1st Day Of Walters-Copp Wrestling Tourney

Posted: December 23, 2015
From Star staff reports

WINCHESTER — Defending state champions John Borst, Bryan Wallace and Bayne Gordon each recorded a pair of dominating victories and Handley took the team lead after the opening rounds of the Willie Walters/Jaye Copp Holiday Invitational wrestling tournament on Tuesday.

The Judges lead the 19-team field with 96 points. Patrick Henry (88) and Sherando (88.5) follow closely. Host James Wood is fifth with 63 points and Clarke County is seventh with 43.

Sherando’s Borst, the 4A champ at 170 pounds last season, was barely on the mat as he recorded two quick pins at 182. Clarke County’s Wallace, the 182 champion in Group 2A, also recorded two pins at 195, and teammate Gordon, the 120-pound champ last season, had a pin and a 17-0 technical fall at 126.

Handley scored big with a pair of falls from Web Bentley (120), 2014 state champ Lio Quezada (132), Cam Bentley (138), Jimmy Vitola (182). Dolan Delaney (170) also won a pair of matches for the Judges and Tommy-Shea Roop (220) had a pin and a bye.

Also advancing to the championship semifinals for Sherando were Tommy Dieter (113), Mike Duffy (126), Jacob Stevens (132) and Curtis Guthridge (145). Duffy, Stevens and Guthridge each had two falls.

Former state champion and runner-up last season Aaron Black (113) paced the host Colonels with a pair of first-period pins.

James Wood also advanced Josh Arce (106), Matt Papastavrou (138), Bailey Eichelberger (182), Hunter Bentley (195) and Adam Vadell (285). Arce, Eichelberger and Vadell each had two pins.

Wallace and Gordon were the only two Eagles to advance to the semifinals.

The championship finals are slated to start at 4:30 p.m. tonight.