Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 3, 1994                   TAG: 9403030074
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON                                LENGTH: Long

VMI'S BRANCH DOESN'T BREAK DURING TOUGH TIMES

It's no secret that a cadet's first year at VMI is tough. It was no different in 1991, when Charley Branch came to the institute from Petersburg as a highly touted wrestler.

The burdens and pressures of being a rat (that's freshman in VMI lingo) took their toll on Branch. By his second day on the post, Branch was convinced he had made the wrong decision and considered leaving. He was living his worst nightmare.

But on the wrestling mat, Branch's season progressed like a dream. By the beginning of March he had a 25-10-1 record, a Southern Conference title and was preparing for a trip to Oklahoma to compete in the NCAA Tournament at 134 pounds. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

Branch had competed at 142 pounds until the conference tournament, when coach John Trudgeon decided the Keydets would have a better shot at the team title if Branch dropped a weight class.

Branch won the 134-pound title and advanced to the national tournament, although the Keydets fell short in their bid for the title. Unfortunately for Branch, VMI's class schedule didn't correspond with his workout schedule.

VMI was on spring break the week before nationals, so Branch returned to Petersburg to work out with his high school coach. When Branch met up with Trudgeon five days before weigh-in for the tournament, he was 153 pounds - 19 pounds over the limit.

But VMI - and the rat line - had taught Branch a great deal already about perseverance, determination and desire. He wasn't being groomed to quit. He would lose the weight.

But when Branch stepped on the official scale five days later, he confronted what wrestlers fear most: He was 134.4 pounds, less than half a pound over. He would not compete for a national title.

"He was over, there's a time limit and rules are rules," said Trudgeon, now in his ninth season as coach of the Keydets. "He wasn't the only one that was over. I think there were three or four who didn't make weight that year. It was the only time Charley didn't make weight, but to his credit, he never let up. He gave it his all.

"That's something that Charley would like to forget, I'm sure. But you have to remember, he wrestled at 142 all year. In the sport of wrestling, you have to make a heck of a lot of sacrifices. Charley went beyond that because we thought we had a chance to win the conference championship."

Branch thought about reverting to Plan A.

"Things were going so bad, as far as being a rat and all, the first thing I wanted to do was transfer out of here," Branch said. "I didn't want to come back to school. . . . That was definitely one of the hardest days of my life."

Lessons well-learned

Instead of leaving, Branch opted to apply some of the lessons the institute had taught him. He returned to have an outstanding sophomore season, capped by another trip to the NCAA Tournament (this time at 142 pounds).

Branch advanced to the quarterfinal round, where he was beaten 12-7 by eventual champion Lincoln McIlraney of national powerhouse Iowa. Branch wrestled in the consolation round and came up one victory short of All-America status.

"I think [not competing in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman] hurt me last year because I wasn't able to experience the pressures of being out there. That was my biggest fault last year," Branch said. "That's not my excuse for not being All-America, but it definitely hurt."

Now midway through his junior season, Branch is 28-2 with nine pins and is ranked fifth in the nation among 142-pounders by Amateur Wrestling News - the highest ranking ever for a VMI wrestler. His collegiate record is 84-18-1, putting him in striking distance of joining Ben Walker as the only wrestlers in the institute's history to reach 100 victories.

"People look at the season and say it's going real well," Branch said. "In a way it is and in a way it isn't.

"I think mentally this has been my toughest year as far as wrestling is concerned. I've had a couple of injuries that have been nagging me. Record-wise, everything is pretty good. The two matches I lost were close, but I always feel like I can do better than what I'm doing."

Branch has lingering problems with his right knee and hip and has sustained damage to the soft tissue of his kidneys. The injuries have not kept him out of competition, but Branch has missed some practice time, which adds fuel to his competitive fire.

"I always feel like I'm being short-changed because of an injury," he said. "I feel like I'm getting behind while the other guy is getting ahead. That's a struggle for me, mentally."

Accepting responsibility

Being alone on the mat is one of the aspects Branch finds most appealing about the sport he has been participating in since the seventh grade. He was a Group AAA state champion his junior year and senior years, going 31-0 as a senior. He finished his high school career with a record of 100-6.

"I like being out there alone," he said. "You can't say, `Well, he didn't throw the pass at me,' or, `He missed the shot.' [Wrestling] is all because of you. It teaches you to point the finger at yourself, accept responsibilities for your actions, what you've done wrong."

But Trudgeon said Branch rarely makes mistakes on the mat. Wrestling, he said, breeds dedication, perseverance and humility.

"His strength is his determination, besides the fact that I think he's tougher mentally," Trudgeon said. "He's very balanced. He's got all the tools. There's not a position out there that I think Charley finds himself in where he doesn't look comfortable."

But what Branch has learned in the barracks and classrooms of VMI means more to him than his accomplishments on the wrestling mat. He has made the sacrifices the institute demands and is confident he'll be rewarded after his days there are over.

"Coming here taught me a lot of things," he said. "I've grown up a lot, and all the negative experiences I've had I've learned to turn around and make positive situations out of them.

"It's constant day-to-day struggles. . . . I came from a high school and an area that is completely opposite of VMI. Petersburg is 99 percent black. VMI is about 100 percent white. So I had to deal with some culture shock, hanging around certain people, learning about different people and interacting with different people. It wasn't much of a problem, but you have your ignorant people on both sides of the fence.

"But I didn't want to get the feeling that I was beaten out by VMI. I thought, `I'm going to beat this place, no matter what they throw at me.' "

Branch is Air Force ROTC and an English major. He hasn't decided if he'll accept a commission after graduation and has kicked around the idea of coaching. For now, he'll concentrate on finishing the season strong, winning the Southern Conference title this weekend and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. This year, he feels he'll have an edge.

"Last year taught me a lot. From time to time, I would doubt whether or not I could compete at that level. I used to use VMI as an excuse by VMI not being a big-time wrestling school, maybe not having all the facilities of other schools or not meeting up with the competition on a regular basis. I thought that was an excuse, so if I did make it to that level and didn't compete well, that would be the reason why. But last year taught me that there are no excuses. It's all about what you want."