THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 7, 1996 TAG: 9603050093
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Low quantity, high quality.
The Eastern District provided a measly four competitors to the 224-man Group AAA state wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake - the fewest of any of the 16 Group AAA districts. However, the Norfolk public schools contingent flashed considerable star power over the weekend, winning 13 of 17 matches, placing in three weight classes and bringing home the city's first public school state wrestling title in eight years.
Granby's Chris Martin added his name to the Comets' illustrious list of champions Saturday when he decisioned Great Bridge's Stacy Woodhouse 8-2 to win the 145-pound division. The victory was Granby's 74th state wrestling title, but the school's first since 1979 (William Almond) and Norfolk's first since Norview's Pablo Fargas (119) and Steve Stenson (155) won in 1988.
It also capped a dominating postseason for the Comets' senior. In 10 matches beginning with the first round of the Eastern District tournament, Martin (35-0) recorded six pins and three technical falls. Woodhouse was the only opponent to last six minutes.
``(Woodhouse) wrestled me smart, but I'd worked too hard not to win it this year,'' said Martin, a state runner-up a year ago.
Maury's surprising Leroy ``Dog'' Barbour narrowly missed joining Martin on the champion's platform. Barbour, who missed part of the season after straining his neck and shoulder in an automobile accident and routinely gave up 15 pounds to his opponents, stormed into the finals before Gloucester's Jason Bench ended his run with a third-period fall for the championship at 189.
``He got lucky, but that's OK,'' said Barbour, whose head is shaved bald except for a 4-inch circular tuft of hair in the back. ``I still had a good tournament.''
Barbour, a senior who won the Eastern District title and placed second in the region, finished with a 22-8 record and was 8-2 in the postseason. Barbour said he probably should have wrestled at 171, but accepted the move to the higher weight class ``for the team.'' Asked how he was able to consistently defeat bigger guys, Barbour flashed a big smile and pointed to one of his flexed biceps.
``I'm awesome,'' he said.
Lake Taylor's Kenny Hessler, fourth in the state at 140 a year ago, moved up one place Saturday to become the Titans' first two-time state place-winner. Hessler won four of his five matches, with the loss coming to Indian River's Keith Reynolds, 8-5, in the semifinals.
Ironically, Hessler knocked off Reynolds in last year's state tournament.
``I didn't start really wrestling the way I can until the third period (Saturday),'' said Hessler. ``By then it was too late.''
The consolation semifinals, Hessler's next round, was scheduled immediately after the semifinals, and many semifinal losers, their hopes for a state title shattered, have trouble psyching themselves up to wrestle again. But the Titans' senior regrouped quickly and won two close decisions to claim third and finish his season at 31-3.
``It's like I said before, win or lose, you've got to make it fun out there,'' Hessler said. ``You can't act like it's the end of the world just because you lose.''
Granby's William Thornton, who finished the regular season ranked first among 171-pounders by The Virginian-Pilot, split four matches and bowed out in the consolation second round. Both of the wrestlers who defeated Thornton (27-7) placed in the tournament. by CNB