Wrestling: Cox leads at state meet after Day 1

FAIRFAX

Cox leads Robinson by 10 points after Friday’s quarterfinals of the Group AAA state tournament at Robinson Secondary School.

“It’s far from over,” Falcons coach Matt Small said. “Right now, it’s all about momentum. The guys have to worry about their own matches, but as the team does well, they feed off each other’s results - it’s a steam-roller effect.”

Cody Stageberg, Caleb Richardson, Bryan Whitt, Michael Chalfant, Ben Dorsay, Conor O’Hara and Ross Burbank have all advanced to the semifinals for the Falcons, who amassed 69.5 points with just 135-pounder Dashon Eure going through the night wrestlebacks.

Kellam is fifth with 37 points. Aaron Runzo, Austin D’Amico and Turner Bishop are still active in the championship bracket for the Knights.

Cox’s Chalfant winning in memory of his father

Chalfant racked up 13 straight points in the final two-plus minutes of his major decision victory over John Orchard-Hays of Westfield in the 130 quarterfinals.

“I just wrestled my match,” Chalfant said. “After being in our training room, I feel everyone’s inferior considering our cardio and mental toughness.”

He said he’s dedicating his season to his father, who passed away during Cox’s winter break.

“This is all for him,” said Chalfant, who added his record is 25-1 since his father’s death. “It’s even more motivation to do what I need to do and keep my head on straight.”

Chalfant said he felt as though he’s wrestling with a purpose now and that his father would want him to push through.

“I feel like that was a true test of going through adversity,” he said.

Great Bridge senior honoring grandfather

Great Bridge senior 171-pounder Joey Grainger was hardly pushed en route to the semifinals.

He pinned Douglas Freeman’s Walker White in 37 seconds in a first-round match-up, and then forced down Centreville’s Martin Seneca’s shoulders in a minute.

And though he had little action on the mat, his coaches had him running as many as nine sprints in a back hallway at the school after matches.

“I’m happy,” Grainger said. “I’ve got two more matches.

“Hopefully I can get these next two and do what I’ve been wanting to do my whole life.”

Grainger, who finished second in the state his sophomore year, left the Wildcats just before last year’s postseason because of the death of his grandfather.

“I probably could’ve done it, but it would’ve been pretty hard - we were really close,” Grainger said of competing last season. “I know he’s looking over me now.”

Grainger’s only teammate to qualify for the tournament was 130-pounder Johnny McLanahan, who won by fall over Lee-Davis’ Don Lineberry, then edged Colonial Forge’s Brett Garrison 2-1 to remain in title contention.

“Before, we’d bring up the whole team,” Grainger said. “We’ve had a rough couple of years, but it’s good having a teammate up here with me in the semifinals.”

Small-team successes for Lakeland, Salem

Lakeland’s Justin Howell and Salem pair Buddy Scarborough and Zach Kechter advanced to the semifinals despite being the lone representatives from their school.

“We’re building each other up and it does the job,” Kechter said. “We’re encouraging each other to do our best and it works.”

- Darrell Cuenca

Group AAA tournament

Top 10 team scores: Cox 69.5; Robinson 59.5; Colonial Forge 41.5; Westfield 38.5; Kellam 33; James River 31; Hopewell 29; Forest Park 28; Oscar Smith 27.5; Hanover 26.

Other South Hampton Roads schools: 14. Great Bridge 20; 15. Salem 16; 17. Ocean Lakes 13; 21. Norview 11; 23. Deep Creek 10; 24. Kempsville 9; 25. Lakeland 9; 26. Landstown 8; 31. Western Branch 7; 35. Bayside 5; 41. Green Run 4; 46. Grassfield 3; 58. First Colonial 2; 59. Granby 2; 61. Indian River 2; 66. Hickory 1.

Quarterfinals

103: Hayes (CForge) d. Felch (Kel), 4-2; Stageberg (Cox) md. Firesheets (Colonial Hts.), 11-0.

112: Richardson (Cox) tf. Aiello (Westfield) 19-4; Harlowe (Annan) d. McCabe (Bay), 6-0.

119: Whitt (Cox) md. Thompson (N.Staff), 9-1; Martino (Robin) d. Olanowski (FC), 7-1.

125: Runzo (Kel) d. Williams (Henrico), 6-1; Scarborough (Sal) d. Schultz (Madison), 2-0.

130: Chalfant (Cox) md. Orchard-Hays (Westfield), 13-0; Kingett (FPark) d. Slaughter (IR), 9-4; McLanahan (GB) d. Garrison (CForge), 2-1; Crawford (Robin) md. O’Shea (Kel), 9-0.

135: Kechter (Sal) d. Walsh (Deep Run), 2-1.

140: D’Amico (Kel) d. Lineberry (L-Davis), 3-2; Ruolo (Matoaca) tf. Dey (Land), 19-0; Arnold (Westfield) md. Buettner (OS), 11-2.

