THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010569
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
How big a favorite is Great Bridge heading into Friday's Eastern Region Duals tournament?
Consider: The Wildcats have wrestled five of the seven other teams in the tournament, and their closest victory was a 30-point triumph over Lake Taylor Jan. 14.
But several competitive matches should develop along the road to Great Bridge's expected coronation, including three in Friday's first round.
The highlight of the opening-round card figures to be No. 2 Western Branch against No. 3 Cox (6 p.m.). The teams haven't met, although the Falcons narrowly outpointed the Bruins for the Western Branch Invitational title. Injuries have weakened Cox somewhat since, although the Falcons came up big Saturday to knock off Tallwood for the Beach District title.
Friday's other 6 p.m. match pits Denbigh against Maury. The Patriots rolled to the Peninsula District title and dumped Cox during the Virginia Duals. Maury had a long winning streak interrupted Saturday by a 25-point loss to Gloucester. Denbigh handled Gloucester easily two weeks ago, but shouldn't read too much into Maury's loss. The Commodores wrestled without four starters.
Gloucester, assuming it can keep its tempers in check, should give No. 4 Lake Taylor a battle in a an 8 p.m. first-round match, although the knowledge that they've already easily defeated Denbigh should send the Titans to the mat with loads of confidence.
That leaves Great Bridge against Tallwood, also at 8. Poor Tallwood. The Lions understood the implications of the Cox showdown Saturday, but couldn't get it done and now face a match which figures to be memorable only for the 112-pound bout, where top-ranked Mike Mercado will be out for revenge against the only man to defeat him this year, Bruce Fowler.
The semifinals will be held Saturday at 2 p.m., with the finals set for 7 p.m.
The finalists will advance to the Group AAA state duals Feb. 10-11 at the site of the Northern Region champion, most likely Centreville.
DOLPHINS DEBUT: A 7-7 record might not quite be cause for celebration, but it's pretty big news at Ocean Lakes, a first-year school picked to finish last in the Beach District by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
``It's been enjoyable,'' said coach Jack Harcourt. ``I've just had a good, responsive group of kids who haven't quit learning.''
But it's been a different kind of enjoyment for Harcourt, who left a state title contender at Green Run two years ago, then resurfaced with a program where half the wrestlers are freshmen.
``I can't say it hasn't been frustrating at times, but it's been a good frustration,'' he said. ``Sometimes you want to go too fast, but can't try to give them too much.''
The Dolphins have been led by 130-pound sophomore R.J. Davis (16-3), a potential state qualifier, and Michael Ernest (135), Michael Yorty (160), Eddie Whiteman (140-45) and John Vaughan (171), all of whom Harcourt believes could advance to at least the regional level.
Other teams who have quietly exceeded expectations include Princess Anne, which parlayed a brutally tough schedule last season into a match-tough unit which compiled the school's first winning season in years; and Wilson, easily the best team in Portsmouth and a group which appears on the verge of breaking into the upper echelon of the Southeastern District.
MIXING THINGS UP: For pressure, no spot in a wrestling lineup compares to that of a heavyweight.
Shawn Curl was no more or less responsible for Great Bridge's one-point loss to Parkersburg South at the Virginia Duals than several other Wildcats. But Curl, pinned at heavyweight with the Wildcats leading by five, was the only one to wrestle with the match on the line.
So great is the pressure on heavyweights that Saturday, Tallwood coach Don Robertson, trailing by four in the Beach District championship match against Cox, forfeited the final bout - and any chance the Lions had of winning the overall match - rather than send a 200-pound second-stringer up against defending state champion Brian Wilson.
But it doesn't always have to be this way. No rules mandate the order of individual bouts. Some coaches favor drawing the order of bouts out of a hat prior to each match. Harcourt is one of them.
``I'd like to do it in our next match (against Oscar Smith Feb. 10),'' he said. ``If Oscar Smith will go for it, we'll do it.
``It would change things a little bit. Maybe we'd get an exciting match or two at the end. That way, regardless of who's winning, people might stay around to see what happens at the end.'' by CNB