THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 27, 1995 TAG: 9501250147
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
THERE WAS A TIME when no one would have predicted that Western Branch's Sean Sanderlin would ever be successful as a wrestler. Not Sanderlin himself, and certainly not his coaches.
But after a little growing up and a lot of hard work, he's become one of the premier wrestlers in the area.
Sanderlin started wrestling in seventh grade, and as much as he enjoyed it, he never got the hang of the moves. Discouraged, he didn't go out for the team in eighth grade.
``From what I understood from junior high, he wasn't very good,'' said Bruins' coach Terry Perdew. ``He didn't win a match.''
Sanderlin explains his unsuccessful early go at wrestling as a result of ``not being dedicated enough.'' That attitude spilled over into his freshman year.
``I was working real hard, but I couldn't hit the moves and I couldn't do anything right,'' Sanderlin said. ``My whole ninth grade year I was wondering why I was doing this.''
He stayed away from practice for a while, then saw Perdew in the halls one day at school. After learning that the Bruins hold practices over the summer, Sanderlin decided to give the sport one last shot.
He endured long hours learning technique, and his confidence started to rise as wrestling became more natural.
At the start of his sophomore year, he had three goals - make varsity, don't get pinned, go to the state tournament.
Sanderlin came to practice at the beginning of the season and beat the Bruins' predicted starter in the 135-pound weight class.
``The summer tournaments, coupled with all his hard work, are what did it for him,'' said Perdew. ``Then, at the end of the season, he started winning those close matches that he'd lost before.''
As lofty as those preseason goals seemed, Sanderlin achieved all of them. He compiled a 19-9 record and was never pinned. He placed third in the region to earn a trip to the state tournament, where he advanced to the second round before losing his match.
Last summer, Sanderlin decided to bump up to the 145 weight class. Where before he had a difficult time managing his weight, he now says that staying right around 145 isn't a problem.
``I asked my teammates a lot of questions, so now I understand better what to do,'' Sanderlin said. ``My dad tries to keep bad stuff out of the house because he knows I'll sneak it.''
Fortunately, Sanderlin has an ally in his sister, Dawn, who will ``sneak me a snack if I really want one.''
Around match time, Sanderlin tries to stay away from home because if he hangs around he gets ``hooked on water, then I'll be over (weight).'' He comes home and goes straight to bed, which doesn't leave a lot of quality time with mom and dad, but ``they understand what I have to do.''
``Wrestling is good for him. It fits him because he keeps to himself mostly,'' said Sanderlin's father, Robert. ``He's the kind of kid who really gets into anything he does.''
Sanderlin hasn't forgotten the time when he was just starting out in wrestling and needed a guiding hand. He says he tries to help the Bruins' younger wrestlers by showing them moves or helping them stay confident.
``I ask him a lot of questions and he helps me,'' said freshman Richard Slocumb. ``He's a nice guy and a lot of fun to be around. He sets a real good example for everyone.''
Sanderlin's goal this season is to make it to the state finals, and with a 23-1 record, he's off to a good start. His only loss came to North Carolina state champion Joel Dramis, a 5-4 defeat on a controversial, last-second takedown that bothers Sanderlin because ``I shouldn't have let the match be that close in the first place.''
Even with that loss, Sanderlin is having the kind of season that just a few years ago he would have only dreamed about.
``He didn't have the physical skills when he first started, like quickness or agility,'' said Perdew. ``He's worked really hard to get where he is.
``Wrestling is one of the fairest sports around. It's one-on-one to see who is the better man.''
More often than not this year, it has been Sanderlin. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Sean Sanderlin, at 145 pounds, has become one of Western Branch's
leaders, helping teammates with moves and confidence. Here, he hangs
out with senior transfer Byrum Tucker.
by CNB