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Seniors must pick up pieces
after losses in wrestling tournament
By DAVID WALSH -- The Herald-Dispatch
dwalsh@herald-dispatch.com
HUNTINGTON -- The final wrestling season for seniors Robbie Williams and Jason Mays of Huntington High and Erica Dye of Wirt County had gone according to schedule, until they stepped onto the mat for the final time Saturday night at the Huntington Civic Arena.
In the championship round of the 55th annual West Virginia High School Tournament, Williams and Mays saw their bid for perfect seasons dashed and Dye’s dream of becoming the first female champion in state history didn’t materialize.
"We both went out there, and he was better than me for that six minutes," Williams said after Matt Smith of Ripley scored a takedown with one second left to secure a 3-1 victory in the Class AAA 130-pound title match.
"I got caught in a weird position. He fell on me, and I couldn’t go anywhere," Mays said of his match against Nathan Pickens of Parkersburg South at 160. Pickens scored a pin at 4:32 and the decision contributed to the Patriots capturing their fourth straight state title and seventh in the last eight years. They had 206.50 points to 174 for runner-up and rival Parkersburg.
Dye lost to Madonna’s Anthony Valles, 9-1, in the Class AA/A 103-pound title match. Still, she is the only girl to ever place second, bettering her fourth-place finish of year ago when she also lost to Valles.
"He wrestled very well, and this was not my best match by far," said Dye, who received standing ovations from the fans before and after the match. "I’m a little disappointed now. When I think about it some, I’m sure I’ll be happy. The ovations were nice. I’d like to tell everyone thanks."
Williams, who had finished second and third in the last two state tournaments, and Mays finished with 44-1 records. Dye closed at 35-7. A win in the semifinals Friday night gave him 100 career victories.
"It’s rough. We both wanted it," said Williams, who had beaten Smith earlier in the season. "It hurts. I didn’t wrestle my best, but I’ll keep my head up and go on. There are greater tragedies in life."
Mays also tried to put the match and his career in perspective. He had won the state at 145 as a junior.
"It was pretty much even," he said of the match that was scoreless at the time of the pin. "Whoever makes the first good move wins it. It’s over now and I can’t worry about it."
As a team, Huntington High finished sixth with 90 points.
Huntington coach Bill Archer said his two seniors gave their all.
"Robbie had a banged up leg and didn’t wrestle well," he said. "Smith’s a good kid and it was a great match. Jason wrestled somebody better than he was.
"Both have been in the finals a total of four times. They’ve carried the Huntington High wrestling program the last three years."
For Dye, when the final whistle sounded, she dropped to one knee looking down, her energy spent. Several coaches congratulated Dye after she accepted her second-place award, and even the referee who worked her match came over to shake her hand.
Dye (100-21 career record) said she will compete in the U.S. high school girls nationals next month. She also inspired the United States Girls’ Wrestling Association to hold a state tournament at Wirt County in March.
For now, Dye said she plans to get on with life in general.
"I’ve been putting off everything," she said. "I’ve got to figure out what to do in college and for a career. I don’t have a clue."
The unkind remarks Dye heard when she started in wrestling have all but disappeared. Even though she’s a girl, she’s won acceptance.
"Would I do it again? I think I would," she said. "I got used to all the things I heard and saw. I get kidded about it now. It’s been worth it."
"When I was out there, I thought of her as just another wrestler," Valles said. "If she wants to be out there with us, she has to wrestle like us."
Does Dye believes she’s qualified for role-model status?
"That’s what a lot of people tell me," she said. "They look up to me. I gave it my all. That’s what it takes to make it."
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Patriots, Oak Glen win
wrestling titles again
Defending champs pin down titles in state wrestling tournament
By DAVID WALSH -- The Herald-Dispatch
dwalsh@herald-dispatch.com
HUNTINGTON -- Once again, Parkersburg South and Oak Glen left with the championship hardware.
When the 55th annual West Virginia High School Wrestling Tournament ended Saturday night, the Patriots had in their possession a record fourth straight Class AAA championship. They finished with 206.50 points to 174 for runner-up Parkersburg, the team which beat the Patriots in the Region I Tournament last week.
"This is the sweetest because nobody’s ever done this," Patriots coach and Class AAA coach of the year Tim McCartney said. "We have a mark. Teams come after us, but we did what we had to do to hold them off."
Oak Glen, seeking a record sixth straight Class AA/A crown, trailed Calhoun County after day one. The Golden Bears came on strong from that point to get the record. They had five of their six finalists win Saturday night to bring the final point total to 216.50. Calhoun County placed second with 197.50 points. This the closest margin for Oak Glen in its run. The other titles were by 50 or more points.
"It doesn’t get any easier," Oak Glen coach Larry Shaw said. "Calhoun County, Wirt County and Williamstown gave us all we could handle. This is one of the most difficult years we’ve had. From South (a win over Parkersburg South in a dual) on, it was tough. The kids stepped it up and I’m proud of them."
Oak Glen didn’t clinch the championship until Steve Flowers scored a 3-1 victory over Jeff Morris of Calhoun County at 140.
