THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602230607
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
How strong is the 119-pound division of the Eastern Region wrestling tournament currently under way at Churchland? Consider:
Granby's Rueben Waites is a two-time Eastern District champion;
Denbigh's Joe Wright is a returning region runner-up;
Great Bridge's Bruce Fowler has won more than 30 matches this season.
Now consider this: None of these guys made it through the regional's first two rounds.
``Yeah, it's definitely tough,'' said Churchland's Tiree Murphy, one of four 119-pounders who advanced to the semifinals Thursday in the tournament's most talent-rich division. ``But I just have to stay motivated, and I can't afford to worry about who I have to wrestle next.
``That, and saying my prayers.''
Western Branch's Richard Slocumb, a returning state placewinner, will meet Beach District runner-up Andy Simons of Cox in one 119 semifinal. In the other bracket, Murphy, the Southeastern runner-up, will take on Beach champion Jason Bernd of First Colonial. Bernd's two victories Saturday included a 9-2 decision over Great Bridge's slumping Fowler.
Few other Wildcats struggled Thursday, however. Eleven Great Bridge wrestlers secured semifinal berths. The Wildcats, with 115 points, appear headed toward their sixth straight regional team crown. Tallwood is second with 59 points.
Great Bridge's semifinals include 130-pounder Carl Perry, who tied Centreville's Jeremy Ferry's state record for most career victories (156) with a tidy 2:28 technical fall over Bethel's Bobby Schultz.
``I knew I'd have a chance (at the record) when the season began,'' said Perry, who has won 82 consecutive matches. ``It's always nice to reach a goal.''
Perry, 42-0 this season, can move past Ferry in the record book with a semifinal victory today over Kellam's Jason Boswell.
Western Branch's Sean Sanderlin, like Perry a returning regional champion, also achieved a milestone when he pinned Kempsville's Danny MacDonald in the opening round. It was the Bruin senior's 100th career victory.
``I didn't wrestle too well because I was thinking 100 wins,'' Sanderlin said. ``It's great, but I'm still mad about the losses. Got 17 of those. I'm not too happy about that.''
Only two of the area's top-ranked wrestlers went down Thursday. At 125, Great Bridge's Jimmy Hawthorne, who spent the year in the top spot but was dropped this week because of a lack of activity, proved that move was premature by easily handling the new No. 1, Lake Taylor's Termaine Baker 11-2.
And at 189, Tallwood's Alvin Wilson, also No. 1 for much of the year before falling to third after getting pinned by First Colonial's Tom Juskevich in the Beach District final, upended top-ranked Doug Norris of Deep Creek 6-4.
``I want to earn my respect back,'' said Wilson, who celebrated his victory by leaping into the arms of Tallwood coach Don Robertson.
The tournament resumes today with consolation rounds at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., followed by the semifinals and the third consolation round at 7 p.m. by CNB