Sonny Dearth
02-09-2008, 06:35 PM
Thacker's dad would be proud
Ronnie Thacker’s emotional title bout propels Hampton to Peninsula District wrestling title.
BY JEFF CUNNINGHAM/CORRESPONDENT
NEWPORT NEWS — The referee slapped the mat, right as the buzzer sounded.
The match was over, and the crowd at Denbigh High erupted Saturday afternoon. But all
Ronnie Thacker could hear after winning the 112-pound title match was one word.
"Dang!"
"That’s really the only thing I could think," Thacker, whose father, Ronnie Thacker Sr., died Monday in a car accident, said. "Then I had to look up at the clock and make sure this really did happen.
"This is the best thing to ever happen in my life."
Thacker’s third Peninsula District tournament title, which came with a pin of Menchville’s Ian Elliott at the end of the second period, helped Hampton capture its first district team tournament title in 35 years. The Crabbers finished with 263.5 points, while Menchville, last year’s champion, had 238.
"I really wish Big Ronnie was here right now to see this," Hampton coach Ron McRae said.
"But I guarantee you he’s up there smiling and dancing for us. He’d be so proud."
Hampton won just four championship bouts — Thacker’s pin, Tony Leonardi by pin at 145 pounds, D.J. Carlomany by pin at 152 and heavyweight Anthony Battle when Menchville’s Walter Pavusa was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct — but held a 22-point margin coming into the championship round, thanks largely to strong third- and fifth-place efforts.
"Those kids were huge," McRae said of his consolation wrestlers — three of whom took third place.
So huge the Crabbers took home the regular-season and tournament trophies — but not before Thacker raised them above his head and gave a jubilant yell. It was but another tribute to Thacker Sr. in a weekend full of them; every Crabber wrestling in the finals wore headbands with the words "Big Ronnie" written in red letters, and the team wore black hoodies with
"Unfinished Business — RT" scrawled along the back in red.
"This is all for Big Ronnie," assistant coach Mike Rutkowski, Thacker Sr.’s stepson, said. "This whole weekend."
Menchville’s Odis Wesby won his second district crown in three years by outlasting
Hampton’s Sal Leonardi 7-2 in the 135-pound final. Wesby described it as a tough match, one in which Leonardi almost recorded a pin while trailing.
"I tried to do a knee blast, but I slipped up," Wesby said. "He didn’t get me on my back, though, so it’s OK."
Nick Williams (119), David Keeling (130), Tony Pizzo (145) and Marcus Graves (189) also won district titles for the Monarchs.
Phoebus won three district titles, thanks to the efforts of Malcolm Suiter (103), Justin Howell (215) and Ronald Butler (125). Butler pinned Gloucester’s Howard McCoy for his second straight district crown.
Colin Lenhardt (171) won a district title for Gloucester, while Woodside’s Brian Delgrosso took the 160-pound title with a 17-7 major decision over Hampton’s Nick Sapp.
The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the Eastern Region tournament next weekend at Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake. But the wrestlers won’t be the only ones making the trip.
"Big Ronnie’ll be there with us," McRae said. "He wouldn’t miss this for the world."
Ronnie Thacker’s emotional title bout propels Hampton to Peninsula District wrestling title.
BY JEFF CUNNINGHAM/CORRESPONDENT
NEWPORT NEWS — The referee slapped the mat, right as the buzzer sounded.
The match was over, and the crowd at Denbigh High erupted Saturday afternoon. But all
Ronnie Thacker could hear after winning the 112-pound title match was one word.
"Dang!"
"That’s really the only thing I could think," Thacker, whose father, Ronnie Thacker Sr., died Monday in a car accident, said. "Then I had to look up at the clock and make sure this really did happen.
"This is the best thing to ever happen in my life."
Thacker’s third Peninsula District tournament title, which came with a pin of Menchville’s Ian Elliott at the end of the second period, helped Hampton capture its first district team tournament title in 35 years. The Crabbers finished with 263.5 points, while Menchville, last year’s champion, had 238.
"I really wish Big Ronnie was here right now to see this," Hampton coach Ron McRae said.
"But I guarantee you he’s up there smiling and dancing for us. He’d be so proud."
Hampton won just four championship bouts — Thacker’s pin, Tony Leonardi by pin at 145 pounds, D.J. Carlomany by pin at 152 and heavyweight Anthony Battle when Menchville’s Walter Pavusa was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct — but held a 22-point margin coming into the championship round, thanks largely to strong third- and fifth-place efforts.
"Those kids were huge," McRae said of his consolation wrestlers — three of whom took third place.
So huge the Crabbers took home the regular-season and tournament trophies — but not before Thacker raised them above his head and gave a jubilant yell. It was but another tribute to Thacker Sr. in a weekend full of them; every Crabber wrestling in the finals wore headbands with the words "Big Ronnie" written in red letters, and the team wore black hoodies with
"Unfinished Business — RT" scrawled along the back in red.
"This is all for Big Ronnie," assistant coach Mike Rutkowski, Thacker Sr.’s stepson, said. "This whole weekend."
Menchville’s Odis Wesby won his second district crown in three years by outlasting
Hampton’s Sal Leonardi 7-2 in the 135-pound final. Wesby described it as a tough match, one in which Leonardi almost recorded a pin while trailing.
"I tried to do a knee blast, but I slipped up," Wesby said. "He didn’t get me on my back, though, so it’s OK."
Nick Williams (119), David Keeling (130), Tony Pizzo (145) and Marcus Graves (189) also won district titles for the Monarchs.
Phoebus won three district titles, thanks to the efforts of Malcolm Suiter (103), Justin Howell (215) and Ronald Butler (125). Butler pinned Gloucester’s Howard McCoy for his second straight district crown.
Colin Lenhardt (171) won a district title for Gloucester, while Woodside’s Brian Delgrosso took the 160-pound title with a 17-7 major decision over Hampton’s Nick Sapp.
The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the Eastern Region tournament next weekend at Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake. But the wrestlers won’t be the only ones making the trip.
"Big Ronnie’ll be there with us," McRae said. "He wouldn’t miss this for the world."