West Virginia Wrestling Championship, 1969 February 21-22, 1969, Parkersburg WV The 1969 Tournament turned out to be another close battle that wasn't won until the 133 pounds finals. Stonewall Jackson trailed Wheeling by two points, 33-31 when Stonewall's defending State Champion, Tom Hamer, went up against Wheeling's Bill Nicholson. Hamer had the early lead but Nicholson gained momentum in the third period and forced overtime by tying the score, five all. In overtime, Nicholson scored a reversal, near-fall and riding time to win the match 5-0 and clinched the team title for Wheeling, 36-31. Two other wrestlers successfully defended their titles. Dwight Wolfe won his first title for Moundsville High School in 1968 at 112 pounds, and his second tile for John Marshall in 1969 at 120 pounds. Morgantown's Sam Rozance won his second title at 127 pounds after winning his 1968 title at 120 pounds. The 1969 almost officially marked the initiation of the Outstanding Wrestler Award. Elkins' Joe Hart won the inaugural award by winning his first two matches by pins and then easily disposing of top seeded and undefeated David Copely in the finals. On occasion, newspapers had recognized outstanding wrestlers in earlier tournaments, but 1969 was the first time coaches had voted on an official award. Thirty-seven schools were represented by 96 wrestlers in the 1969 tournament. The wrestlers combined record going into the tournament was 1144 wins, 165 loses and 18 ties. Twenty-nine wrestlers entered the tournament without a loss and only seven grapplers survived with unbeaten records. The officials for the tournament were Jack Miller, Parkersburg; Paul Hodges, Berkley Springs and Robert Roush, Madison. Parkersburg's Athletic Director, C. Bernard Price served as Tournament Director and seeded all eight wrestlers in each class with 1st seed wrestling 8th seed, 2nd vs. 7th, 3rd vs. 6th, and 4th vs. 5th. Source: Parkersburg News Thanks to Brent Sams

Finals Matches

Championship

Wt: 95 Albie Kazemka JM def Ken Pritt DUP Decision 7-4
Wt: 103 Mike Faulk WHL def David Wills SS Decision 11-2
Wt: 112 Don Earley SJ def Scott Pierson MIL Decision 4-0
Wt: 120 Dwight Wolfe* JM def Joe Mallett NIT Decision 4-0
Wt: 127 Sam Rozance* MRG def Ron Boyden BCK Decision 9-0
Wt: 133 Bill Nicholson WHL def Tom Hamer* SJ Decision 5-0 OT
Wt: 138 Don Young NIT def Norman Wilds WHL Decision 12-9
Wt: 145 Bob Harless SCT def Mark Garvey PRK Decision 9-1
Wt: 154 Tom Arnold WEI def Charles Toney BCK Decision 9-2
Wt: 165 Joe Hart ELK def David Copley GW Decision 14-0
Wt: 175 Mike Hostler CT def Dan Nawara DUP Decision 5-2
Wt: UNL Mike Blake HE def Blair Bennett MRG Default

Consolation

Wt: 95 Allen Hicks SS def Brad Messinger MRG Decision 13-4
Wt: 103 Vince Bracciale CT def Sharrell Clark SCT Decision Judges
Wt: 112 Joe Burton RAV def Terry Hicks DUP Decision 11-7
Wt: 120 Phil Sims WC def Roger Morrison MIL Decision 6-0
Wt: 127 Jim Bradac TRI def Ted White SCT Decision 1-0
Wt: 133 Mike Deem PS def Ron McDonald GV Decision 6-3
Wt: 138 Roger Stacey GV def Jeff Clevenger FS Decision 16-6
Wt: 145 George Fletcher CT def Greg Phillips PB Forfeit
Wt: 154 Tom White SJ def Fred Nestor RAV Decision 6-1
Wt: 165 John Blake BRB def Darl Roberts OG Decision Judges
Wt: 175 Rich Burke JM def Joe Mills WC Forfeit
Wt: UNL Cliff Hammond SJ def Jerry Schultz WHL Decision 1-0

Weight: 95

1st: Albie Kazemka JM 18- 1- 0
2nd: Ken Pritt DUP 17- 1- 0
3rd: Allen Hicks SS 16- 1- 0
4th: Brad Messinger MRG 14- 4- 0

Weight: 103

1st: Mike Faulk WHL 17- 2- 0
2nd: David Wills SS 15- 3- 0
3rd: Vince Bracciale CT 17- 1- 0
4th: Sharrell Clark SCT 9- 4- 1

Weight: 112

1st: Don Earley SJ 17- 1- 0
2nd: Scott Pierson MIL 16- 2- 0
3rd: Joe Burton RAV 17- 1- 0
4th: Terry Hicks DUP 17- 2- 0

Weight: 120

1st: Dwight Wolfe* JM 18- 1- 0
2nd: Joe Mallett NIT 11- 3- 0
3rd: Phil Sims WC 13- 3- 0
4th: Roger Morrison MIL 16- 2- 1

Weight: 127

1st: Sam Rozance* MRG 17- 0- 0
2nd: Ron Boyden BCK 17- 1- 0
3rd: Jim Bradac TRI 10- 1- 0
4th: Ted White SCT 13- 3- 0

Weight: 133

1st: Bill Nicholson WHL 19- 0- 0
2nd: Tom Hamer* SJ 18- 1- 0
3rd: Mike Deem PS 12- 2- 1
4th: Ron McDonald GV 12- 5- 0

Weight: 138

1st: Don Young NIT 11- 3- 0
2nd: Norman Wilds WHL 17- 2- 0
3rd: Roger Stacey GV 15- 2- 1
4th: Jeff Clevenger FS 11- 4- 0

Weight: 145

1st: Bob Harless SCT 17- 0- 0
2nd: Mark Garvey PRK 11- 1- 0
3rd: George Fletcher CT 11- 7- 1
4th: Greg Phillips PB 16- 2- 1

Weight: 154

1st: Tom Arnold WEI 19- 0- 0
2nd: Charles Toney BCK 15- 3- 0
3rd: Tom White SJ 14- 2- 1
4th: Fred Nestor RAV 15- 3- 0

Weight: 165

1st: Joe Hart ELK 17- 0- 1
2nd: David Copley GW 18- 1- 0
3rd: John Blake BRB 12- 3- 1
4th: Darl Roberts OG 9- 3- 0

Weight: 175

1st: Mike Hostler CT 18- 0- 1
2nd: Dan Nawara DUP 17- 1- 0
3rd: Rich Burke JM 16- 3- 0
4th: Joe Mills WC 14- 2- 0

Weight: UNL

1st: Mike Blake HE 11- 0- 0
2nd: Blair Bennett MRG 13- 2- 0
3rd: Cliff Hammond SJ 18- 1- 0
4th: Jerry Schultz WHL 13- 5- 0

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