145: Robertson (OL) d. Morris (Albe), 2-1; Dorsay (Cox) p. Kizer (Hermitage), 1:56.

152: Copeland (OS) d. Emison (CForge), 7-2; Adams (Franklin (Co.) d. Ketcherside (Kel), 3-2; Mosley (Kemp) d. Koch (Westfield), 6-4.

160: Bishop (Kel) d. Bisnett (Franklin Co.), 9-5; Taylor (Norv) p. Brooks (River), 1:17; Reilly (C.Forge) d. Johnson (Gran), 6-5.

171: Grainger (GB) p. Seneca (Centre), 1:00; Reck (C.Forge) d. Wentt (Land), 3-1.

189: Arnold (DC) d. Yost (Fairfax), 17-10; Locke (Hanover) p. Warren (OS), 1:10.

215: Cox (C.Forge) p. Gonzales (WB), 1:52; Howell (Lake) d. Davis (L-Davis), 9-5; O’Hara (Cox) d. Winfield (Hope), 2-1.

285: Burbank (Cox) p. Sahm (Langley), 1:50; Powis (J.River) p. Davis (GR), 3:39; Wyche (OS) p. Deleon (Westfield), 1:31.

First round

103: Felch (Kel) p. Kohlhass (WTWoodson), 1:15; Campbell (Westfield) d. Henderson (OL), 9-2; Stage berg (Cox) p. Vasquez (Wake), 1:48; Smith (Robin) p. Saravia (OS), 1:51.

112: Richardson (Cox) md. Van Allen (L-Davis), 15-5; Lipford (Henrico) p. Barnes (Norv), 1:03; Crawley (Var) d. Self (Hick), 8-6; McCabe (Bay) d. Walsh (Deep Run), 6-5.

119: Whitt (Cox) p. Proffitt (JRTuck), 2:27; Olanowski (FC) d. Keck (Hanover), 3-0; Gay (Hopewell) p. Everett (WB), 1:35; Manchester (JamRiv) d. Benzel (Kel), 7-0.

125: Dromazos (OsbPark) md. Williamson (DC), 9-0; Runzo (Kel) d. Sellers (ColForge), 6-0; Scarborough (Sal) md. Nelson (Woodbridge), 13-5; Woods (Riverbend) d. McCabe (Bay), 4-3.

130: Chalfant (Cox) md. Cooksey (Cosby), 11-0; Slaughter (IR) d. White (TDale), 3-2; O’Shea (Kel) p. Kim (Deep Run), 1:46; McLanahan (GB) p. Lineberry (L-Davis), 5:45.

135: Forrest (SLakes) p. Bisono (Land), 4:28; Donahue (Westfield) d. Harcourt (OL), 8-2; Kechter (Sal) md. Williams (Centre) 13-4; Perryman (Robin) p. Eure (Cox), 3:02.

140: Dunn (Heritage) p. Driggins (Bay), 5:14; D’Amico (Kel) md. Cooke (Battle), 10-0; Dey (Land) d. Brown (Franklin Co.), 10-4; Buettner (OS) p. Kashanikhan (Brook Pt.), 3:24.

145: Robertson (OL) d. Van Trees (Westfield), 6-5; Carlson (Chant) d. Squyres (Hick), 7-0; Dorsay (Cox) tf. Ezzeddine (Lee), 15-0; Bennett (Robin) d. Csenar (Kel), 4-2.

152: Copeland (OS) d. Wells (James Riv.), 2-1; Ketcherside (Kel) d. Diamond (T.Dale), 4-2; Mosley (Kemp) d. Wilson (Hanover), 7-4.

160: Bishop (Kel) d. Velasquez (Annan) 4-1; Jones (Robin) p. Lindquist (Land), 1:48; Taylor (Norv) p. Williams (WTWoodson), 1:18; Johnson (Granby) d. Grinups (Westfield), 7-3.

171: Grainger (GB) p. White (DFreeman), :37; Allala (Hope) p. Cook (WB), 5:09; Wentt (Land) md. Eastland (L-Davis), 10-1; Coburn (Cosby) d. Barnes (Kemp), 4-2.

189: Mendez (FPark) d. Walsh (Kel), 9-7; Arnold (DC) p. Vargas (Heritage), 5:18; Warren (OS) md. Purnell (Woodbridge), 13-0p Traugh (River) p. Dickey (Kemp), 5:00.

215: Gonzales (WB) p. Johnson (Centre), :59; Howell (Lakeland) p. Lucynski (Lee), 1:34; O’Hara (Cox) md. Bamezon (Westfield), 18-3; Embree (Marshall) p. Hankins (Hick), 1:22.

285: Smith (River) md. King (Grass), 13-0; Burbank (Cox) p. Porterfield (WFleming), 4:34; Davis (GR) p. Tribble (N.Stafford), 4:30; Wyche (OS) p. Horner (Franklin Co.), 1:22.