THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200269
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Every athlete loves a crowd.
The cheers and excitement are all part of the allure of sports.
Boisterous fans crowd the gymnasiums at Lakeland and Nansemond River twice a week for basketball, but only once a year do the wrestlers get to hear the screams.
Wednesday was their day.
In what is sure to become an annual event, Nansemond River and Lakeland set their dual for 1:30 p.m., during an activity period, so that everyone was available to watch.
Even though his team fell to the Warriors, 45-27, for the fifth straight time, Lakeland head coach Steve Wood enjoyed the noise.
``I loved it,'' Wood said. ``I wish we could have used (the crowd) more.''
``I think the crowd just pumped everybody up,'' Nansemond River coach Doug Dohey said. ``The crowd is just excited to see them get thrown around, I'm not sure they care who they are cheering for.''
``It's fun with the crowd,'' Nansemond River senior Jon Goodrich said. ``When they cheered, I just responded like they are cheering for me.''
Goodrich responded by forcing Ronnie Edmonds to double overtime before Edmonds prevailed in the 152-pound match.
``I spoke to Jonathan Thompson (now wrestling for Lakeland at 160 pounds) because he wrestled Goodrich last year and he told me it wasn't going to be easy,'' Edmonds said. ``I knew I had to go all out for three periods.
``I have a strong lower body which enabled me to get up and do what I wanted to do.''
The duo spent a lot of time standing because each one would find a way to escape the other one's grasp when on the mat. Edmonds made the final escape to force the second overtime, so he got to choose whether he was going to begin that period up or down.
He picked down.
``I couldn't keep him down,'' Goodrich said. ``By the second overtime, we were both pretty tired and he got to choose. When he picked down, I was like `Oh, no.' ''
It took Edmonds just a matter of seconds to earn the final point and send the Lakeland crowd into a frenzy.
Nansemond River's Ian Green shocked everyone, including Lakeland's James Temple, by extending their match into the third period before Temple could register a pin.
``He was stronger than I thought,'' Temple said. ``He took me down first. Once he took me down, I felt like I had to look for other stuff to do. I had already set up my game plan and I tried all the stuff I usually do and it didn't work.''
So Temple opted for a new game plan - try anything.
``I did something I had never ever done before,'' Temple said. ``He stood up and his leg was in between mine, so I just grabbed his leg and got a hold of him.''
Green immediately crashed to the mat and the crowd went nuts.
Temple went on to pin Green and end the match on a high note for the Cavaliers.
``They have all their strength in the heavier weights,'' Dohey said. ``We are experienced in the light and middle weights. It was what I thought it would be out there.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Nansemond River wrestler Jon Goodrich, left, ties it up with
Lakeland's Ronnie Edmonds in the 152-pound class Wednesday.
by CNB