Winter Sports
The Daily Dispatch
Sunday, November 21, 2010
5
High hopes for Spartan grapplers in Year 4 Senior Frampton defends state title By ERIC S. ROBINSON Dispatch Sports Editor
Just three years from its inception, Kerr-Vance crowned its first state wrestling champion. Coming into Year 4, coach Rick Frampton would love to have another champ. This year’s Spartan wrestling team features five seniors that have been with the program at least two years. The captains of the squad will be defending champ Chris Frampton, Josh Smith and Connor Wade. “I have more experienced than non-experienced, and I have a couple of new kids that are really coming on strong,” said Rick Frampton. Athletic Wyatt Evans is one newcomer Frampton said has been performing well. Returner Parkins Davis has competed in offseason tournaments to improve. Jake Dorrance, Alex Wagener
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Kerr-Vance's Josh Smith controls his opponent in this January file photo. and Justin Commee round out the senior class, along with Frampton and Smith. Coach Frampton has been pleased with the effort in prac-
Three returners anchor Webb Goal: Send individuals to state By ERIC S. ROBINSON Dispatch Sports Editor
As usual with area public school teams in recent years, numbers may be an issue for J.F. Webb wrestling. Mike Toanone’s Warriors return just three that have wrestled more than two years. Webb started with 15 at the first practices, but five have quit since then. “They come out and it’s not the TV sort of thing,” said Toanone. Two four-year wrestlers have braved the grueling practices and training and will anchor the Warriors this season — seniors Will Huffaker and Trey Wade. Wade wrestles at 125 lbs. Huffaker was at 135 last year, but may be moved up to 145. “My seniors, four-year seniors, can compete with anybody. But I only have one or two,” said Toanone. Tyquan Smith and Cheek are returners expected to make an impact for Webb. Before the season starts, Toanone and his team will have to focus on the fundamentals. “I need to teach half of these kids how to wrestle... and the ones that have wrestled for me before, they haven’t wrestled in a year, so I need to refresh them,” he said. “Basically, I have to reteach everything, getting back to basics.” In the Carolina 3A Conference, Orange is again expected to be strong. The Panthers are three-time state champions. Toanone is unsure about Cardinal Gibbons, but feels that his team will be competitive with Northern Vance, Southern Vance and Chapel Hill. Last year, Brent Adcock and Toby Bellissimo represented Webb at the state level. Toanone’s goal is to have representation at states. “Every year, I have two or three guys go to states, which is really good,” he said. “It’s hard to keep people on the team. My goal each year is, not as a team because I can’t really put a team together, but I can put individuals at the state level.” Contact the writer at erobinson@hendersondispatch.com.
tice. “The work rate is definitely there. I’ve got some new guys that shock me with the fact that they don’t ever give up.”
The Spartans should eventually cover every weight class but two, Frampton said, when everybody makes weight. “I’m really optimistic about what we can do with the leadership we have,” said Frampton. The leader of the bunch is undoubtedly Chris Frampton — Rick’s nephew and KVA’s first-ever champ. Now in his senior season, Chris is focusing on a repeat. “All I want to do is win more than one so I’m not just a onetime (champ), so it wasn’t like it was a fluke. I want to do it again and maybe go on to more.” Chris said he’s been drilling since August, and playing soccer in the fall has gotten him into shape for wrestling. Overall, the champ said he feels good. “I feel like I can repeat, if not go undefeated.” Rick is hoping that Chris’ work effort and energy will rub off on the younger wrestlers. “It’s Chris’ love. That’s why he’s as good as he is,” said Rick. “I just think the leadership and the example he sets by going out every day... it’s contagious to the
other guys on the team.” “Chris is ready and the other guys are feeding off of that.” Rick knows that Chris winning a title was big for the program — but a second title would be even bigger. “I think that would not only be great for the school, it would be great for the guys underneath him to say, ‘we were with Chris. He did it, it means I can do it too.’” Rick feels the squad will have a good chance competing in the NCISAA. Charlotte Latin, he said, may be the class competition this season. “Were just going to have to go see what we can do. I know we’ll be competitive against a lot of the private schools. We’re entering some big public school tournaments, but that’s to challenge the guys I do have that have the experience and baptize the other ones by fire.” “I think we’re going to be in the mix if the young guys step up early.” Contact the writer at erobinson@hendersondispatch.com.
McCarthy takes over Northern wrestling By ERIC S. ROBINSON Dispatch Sports Editor
The new season brings a new coach for Northern Vance wrestling. Robert McCarthy is one of several new coaches at the school. He steps in to replace Thomas Durham. After attending high school in Michigan, McCarthy competed on the mat in Chapel Hill for the University of North Carolina. McCarthy is hoping to use that experience in the transition from college wrestler to high school coach. “I think I’m still hungry. What I mean by that is, I wasn’t as successful as I wanted to be in college as far as wrestling,” he said. “So I guess that hunger and that drive to still want to compete and still have something to give and have something to still prove — I want to take it into my coaching career.” Numbers have been down at Northern so far, but McCarthy had the most wrestlers show up on Monday that he’s had since the beginning. “It’s been hard because a lot of these guys are football players. (Monday was) their first day of practice because they ran over a week long. I gave them four days off to recover.” McCarthy is expecting big things out of returning wrestler Jameel Lyles. “He’s just done everything I’ve asked. He’s given me 100 percent.” Josh Pendergrass, who advanced to states last season, is also poised to
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Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Above: Northern Vance’s Tray Elam prepares to shoot on his opponent in this January file photo. Right: Northern Vance's Geno Bullock looks to turn his opponent on his back in this January file photo. have a big year. Returner Geno Bullock, at 215 lbs., was one match away from a state bid last year. McCarthy isn’t certain about the rest of the squad, but feels he’ll have a better idea in about a month. He said that he hopes to eventually fill the weight classes, but may not have them all filled in the first couple of meets until all the weights are adjusted. McCarthy is aware that the Carolina 3A Conference — which includes
powerhouse Orange — is no cakewalk, but he isn’t sure yet what the conference will bring this year. “I honestly have no idea. I’m unfamiliar with North Carolina high school wrestling,” he said. “We’re
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going to be in good shape, we’re going to do a couple of moves really well, and hopefully, I think, that should help us win.” Contact the writer at erobinson@ hendersondispatch.com.
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