Wrestling; Warriors fare well at Tarboro Invitational

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 27, 2006 1:47 PM

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TARBORO -- Three Eastern Wayne wrestlers collected gold medals in individual competition and helped the Warriors claim a convincing team victory in the Tarboro Turkey Invitational, contested Saturday at Tarboro High School.

The Warriors compiled 182 points compared to runner-up Gray's Creek, which had six medalists, but just one individual champion during the day-long, 16-team affair. A mere three points separated the next three teams -- Rosewood (120 points), Jacksonville (119) and Smithfield-Selma (115). Individual champions Jim Bish and Chris Hare led Rosewood to its highest tournament showing in the young season.

After posting a runner-up effort at the Falcon Invitational V a week ago, Eastern Wayne returned home with 10 medals -- three golds, one silver and six bronze. Chris Tesar (119 pounds), Detori Mitchell (140) and senior Brandon Johnson (215) each emerged the champion in his respective division. Tesar and Johnson each recorded a pin and boosted their overall records to 6-0. Mitchell won by major decision and climbed to 6-1 overall.

Heavyweight Foy Coley forfeited his final-round match to Tarboro's Eric Sutton. Teammates A.J. Washington (135), Brian Lincoln (152) and Timmy Brown (160) each won by pin and grabbed a bronze medal.

The Warriors received fourth-place performances from freshman Drew Tesar (103), Jordan Harris (112) and James Knight (130). Knight endured a tough two-point overtime loss to First Flight's Daniel Burrus.

Bish and Hare each pinned their respective opponents in the second period. Hare remained unbeaten in seven outings, while Bish improved to 6-1 overall. Bish ended a string of 15 consecutive second-place finishes.

"We were all excited for Jim because he deserves it," said Rosewood coach Bill Edmundson. "Chris looked unstoppable. He just went out there and had fun (again). In the finals, he started tentative, but once he chose the down position in the second period, he just went off.

"We got a good effort out of Josh Holmes. To finish third, missing four weight classes, I think we did a pretty good job. Everybody went above and beyond their level, and just stepped up."

J.D. Baker (125) captured third with a third-period fall against First Flight's Joseph Bunnell. Chris Holmes and Devon Carey of SSS tied for third at 189 due to the five-match rule.

Josh Holmes (135) and heavyweight Trevor Morris each finished fourth overall.

Greene Central's Justin Wellington pinned Morris to take third at heavyweight. Wellington avenged a loss to Morris during last week's Falcon Invitational V.

Eastern Wayne opens the dual-team portion of its schedule at home Tuesday against Washington. Regular-season matches against New Bern and Triton, which were postponed, have not been rescheduled. Rosewood entertains South Lenoir on Thursday. Greene Central is the guest of Charles B. Aycock on Wednesday.

Notes: Nine of the 14 top-seeded wrestlers avoided upsets. ... Eastern Wayne, Rosewood and Greene Central wrestlers combined to seize 15 of the 56 medals available in 14 divisions. ... Nine different schools had at least one individual champion.

Team scores

1. Eastern Wayne 182; 2. Gray's Creek 130.5; 3. Rosewood 120; 4. Jacksonville 119; 5. Smithfield-Selma 117; 6. First Flight 111.5; 7. Tarboro 97; 8. Currituck County 74; 9. Northeastern 58.5; 10. Pasquotank 54; 11. SouthWest Edgecombe 38; 12. Greene Central 14; 13. Manteo 3; 14. Clayton 0; 14. Cameron Union Pines 0; 14. Richlands 0.

Championship

103 -- Chris Teeter (Jacksonville) wbf Justin Martin (Currituck), 0:35 seconds; 112 -- Jim Bish (RHS) wbf J.D. Cunningham (First Flight), 2:45; 119 -- Chris Tesar (EW) d. Will Eatmon (SSS), 8-4; 125 -- Aaron Rodriguez (Gray's Creek) dec. Adam Justin (Jax), 6-4; 130 -- Chris Hare (RHS) wbf Greg Knapp (Jax), 2:33; 135 -- Ryan Pippen (Northeastern) d. Justin Whitley (SW Edgecombe), 9-4; 140 -- Detori Mitchell (EW) maj. dec. Josh Sherman (FF), 10-1; 145 -- Andrew Langlois (Pasquotank) wbf Luke Hudson (NE), 3:19; 152 -- Matt Ochao (Jax) dec. Brandon Doyle (NE), 9-8; 160 -- Kevin Tedder (SSS) wbf Roman Rodriguez (GCr), 2:45; 171 -- T.C. Haubold (CC) wbf David Chester (Jax), 6-3; 189 -- Kirk Heffley (THS) wbf Heath Stewart (GCr), 0:38; 215 -- Brandon Johnson (EW) wbf Trent Langston (SSS), 3:56; Hwt -- Eric Sutton (THS) by forfeit.

Consolation

103 -- Chris Fox (GCr) wbf Drew Tesar (EW), 3:21; 112 -- Julian Taylor (GCr) tech fall Jordan Harris, 16-0 (5:00); 119 -- Patrick Wells (GCr) dec. A.J. Sykes (Pasquotank), 4-3; 125 -- J.D. Baker (RHS) wbf Joseph Bunnell (FF), 3:15; 130 -- Daniel Burrus (FF) d. James Knight (EW), 7-5 (OT); 135 -- A.J. Washington (EW) wbf Josh Holmes (RHS), 0:20; 140 -- B.J. Weeks (SSS) wbf Josh Wilson (Pasquotank), 1:27; 145 -- Jeff Ross (CC) dec. Brent Gregory (FF), 5-1; 152 -- Brian Lincoln (EW) wbf Kent Jacobs (FF), 2:25; 160 -- Timmy Brown (EW) wbf Quantea Powell (THS), 0:30; 171 -- Anthony Beach (FF) wbf Alex Green (SSS), 1:59; 189 -- Chris Holmes (RHS) tie Devon Carrey (SSS), 5-match rule; 215 -- Hunter Barber (THS) wbf Brian Smith (GCr), 4:45; Hwt -- Justin Wellington (G. Central) wbf Trevor Morris (RHS), 4:18.