Parkersburg South saw nine of its 12 qualifiers place with four taking individual titles in the championship round. As a team, the Patriots have finished on top seven of the past eight years.
Ryan Metz, champion at 125 for the Patriots, said a team meeting called by him and fellow senior captains Nathan Pickens, Matt Bosley and Chris Morrison prior to the state paid off.
"We told the guys we had to get it together," he said. "The regional was a jolt, but we let it go. The guys picked it up here. The guys really came together. It’s an unbelievable feeling."
Three of Parkersburg’s four finalists won. None are seniors and that bodes well for the Big Reds.
"The kids came in and worked hard," said Scheny Schenerlein, second-year coach of the Big Reds. "We took that small step toward the big goal. We felt coming in we could win it. This proves we’re capable."
McCartney saluted the effort of his rival.
"Give Parkersburg High a lot of credit," he said. "They wrestled to win."
Huntington High’s Robbie Williams and Jason Mays saw their dreams of an unbeaten season end. At 130, Ripley’s Matt Smith beat Williams, 3-1, scoring the decisive takedown with one second left. At 160, Pickens pinned Williams at 4:32.
"It could’ve gone either way," said Williams, who finished the season 43-1 as did Mays. "He got the foot in and I couldn’t stop him."
"I messed up one move," Mays said.
At the outset, all eyes were on Wirt County’s Erica Dye, who was seeking to become the first female champion in tournament history. Weirton Madonna’s Anthony Valles, who beat Dye in the third-place match a year ago, repeated the success with a 9-1 victory.
"I’m a little disappointed right now, but as soon as everything calms down, I think I’m going to be happy," said Dye, who received loud ovations from the fans before and after her match. "It’s going to take a little bit of time. Right now it’s real overwhelming."
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Dye's title bid falls short .. Wirt girl loses in finals to Madonna's Valles
Sunday February 24, 2002
By The Associated Press
Madonna's Anthony Valles (top) puts a leg hold on Wirt County's Erica Dye in their Class AA-A 103-pound championship match, won by Valles 9-1. |
HUNTINGTON - Wirt County's Erica Dye lost her bid Saturday night to become the first girl to win a state wrestling championship.
Dye fell to Madonna's Anthony Valles 9-1 in the 103-pound title match at the Class AA-A tournament. Still, she is the only girl to ever place second.
"I'm a little disappointed right now, but as soon as everything calms down, I think I'm going to be happy. It's going to take a little bit of time,'' Dye said. "Right now it's real overwhelming.''
Dye, a senior, could do no wrong in the hearts of the Huntington Civic Arena crowd, which gave her a standing ovation afterward.
Dye's strength in the tournament has been to get ahead of her opponents, but Valles was in control throughout their match.
The sophomore scored a two-point takedown midway through the first period, then earned three points for a near-pin in the second period despite being beneath Dye.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get that first takedown because she's usually real fast off the whistle,'' Valles said. "I'm glad I got it.''
Valles scored four points in the final period on a reversal and an escape.
As the final whistle blew, Dye sat on one leg looking down, her energy spent.
"I'm very proud. Win or lose, she's had a hell of a year,'' said her father, Kenny. "When you get a girl placing in the boys states, that's pretty great.''
Valles also beat Dye in last year's third-place match.
"I just thought she was just another wrestler, she's not anything special,'' Valles said. "If she wants to be out there with us, she's got to wrestle like us.
"She got this far. She deserved to be here.''
Several coaches congratulated Dye after she accepted her second-place award, and even the referee of her match came over to shake her hand.
Dye finished her career with a 100-21 record. Next month, she will compete in the U.S. high school girls nationals "and end my season on a good note, hopefully,'' she said.
She also inspired the United States Girls' Wrestling Association to hold a state tournament at Wirt County in March.
For now, she doesn't see herself wrestling in college, saying she is tired of nine years of nonstop competition and training, and the fact that few colleges offer women's wrestling.
All season, she rarely discussed her future in order to keep her focus on the state tournament. Now, "it's time to get onto that stuff,'' Dye said.
Her impact on the sport may only grow as other girls decide to take up wrestling, many at an earlier age.
"There's a lot of girls in the last few years that have really looked up to her,'' her father said. "It's building.''
As much as Dye's accomplishment stood out, it was equally as clear that she was accepted as legitimate.
"If it wasn't for her long hair, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference,'' said her teammate, Daniel Allen. "She is so tough.''
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Dye is first girl to reach finals
Saturday February 23, 2002
By Rick Ryan
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
HUNTINGTON - Erica Dye wasn't looking to make history. She just wanted to make herself happy.
Dye, a senior from Wirt County, became the first girl to earn a spot in the championship round of the state wrestling tournament when she won her Class AA-A semifinal match Friday evening at the Huntington Civic Arena.
She posted a 3-0 decision against Justin Goneau of Oak Glen in the 103-pound weight class and will face sophomore Anthony Valles of Madonna in tonight's finals of the 55th annual event.
"It feels great,'' Dye said. "I finished this match better than I have before.''
Dye's doings were just part of a busy Friday night session, which consisted of championship semifinal matches and consolation quarterfinals.
