The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995              TAG: 9512130129
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER       PAGE: 27   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   89 lines

BRUINS OFF TO TOURNAMENT IN CALIF.

When he first saw the brochure about the wrestling tournament in California last summer, Western Branch coach Terry Perdew merely rolled his eyes and tossed it aside.

``I figured, no way we're going to California,'' Perdew said.

A few days later, however, Perdew looked at the brochure again, and came across the phrase ``guaranteed 10 matches in two days.''

This time, his eyes lit up.

``That got me thinking,'' said Perdew, whose driving intensity with his wrestlers has been cited as both his greatest strength and greatest weakness as a coach. ``For a lot of teams, that's like almost a whole year of wrestling in two days. That's too good to pass up.''

Just like that, Perdew was hooked. So now, four months and about $14,000 worth of fund-raising later, it's California, here the Bruins come.

The Western Branch contingent - 16 wrestlers, Perdew and assistant coach David Bowers, three managers and 10 parents - left Thursday for Oxnard, Calif., where the Bruins will compete in the 14-team Rio Mesa Invitational Friday and Saturday. The event features schools from Hawaii, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New York and Virginia.

Each team will wrestle a startling 10 dual matches - five each day, the maximum allowed for high school wrestlers - with the best records at the end of the tournament determining team and individual champions.

``We're looking forward to it because it's something new,'' said 103-pounder Matt Viola, who shocked his mother by shaving his hair into a Mohawk last weekend and has now announced plans to dye it Western Branch blue and gold for the California tournament. ``It'll be a good experience, but it'll be pretty tough, too.''

The Bruins, who in recent years have traveled to West Virginia this time of year, finished second in the state last year but have no idea how they'll match up against the styles they're likely to encounter in Oxnard.

``We don't know anything about the other teams, but we figure they'll all be pretty tough,'' said Bruins 160-pounder Cory Bauswell, who like the rest of his teammates has never been to California. ``Nobody's going to travel all that far to get whipped.''

Perdew hopes the tournament serves as a crash-course in experience and maturity for the youthful Bruins, who start seven sophomores and two freshmen. And he's confident that the match-intensive schedule won't trigger burnout later on.

``Hey, they're used to being pushed in our wrestling room,'' he said. ``I don't think that will be a problem.''

While wrestling will be the main focus, the schedule includes a full day - Sunday - for sightseeing and exposure to the West Coast culture. Oxnard is 58 miles north of Los Angeles.

``It's like Mark Twain said, `Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education,' '' Bowers said. ``We want this to be a learning experience.''

For Perdew, deciding to make the trip was the easy part. He then had to come up with the money. Complicating matters was the fact that Perdew had already approached local businesses for contributions to send four Bruins to a national tournament earlier in the year.

``I felt funny about going back out and asking again,'' Perdew said. ``But I've got to tell you, corporate America really came through.''

Commerce Bank kicked in $850, as did Vico Construction. The Hydraulic Service Company delivered $300. Another $425 came from Bill Lewis Chevrolet. Within a week, Perdew had already raised $3,000.

Various other local businesses got into the act. Even unlikely benefactors chipped in. One $200 check came from Martin Screen Printing, run by Billy Martin Jr. of the Great Bridge Martin clan.

``Anything I can do to help out,'' Martin said.

The wrestlers did their part, selling doughnuts, running a car wash and soliciting small donations from every adult they knew.

``Those five, 10 and 20 dollar contributions helped tremendously,'' Perdew said.

The final installment came from the proceeds from last weekend's Western Branch Invitational - $3,800.

``It was kind of tough having to ask people for money and all,'' Western Branch's Matt Peppers said. ``But most people are pretty giving. They understand what we're trying to do.''

Better, perhaps, than even the youthful Bruins themselves.

``To tell the truth, we really don't know what to expect,'' Peppers said. ``I guess we'll just learn as we go along.'' ILLUSTRATION: File photo by GARY C. KNAPP

Returning state runner-up Sean Sanderlin will lead Western Branch

into the Rio Mesa Invitational in Oxnard, Calif., Friday and

Saturday.

by CNB