THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 24, 1995 TAG: 9502220119
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
THERE SEEMS TO BE only one question remaining to be answered as the high school wrestling season heads to its postseason finish:
Is the 1994-95 Great Bridge team the best in Southeastern history?
``Could be,'' said Western Branch coach Terry Perdew.
``Very likely,'' said Churchland coach Darin Bracy.
``We've had some pretty good teams,'' said Great Bridge coach Steve Martin. ``But overall this one has to rate with our best.''
The Wildcats set an all-time scoring record in winning the Southeastern District meet last weekend at Great Bridge, racking up 269 points. The 1992 Great Bridge team had set the record with 268. Last year's team totaled 258 1/2.
It was the 11th consecutive district championship for the Wildcats.
Wayne Martin, now the athletic director at Great Bridge and the man who started this dynasty 12 years ago before turning over the leadership to his younger brother, says the remainder of the season - the Eastern Region tournament this week and the state tournament - will answer the question.
``Let's wait and see,'' he said. ``I believe this could be our best. And I feel, without a doubt, that it would have been the best if we still had Jimmy Hawthorne.''
Hawthorne, a 119-pounder, was 12-0 when he was injured in practice and lost for the season. He placed third in the state a year ago.
One measure of outstanding wrestling is 20 victories. The Wildcats have a team full of 20-match winners. Five have won 30 or more. Carl Perry, the district champ at 125, has a 36-0 record.
Great Bridge claimed seven individual district titles in the 13 weights. The other champions were Bruce Fowler at 112, Travis Woodhouse at 130, Aaron Beatson at 135, John Young at 140, Joey Guth at 171 and Josh Fannon at 189.
Five Wildcats were runners-up. The other Great Bridge wrestler, sophomore 119-pounder Brian Childress, took third place as the entire team qualified for the regional.
Western Branch finished in second place with 188 1/2 points, the seventh year in a row the Bruins have been runners-up. ``It's getting to be a little frustrating,'' said Perdew. ``But I know Great Bridge is one of the top high school wrestling teams in the country so we're not a long way from being there ourselves.''
The Bruins had four individual winners - Lee Butler at 118, Sean Sanderlin at 145, Byron Tucker at 152 and Cory Bauswell at 160. Sanderlin upped his season record to 28-1 and Tucker to 30-0.
Western Branch qualified 11 for the regional with one runner-up, four third-place finishers and two in fourth. The second-place finisher, 118-pounder Richard Slocumb, is only a freshman.
Churchland and Oscar Smith had the other two district champions. The Truckers' Tiree Murphy beat Slocumb, 9-6, in the 118 final. The Tigers' Rafael Butts edged Great Bridge's Shawn Curl, 11-9, in the 275-pound windup.
Murphy's victory gave Churchland its first district champion since 1988.
``He's really progressing,'' said Trucker coach Bracy. It was the second title winner for Bracy, who had one when coaching at Norcom.
Five top-seeded wrestlers lost in the finals. Deep Creek's Ryan Baker carried a 26-0 mark into his 171-pound title match with Guth, losing in a nailbiter, 10-9. For the second year in a row, Great Bridge's Billy Allred, a 35-1 record-holder at 160 pounds this season, lost by default.
Oscar Smith had a solid overall team effort, taking third place with 127 1/2 points. Deep Creek was fourth with 125, followed by Indian River with 90, Churchland with 76, Wilson with 60 and Norcom with 13 1/2. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by BILL TIERNAN
Tiree Murphy, top, of Churchland beat Richard Slocumb of Western
Branch in the 118-pound class.
by CNB