VHSL CLASS 1 WRESTLING: Caleb Gibson's fourth state title fuels Rural Retreat's run to top of team standings, ending Grundy's reign; Honaker's Dye siblings win gold (copy)
Rural Retreat's Chaz Penwright and Mathews' Ivan Schaible wrestled in the 157 Class 1 State Wrestling Finals.
Rural Retreat's Chaz Penwright celebrates with his coaches after win in the 157 Class 1 State Wrestling Finals.
Rural Retreat's Justin Walker won over Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy's Grant Gardner in the 138 State Wrestling Championship.
Rural Retreat's Justin Walker won over Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy's Grant Gardner in the 138 State Wrestling Championship.
Grayson County's Caleb Thompson defeated Rural Retreat's Gradyn Gibson in the first place match for 132 in the State Wrestling Championship.
Rural Retreat's Caleb Gibson won over Parry McCluer's Brody Julian in the Class 1 126 State Wrestling Championship.
Rural Retreat fans cheer on their wrestlers Saturday evening at the Salem Civic Center.
Rural Retreat's Caleb Gibson won over Parry McCluer's Brody Julian in the Class 1 126 State Wrestling Championship.
Rural Retreat's Chaz Penwright defeated Mathews' Ivan Schaible Saturday in the State Wrestling Finals.
Grundy's Luke Shelton and Fort Chiswell's Brendon Mabry wrestled for the 285 Class 1 State Championship title on Saturday.
Grundy's Brody Ford celebrates his win over George Wythe's Trey Sparks in the 215 Class 1 State Championship.
Grundy's Luke Shelton and Fort Chiswell's Brendon Mabry wrestled for the 285 Class 1 State Championship title on Saturday.
While the big news coming out of Salem on Saturday was the Rural Retreat Indians claiming their fifth state title, led by four individual state championships from Caleb Gibson, the Civic Center was filled with dreams being realized and others being smashed.
The Indians piled up 216 points, followed by Grundy at 192.5. Fort Chiswell finished in ninth place with 57.5 points. George Wythe had 48 team points and Bland County 10.
Gibson got things rocking for the Rural Retreat faithful at 126 pounds, taking a 10-0 major decision from Parry McCluer’s Brody Julian.
Gibson’s brother Gradyn Gibson settled for second at 132 pounds, losing in an 18-3 tech fall to Grayson County grappler Caleb Thompson.
The third Indian in the finals was the second to go home a champ. Justin Walker, Rural Retreat’s 138-pounder, picked up a hard-fought 5-3 decision over Smith Mountain Lake’s Grant Gardner.
Chaz Penwright have the Indians their final individual championship at 157 pounds, besting Ivan Schaible of Mathews 4-1 in overtime.
Trey Sparks of George Wythe, carried the Maroons to the finals at 215 pounds. There, though he met a stout Brody Ford from Grundy, taking second with a pinfall loss.
Fort Chiswell’s Brendon Mabry also squared off against a Grundy titan in the finals at 285. Mabry narrowly missed, falling 5-3 to Luke Shelton in ride-out overtime.
Rural Retreat 106-pounder Astan Badziev claimed third with a 15-3 win over Grayson’s Benton Williams.
Grayson returned the favor at 113 pounds when Bo Anders bested Rural Retreat’s Peyton Newberry 11-6.
At 120 pounds, Rural Retreat’s Gabe Crewey nabbed bronze with a first-period pinfall win over Castlewood’s Isaac Cooper.
Fort Chiswell 126-pounder Jeramia Caviness claimed third, too, with a pin over Pete Lignos of Smith Mountain Lake.
George Wythe’s Trenton Hall pinned his way to third at 157 pounds, putting Bath’s Anthony Woodson on his back in the final period.
At 175 pounds, Ian Bear of Rural Retreat claimed third place with a 1-0 decision over Eastside’s Ian Fuller.
Rural Retreat got on the podium in fifth place at 144 pounds, when William Rose claimed an 8-0 major decision over Mathews’ Jayden Boyd.
At 165 pounds, Hunter Pennington took fifth with a forfeit victory over Galax’s Ayden Stiltner.
At 190 pounds, Bland County’s A.J. Kopp finished in sixth place, losing his final match by pinfall to Jerry Sturgis of Northampton.
Rural Retreat’s Jameson Tibbs also finished sixth. The Rural Retreat 215-pounder fell by pinfall to Azriel Tyson of Bath County.
