Nine wrestlers protect No. 1 seeds

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 13, 2010 1:47 PM

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Nine wrestlers defended their No. 1 seed.

Millbrook lived up to expectations.

The Wildcats had just two individual champions, but earned valuable points in wrestle-back competition and claimed the 15th Eagle Invitational team championship with a 204.5-196 triump over Dixon late Saturday evening.

First-year participant Central Academy placed third, while tournament host Rosewood ended up fourth. It was the Eagles' fourth consecutive, top-seven finish. South Central rounded out the top five.

"I couldn't have been more pleased with the Eagle Invitational this year," said Eagles head coach Bill Edmundson. "Having 22 teams wanting to get in the tournament from as far away as Monroe, and having to turn down 15 additional requests speaks highly of the reputation the tournament has built over the years.

"We have no plans to make this a two-day tournament as long as we can keep it under 12 hours."

This one ran a little longer.

The 12-hour, 45-minute affair ended when Central Academy heavyweight Will Robinson pinned Beddingfield's Chris Fess, a returning state qualifier, late in the second period.

Nine schools had at least one individual champion on the day.

"I believe this tournament showcased the 1-A power house schools in the East -- Dixon, Central Academy, East Carteret, Pamlico and Rosewood," said Edmundson. "(We) all finished in the top 10 and several of the championship matches were what we expect to see at the east regionals. This also helped us as we prepare for postseason weights and lineups."

Southern Wayne 152-pounder and heavyweight Devin Lee shared third-place honors at their respective weight classes. Several wrestlers reached the maximum of five matches in one day, which induced numerous ties in consolation-round action.

Dove finished the day 4-1 after falling to Pamlico's Xavier Best in their first-round match. Meanwhile, Lee logged a 3-1 record that included a second-period fall over Charles B. Aycock's Travion Lewis.

Returning starter Ethan Brogden posted a 3-2 worksheet that included triumphs over Central Academy's Nick Gagatch, Millbrooks' Jeremy Macon and White Oak's Dennis Miller.

The Saints tied with Cleveland for 17th place.