×

OVAC Duals set to take center stage this week

The sixth annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Bill Hinegardner Dual Meet Wrestling Championships will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the John Marshall Field House in Moundsville and Brooke High School in Wellsburg, respectively.

The Class 5A and Class 3A squads will compete on Wednesday. Weigh-ins will be held at 5 p.m. Semifinal action will begin at 6, with the championships immediately following.

The Class 4A and Class 1A/2A divisions will do battle on Thursday with the same time schedule.

Class 5A

A new champion is assured as Parkersburg South is ineligible for not wrestling enough OVAC opponents.

Wheeling Park (10-1), under first-year head coach Brian Leggett is the top seed and will take on fourth-seeded Indian Creek (6-1). Steubenville (12-1) is second and will face No. 3 John Marshall (16-4).

“We’re really excited to be competing in the dual championships,” Leggett said. “The kids are ready to go out and compete and try to win a championship.

“We wrestled a few of Indian Creek’s guys at the OVACs and we’ve seen them around at other tournaments, but it will be nice to wrestle someone that we haven’t seen in a dual setting.”

The Patriots have lost to Steubenville twice this season, but have defeated the Monarchs two times.

“We know Steubenville has a great team and we’ve lost to them twice, but the kids will be excited to get another shot at them,” Leggett added. “On the other hand, we’ve beaten John Marshall twice.”

Class 4A

Another new titlist will be crowned as Big Red moved up to 5A.

St. Clairsville is the top seed for the first time as Joel Sansone’s youthful squad is 9-1 in dual-meet action, losing only to Parkersburg South.

“Obviously when you’re talking about seeds you always want to get as high as you can because the first-round matches will be a little easier,” Sansone said. “Being the top seed, however, brings some added pressure from the outside.”

The Red Devils meet No. 4 Martins Ferry (2-2) in the semifinals. The Purple Riders were a late replacement for Cambridge.

St. Clairsville was runnerup in the OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament to overall champion Beaver Local, which is ineligible for the duals.

Second-seeded Oak Glen (9-4) meets No. 3 East Liverpool (2-3) in the other semifinal.

“I think Oak Glen will take care of its end,” Sansone said. “They field a full lineup.”

Class 3A

There are two defending champions in this division as Shenandoah, the No. 1 seed, has bumped up from Class 1A/2A where it won last year as the third seed.

“Being the top seed means we’ve been doing something to be successful,” Shenandoah head coach Jesse Wells said. “We are happy being 7-0 and the top seed, but we also know it won’t be easy (to repeat) as Barnesville has a really talented team.”

The Zeps meet No. 4 Linsly (4-1) in the semifinals.

The second-seeded Shamrocks (4-0) won the OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament 3A championship over Shenandoah. They will take on third-seeded Magnolia (9-4).

Class 1A/2A

Bridgeport, fresh off its first OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament title in nearly 30 years, is the No. 1 with a 5-2 mark. The Bulldogs will meet fourth-seeded Caldwell (2-2) in the semifinals.

“All the guys have wrestled hard this year. It has been a total team effort on everyone’s part,” Bridgeport head coach David Nelson said. “We wrestled Caldwell in a dual earlier this year and beat them by criteria, so it will be tough. Everyone must go out and wrestle their best.”

In the other semi, No. 2 Toronto (2-1) faces third-seeded Weirton Madonna (6-13).

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today