THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 17, 1995 TAG: 9512170190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
Although both state dominance and national prestige were on the line when wrestling powers Great Bridge and Grundy hooked up Saturday, there was no taunting from the wrestlers, catcalls from the crowd or any of the other ugly by-products that sometimes surface when a match of this magnitude takes place.
All that was left was some sublime wrestling, a couple of dominant individual efforts and an end to the Wildcats' five-year mastery over Virginia wrestling teams.
The nine-time defending Group AA state champion Golden Wave swept the final four weight classes and downed five-time defending Group AAA champs Great Bridge 37-24 before about 1,200 surprisingly pensive onlookers Saturday at Oscar Smith High.
The loss was the Wildcats' first to a Virginia team since January 1990 (a 29-28 decision by Western Branch) 117 dual-matches ago. It should also shake up the national rankings, as Great Bridge checked in at No. 11 in the country according to USA Today going in, four spots ahead of Grundy.
``I think this will really wake everybody up,'' said Jason Byrum, Great Bridge's 160-pounder and one of six victorious Wildcats Saturday. ``This will make everyone realize what we need to do.''
Meanwhile, the Golden Wave, buoyed by a roster featuring three state champions and six other state placewinners, basked in the aftermath of siezing the unofficial tag as the state's top team.
``Usually when we come here, I tell everyone we're just happy to be here, happy to be able to compete,'' Grundy coach Kevin Dresser said. ``But this year, I told people we were going to come up here and kick butt.
``We've always taken a back seat to Great Bridge, and that's understandable. They have a great team. But I honestly felt that this year, we were good enough to beat them by 12 to 15 points.''
Many Great Bridge supporters apparently had the same feeling, as they studied the proceedings intently but rarely created the volume characteristic of a Great Bridge crowd. At times, it was as though someone had strung a net across the blue and white mat and the Wildcats and Golden Wave had struck up a game of tennis.
``We figured the match was going to be close,'' Jimmy Hawthorne Sr. said. ``But I was quiet because I realized I was watching some great talent.''
Grundy fans added little to the match's atmosphere, because only 50 or so made the nearly eight-hour trip. The visitors' turnout may have been reduced by a 10-inch snowfall in southwest Virginia, a significant deterrent even for hearty mountainfolk such as those who populate Grundy.
Then again, the Golden Wave wrestlers said they were so locked into the task before them, they might not have noticed if no one showed up.
``We knew if we kept our heads on straight, blocked out everything and just focused on wrestling, we'd be okay,'' Grundy's Jimmy Griffey said.
The Wildcats expressed similar sentiments, which explains why, despite pre-match hype to the contrary, there were no on-the-mat flare-ups. The only controversy came after the 189-pound bout, when a just-pinned Sean Cross stormed off the mat without shaking Matney's hand and cost the Wildcats a team point.
Although Great Bridge wrestlers from 171-275 brought a combined 26-2 record to Oscar Smith, they proved no match for Grundy's big men. The Wildcats led, 25-18, through the 160-pound bout, but never scored another point as Grundy's Scott Justus (171), Matney, Brandon Stevenson (215) and Luke Owens (275) notched easy victories.
``It takes a loss to look at your mistakes,'' Great Bridge coach Steve Martin said. ``This loss is exactly what we needed.''
The Wildcats did most of their their damage early. Bruce Fowler captured a stirring, 12-11 victory over state champion Doug Adkins at 119, triggering a four-match Great Bridge run that included a first-period pin by Jimmy Hawthorne and a technical fall by Carl Perry.
The other highlight for Great Bridge was the performance of Stacy Woodhouse, a sophomore who couldn't crack the Wildcats' lineup a year ago but improved to 8-0 Saturday with a convincing 14-4 decision over returning state champion Stephen Hartford. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/The Virginian-Pilot
National champion Carl Perry of Great Bridge works against Grundy's
Michael Hartford in his win at 130 pounds. But the Group AAA
champion Wildcats didn't get a point from Group AA champ Grundy from
171 pounds on.
Photos
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/The Virginian-Pilot
The family of Great Bridge's Stacy Woodhouse had a lot to cheer. The
sophomore decisioned state champion Stephen Hartford of Grundy
14-4.
Grundy's Doug Adkins, left, the 119-pound state champ, works against
Great Bridge's Bruce Fowler. It was the Wildcat, though, who took a
12-11 victory as the hosts did most of their damage early in a 37-24
loss.
by CNB