Battery Creek foils Eastside's bid for wrestling title
The Greenville News (Greenville, SC)
February 27, 1994
Author: Rudy Jones, Staff Writer
High hopes took a long hard fall Saturday when Battery Creek defeated Eastside, 36-27 for the state AAA wrestling championship at Chapin High School. Eastside fell behind by 22 points before the match reached its midpoint, clawed back to within three points, then lost when Kahlil Jackson was pinned by two-time state champion Felix Richardson in the second period of the final event. It was a bitter and emotional defeat. One Eastside wrestler tossed his silver medal for a runner-up finish into a trash can, only to be admonished by Coach Ed Coles and ordered to retrieve it. Jackson was in tears despite a game effort that saw him battle Richardson even for one period.
"It wasn't your fault," Coles said consoling his big man. Indeed, the Eagles problems were rooted in earlier rounds, when Battery Creek won five of the first six matches to set the stage for its second state title. "We didn't come to wrestle today," said Coles, himself emotionally whipped from the turn of events. "We did not wrestle well. I'm not taking anything away from Battery Creek. They did a good job."
It marks the second straight runner-up finish for Eastside. Prior to this year, the state champion was determined by team scores in the individual meet. This year, AAA schools went to a dual match playoff, and it started poorly for Eastside. Michael Cornish, a state runner-up at 103 pounds in the individual meet last week, was pinned by Kenton Richardson in the third round. Devin Gossett, with a 6-4 decision at 119 pounds, was the only Eastside winner in the first six matches. Troy Richardson's pin of Roger Beach at 140 pounds gave Eastside some momentum, but Battery Creek wrested it back a match later.
David Smith, the state individual champion at 152 pounds, met Eastside's state champion David Burton at 145 pounds. Burton was leading into the third round when he was pinned by Smith. Dolphins coach Nathan Day said Smith has been willing to move up or down in weight classes to help the team. Earlier this year, he wrestled at 171 pounds and defeated then-unbeaten Rasheem Neloms of Middleton, the individual champion at the weight. Smith's victory required Eastside to win the remaining five matches to get a title.
The Eagles got a slight boost when Battery Creek lost a point from the team score because of unsportsmanlike conduct at 152 pounds. Then Dan Gossett (152) and Kevin Rorie (171) won by decisions, and James Pugh (160) and Paul Bullock (189) won by pins. That set the stage for the heavyweight match with Battery Creek holding a 30-27 lead. A decision for the Eagles would have tied the match, 30-30, and given Eastside the championship because of more individual victories.
But Richardson ended the suspense in the second period. "I knew we could come back in the upper weights, but I didn't think we'd be that far down," Coles said. "We really shouldn't have been. They came to win a state championship, and we came to wrestle a match. "It's been a great season, but you always feel a little empty when you come this far and come up a little short."
Battery Creek 36, Eastside 27
103 - Kenton Richardson (BC) pin Michael Cornish (E), 0:48, 3rd;
112 - Anthony Brooker (BC) maj.dec. Koliya Meyer (E), 11-2;
119 - Devin Gossett (E) dec. John Killinger (BC), 6-4;
125 - Chris Chandler (BC) pin Chad Wood (E);
130 - Thomas Anderson (BC) dec. Demetrius Jackson (E), 12-11;
135 - Shane Knapp (BC) pin Tommy Waltz (E), 1:33, 2nd;
140 - Troy Richardson (E) pin Roger Beach (BC), 1:09, 2nd;
145 - David Smith (BC) pin David Burton (E), 1:43, 3rd;
152 - Dan Gossett (E) dec. Brett Westerfield (BC), 7-1;
160 - James Pugh (E) pin Randolph (BC), 1st;
171 - Kevin Rorie (E) dec. Darrell Washington (BC), 10-7;
189 - Paul Bullock (E) pin Clint Buchanan (BC), 0:09, 2nd;
275 - Felix Richardson (BC) pin Kahil Jackson (E), 1:04, 2nd.