By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
WINSTON-SALEM — Justin “Weasel” Moore achieved his goal of standing on the awards platform.
The Washington Pam Pack sophomore placed fourth in the 160-pound division at the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A state wrestling championships. Moore, who made his second straight trip to the state tournament, dropped a 2-1 decision to Mooresville junior Chris Hill (23-4) in the third-place match on Saturday.
Moore went 3-2 during the two-day event, which was held at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Moore became Washington’s first state placer since Gerald Lawrence, who holds the all-time win record by a Pam Pack wrestler with 139 victories, finished second at 215 pounds in the 2006 state meet. Lawrence also placed second at 215 pounds in the 2005 state meet.
After going 2-0 in his first two matches, Moore was bounced out of the championship bracket Saturday morning. He was pinned in 1:39 by Parkland senior Greg Gainey (67-1), who has over 175 career wins and finished second at state the previous two years, in the championship semi-finals.
The Pam Pack sophomore bounced back to a take a 3-2 decision over Trinity senior Zac Hicks (54-10) in the consolation semi-finals, which placed Moore in the third-place match.
Moore opened the tournament with a 2-0 decision over Concord senior Michael Poppiti (39-7) in Friday’s first round. He then earned a 10-5 decision over West Rowan senior Nicholas McGorda (32-2) in the second round of the championship matches later Friday.
The Washington co-captain, who went 2-2 at state last year, finished his season with a 39-7 record.
Moore is 78-15 in two years with the Pam Pack.
Senior Bryant Gardner saw his season come to an end in the second round of the consolations. Gardner, who went 1-2 in the 145-pound division at the state tournament, was pinned in 2:22 by Union Pines senior Tony Fernandez (55-7) in the second-round consolation match Saturday morning.
The lone Pam Pack senior, who was making his first appearance in the state tournament, got pinned by Ragsdale junior Blair Fewell (48-9) in 1:53 in the first round. Gardner then took a 12-6 decision over Rockingham County junior Bradley Merriman (32-14) in the first round of the consolations.
Gardner finished the season with a 33-15 record.
Washington juniors Martelles Jones and Johnnie Smallwood were knocked out of the tournament Friday after suffering a pair of losses.
Wrestling at 171 pounds, Jones was pined by Southwest Guilford senior Ben Lord (41-2) in 2:26 in the first round. Jones then lost a 6-3 decision to East Rowan sophomore Thomas Lowe (37-6) in the first round of the consolations.
Jones, who made his first trip to the state meet, finished the season with a 23-23 record.
Smallwood, wrestling at 189 pounds, was pinned by Glenn senior Nick Davila (36-10) in 3:42 in their first-round match. He then dropped a 5-2 decision to Northeast Guilford senior Daniel Patrick (32-8) in the first round of the consolations.
Smallwood, who was wrestling with a sore back, went 0-2 at the state meet for the second consecutive year. He finished his junior season with a 25-15 record.
Area sending 18 teams to state basketball playoffs
When the N.C. High School Athletic Association state basketball playoffs tip off Monday, 18 area teams will be in action. That includes the Washington Pam Pack boys and girls teams, who will be on the road for their first-round games.
The girls games will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while the boys will play Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Each team is hoping to reach the state championship game.
The Class 1-A and 3-A state championship games will be held March 15 at the Dean Smith Center at the University of North Carolina. The 1-A girls will play at noon, the 1-A boys at 2:30 p.m., the 3-A girls at 5 p.m. and the 3-A boys at 7:30 p.m.
Regional contests will be held in Greenville. The boys will play at East Carolina’s Minges Coliseum, while the girls will play at J.H. Rose High School.
Pack girls
The Washington girls (13-12), the No. 3 seed out of the Coastal Conference, will play at West Brunswick at 6 p.m. Monday. The West Brunswick Trojans (12-12) are the No. 2 seed out of the Mideastern Conference.
Monday’s winner will face the survivor between Bertie (16-7), the No. 1 seed from the Northeastern Coastal Conference, and Kinston (10-12), the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Carolina Conference.
Washington senior Samantha Smith, 5-11, leads the Pack as she averages 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Other top players for Washington are 5-6 sophomore Hayley Stowe, who averages 10.8 points, 2.2 steals and 1.8 assists per games, and 5-6 sophomore Harmony Simpkins, who averages 9.3 points, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Also for Washington, 5-11 junior Sharita Grice contributes 4.4 points and 4.8 rebounds a game.
The Trojans, coached by Cherry Woodbury, are led by 5-6 senior Miranda Jenrette, who averages 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 2.4 assists per game.
Also for West Brunswick, 5-5 sophomore Sheena Suttlemyre averages 8.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 steals a contest, while 5-7 senior Jordan Clear chips in 6.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
West Brunswick started off the season with a 10-3 record, then dropped five straight. The Trojans lost four of their last five games.
Pack Boys
The Pam Pack boys (12-9), who have won three of their last four and are the No. 3 seed from the Coastal Conference, will take on White Oak. The Vikings (5-19) are the No. 2 seed out of the Mideastern Conference.
Tuesday’s winner will battle the survivor between Hertford (22-2), the top seed from the Northeastern Coastal Conference, and Eastern Wayne (9-15), the fourth seed in the Eastern Carolina Conference.
