THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503050229
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
Eastern Region wrestlers celebrated the Group AAA state wrestling tournament's return to the area in a big way Saturday, finishing with eight state champions, seven from South Hampton Roads, and another wire-to-wire team victory by the Great Bridge Wildcats.
The Wildcats, led by newly crowned state champions Carl Perry and Billy Allred, captured their fifth straight state title Saturday before a standing-room only crowd of 3,850 at Oscar Smith High.
``We're ecstatic,'' Great Bridge coach Steve Martin said. ``Carl and Billy are the two guys we thought before the season would win state titles for sure.''
The tournament was held in South Hampton Roads for the first time since 1986, when it was hosted by Norfolk State University.
The Wildcats ran up 112.5 points to outdistance second-place Western Branch (86 points). But the Bruins matched the Wildcats in individual champions, as Lee Butler (103) and Byron Tucker (152) rolled through their divisions.
``All the hard work and the practices Coach (Terry) Perdew put us through, it's all worth it now,'' Butler said.
Sixth-place Tallwood (50 points) also had two champions. Mike Mercado took the 112-pound division and Jonathan Vann won at 189.
Hampton's Eric Thompson nipped Granby's Chris Martin for the second time in seven days to prevail at 135, and Cox' Brian Wilson became the first area heavyweight to defend his title since Norview's Ken Whitley did it 33 years ago.
``I just thank God for letting me get this far,'' said Wilson, who closed his high school career with a 58-match winning streak. ``You know I pray before all my matches, and He gives me all my strength and power.''
Butler (30-2) got things rolling at 103 by controlling Great Bridge's Aaron Anton on his feet and cruising to an 8-2 decision. Anton fell to 34-5, with three of his losses coming to the Bruins' senior.
Mercado (33-1) was even more punishing in the 112 final, blitzing Potomac's Ken Cole with a pin in 2:42.
``When I woke up this morning, I knew it was going to be a good day,'' said Mercado, a junior who lost to Salem's Chip Reyes last year in the 103-pound state final. ``I had some sophomore doubts last year, but I was ready and prepared today. This is what it's all about.''
Perry (42-0) capped one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory two bouts later with an 18-11 victory over Stonewall Jackson's Mike Pereira. Pereira lost only twice in 38 matches this season, both times to Perry.
Perry's success this season was made even more spectacular by his post-match revelation that he's wrestled half the season on a bum knee and is scheduled for surgery next week.
Tucker, nicknamed ``Flash'' for the often-spectacular way he puts opponents away, was taken the distance for one of the few times this season, but still had more than enough to put away Maury's Orlando Morton, 14-7, in a rematch of the Eastern Region final.
When it was over, Tucker (38-0) thrust his arms skyward in a rare show of emotion.
``I'm just happy it's over and I was able to do what I told my friends I was going to do,'' he said.
At 189, Vann (15-0) gutted out a 5-3 decision over Salem's Daemon Schultz. Vann missed much of the regular season with a thumb injury, then battled questions about his conditioning. Saturday, however, Vann rallied in the third quarter to subdue Schultz, a sixth-place finisher in the 1994 state tourney.
``Everybody talks about my shape, but the one thing I do have is heart,'' said Vann, who beat Schultz for the third time this season.
Wilson (38-0) then closed out the evening with a 3:48 fall over Varina's Damon Burrows. It was the third straight second-period fall of the tournament for Wilson, who won his other match by technical fall.
Three other Eastern Region wrestlers fell one match short of a title. At 140, South Lakes' Mike Dixon (44-1) topped Green Run's Kyle Proffitt, 9-5. It was the second straight second-place finish for Proffitt (15-1), who lost to Centreville's Jeremy Ferry in last year's 135-pound final.
Ferry (44-0) made it three state titles and 125 victories in a row by overpowering Western Branch's Sean Sanderlin, 7-0, in the 145-pound final.
And at 171, Scott Reese (34-0) nipped Deep Creek's Ryan Baker, 8-6. In defeat, however, Baker erased his reputation as a hard loser by embracing Reese and congratulating the opposing coaches before jogging away.
In other finals, Stonewall Jackson's Todd Mason (42-0) won a wild 11-9 decision at 119 pounds over North Stafford's Justin Baker, and Lee-Davis' Aaron Bradley (32-0) rode out Lee's Brandon Rushing (36-2) in overtime to prevail at 130. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Great Bridge junior Carl Perry, on top, wraps up Mike Pereira of
Stonewall Jackson in the 125-pound division of the Group AAA state
wrestling tournament. Perry decisioned Pereira, 18-11, improving his
record to 42-0 and helping Great Bridge win the team title.
Photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Granby's Chris Martin works under Hampton's Eric Thompson in their
135-pound Group AAA final match Saturday. Thompson won, 7-5.
by CNB