THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 29, 1995 TAG: 9501290213
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Western Branch won a major battle Saturday, but, as has been the case the past three seasons, Great Bridge decisively won the war.
The top-ranked Wildcat wrestlers rolled over the second-ranked Bruins, 49-11, to clinch their fourth straight Southeastern District regular-season title while continuing their mastery over their fiercest rival.
The two teams were basically even when the decade began, and Western Branch even beat the Wildcats in 1990 en route to the Group AAA state duals title. Saturday, however, Great Bridge (18-1, 7-0 in the district) offered more evidence of how far the gap has widened between the two teams in recent years. The Wildcats won 10 of the 13 matches Saturday, and have taken 32 of the 39 individual bouts the past three years.
``We had 10 days to prepare for this one'' during an exam break, said Great Bridge coach Steve Martin. ``We worked on a lot of things and changed our style a little bit. It definitely helped.''
The victory was also Great Bridge's 43rd in a row against Southeastern District foes since the 1990 loss to the Bruins.
The Bruins (14-1, 6-1) did have one big highlight Saturday, however. In one of the most anticipated individual matchups of the season, Western Branch's Byron Tucker moved up from 152 to 160 and shot down top-ranked and previously undefeated Billy Allred, 15-4.
Allred (20-1) came into the match with just one loss to a region opponent the past two years, and that came by injury default. But he never got untracked against Tucker, who rolled him on his back 30 seconds into the match and dominated throughout.
``He's a stud,'' Martin said.
Top-ranked Sean Sanderlin remained undefeated for Western Branch at 145, and Richard Slocumb scored a majority decision at 119. But the rest of the day belonged to the Wildcats, who took the lead on Aaron Anton's technical fall victory at 103 and never looked back.
Anton's victory came in part because of a gamble by Western Branch coach Terry Perdew that didn't pay off. In the first of a series of lineup shifts, Perdew bumped top-ranked 103-pounder Lee Butler to 112. But after Anton whipped Matt Viola, Great Bridge freshman Bruce Fowler, who seems to save his best wrestling for top opponents, outdueled Butler, 8-7, in a riveting, action-packed contest.
Slocumb's victory at 119 got the Bruins on the board, but top-ranked Carl Perry pinned Cory Sloane at 125, and decisions by Travis Woodhouse (130), Aaron Beatson (135) and John Young (140) gave the Wildcats a 27-4 lead heading into 145.
Sanderlin's victory kept Western Branch alive, but Christian Basnight's 22-12 victory over Corey Bauswell at 152 clinched at least at tie for the Wildcats.
``I think our guys psyched themselves out,'' Tucker said. ``Our guys are more than capable of winning. But I don't want to take anything away from Great Bridge. They were the better team today.'' ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff
Western Branch's Byron Tucker, left, works on Great Bridge's Billy
Allred in a 160-pound match Saturday. Tucker, No. 1 in the area at
152 pounds, won a 15-4 decision over Allred, top-ranked at 160.
by CNB