Washington is led by 6-0 senior Daquan Daniels, who averages 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, and 6-4 senior Cor-J Cox, who nets 12.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Also for the Pack, 6-2 sophomore Dakuan Spencer averages 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Jarees Griffin, a 6-2 junior, contributes 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. Derrick Mallison, a 5-6 senior, chips in 2.7 points, 2.5 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, while 6-0 senior Lee Godley (3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds) and 6-3 senior Rodney Cogdell (3.3 points, 3.7 rebounds) are the main men inside.
The Vikings dropped their first eight games and final four contests of the season.
1-A Boys
Four area teams, including top seeds Roanoke and Creswell, earned home playoff games for the first round of the state playoffs. Plymouth and Mattamuskeet will also be at home, while Jamesville, Southside, Columbia and Williamston will be on the road.
The Roanoke Redskins (19-7), the top seed in the Atlantic Conference, will play host to the Jamesville Bullets (9-11), the No. 3 seed in the Tideland Conference.
The Plymouth Vikings (15-2), the second seed from the Albemarle Conference, will welcome Louisburg (16-10), the No. 4 seed out of the Tar Roanoke Conference, into town.
The Roanoke-Jamesville and Plymouth-Louisburg winners will meet in Thursday’s second round.
Creswell will play host to Cape Hatteras (8-11), a wild-card entry, in Tuesday’s first round. The Tigers (16-2), who have won 13 straight, earned the top seed in the Tideland Conference. The Creswell-Cape Hatteras winner will take on the survivor between Princeton (17-8), the No. 2 seed in the Carolina Conference, and Weldon (14-7), the third seed in the Tar Roanoke Conference, in Thursday’s second-round game.
The Mattamuskeet Lakers (12-6), the No. 2 seed in the Tideland Conference, will welcome the Southside Seahawks (2-15), a third seed out of the Atlantic Conference, into town. The winner of that game will take on the survivor between North Edgecombe (24-1), the Tar Roanoke top seed, and Camden (17-8), the third seed in the Albemarle Conference, in the second round.
Columbia (7-13), the fourth seed in the Tideland Conference, will play at Perquimans. The Wildcats will look to upset the Pirates (18-5), who are the top seed in the Albemarle Conference. The Columbia-Perquimans survivor will face the winner between SE Halifax (22-4), the No. 2 seed from the Tar Roanoke Conference, and Union (8-16), the third seed from the Super Six Conference, in the second round.
The Williamston Tigers (8-16), the No. 2 seed from the Atlantic Conference, will play at Lakewood (13-9), the No. 2 seed from the Super Six Conference. The winner will face the survivor between Jones Senior (18-4), the No. 1 seed from the Coastal Plains Conference, and Hobbton (9-15), the fourth seed from the Super Six Conference, on Thursday.
1-A Girls
Undefeated and top-ranked Williamston earned a home playoff game for the first round of the state playoffs, as did Jamesville. Columbia, Southside, Mattamsuskeet, Bear Grass, Creswell and Roanoke will all be on the road.
The Atlantic Conference top-seeded Tigers (24-0), led by sophomore Katie Paschal, who averages 25.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 5.1 assists per game, will play host to the Columbia Wildcats. Columbia (8-12) is the third seed out of the Tideland Conference. The Williamston-Columbia survivor will face the winner between Camden (16-10), the No. 2 seed from the Albemarle Conference, and North Edgecombe (9-17), the fourth seed in the Tar Roanoke Conference, in Wednesday’s second-round game.
Jamesville will welcome Southside into town. The Bullets (10-11) are the second seed from the Tideland Conference, while the Seahawks (3-16) are the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Conference. The winner will take on the survivor between Weldon (20-3), the top seed in the Tar Roanoke Conference, and Perquimans (7-16), the third seed out of the Albemarle Conference.
The Mattamuskeet Lakers (11-6), a wild-card entry from the Tideland Conference, will play at Cape Hatteras. The Hurricanes (20-3) are the top seed from the Tideland Conference. The survivor will battle the winner between Ayden-Grifton (20-6), the No. 2 seed in the Carolina Conference, and SE Halifax (14-11), the No. 3 seed from the Tar Roanoke Conference, in Wednesday’s second round.
Bear Grass will play at Manteo. The Bears (8-15) are the No. 4 seed in the Tideland Conference, while the Redskins (18-8) are the Albemarle Conference’s top seed. The winner will face the survivor between Louisburg (23-3), the No. 2 seed in the Tar Roanoke Conference, and James Kenan (8-13), the No. 3 seed out of the Super Six Conference.
The Roanoke Redskins (16-10), the Atlantic Conference’s No. 2 seed, will play at Wallace-Rose Hill (6-13), the second seed in the Super Six Conference. The winner advances to the second round to face the survivor between Coastal Plains Conference top seed Jones Senior (15-7) and Midway (13-10), the fourth seed from the Super Six Conference.
The Creswell Tigers (7-10), a wild-card entry from the Tideland Conference, plays at Super Six Conference top seed Union (24-2). The winner will face the survivor between South Robeson (13-8), the second seed from the Southeastern Conference, and East Carteret (13-11), the second seed in the Coastal Plains Conference.