THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512200543
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
It's a good thing Great Bridge traditionally rebounds well after a rare loss, because the Wildcats don't have a lot of time to lick the Grundy-inflicted wounds from Saturday's 37-24 defeat.
Friday, the Wildcats will be at the University of Delaware for the third annual Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Classic, which features arguably the best team in the nation, New Jersey's Blair Academy.
Blair, 10-time national prep champions and the nation's No. 2 team entering the season, beat No. 1 Walsh Jesuit in last week's Ironman Invitational and owns a 30-point victory over No. 8 Nazareth (Pa.).
The Mid-Atlantic Classic is one of nine tournaments used to determine national rankings.
Saturday's loss to Grundy obviously will hurt the Wildcats national standing (Great Bridge went in at No. 10 in one poll, No. 11 in another), but Great Bridge coach Steve Martin believes they can make up lost ground with a strong showing this weekend.
Indeed, while the Grundy match exposed Great Bridge's vulnerability to a team with strong upper-weight wrestlers, the individual format of the Mid-Atlantic Classic could allow the Wildcats to lean more heavily on the success of their strongest wrestlers - Carl Perry (top-ranked in the nation at 130 by one publication), Jimmy Hawthorne (125), Travis Woodhouse (135), Bruce Fowler (119) and Stacy Woodhouse (145).
``Some of our guys will have a chance to make a name for themselves,'' Martin said.
Hawthorne is in position to make the biggest splash on the national scene, as his weight class in the 16-team, two-day tournament is loaded.
COMING OF AGE: The Grundy-Great Bridge match also served as a coming-out party for Wildcats sophomore Stacy Woodhouse, who looked thoroughly dominant in his 14-4 victory over returning state champion Stephen Hartford.
The victory gave Woodhouse, who is called ``The Freak'' by his teammates because of his unorthodox, leg-intensive style, has one more varsity win (eight) than he had matches (seven) a year ago.
``Stacy's put in the hours,'' Martin said. ``Even though he didn't make the team last year, he never stopped working.''
CHESAPEAKE TOURNAMENT: Wrestling fans who enjoyed last weekend's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament are sure to love today's second annual South Norfolk Invitational, as it has five of the same teams and the potential for rematches in seven of the 14 finals.
The nine-team field includes host Oscar Smith, Churchland, Lafayette, Currituck (N.C.), Lake Taylor, Granby, Norview, Bayside and Green Run.
The tournament begins with first-round matches at 5 p.m., followed by the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. and the semifinals at 8 p.m.
Wrestleback action kicks off a noon Thursday, with third-place matches at 3:30 p.m. and finals at 5:30.
Lake Taylor won the tournament last year, and while their three champions from a year ago will not return, the Titans will have three 1994 runners-up (Tremaine Baker, Paul Jimenez and Kenny Hessler) in the field.
Churchland's Tiree Murphy, the 1994 125-pound champion, is back at the same weight, as is last year's 171-pound winner, William Thornton of Granby.
Chris Martin, another Granby wrestlerwho won at 135 a year ago, will be at 145 today.
BRIEFLY: Princess Anne's Bobby Julian, top-ranked at 189 a week ago, already is reconsidering his move down to 171 after getting pinned by Tallwood's Chris Brashers in a dual-match Saturday. . . . The new 215-pound class, something of a mystery when the season began, is shaping up to be one of the area's most competitive. Lakeland's James Temple seized the No. 1 ranking Monday with a 6-4 overtime victory over previous No. 1 Antwain Britt of Indian River. A week earlier, Britt had to hold on for a 10-8 victory over Deep Creek's Nick Cuffee in the Western Branch Invitational final. . . . Western Branch finished fourth out of 14 teams last weekend in the Rio Mesa Invitational in Oxnard, Calif. The Bruins won the first eight of their 10 dual matches before dropping the final two in the two-day tournament. by CNB