War on the Shore Underway Today

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s 9th Annual War on the Shore wrestling tournament gets underway this afternoon at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center for the first time with some of the top high school programs in the mid-Atlantic region converging on the area for the two-day event.

The War on the Shore tournament, which features some of the best high school wrestling programs in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia gets started this afternoon at the civic center in Salisbury with first-round matches set to get started around 3 p.m. The action will continue well into the evening hours today and resume early tomorrow with championship matches in the individual weight classes set for Saturday night.

For its first seven years, the tournament was held at the host Stephen Decatur High School, but the growth of the tournament in terms of the number of teams participating and the number of fans that turn out for one of the top high school wrestling tournaments in the region forced organizers to find a larger venue. Last year, the event was held at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, but a scheduling conflict forced Decatur wrestling officials to move the event to Salisbury this year.

The field is expected to include 27 teams from four states including some of the top high school wrestling programs in the mid-Atlantic region. For example, Delaware state champion Sussex Central is returning this year, as is perennial Baltimore powerhouse Mount St. Joseph along with dozens of other top programs in the region. Including early favorite Archbishop Spalding from the Baltimore area

For host Decatur, which is expected to be as strong as ever this year, the annual tournament often serves as a barometer for the season for the Seahawks. The tournament gets underway this afternoon at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury. Tickets are $25 for a two-day pass, or $15 for a single day pass. Anyone wishing to watch just the finals matches on Saturday night can purchase a ticket for just $5.