THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503030520
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
It's not that Centreville's Jeremy Ferry doesn't know what it's like to lose a high school wrestling match. It's just that it happened so long ago, even the man last man who beat Ferry isn't sure how he did it.
``I don't really remember much about it,'' said Shane Darnell, the former Great Bridge star who whipped the then-freshman Ferry, 9-1, in the 103-pound third-place match during the 1992 Group AAA state tournament in Richmond.
``Basically, I think I was just better than he was.''
No one's been able to use that line about Ferry since. He went 40-0 the following year en route to the 119-pound state title. Last year, he polished off 41 straight opponents and captured the 135-pound title.
And today, when the Group AAA state tournament gets under way at Oscar Smith High, Ferry will take the mat at 145 pounds unbeaten since Darnell turned the trick 122 matches ago.
``Basically, I just take every match the same way,'' said Ferry, who is 152-3 lifetime and holds the state record for victories.
``I look at everyone like they're my toughest opponent.''
One look at Ferry offers little indication of the devastation he routinely dishes out. With his boyish grin and buzz cut, Ferry looks more like a Marine Corps recruit on the first day of boot camp than the winningest wrestler in state history.
And any tough-guy image he may have been trying to construct was shattered last fall, when he somewhat reluctantly became one of the first male cheerleaders in Centreville High's history.
``I hated it,'' Ferry said. ``They told me I could go out for it, and if I didn't like it I could quit. So I did it, and then when I tried to quit, they said if I did they wouldn't let me wrestle.''
Ferry combines technical mastery and uncommon tenacity into a dazzling package.
``I like to use an aggressive style and never let up,'' said Ferry, echoing the gospel according to Great Bridge coach Steve Martin. ``You know, just keep going at the guy.''
Ferry hasn't had many close calls during the streak. The closest came during the 1994 Northern Region duals, when Ferry trailed the entire way against Marshall's Anthony Edwards and needed a four-point move in the final seconds to pull out an 11-9 victory.
Ferry also saves his best performances for the biggest situations. In the 1993 119-pound final, he took apart Ferguson's John Baskerville in a 3:50 technical fall. Last year, he pinned Green Run's Kyle Proffitt to win the state 135-pound crown.
``The bigger the match, the better he does,'' Centreville coach Dan Foglio said.
Ferry is prepared to gut out more close matches if that's what it takes to win a third state title. He identified Western Branch's once-beaten Sean Sanderlin as a potential stumbling block.
BEST OF THE REST: Ferry is one of two returning champions from outside the Eastern Region. Lee's Brandon Rushing, who defeated Great Bridge's Aaron Beatson in the 125-pound final a year ago, is the Northern Region champion at 130. He figures to be challenged by Hylton's Benji Main, the sophomore Northwest Region champion who's 31-0 this year.
A pair of 1994 state runners-up, Herndon's 152-pounder John Marshall (140 last year) and Annandale 171-pounder Scott Reese (160) should also be factors.
Other wrestlers to watch include Franklin County 103-pounder Trung Nguyen (he pinned Great Bridge's Aaron Anton in the Group AAA state duals); South Lakes 140-pounder Mike Dixon (third at 135 last year) and Franklin County 140-pounder Brian Jones.
The 152-pound division features a tournament-high four returning state placewinners. The 103 class, which includes nine freshmen or sophomores, has none. by CNB