchville, 13-2.