Nitro, Herbert Hoover and Ripley all sent two athletes each into the finals in the Class AAA meet and Winfield one in Class AA-A, while the team titles were still up for grabs in each division.
Last year, Dye finished fourth at 103 pounds, which made her the first female to ever place in the state meet. But she said she's not thinking about her spot in history - past or present - at least not for now.
"I'm thinking about winning,'' she said. "That's all I have on my mind - winning.''
Dye will face a familiar foe in tonight's finals, which are set to begin at 6 p.m. She met Valles for third place in last year's consolation finals at 103 and suffered a 5-4 loss.
She hopes she can keep the same frame of mind that she had on Friday, as she was seen smiling throughout her match with Goneau. That's in stark contrast to most of the male wrestlers, who stomp and snort around the mat before their matches in an attempt to psyche themselves up.
"I was smiling the whole time,'' she said. "I do so much better when I have fun. If I get all mad and serious, I can't wrestle.''
Nitro's wrestlers split their four semifinal matches, with 119-pound junior Matt Easter outpointing Mike Fasouletos of John Marshall 18-11, and 125-pound sophomore Jacob Frerichs outlasting Steve Reynolds of Jefferson 8-6 in overtime.
Easter (40-0), already a two-time state champion, will face junior Shane Grogg (27-4) of Parkersburg South in tonight's finals. Frerichs (41-1) meets up with unbeaten senior Ryan Metz (25-0) of Parkersburg.
"Jacob will be wrestling a good kid,'' said Nitro coach Steve White. "He'll be the underdog.''
Frerichs nearly lost his semis match in the waning moments.
Reynolds, trailing 5-4, allowed Frerichs an escape point with 26 seconds left in an attempt to earn a two-point takedown to knot the score. The strategy worked, forcing an OT.
"He got too careful,'' White said of Frerichs. "He had the lead and was trying to run the clock out, but he got called for stalling. Then he had to scramble. He got his intensity back in overtime and hit his carry for the win.''
Easter's high-scoring semis match was nothing new for him. He also won 12-7 in Friday morning's quarterfinals.
"That's the way he wrestles,'' White said. "He tries to trade you two for one.''
In Nitro's other two semifinals, junior John Evans (27-12) lost to Matt Smith of Ripley at 130 and freshman Anthony Easter (36-1) was pinned with his first loss of the season at 103, that coming when Robert Shyver (38-4) of Parkersburg got the fall in 3:31. Easter was trailing 3-0 at the time.
"Anthony had beaten that kid twice,'' White said. "He just got caught. He hit him with a good shot, but then he got in a bad position and tried to scramble through it.''
Hoover seniors Wes Lane and Joe Mike Rector made it four Kanawha County wrestlers in the finals, each winning close decisions.
Lane topped Phil Bliss of Brooke 6-3 with a late burst after the match was tied 3-3, while Rector edged Clay Anderson of John Marshall 4-2.
Now 37-4, Lane takes on sophomore Codie Gustines (34-7) of Jefferson in the finals. Lane was pleased just to make it past Bliss and the semifinal round, where he lost lost year.
"He was using his arm to get underneath and throw people,'' Lane said of Bliss. "I knew what was coming. I just tried to tie him up. I must have seen him use it six, seven times. He was using all his energy on that move. I knew I could get away from him (for an escape point and a 4-3 lead). But I didn't know if I could keep him off my legs.''
Rector (41-9) faces a stiff challenge tonight when he squares off with Fairmont Senior's Jeff Courtney (41-0) for a state championship. Courtney won a title last year at 171 pounds.
Ripley will be represented by brothers Matt and Mitch Smith in tonight's finals.
Senior Matt Smith (45-2) defeated Nitro's Evans 5-0 in the 130-pound semifinals, while freshman Mitch Smith (43-0) downed David Durbin of Brooke 12-5 to reach the championship round at 135.
Matt Smith will square off with unbeaten Robbie Williams (44-0) of Huntington in the finals, while Mitch Smith takes on Brian Williamson (36-10) of Parkersburg.
Ripley won eight of its 10 first-round matches Thursday night, but went just 2-6 in the quarterfinal round Friday morning.
Winfield senior James Hardin (26-13) continued his late-season surge by surviving a marathon match with Cameron's Casey Hughes in the Class AA-A 135-pound semifinals. After wrestling to a 2-all standoff through overtime, Hardin earned the win by referee's criteria.
Hardin meets Grafton senior Adam Leach (50-1) in tonight's finals.
As for the team races, Parkersburg South rebounded from a day-long deficit in Class AAA to take a 1651/2-154 lead over crosstown rival Parkersburg. South, which has won the last three titles and six of the past seven, also qualified six athletes into tonight's finals, two more than the Big Reds.
Ripley stands in fourth with 89 points, Huntington is fifth with 86 and Nitro seventh with 66.
In Class AA-A, five-time defending champ Oak Glen put on a strong rush at the tail end of Friday night's session to regain the lead from Calhoun County, 1691/2-1511/2. The Golden Bears also advanced one more to the finals than the Red Devils, five to four.
