PARKERSBURG - While the No. 2 ranked Parkersburg South wrestling team is holding out hope for a record fifth straight Class AAA state title later this month, the focus come 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Brooke will be winning a fifth consecutive Region I title.
Aside from the host Bruins and the Patriots, whose lineup continues to fluctuate, the rest of the field consists of No. 3 Parkersburg, No. 7 Wheeling Park, No. 10 University as well as John Marshall, Morgantown and Preston.
Virginia Tech signee and Robert Dutton Award candidate Jared Haught of PHS is one of only two Region I grapplers still sporting an unblemished record. Haught, the expected victor at 182, is 43-0 on the campaign while top-seeded 132-pounder Scott Lopez of University is 36-0.
Article Photos
Photo by Jeff Baughan
Parkersburg South’s Lance Hill, left, has the No. 1 seed while Parkersburg’s Nick Johnson is the No. 4 seed in the 113-pound weight class for Saturday’s Class AAA, Region I, wrestling tournament at Brooke.
"We've got two top seeds," PHS head coach Chris Way said of Haught and 120-pounder Jason West. "If you just go by seeds, we are projected to take 10.
"We're pretty optimistic we can get 10 and we are hoping Mo (Talafhah at 152) and (heavyweight) Charley (Conley) can sneak out of there as well."
Coach Way admitted that without question, Parkersburg South first-year head coach Donna Dixon's Patriots shouldn't have too many problems capturing the regional crown.
Fact Box
Saturday's Tenative Brackets for
Class AAA, Region I, at Brooke
TOP
106: Logan Ball (PS, 22-7) vs. Michael Relordan (BRK, 12-30); Jerad Myers (UNIV, 22-15) vs. Chad Tubaugh (JM, 17-12)
BOTTOM
106: Austin Spears (PHS, 35-10) vs. Zach Ray (MT, 11-13); Tyson Lira (WP, 25-13) vs. Brady Ware (PRES, 28-10)
TOP
113: Lance Hill (PS, 28-3) vs. bye; Nick Johnson (PHS, 28-9) vs. David Dotson (UNIV, 10-6)
BOTTOM
113: Zach Tubaugh (JM, 13-1) vs. bye; Dallas Baciak (WP, 30-3) vs. Michael Max (BRK, 8-17)
TOP
120: Jason West (PHS, 33-13) vs. bye; Brandon Bertrand (JM, 17-13) vs. Austin Digiandomenico (WP, 12-19)
BOTTOM
120: Matthew Beaman (BRK, 31-4) vs. Colton Stiles (UNIV, 8-17); Braidon Knotts (PS, 30-13) vs. Kirk Moore (MT, 7-32)
TOP
126: Kyle Knotts (PS, 24-11) vs. bye; Chance Pattison (BRK, 28-20) vs. Taylor Goode (JM, 17-17)
BOTTOM
126: Isaiah Hood (UNIV, 29-13) vs. Jonathan Skeens (WP, 2-3); Sam Phillips (PHS, 15-14) vs. Seth Gribble, MT, 6-3)
TOP
132: Scott Lopez (UNIV, 36-0) vs. Maury Gamble (BRK, 24-22); Trapper Hays (PHS, 16-7) vs. Jon Roset (WP, 14-19)
BOTTOM
132: Jordan Quiocho (PS, 21-4) vs. Karsten Cartright (MT, 22-16); Casey Mowder (JM, 32-9) vs. Tyler Cottrell (PRES, 21-12)
TOP
138: Dylan Taylor (WP, 34-4) vs. Dakota SInes (PRES, 13-8); Tyler Richards (PS, 13-8) vs. Dylan Hall (JM, 29-9)
BOTTOM
138: Skyler Terrell (PHS, 35-5) vs. Matthew Lazear (BRK, 21-26); Ryan Lopez (UNIV, 30-11) vs Mack Lawrence (MT, 31-14)
TOP
145: Jonny Davis (WP, 27-6) vs. Mark Hileman (UNIV, 12-10); Stewart Morris (PS, 11-5) vs. Quentin Blatt (JM, 21-9)
BOTTOM
145: Codie Barrows (PHS, 33-9) vs. Casey Johnson (PRES, 16-13); Jake Schwertfeger (BRK, 29-10) vs. Raheem Davis (MT, 16-14)
TOP
152: Dillon Shaw (BRK, 37-4) vs. Xavier Brown (PRES, 2-15); Cody Boles (JM, 14-13) vs. Mo Talafhah (PHS, 10-21)
BOTTOM
152: Chip Sturek (PS, 25-12) vs. Will Andrews (MT, 15-21); Liam Ball (UNIV, 18-17) vs. Alex McGlumphy (WP, 7-11)
TOP
160: Briar Shively (PS, 34-6) vs. Christopher Zonker (BRK, 4-12); Nick Fisher (UNIV, 28-13) vs. Garrett Wotring (MT, 23-16)
