BERKELEY SPRINGS - The lights weren't quite as bright as Damen Capper remembered at Huntington's Big Sandy Superstore Arena.

Capper, a sophomore who made his second straight trip to that venue for the Class AA/A state wrestling tournament in February, felt much more at home as he took to the mats than his previous visit to Huntington.

"At the state tournament, the entire state is watching you and just bearing down on you," Capper said. "It can get to you."

The nerves were still there this season, of course, but a sense of confidence buoyed Capper as he faced off against his first opponent, St. Marys wrestler Wade Poling.

Capper, wrestling 10 pounds heavier than his freshman year - a jump of two weight classes, from 130 pounds to 140 - made quick work of Poling with a 12-0 major decision, and those lingering jitters were history for good.

"It got the nerves out of me," Capper said of his initial state tournament appearance. "I was ready for it this year."

Capper rolled through the state tournament field, winning four straight matches to secure the Eastern Panhandle's only state wrestling title this year and finish the season with a sparkling 49-2 record.

For Capper, a year of experience really did make all the difference.

"I was hoping to just accomplish more than I did last year, and I did," Capper said. "I came into it just wanting to wrestle and place at states."

Capper's preparation from his return visit to Huntington began as soon as his freshman season ended at Berkeley Springs. He wrestled for the Pennsylvania Renegade Force, a club team based in Shippensburg, Pa., and trained throughout the summer for the impending jump in weight class.

"It all starts in the offseason," Berkeley Springs wrestling coach Darrell Bennett said. "Damen works at wrestling."

That work was apparent from the start, as Capper opened his sophomore season by blowing through the competition for a 10-0 record in the Hedgesville Duals.

He followed that up with a 6-4 victory against eventual Maryland state champion Adam Moranduzzo of Northern Garrett in the first round of the Max Horz Invitational at Berkeley Springs. Capper picked up his first loss of the season in the next round when three-time Maryland state champion George Scheffel dealt him a 5-2 defeat in the semifinals.

Capper was back on track for the Indians' next big tournament at Point Pleasant, where he again went undefeated against a field of mostly in-state wrestlers.

"That gave me a good look at who I'd face at states," Capper said.

Capper earned a little more advance knowledge of the competition in Huntington at the Cameron Tri-State tournament, where he squared off against his eventual opponent in the state championship match. Capper won that meeting with a 5-2 decision against Nate Taylor of Tyler Consolidated, a victory that gave Capper all the confidence he would need in the rematch.

At the Winner's Choice tournament in Fairmont, Capper suffered the only hiccup in his dominating season when he pulled tendons in his elbow and didn't place. That injury slowed him for two weeks, but Capper still won his weight class at the Calhoun Invitational the following week and then breezed through the field at Petersburg's Viking Smash.

Capper won the Potomac Valley Conference championship as well, giving him two weeks to prepare for the Region II tournament.

"It was not really any surprise," Capper said of the regional meet. "I pinned my way through regionals. I just wrestled my matches and did what I needed to do."

Heading into the state tournament, Capper was rated among the state's top contenders by the website www.wvmat.com.

"I think I was one of the top contenders for the title going into the tournament," Capper said. "I was ranked No. 3 and I had confidence in myself."

After dispatching Poling in the opening round, Capper pinned Roane's Eric Jarvis in the quarterfinals to earn a rematch against Williamtown's Tyler George in the championship semifinals. George was the wrestler who dealt Capper his first defeat at the state tournament the year before, and was an opponent the Berkeley Springs sophomore was eager to meet again.

"That was my toughest match," said Capper, who battled George for a 5-4 semifinal victory. "I was a little bit nervous going into that match. He beat me last year in overtime. I knew I had to get revenge."

Getting past George earned a confident Capper a spot in the championship to once again face Taylor, and the result was no different. Capper earned a 2-0 victory to bring him the Indians' lone state title.

The championship justified Bennett's faith in letting Capper wrestle his own way, even though the Berkeley Springs coach admits the sophomore does "some funky things."

"He does some things that are a little bit unorthodox, but his body type allows him to do that," Bennett said. "He's always had that knack to do that. It's one of those things you can't coach.

"He's gotten a lot better on his feet. He's tall and lanky and he gets a hold of legs most kids wouldn't reach."

Capper just goes with what works on the mat.

"I'm not really the strongest guy," Capper said. "I work on technique a lot. I just look at what (my opponent) does and wrestle off what they do. Sometimes you have to push the pace and get them to make a mistake."

This season, Capper made precious few of those f