Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 6, 1993 TAG: 9302050311
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DEMONS' WERT A TEAM-PLAYER IN WRESTLING
About and around:Wrestling normally is considered an individual sport, but Christiansburg High's 112-pounder Andy Wert has turned it into a team effort, in the truest sense of the word.
Wert, a sophomore who wears hearing aids except when he wrestles, requires help from parents Vicki and David Wert, who convey coaching instructions to him via sign language during matches.
The way it usually works is that Vicki Wert stands with Blue Demons coach Dean Underwood and David Wert stations himself on the opposite side of the mat. Anything Underwood says is signed to the wrestler.
The only hitch is that Andy occasionally forgets to look.
"We're working on that," Underwood said.
During practices, Underwood makes sure that he is in a position so Wert can read his lips.
Wert has been ailing for the past four weeks or so and has performed sporadically over that period. According to Underwood, doctors have not found the exact reason that Wert hasn't felt so hot.
Nevertheless, it was hoped that late in the week he would wrestle in the New River District tournament today.
Wert, who moved up from 103, where he wrestled a year ago, has gone 4-7 so far.
"He's got a lot of potential," Underwood said. "He needs to get stronger. He's also got to build up his self-confidence. It's not what it should be for a person of his ability."
No matter what, Wert has been an inspirational figure.
Said one fan: "He's touched my heart."
Craig Turman, a senior guard at Blacksburg High, will be the last of the hoop-playing Turmans to compete for the Indians.
Starting with eldest brother Chuck; and continuing through Chris, who played on the Doug Day-Jay Purcell team that went to the state tournament; and then to Craig, a Turman has been in the program for the past nine years. Actually, Chuck's first varsity year was 1984, meaning that Turmans have been Indians even longer, if you count junior varsity.
"It's been a long time that we haven't had a Turman around here," Blacksburg coach Bob Trear said.
If Craig follows the example of his older brothers, they'll still have Turmans at Indians games after he graduates. Both Chuck and Chris are regulars at Blacksburg games, Chuck usually driving all the way from Roanoke.
It's been a trail-of-tears year for Christiansburg basketball, losers of 13 straight going into Friday's game with Carroll County.
Demons coach Gerald Thompson continues to seek the positive, though.
"They've improved greatly," he said. "They still work hard, they still jump on the floor, they still take a charge. They just don't shoot very well."
Of the shooting, there is only anecdotal evidence. Thompson hasn't the heart to keep the statistics any more. Christiansburg does not have a double-figure scorer, the first time that's happened in Thompson's 20-year career as a coach.
Part of the problem, no doubt, is the hammering the team's confidence took at the first of the year. Christiansburg was playing two each with Northside, Alleghany and William Byrd. All three are having great years.
So the Demons play deliberately, trying to stay close until the end and hope to be in position to make something happen.
"If the score is in the 50s, then we're in trouble," Thompson said. "We want to keep it in the 30s or lower."
Blacksburg is down to nine basketball players, meaning that manager Chris Aikens has to work out with the team at times.
"He's done a great job," Trear said. "He knows more stuff about what's going on than I do, sometimes. Managers always know a lot."
Nobody knows more about playing with a shorthanded roster than Shawsville, which is down to six players after three players were suspended and three more quit recently.
Reaction to the situation continued this week. Many people said that Shawsville had been unfairly cast in an unfavorable light.
"Please, please, please praise these kids who are continuing to play," said Laura Flight, who worked the concession stand at a recent game. "There are some wonderful kids doing wonderful things at this high school. . . . There are many others here to be proud of."
Others spoke of the courage shown by the remaining players, particularly Keith Martin, the only senior.
"He's the one I admire the most," said Roger Smith, whose son Andy was one of four sophomores called up from the junior varsity to fill out the roster. "He's the one who they owe their thanks to. He's a credit to himself and his school. He's giving them the leadership they need. Any humiliation they receive, he's right there with them."
Somehow, it appears that whatever happens as the season lurches to a conclusion, the humiliation is over for Shawsville.
"Don't let your heads get down," Shawnees coach Tracy Poff told the team after a loss to Fort Chiswell this week. "Losers do that. You are not losers. By no means.
"You wouldn't be out there if you were."
Ray Cox covers New River Valley sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News