High school wrestling preview, 2011-2012

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Falcons could soar

Cox features two of the area’s three returning Group AAA state champions: Brandon Jeske and Cody Stageberg. The Falcons lost head coach Matt Small in the offseason, but replaced him with former assistant Wayne Gibson, who knows plenty about how Cox built a state championship program in 2009 and a state runner-up in 2010.

Small takes big task

Great Bridge is unlikely to challenge for an Eastern Region championship this season, but all eyes will be on the progress of the Wildcats, where new coach Matt Small is trying to take a third team to a district title. He’s done it at Grassfield and Cox. And he’s done it quickly at both places. Many expect Great Bridge to return to its dynasty status soon.

Weighty changes

Every coach will be dealing with an alteration in weight classes, a move that the National Federation of State High School Association’s Board of Directors calls the “most significant changes” to weight classes in 23 years. The lightest weight class moved up from 103 to 106 and opportunity was increased for bigger wrestlers. Wrestlers well below 106 pounds could struggle, while many coaches are still figuring out the ramifications for their lineup.

Grizzly change

Camden Anderson, a junior from Grassfield, and the other defending Group AAA state champion, may have the toughest task in South Hampton Roads. Anderson wrestled at 103 pounds and won a state championship, but Grassfield has him slated to compete at 132 pounds, a huge shift up.

Dolphins are loaded (again)

Cape Henry has not lost a Tidewater Conference dual in three seasons and has won four consecutive league championships. The school is loaded again with defending state champions Will Mason and Scott Cunningham returning. Mason, who will attend Virginia, has made his mark at the national level and finished third in the national prep school championships last year.

 _____

SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS TOP 10

1. Cox

Sure, head coach Matt Small is gone, but the talent isn’t. The Falcons, second in the Group AAA state tourney last year, will remain tough, particularly in tournament formats, where Cox has, arguably, the area’s two best wrestlers. The Falcons return a pair of state champions in Brandon Jeske and Cody Stageberg, an Eastern Region champion in C.J. Jablonski and a Beach District champion in Gabe Gibson. Wayne Gibson, an assistant with last year’s staff takes over to make sure the Falcons won’t miss a beat.

2. Ocean Lakes

The biggest surprise from last season won’t shock anyone this year. The Dolphins were a tough dual team last year and, while tournament formats weren’t a strength, Ocean Lakes still managed to finish fourth in the region. Ocean Lakes had just two seniors so finishing any worse in the Beach than last year’s third place would be a major disappointment. Eddie Bracey was a district champion last year and is one of six region place-winners to return, the best number outside of Cox.

3. Kellam

A year after taking issue with the number of transfers at Cox, the Knights will benefit from the most notable offseason switch. Former First Colonial wrestler Christian Olanowski will wrestle for the Knights, joining Ross Benzel and Timmy Antonelli in the middle weights, where Kellam will be extremely strong. Unfortunately for Kellam, that’s also where Cox’s strength is. All three can wrestle anywhere from 126 pounds to 145, giving coach Mike Benzel an array of lineup options. Sean Buttons, a state place-winner last year, returns as well

4. Grassfield

Grassfield returns a state champion in Camden Anderson, but the junior will have a much tougher time repeating. After winning at 103 pounds, Anderson will likely move up four weight classes. How he manages the change will be crucial to the Grizzlies’ hopes, particularly when it comes to tournaments. Taylor Misuna had great success wrestling in the middleweights as a freshman and should be even more successful this year. Barring injury or surprise, he’ll make a deep postseason run.

5. Salem

The SunDevils will start slow and will be missing 12 to 14 potential wrestlers when the season begins because of the school’s deep run in the Eastern Region football tournament. The team has two region champions returning, two-timer Zach Kechter, who placed third in the state last year and became the school’s first All-American at the NHSCA Nationals. Torrance Brown was the surprise of the postseason last year, returning from a knee injury just in time for the district tournament and going on to finish sixth in the state.

6. Great Bridge

New coach Matt Small has already taken two programs to region championships and returns to the Wildcats, where he began his wrestling and coaching career. It seems more likely than not that Small will return Great Bridge to its glory days, but it probably won’t be this year. The Wildcats lost six seniors from a team that finished third in the region, including four region place-winners. The Wildcats have just two state qualifiers back and two region qualifiers, but Small has done it before. Odds are, he’ll do it again.

7. Western Branch

The Bruins return six district place-winners, including senior Afsheen Hashemy, who finished fourth in the state last season. Four of Western Branch’s best wrestlers are seniors, including Joel Theroux, a Southeastern District champion last season. The Bruins lost just one after an eighth-place region finish. They’ll be especially good in dual formats.

8. Kempsville

State champion Bryce Barnes has graduated, but a handful of region qualifiers return, led by Phillip Porto and Louis Altamirano. The Chiefs had great success at the upperweights last year, sending three to states, and Porto looks more than capable of carrying on that tradition.

9. Landstown

Four Beach District place-winners return, led by 195-pounder Blaze Crossley, who finished fifth in the state. South Hampton Roads has little depth in its upper-weights, but the Eagles seem to have plenty. Eric Valery, Crossley and Eldon Valery all return as district place-winners above 170 pounds. Six wrestlers return who won at least 15 matches last season, including Deandre Corbe, a fourth district place-winner.

10. Indian River

Indian River has a pair of strong upper-weight wrestlers as well, with Aaron Rowe a defending district champion and a place-winner at the Super 32 tournament. Sophomore James Spruill finished second in the district at heavyweight and can wrestle at either 220 pounds or at heavyweight. Sophomore Brandon Olsen went 22-8 last year and broke out with a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Region tournament.