Wrestling: Cox wins Group AAA state crown

FAIRFAX

As each dual meet and tournament passed by on the schedule, the one fixed point for Cox coach Matt Small and his team was the Group AAA state tournament title.

Ben Dorsay, Conor O’Hara, Caleb Richardson, Bryan Whitt and Ross Burbank each won an individual title to help the Falcons secure their ultimate goal.

“It feels awesome,” Dorsay said. “It feels better than winning one for yourself. The school hasn’t won one in over 20 years, and it’s an honor to be part of that.”

With six wrestlers in the finals, Cox’s 24-year wait to lift the trophy was all but over. The Falcons had surged to a 22-point lead over host Robinson before the championship matches and finished with a 169.5-129.5 margin.

The only question that remained going into the night matches was how many individual titles would the Falcons win?

Richardson opened with an 8-3 decision over Annandale’s Dana Harlowe to keep the Falcons going. Richardson signaled his second straight title by raising two fingers on his outstretched hands after the buzzer.

“Words can’t describe it,” the 112-pound junior said. “I’m going to enjoy this one, and then it’s back to working and improving to be better than everyone.”

Whitt won at 119, but then Jacob Crawford of Robinson handed Michael Chalfant a 6-2 loss at 130.

Dorsay clinched his third championship when he twice wriggled free from the clutches of Matoaca’s Josh Clark – once to start the third period and again in the third overtime period for a 2-1 victory.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Dorsay said. “I’ve said bottom is my worst position, so I was proud to get out so fast from under him.”

O’Hara beat Demitri Cox of Colonial Forge 7-2 at 215 pounds. Burbank then decisioned James River’s Ryan Powis 2-1 at 285 pounds to claim the Falcons’ fifth title.

Kellam, which finished in fourth place with 77 points, had one state champion when Aaron Runzo scored a second-period pin of Salem’s Buddy Scarborough at 125, but Austin D’Amico lost 3-2 to Matoaca’s Blake Roulo.

In a rematch of the Eastern Region 160-pound final, Norview’s Adrin Taylor topped the Knights’ Turner Bishop 6-1.

“Last time, I wasn’t nervous,” Taylor said. “But this time, I was – you’re in the spotlight, everybody’s looking at you in the last match of the season. One of us had to make a mistake. He didn’t finish his shot, and I capitalized on it.”

The strength of the Eastern Region was on display most of the night, with 11 of the 14 finals featuring wrestlers from South Hampton Roads. Salem’s Zach Kechter and Deep Creek’s Charles Arnold finished as runner-ups at 135 and 189, respectively.

“I tell the kids that the program and I are here to stay,” Small said. “But the memories – the team and individual titles – that’s what they can take with them. Before the season we set goals, and to see those goals come to fruition ... no one can take that from them.”

Darrell Cuenca, (757) 446-2039, darrell.cuenca@pilotonline.com

Group AAA tournament

At Robinson Secondary School

Semifinals

103: Smith (Robinson) d. Stageberg (Cox), 7-3; 119: Richardson (Cox) md. Lipford (Henrico), 9-0; 119: Whitt (Cox) md. Manchester (J.River), 9-0; 125: Runzo (Kel) d. O’Donnell (J.River), 7-2; Scarborough (Sal) d. Woods (Riverbend),4-2; 130: Chalfant (Cox) p. Kingett (F.Park), 5:30; Crawford (Robinson) md. McLanahan (GB), 10-0; 135: Kechter (Sal) d. Perryman (Robinson), 6-4; 140: D’Amico (Kel) d. Foxworth (Hanover), 3-1; 145: Clark (Matoaca) d. Robertson (OL), 3-1; Dorsay (Cox) p. Bennett (Robinson), 1:30; 152: Allala (Hopewell) d. Copeland (OS), 9-7; Adams (Franklin Co.) d. Mosley (Kemp), 6-4; 160: Bishop (Kel) d. Jones (Robinson), 6-1; Taylor (Norv) d. Reilly (C.Forge), 6-4; 171: Allala (Hopewell) d. Grainger (GB), 8-3; 189: Arnold (DC) d. Mendez (F.Park), 5-4; 215: Cox (C.Forge) md. Howell (Lake), 16-7; O’Hara (Cox) d. Embree (Marshall), 5-2; 285: Burbank (Cox) d. Smith (Riverbend), 3-1; Powis (J.River) p. Wyche (OS), 1:49.

Third place

103: Stageberg (Cox) inj. def. over Haynes (C.Forge); 119: Manchester (J.River) d. Everett (WB), 7-5; 130: Kingett (F.Park) d. McLanahan (GB), 3-2; 140: Arnold (Westfield) d. Dey (Land), 5-2; 152: Copeland (OS) d. Mosley (Kemp), 5-0; 171: Grainger (GB) p. Reck (C.Forge), :53; 215: Embree (Marshall) d. Howell (Lake), 3-2.

Fifth place

125: McCabe (Bay) d. Topper (Robinson), 6-3; 135: Eure (Cox) d. Bango (F.Park), 6-3; 145: Wells (J.River) d. Robertson (OL), 1-0; 160: Bisnett (Franklin (Co.) d. Johnson (Gran), 5-1; 285: Wyche (OS) p. King (Grass) , :27.

Seventh place

103: Felch (Kel) d. Firesheets (C.Heights), 6-2; 112: McCabe (Bay) d. Aiello (Westfield), 4-2; 119: Olanowski (FC) d. Thompson (N.Stafford), 10-4; 125: Nelson (Woodbridge) p. Williamson (DC), :53; 130: Slaughter (IR) d. Bowman (Battlefield), 4-3; 135: Bisono (Land) p. Williams (Centre), 3:00; 140: Buettner (OS) p. Kashannikah (Brook Pt.), 2:47; 171: Barnes (Kemp) d. Wentt (Land), 9-3; 215: Winfield (Hopewell) d. Gonzales (WB), 1:51.