BRISTOL, Va. – Cole Stoots was in the zone Saturday afternoon at Virginia High.

As dozens of wrestlers competed in the Ed Cressel Classic, the Lebanon senior listened to the words and beats from rappers Drake and Eminem on his headphones.

“I just go into a different world before my matches,” Stoots said.

With his usual mix of speed, strength and agility, Stoots won with a 19-4 technical fall over Graham’s Keith Carbaugh.

Such is the tournament routine of the three-time Class 2 state champion.

“I know the target is big on me, but I love that role and it motivates me to get up early in the morning and work hard in practice,” Stoots said.

Stoots executed several double-leg take downs to frustrate Carbaugh.

“It’s always good to wrestle those guys from Graham because they are going to throw barnyards and other crazy moves,” Stoots said.

The only loss for Stoots (27-1) this season came against Nathan Walmer (Northern Lebanon, Pennsylvania) in last week’s Brawl in the Hall at Tennessee High.

That defeat served as more motivational fuel for Stoots, who has already made space in his room for a coveted piece of hardware.

“My room is like a wrestling museum with state brackets, medals, photos and three state title rings,” Stoots said. “I want one more ring, and I’ve had two dates circled on my calendar for a long time.”

The VHSL wrestling tournament will be held Feb. 15-16 at the Salem Civic Center.

“I want it more than anything,” Stoots said.

Will Moss knows the feeling.

Since finishing fourth in the Class 2 285-pound class last season, the 6-foot-4, 286-pound Marion junior has been on a vision quest.

“I’m going to get first this year,” Moss said. “I only have one personal goal, and that’s to be the best.”

Moss has toned his body since last season through wise eating habits and a demanding workout schedule.

“I am different than the past two years,” Moss said.

Moss pinned his way through the Cressel Classic, recording a 55-second domination in the finals.

Following the match, Moss added his 24th notch on a wooden baseball bat that is used by all Marion wresters at each event. Each notch signifies a pin.

That only loss for Moss this season came last week during a tournament in Nashville.

Cressel, the tournament namesake and a former wrestling coach at Virginia High, took delight in watching the 120-pound final between John Battle sophomore Johnathan Almany and sophomore Reece Nelson of Tennessee High.

Almany is the son of John Battle wrestling coach John Almany and Nelson is the son of THS assistant coach Robbie Nelson. Both coaches wrestled for Cressel at VHS.

The connection runs deeper.

“Reece and I grew up as wrestling partners at the club level,” said Johnathan Almany, who began his wrestling adventure at age 4. “I always know that Reece will go as hard as he can.”

After attempting several shots, Almany pinned his friend at the 2:34 mark of Saturday’s match with a clever head and arm move.

“I wanted to distract him so I could go for the pin,” Almany said.

Almany currently has a 28-5 record, with losses to two state champions along with a setback to Nelson in last week’s Brawl in the Hall.

Nelson took time to chat with Almany after Saturday’s loss.

“Reece and I are tight,” Almany said.

The Almany connection also includes former Battle wrester Ricky Almany and eighth-grade sensation Owen Almany, who is already doing drills with the high school team at Battle.

Abingdon junior Jack Campbell can relate to that type of commitment. He started wrestling in the second grade with the Abingdon-based Highlands Wrestling Club.

“And I’ve loved the sport ever since,” Campbell said. “I feel like I’ve improved at the high school level, but I’m not where I want to be yet.”

With technically sound form, Campbell improved his record 24-1 Saturday with a 5-0 decision over Tennessee High’s Logan Ferguson at 152 pounds.

“The match didn’t go exactly the way I wanted, but I’m happy to get the win,” said Campbell, who has drawn attention from wrestling coaches at the University of Pennsylvania.

The only loss for Campbell, who is No. 1 at his weight class in statewide rankings, came in the Dec. 5 Titan Toughman at Hidden Valley High School.

Campbell has qualified for the Class 3 state tourney the past two years, but one loss in last year’s state event the stands out. That was 7-0 setback against current Bluefield College wrestler Xander Whitehurst from 16-time defending state titlist Christiansburg.

According to Campbell, part of the credit for his success can be traced to AHS senior William Seymore.

“William has been though a lot with various injuries, and we battle it out every day trying to make each better,” Campbell said.

In perhaps the marquee match of the day, Seymore dropped a 12-5 decision to Greeneville senior Trent Knight. One week after being voted as the top wrestler in the upper weight classes in the Tennessee High tournament, Knight earned the honor at VHS on Saturday.

Tennessee High senior Dillon Pendley earned the same double after pinning Abingdon’s Jack Newton in 1:30 Saturday at 138 pounds.

For the second straight week, Castlewood senior Casey Bush stopped Union junior Mason Polier with an 8-0 decision at 195.

Other area winners included Richlands junior Luke Martin (220 pounds), Graham’s Caleb Fritz (132) and Dominic Fields of Tennessee High at 160.

Greeneville won the team title with 186 points, with Lebanon (174), Tennessee High (165), Grayson County (164.5) and Abingdon (160) next in line.

Eight schools from the Roanoke Valley area were unable to attend the event due to the inclement weather.