ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701170052
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: COMMENTARY
SOURCE: RAY COX
Ryan Hall will not be bothered with the continued nurture of an unspotted wrestling record. Possibly and perhaps probably, that is just as well.
Going undefeated as Radford High's 125-pounder may not have been one of his stated goals. Yet being the owner of a 56-7 career record coming into this his junior campaign, Hall had to at least consider the possibility of the grappling equivalent of running the table. That was especially true after he began the season by winning his first 16 bouts.
After losing a briskly contested 16-8 decision to William Lacy of William Fleming High in the final of the Big Orange tournament last weekend, Hall can focus on the true goal: glory at the Group A Region C and state level of competition.
He ought to be ready for whatever the wrestling fates may have in store for him. It is hard to imagine he'll face a sterner test than the singlet-clad marauder from Fleming.
"This kid is the best we've seen, bar none,'' Radford coach Tony DeHart said of Lacy.
Hall was certainly disappointed with the outcome, but he declined to dwell on that. Instead, he talked of his continuing mat-based education.
"Overall, this is going to make me work harder,'' said Hall, a junior who now sports a 19-1 record. "I'm going to have to work on my defense and on being quicker on my feet.''
One of the factors that made the loss more palatable was Lacy's experience and the fact that he came from a AAA school. Lacy is a senior, Hall a junior. Fleming is a AAA school. Wrestlers from Radford rarely if ever see competition from the big schools.
As it is, Hall's toughest competition for the rest of the year may be with his own expectations.
"I think Ryan may have a little more pressure on him than other wrestlers,'' DeHart said.
Ryan's older brother, Andrew, was a state champion at Radford and for four years was a contender for top honors. Ryan's best finish to date has been fourth place as a freshman. That eats silently at him as he plots how he's going to seize his own crown.
"Ryan is very goal-oriented,'' said Radford assistant Curtis Elswick, a product of the famous wrestling program at Grundy High before taking up higher education at Radford University. "I think that's the reason that he's done as well as he has.''
The Bobcats collectively are setting some high standards after finishing third in the state a year ago. With 160-pounder Peter Lee fresh off a Big Orange championship and 130-pounder Brian Hudson delighting his coaches by improving his technique to the extent that he earned distinction as a Big Orange runner-up, the Bobcats gaze at the future with optimistic eyes.
Hall is wrestling through and through. He began as an elementary school wrestler in Radford's then-fledgling youth program. By the time he was in eighth grade, he was traveling with the varsity and wrestling preliminary bouts.
"He's got wrestling in the blood,'' DeHart said.
Hall also runs cross country and track. This spring, he plans to bag track for soccer.
"Track isn't much fun,'' he said. "Neither is cross country, but it was the only thing besides football I could do to stay in shape during the fall.''
Now's the time of the year he'll find out what kind of shape he's really in.
HIGH-QUALITY HOOPS: Oak Hill Academy, the private high school in Mouth of Wilson that along with its academic mission serves as a finishing school for college basketball prospects, will be taking on Riverdale Baptist of Maryland 7:30 p.m. Monday at Pulaski County High. Prospects galore will be slashing and dunking for the benefit of Pulaski's youth basketball program.
Tickets are $5 ($3 for ages 10 and under) and are available at the Comfort Inn in Dublin and the town offices.
Call Dave Hart with the recreation department for more information, 980-1000.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB