Virginia was well-represented at last weekend’s Beast of the East tournament in New Jersey, long considered one of the top two high school tournaments in the nation.
Colonial Forge, a week after finishing fourth at the prestigious Ironman tournament in Ohio, was third at the Beast.
Colonial Forge, which ended Great Bridge’s nine-year run of Group AAA state titles last season, had six place-winners – all in the top four at their weight – and a champion.
While the changing of the guard seems complete, with the Wildcats now second fiddle in the state, Great Bridge still had a strong showing, too.
South Hampton Roads’ top-ranked team finished ninth – albeit 76 points behind Colonial Forge – and had two place-winners. Senior Jared King (160 pounds) lost in the final.
Transfer Louis Johnson (140), who also placed at the Ironman, defeated the No. 12 and No. 4 seeds en route to the semifinals before losing to the top seed and eventual champ. He finished fourth.
The Wildcats weren’t the only South Hampton Roads team in the 79-team field. Cox finished 19th, led by 285-pounder Jack Burbank’s sixth-place showing.
Third-ranked Kellam, led by Mike Holcomb’s sixth-place finish at 125, tied for 47th.
Area produces several pleasant surprises
Although only four South Hampton Roads wrestlers placed at the Beast, several made a name for themselves by coming close – and knocking off top wrestlers along the way. The highlights:
Western Branch’s Tucker Miller (112) went 3-2, finishing a victory shy of placing. He pinned the No. 4 seed along the way. Likewise, Great Bridge’s Garrett Haas (119) went 4-2, ending one win from the medal stand. He upset the No. 6 seed; his only losses were to the fifth and seventh seeds.
Kellam’s Brian Beatson (130) went 4-2 but was two victories from placing in a huge field. Cox’s Ben Dorsay, seeded eighth at 135, lost his second match but almost battled back to place. He pinned the No. 6 seed in wrestle-backs before an unfortunate draw matched him up with the No. 2 seed. He lost 3-0 and finished 3-2.
The 140-pound bracket was loaded with South Hampton Roads talent. Johnson was the star, but Cox’s Tejovan Edwards – who defeated Johnson three weeks ago – started 2-0 in the Beast. He lost, though, to the second seed in the third round. After winning two more matches, he fell one victory shy of placing and finished 4-2.
Johnson also crossed paths with Southeastern District rival Ricky Anderson of Western Branch, bumping him into the losers’ bracket with a pin in the third round. Anderson started the tournament with two wins by pin but finished 2-2.
Great Bridge’s Robbie Mello (171) was a surprise, going 3-2 and losing two close matches to top opponents.
Then came the 189-pound bracket, which was another impressive one for South Hampton Roads. Kellam’s Greg Polhemus (3-2), Cox’s Chris Penny (3-2), Western Branch’s Amos Scott (3-2) and Great Bridge’s Billy Curling (4-2) all had winning records and all lost to seeded opponents. After losing his first match, Curling won four in a row and finished one victory from the medals.
Granby, Hickory impress at other tournaments
While the Beast was the big stage, several other South Hampton Roads teams were in tournament action this past weekend.
Sixth-ranked Granby won the 12-team Hornet Holiday Classic at Deep Creek, finishing ahead of second-place Oscar Smith and third-place Norview.
The Comets had 11 of 14 wrestlers place in the top four, including four champions: Michael Chalfant (103), Marcus Chevres (125), Anthony Walker (145) and David Wilson (215).
“They did OK,” Granby coach Chris Martin said of his wrestlers. “We didn’t wrestle that well, didn’t have three starters, and we still handled it. It wasn’t necessarily an elite tournament, but there were some real good kids there and it was a good tune-up for us.”
Seventh-ranked Hickory also had a good weekend, finishing third in the 32-team Richmond Invitational. That came one week after finishing fourth in the 32-team Northern Region Classic.
In Richmond, the Hawks had seven place-winners, led by champions Josh Gillis (125) and Grant Chapman (215). Both also won their weight classes the previous week.
“My horses can run,” Hickory coach Teddy Evans said. “My tough kids can beat anybody. It’s the freshmen and sophomores who make the difference. If I can get them to score some points, we’re good.”
ONE TO WATCH
Second-ranked Cox got past No. 3 Kellam in a Beach District battle last week, winning 33-26. Tonight, the Falcons face the league’s other top contender: fourth-ranked Kempsville.
The Chiefs’ only dual-match loss of the year is to No. 1 Great Bridge. They’ve defeated No. 5 Western Branch, No. 6 Granby, No. 9 Indian River and No. 10 Grassfield.
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