By Gary Fauber
Assistant Sports Editor
BECKLEY —
Greenbrier West has considerably narrowed the gap in the latest Class AA/A state wrestling rankings.
The Cavaliers moved up to No. 2 in the latest coaches poll, as released on www.wvmat.com. West was a distant third to unanimous No. 1 Wirt County last week, but a win at the Braxton County Invitational last Saturday opened some eyes.
East Fairmont, which was a Class AAA school last year, is the new No. 1. The Bees received four first-place votes to West’s three and hold a slim one-point lead over the Cavaliers.
West has come on strong since Christmas, winning its last three tournaments. The Cavs won the Lindsay Raines Memorial Duals on Dec. 29 and followed it up with a big win at the West Virginia Army National Guard Duals in Summersville on Jan. 5 before the Braxton victory.
The Cavs are not the only ones making their presence felt from a local angle. In fact, Raleigh County figures strongly in the rankings.
Independence, the 2012 Class AA/A state runner-up, jumped from sixth to fourth. The Patriots finished third at Braxton County and had three individual champions.
Liberty, which was eighth at Braxton, is in the “also receiving votes” category.
In Class AAA, Shady Spring has leaped into the top 10, garnering the eighth spot. The Tigers finished fifth at the Winner’s Choice Tournament in Fairmont last weekend.
Indy, Shady and Liberty will all wrestle at the WSAZ Invitational this Friday and Saturday, while Greenbrier West will be at the Calhoun County Invitational on Saturday. Calhoun is ranked eighth in Class AA/A.
— E-mail: gfauber@register-herald.com
AA/A
Team
(First Place Votes) Points Previous
1. East Fairmont (4) 67 2
2. Greenbrier West (3) 66 3
3. Wirt County 53 1
4. Independence 50 6
5. Clay County 40 4
6. Fairmont Senior 36 7
7. North Marion 26 5
8. Calhoun County 25 8
9. Braxton County 13 9
10. Oak Glen 6 10
Also receiving votes: Liberty Raleigh
AAA
Team
(First Place Votes) Points Previous
1. Huntington (12) 128 1
2. Parkersburg South (1) 118 3
3. Point Pleasant 95 8
4. Washington 87 6
5. Tie Ripley 70 2
5. Tie Wheeling Park 70 5
7. Parkersburg High 65 4
8. Shady Spring 38 -
9. University 29 7
10. Musselman 9 10
Also receiving votes: Winfield, Buckhannon Upshur
