Regional wrestling tournaments will be held Friday and Saturday throughout the state of West Virginia. These tournaments will determine what wrestlers will qualify for the state championships on the following weekend.
Local Region 3 AA-A schools will begin regional wrestling at Independence High School on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Wrestling will resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The fourth-ranked Independence Patriots are the defending regional champions and finished second in the state tournament last season. Greenbrier West has been hot of late and has beaten the Patriots in at least three different competitions. They are currently ranked second in the state coaches poll.
If you look at the individual rankings of the coaches poll here’s how the results will transpire. Championship matches will be:
106 — Teddy Stover (Indy) vs. Caleb Currence (West) in the finals.
113 — Will Cox (Indy) vs. Ben Alderson (West)
120 — Chris Patton (West) will win!
126 — Jordan Grimmett (West) will win!
132 — Colton Ward ( Indy) vs. Dustin Yoakum (West)
138 — Dakota Clifton (Liberty) vs. Chris Clark (Indy)
145 — Dustin Justice (Indy) vs. Jordan Tincher (West)
152 — Malik Boatright vs. RJ Elam (Liberty)
160 — Brandon Eldridge (Bluefield) vs. Austin Stewart (Richwood)
170 — Tyler Parker (West) vs. Jacob Tyler (Nicholas)
182 — Charles Ayers (Liberty) vs. Thomas Williams (Indy)
195 — Shawn Pennington (Bluefield) vs. Dylan McBride (Indy)
220 — Cody Loudermilk (West) vs. Julius Thomas (Bluefield)
285 — Donovan Vance (Liberty) vs. Zach Fleshman (Indy)
Now, I am not much of a numbers guy but I do agree with most of the rankings. However, look for surprises in the 160-pound and 195-pound class. Also, if you follow the coaches rankings, Greenbrier West will win the team title by a narrow margin and qualify 11 or 12 wrestlers for the states. Anyway you put it, the tournament will be interesting.
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Beckley, Oak Hill, Princeton, Shady Spring and Greenbrier East will travel to Ripley to participate in the Region 3 AAA regional. Ripley should be the team to beat but Shady Spring may prove to be a formidable foe. Here's how the coaches poll will see the regional finals:
106 — Logan Robertson (SS) vs. Jasiel Kinder (GE)
113 — Leland Swafford (WW) vs. Levi Smith (GW)
120 — John Forren (SS) vs. David Pancake (GW)
126 — Tyler Kosut (SS) vs. Jensen Lorea (GW)
132 — Autin Hileman (Rip) vs. Marc Williams (OH)
138 — Jake Martin (Rip) vs. Nick Farley (SS)
145 — Brandon Stump of Shady will win!
152 — Preston Martin (Rip) vs. Cole Williams (WW)
160 — Jake Smith (GW) vs. Josiah Solak (GE)
170 — Davis Solak (GE) vs. Nate Starkey (RIP)
182 — Pat Vance of Capital will win!
195 — Greg Medina of Ripley will win!
220 — No preference!
285 — Daryl Hicks (Rip) vs. Daniel Pettrey (WW)
Looks like some good matches. Go out and support your favorite wrestler.
This week a squeeze of the water bottle goes to Randall Harrah, a big wrestling fan and an avid reader of this column.
Today's Sports Front
Wrestling regionals should be exciting
- Today's Sports Front
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Woodrow downs defending AAA champs
It’s a play that Woodrow Wilson has practiced everyday this season and has rarely had to utilize.
It’s a good thing the Flying Eagles did practice it; it saved their season and led to a 2-1 victory over defending state champion Princeton. -
No repeat for Warriors
Independence has been on a tear offensively the entire month of May. It didn’t stop Tuesday, even against Wyoming East ace Derek Thornton.
The Patriots led 5-0 after two innings, and Brian Sexton — backed by that very offense and some sparkling defense — gutted out a complete game in a 7-5 win in the Class AA Region 3 semifinals Tuesday night. -
’Hounds hold off upset bid from Man Hillbillies
Valley’s potent offense never came to life, but the Greyhounds are still alive.
Valley (22-7) — with several players hitting .400 or better this season — could muster just three singles against underdog Man (6-20-1) in one of two Class A Region 3 baseball semifinals Tuesday, but the ’Hounds manufactured two runs in the crucial fifth inning to finally go ahead of the stubborn Hillbillies and escape with a 3-2 victory. -
WVU baseball team helps tornado victims
West Virginia University head baseball coach Randy Mazey was having lunch at an Oklahoma City restaurant Monday afternoon, keeping a close watch on the television set.
With every passing minute, the tornado that devastated the Oklahoma town of Moore, was moving closer and closer to his location and its path was being documented by a local television station. At one point, the coach even looked out the window to see if he could see the approaching funnel. -
Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship Format Changed
In the wake of this week’s devastating storm in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, the Big 12 Conference is postponing the start of the 2013 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship. No. 3 seeded WVU scheduled to take on Kansas at 4 p.m. (Central) on Thursday.
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Patriots, Warriors meet in anticipated matchup
The matchup many people expected will take place today.
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Fayette teams, Cavaliers vying for Class A spots
Two Fayette County baseball teams have advanced deeper into postseason play and will begin Region 3 tournament action today.
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Epling already having a busy week for Miners
At this point a year ago, Sam Lewis was the only player on the West Virginia Miners roster to have reported to Beckley. All he did was pitch two no-hitters, and the Miners won the 2012 Prospect League championship.
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Confident Mavs headed to states
From the outset, James Monroe’s mission was clear: Get to the state softball tournament.
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Eagles get 2nd shot at Tigers
The road to the Class AAA state championship for Princeton last year went through Beckley. A repeat would require the same stop, but Woodrow Wilson is looking to put up more resistance this time around.
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