Wrestling: Cox leads after Day 1 of Eastern Region

CHESAPEAKE

The top two teams have pulled away from the pack.

Cox leads the team standings with 96 points and has eight wrestlers in the semifinals.

Kellam is next with 82 points and also has eight semifinal qualifiers.

Landstown is third at 57½, followed by host Oscar Smith with 55½ and Western Branch with 53.

The audience at mat four was treated to some quarterfinal fireworks, and – much to the chagrin of the partisan crowd – saw four of the lighter Southeastern District champions fall.

Kellam’s Hayden Felch notched a 9-4 decision over Oscar Smith’s Bryan Saravia at 103.

Hickory’s Todd Self trailed 5-4 in the second period until Bayside’s Jerrelle McCabe hit a reversal and pinned him in 3:59 at 112.

“I just saw him go for my head,” McCabe said.

“Once I got that cradle locked in, I knew I could finish it, get the pin and get the win.”

Cox’s Bryan Whitt then scored a 3-0 decision over Western Branch’s Wil Everett, and Bayside’s Marcelle McCabe followed with a 13-4 major decision over Deep Creek’s Javari Williamson.

The highlight, though, was Landstown’s Francisco Bisono registering an 11-8 decision over Great Bridge’s Chris Mansfield.

Bisono, the Beach District’s third seed, racked up points to start the first and third periods with a takedown to back points-combination.

“It’s my go-to move,” Bisono said. “I practice that all the time with my partner – it’s a real flowing move.”

Bisono led 11-5 before being penalized for stalling, which trimmed the final margin to three points.

Beach District rolls

The Beach District dominated in the lower weight classes with four of six between 103 and 135 pounds featuring All-Beach semifinalists.

The district also advanced three of four main-bracket qualifiers at 130, 140, 145 and 285.

The marquee match-up of the first round was a tussle between highly rated heavyweights Daniel Davis of Green Run and Deep Creek’s Kindal Allen.

After a scoreless first period which saw both wrestlers locking arms, Allen pulled ahead by two points.

He was on the receiving end of a locked hands penalty and then escaped when Davis was trying to ride out on top.

But a flurry of three reversals – two by Davis – had the match deadlocked at 4-4 before the match went to overtime. Davis was awarded the victory when Allen was penalized for stalling in the extra period.

Allen bounced back pins of Bethel’s Logan Sandley and Norview’s Olando Randle in the consolation wrestlebacks.

Davis moved onto the quarterfinals and earned a 6-0 decision over Granby’s Dalton Booker.

After two injury time-outs, Kellam’s Turner Bishop had a grimace on his face after securing those final back points for a technical-fall win over Indian River’s Chris Hammond in the first round.

“His knee got caught up and twisted,” Knights coach Mike Benzel said. “

Bishop showed no ill-effects from the injury in his 16-3 major decision over Phoebus’ Erick Carter in the quarterfinals.

“I felt fine,” Bishop said.

Eastern Region meet

Top 10 team scores: Cox 96; Kellam 82; Landstown 57.5; Oscar Smith 55.5; Western Branch 53; Great Bridge 43; Ocean Lakes 39.5; Salem 38; Norview 37.5; Indian River 37.

Quarterfinals

103: Stageberg (Cox) tf. Watson (Phoebus) 4:23; Scarborough (Sal) p. Mai (IR) :57; Henderson (OL) p. Stamp (Grassfield) 3:14; Felch (Kel) d. Saravia (OS) 9-5.

112: Richardson (Cox) p. Theroux (WB) :25; Manley (Booker T. Washington) p. Rawlings (King’s Fork) 5:47; Pritchett (Phoebus) p. Bracy (OL) 3:31; McCabe (Bayside) p. Self (Hickory) 3:59. 119: Olanowski (First Colonial) d. Fairbee (Grassfield) 6-1; Cash (OL) d. Williams (OS) 7-3; Benzel (Kel) md. Rice (Lakeland) 16-4; Whitt (Cox) d. Everett (WB), 3-0. 125: Runzo (Kel) tf. Hashemy (WB), 5:20; Snead (Land) d. Jonas (Hickory) 8-6; Scarborough (Sal) md. White (Grassfield) 18-7; McCabe (Bayside) md. Williamson (Deep Creek) 13-4.

130: Chalfant (Cox) p. Zollars, 2:42; Slaughter (IR) d. Brown (Kempsville) 3-1; O’Shea (Kel) p. Morganti (Granby), 5:53; McLanahan (GB) md. Kenner (FC) 18-10.

135: Kechtor (Sal) md. Smith (OS) 13-4; Harcourt (OL) tf. Miller (WB) 5:31; Eure (Cox) p. Marquez (Hickory) 2:51; Bisono (Land) d. Mansfield (GB) 11-8.

140: D’Amico (Kel) p. Krogsund (Nansemond River) 4:40; Bialeschki (IR) d. Driggins (Bayside) 5-4; Dey (Land) p. Libraro (Hickory) 3:21; O’Brien (FC) d. Buettner (OS) 5-4.

145: Dorsay (Cox) tf. Reynolds (GB) 2:13; Csenar (Kel) d. Land (OS) 11-6; Robertson (OL) d. Roberson (Norv) 5-3; Squyres (Hickory) d. Spyres (Green Run) 5-3.

152: Mosley (Kempsville) d. Sari (Lakeland) 5-2; Leonardi (Hampton) d. Whitehurst (GB) 9-5; Ketcherside (Kel) p. Gray (Nansemond River) 4:54; Copeland (OS) p. Boyser (Cox) 3:47.

160: Taylor (Norv) md. Folterman (Cox) 13-5; Barney (First Colonial) d. Roberson (Menchville) 8-6; Bishop (Kel) md. Carter (Phoebus) 16-3; Hardy (Nansemond River) p. Johnson (Granby), 3:36.

171: Cook (WB) p. Teel (Booker T. Washington) 3:38; Barnes (Kempsville) d. Boyd (Gloucester) 7-1; Wentt (Land) md. Fox (Phoebus) 14-2; Grainger (GB) p. Smith (Norcom) 1:48.

189: Warren (OS) md. Parker (Booker T. Washington) 16-5; Rowe (IR) p. Graves (Menchville) :53; Dickey (Kempsville) d. Grimes (Norview) 4-1; Arnold (Deep Creek) tf. Thomas (Wilson) 5:08.

215: Gonzales (WB) p. Parker (Norview) 2:32; Hankins (Hickory) md. Jules (Phoebus) 9-1; O’hara (Cox) p. Lindsey (Denbigh) 2:52; Howell (Lakeland) p. Ashlock (Hermitage) :48.

285: Davis (Green Run) d. Booker (Granby) 6-0; Sawyer (Salem) d. Haskins (Warwick) 11-4; Burbank (Cox) p. Seals (Phoebus) 5:32; King (Grassfield) p. Randle (Norv) :33.

– Darrell Cuenca