2018 VIRGINIA DUALS
The 38th Virginia Duals finished business at the Hampton Coliseum on Sunday with a youth wrestling tournament. But on Friday and Saturday, the floor of the Coliseum was alive, with at least 1,000 high school and collegiate grapplers flipping and tangling on the ten mats, which stretched across the length of the floor in two rows of five.
The athletes came from all over the country to tangle in a tournament known simply as “The Granddaddy of Them All.” And to experience the Duals, whether as a participant, or a fan, is to witness one of the most prestigious and well-run events in the country.
Forty-eight high school teams squared off in one of the three divisions, while 21 colleges took part in either the National and American categories. Eighteen of those schools came from Hampton Roads, and while no team claimed a championship, one – Poquoson, made it to the finals in the American High School division. To reach the final against Camden Catholic, the Islanders had to first get past Gateway Regional High. And with five bouts remaining in their semifinal match, the Islanders trailed 28-12. Colten Hicks and Ian Burress scored decisions over the Goetz brothers, Tom and Matt, in the 170 and 182-pound bouts, Mason Fiscella followed at 195 with a 51-second win by fall, closing the lead to four points. Robert Henesey, who injured his ankle and had not wrestled all season before the previous evening, stepped in at the much heavier 220 weight and followed with a second period fall that gave Poquoson a 30-28 lead and brought the Poquoson faithful to their feet. At 285, in a must-win situation, Dalton Jones sealed the victory with his 4-1 decision over Christopher Guy. On Friday, in the Haddonfield match, the Islanders overcame a near-emotional blowup to sneak past Haddonfield. Poquoson jumped to an early 20-0 lead after four matches, but saw its point cushion evaporate to six after Haddonfield captured the next three bouts, and the Islanders were penalized a point in the 145-pound bout. With their lead cut to 19-13, the host team fought to pull together. Cordell Johnson scored a fall at 152. But the New Jersey foe answered with a fall of its own, leaving the score at 25-19. Burress’ 8-3 decision bumped the lead back to nine, but Poquoson fell victim to a dubious injury in the 182-lb. bout as the Haddonfield wrestler hit the mat hard in his bout against Hicks, and stayed on the ground. Haddonfield was granted the win, as Hicks was disqualified, and at 28-25, the Bulls lead became shaky. However, Fiscella scored a 23-9 major win, boosting Poquoson to a 32-25 lead, meaning they had to win the next match at 220 pounds to seal the victory. For the first time all season, Henesey entered the circle. The 3A state champion at 182-lb. last year, the 5-7 senior still weighs a shade less than 190. In a rugged performance, he extended a 3-all tie in the bout’s final minute with a reverse and escape to claim a 7-4 decision, guaranteeing the Islanders the semifinal berth. Grassfield and Woodside competed in the elite National Division. The Grizzlies were blasted by 14-time state champion Christianburg 64-12 in its opening match, but they came back to win their first wrestle back match 43-23 over Orange. Heavyweight standout Trevor Burns scored a first period fall at 285 pounds for Grassfield, who also scored pins by Riley Starcher (113), Christian Schumaker (120), Hunter Jurgens (126) and Amiri Carter (195). St. Paul’s eliminated the Grizzlies 56-12 in the next round. Woodside had a tougher time in its first Duals appearance since 2006. The Wolverines lost, 82-0 to nationally ranked (#47) Nazareth (PA). The Wolverines also lost to Smyrna 69-9 in their second-round matchup. However, the Duals served their purpose, according to coach John Wright. “We’re really getting to feel and experience what the next level is,” said Wright, now in his second year as Woodside’s coach. “It serves as a motivator, because there is only so much experience that a group of guys can gain year-round. This serves as a good benchmark.” The Wolverines won two bouts in the Smyrna match. Sophomore D’Angelo Wilson (126) won by fall over Drew Mayhall, and Jayson McDade (160) scored an 8-6 decision victory. “(Wilson) is a good kid and he put it together today. When the opportunity for a fall came up, he moved in and got it.” Speaking of McDade, Wright added, “He’s a senior co-captain and a guy who has put in the off-season work. He was aggressively conservative today, didn’t make any high risk moves, and he had a technically sound match.” The Wolverines showed their mettle in the final match of the day against Orange County. Trailing 33-24, Woodside made up six points with a forfeit at 182, and then took a three-point lead when Isaac Mamea won by fall over Brandon Walker at 195. However, the Orange scored with pins at 220 and 285 to sneak away with a 45-36 win. Kellam was the highest placing South Hampton Roads team, placing third in the American High School division with its 33-29 victory over Westfield, from Chantilly. The Knights spotted the Bulldogs an 18-0 lead before beginning its comeback, which culminated with Carter Thornton’s 6-3 decision over Kareem Kabil, which sealed the match for Kellam. Princess Anne and First Colonial dropped first-round matches, but faced each other in the first wrestle back match, with First Colonial winning 43-29. Tallwood also won all of its qualifying matches to reach the championship match in the Black and Blue Division, but they lost 43-21 to Grundy, who was the state’s only team champion. By Jim McGrath ([email protected])
High School Divisions Bracket Results:
2018 VA DUALS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Bracket