BOTTOM
160: Danny Colby (WP, 24-7) vs. Ryan Simmons (JM, 14-20); Dylan Richards (PHS, 22-14) vs. Brandon Poling (PRES, 33-3)
TOP
170: Drake Mills (PS, 18-6) vs. bye; Jacob Wood (JM, 31-8) vs. Levi Gribble (PRES, 29-7)
BOTTOM
170: Nate Constante (UNIV, 36-5) vs. Zach Ferrari (BRK, 3-19); Logan Wotring (MT, 30-14) vs. Tommy Ricker (WP, 3-11)
TOP
182: Jared Haught (PHS, 43-0) vs. James Morgan (JM, 7-19); Skippy Scurry (BRK, 36-11) vs. Aaron Waldron (UNIV, 17-15)
BOTTOM
182: Cody Amos (WP, 34-2) vs. Austin Powell (PRES, 25-14); Damon Gandee (PS, 5-1) vs. Dylan Anderson (MT, 18-13)
TOP
195: Terrance Fanning (PRES, 38-3) vs. bye; Matt Dixon (PS. 25-10) vs. Cameron Fisher (JM, 11-9)
BOTTOM
195: Nathan Dawson (BRK, 38-4) vs. Kevin Insch (MT, 14-12); Geremy Paige (WP, 30-11) vs. Dylon Howell (UNIV, 15-10)
TOP
220: Cullen Ebbert (JM, 35-3) vs. Joseph Hood (BRK, 10-21); Cody Maurlin (MT, 17-13) vs. Zach Haddix (PS, 13-11)
BOTTOM
220: Tyler Riddle (PHS, 37-8) vs. Isaiah Myers (WP, 19-8); Shane Catlett (PRES, 22-6) vs. Anthony Frisco (UNIV, 20-18)
TOP
285: Thomas Hall (PS, 5-1) vs. bye; Jeff Howdershelt (UNIV, 26-14) vs. Zeke Andrews (JM, 10-19)
BOTTOM
285: Taylor Ortiz (MT, 44-3) vs. Charley Conley (PHS, 9-28); Preston Wise (BRK, 37-11) vs. Casey Hewitt (WP, 6-24)
NOTES: No. 2 seed Chip Sturek of Parkersburg South at 152 will be replaced by Jake Alexander and the bracket will be redrawn on Saturday morning; No. 4 seed Stewart Morris of Parkersburg South at 145 will be replaced by another Patriot and the bracket will be redrawn. Wrestling action is expected to get under way at 10:30 a.m.
W.Va. Coaches Association/
wvmat.com wrestling polls
Class AAA
1. Huntington (8) 80
2. Parkersburg South 72
3. Parkersburg 64
4. Ripley 54
5. Point Pleasant 50
6. Washington 40
7. Wheeling Park 31
8. Musselman 21
9. Shady Spring 20
10. University 8
Class AA/A
T1. East Fairmont (2) 38
T1. Greenbrier West (2) 38
3. Wirt County 32
4. Independence 27
5. Clay County 25
6. Fairmont Senior 20
7. North Marion 16
8. Calhoun County 9
9. Williamstown 8
10. Keyser 4
Others receiving votes: Herbert Hoover
"Going by the seeds, they got a pretty good lead," Way added. "But their lineup is changing right now."
Indeed it is as Parkersburg South's lineup issues will cause two brackets to be redrawn on Saturday morning. Expected Patriot No. 2 seed Chip Sturek at 152 is out and should be replaced by Jake Alexander. Also, expected fourth seed Stewart Morris at 145 appears to be done for the season.
"I don't know if we want to release that or not," Dixon said when asked who the Patriots would replace Morris with. "We've had some things happen and injuries we didn't expect.
"Stewart's injury hit us pretty hard. We weren't expecting it. We sort of knew something was up with Chip because he didn't wrestle in Huntington."
Nonetheless, Parkersburg South is favored to have six wrestlers stand atop the podium in their respective weight classes, thanks to No. 1 seeds Logan Ball (106), Lance Hill (113), Kyle Knotts (126), Briar Shively (160), Drake Mills (170) and heavyweight Thomas Hall, who recently joined the starting lineup and sports the same 5-1 record as 182-pound teammate Damon Gandee - the third seed at 182.
Wheeling Park has two top seeds in 138-pounder Dylan Taylor and 145-pounder Jonny Davis. The only No. 1 seed for the host Bruins is Dillon Shaw at 152. The other No. 1 seeds are Terrance Fanning of Preston at 195 and John Marshall's Cullen Ebbert at 220.
