Slap the Mat

If the schedule for 3-1 follows what was posted for 2-23, weigh-ins 6:30 - wrestling at 8:00. There will be 336 wrestlers total for 1 & 2. The one-day format had the last round starting at 8:30 pm. In the 12-man bracket, all 4 # 1's have a bye for the 1st round, while #2's wrestle #3's to advance to the quarter finals wrestling the #1's.

Class 1 & 2 Tournament to be held at VA High School, Bristol. Date and tournament schedule will be released on Monday, 24th. Class 3 - Heritage High School, Lynchburg, Class 4 - Tallwood High School, VA Beach, Class 5 - Frank Cox High School, VA Beach, Class 6 - Salem High School, VA Beach. Looks like 4, 5, & 6 really want to see the Atlantic.

VHSL will never do that. The reason for only 12 in 1 & 2 is low number of schools in each classification that have wrestling. In class 2, 40 schools with wrestling out of 49. When they were making this decision, the VHSL's originally wanted to go with only 8 in a weight class for 1 & 2. Principals & AD's fought that and got 12.

Six State Tournaments at six different high schools. Date TBA, I think it will probably be Saturday, March 1st. The VHSL will have to find six high schools that aren't tied up with B'Ball, have enough parking and motels in the area. Class 1 & 2 will have 168 wrestlers each in their brackets and 3, 4, 5, & 6 will have 224 wrestlers each in their brackets. These tournaments can be done in one day, a very long day. What would really be bad is a 1st round single elimination format where the losers would be one and done. That was done on Friday at Salem in 2015 because of a big snowstorm that hit on Saturday.

That is GREAT!!!!! She has done a fantastic job competing in a "Boys" sport. I hope she does well at the upcoming Districts, Regionals, and State. I would like to see her on the Podium at Salem.

Grundy won the Graham Invitation Tournament on Friday Night. Top four Team Scores: Grundy 178, Graham 119.5, Ft. Chiswell 116, Tazewell 92. Graham had three Champions, two 2nds', and one 3rd.

BBHoops_18 You are correct sir. Doug Marrs was Head Coach then after Coach Carlock passing away in early August 2005. My memory is am little hazy after many years of Graham Bluefield games. They all run together now. I believe the two games were split. Graham winning the first one, Bluefield the second one. Correct me if I am wrong on that. The game should follow the Home and Away schedule. A big reason to build the stadium at GHS is to stop paying and playing at Mitchell. Why should Graham have to play the big rivalry game at Mitchell every year just because of the seating capacity? Maybe a 50-50 gate split if it has to be at Mitchell. I also remember all the years that Graham was the Home Team but still had to stay on the Visitor's side. That was ridiculous. It was eventually changed to reflect who was home and who was away.

10,000 or more at Graham/Bluefield game. Maybe years ago. In the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's it was not unusual to see the stands full and fans lined up along the fence. Now, lots of empty seats every year. Why? I don't know. Maybe declining area population or not as much interest in the game. The attendance for the Graham/Glenvar Semi-Finals was around 2,000 and the stadium looked pretty sparsely filled. The Graham/Bluefield game is the biggest gate of the season for sure. It will be interesting to see how this rivalry game is handled. Back in the 90's Graham and Bluefield played twice in the same season. Traditional first game and the next game toward the end of the season. Everybody said that was going to be a great money maker. By the second game, most of the fans that night were disguised as empty bleachers. That was the end of that plan.

Yes, they do. My granddaughter is 5'10" and depending on what rotation they have in she can be the shortest one on the floor. These girls play year-round with travel teams, tournaments, and clinics. It shows. This year's team has a D1 signee for Kansas and a group of seven solid seniors. It will be interesting to see how next year's team does with losing this group of talented players.

For sure it is, I agree. That is what I call a dynasty. The old joke was when Grundy was in SWD wrestling, it was a race for second place. Whoever finished second in the district claimed the title of 1st Place Loser. I wasn't familiar with Auburn's success until recently, very impressive. I think if I was offered the Head Football Coach job at HV, I would pass and run to get out of there.

Hey now, HV Football had a perfect season, no wins to blemish their record. Just a question, why are you hating on HV's Volleyball? Class 1 & Class 3 competition is apples and oranges. Let the girls from HV enjoy their success without being a naysayer. Auburn has great accomplishments in many sports and deserves credit for their success. At the state wrestling tournament, with the exception of Grundy, there is a marked difference in the wrestling as you watch the three classifications on the mats. Give the HV Volleyball team a break. They have done very well the last two years.

How about that Auburn Football Team! Did they have one this year? I can throw Grundy Wrestling in the mix also. Graham's Football success since Coach Palmer saved the program from Marrs and Williams. Riverheads had quite a run at Class 1 Football until they moved up. Just about every school has a particular sport they excel at.

Hidden Valley defeated Grafton in 3 - 0 to claim the second in a row Class 3 State Championship. My granddaughter plays for Hidden Valley and it was a real treat for me to watch her out on the court playing for a state championship. It was also a new experience for me being in the stands as a fan. For many years I was on the floor coaching at the state wrestling tournament. it is a different perspective from up top. Congratulations to the Titans for bringing home the Gold!

You are right. A college scout said that from watching Justin wrestle his senior year, he could have won state at 182 lbs. from Class 1 to 6. He had incredible skills, a never quit work ethic, and a great attitude.

Graham Wresting has three wrestlers that did very well at the 2A level: Dylan Cook was State Champion at 195 LBS. in 2014 & 2015. He was Graham's first State Champion since 1971. Dylan finished with Career Record of 150-20. Jacob Lester only wrestled for three years. He was Runner-Up at 285 lbs. in 2015 and State Champion at 285 lbs. 2016. Jacob was 55-0 during the 2016 season and had a Career Record of 115-10. Justin Fritz was a four-time State Champion. 132 lbs. 2018, 145 lbs. 2019, 152 lbs. 2020, 182 lbs. 2021. He was 20-0 during the COVID shortened 2020-2021 season. Justin's Career Record was 160-13.