Document text
Murphy steps into the limelight The Pirate senior enters today's Class 3A state meet as the No. 2 seed at 171 pounds By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Brian Murphy was a virtual unknown when he journeyed to the Class 3A state wrestling tournament last season. A No. 4 seed at the Skyline Conference tourney, Murphy fooled the form charts and won a district title. A week later he pulled another overachieving act by taking third at state. The Phoenix High standout isn't so anonymous these days. He'll carry a 31-3 record, the No. 2 state ranking and the No. 2 seed at 171 pounds when the Class 3A state meet kicks off today at Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Murphy is also one of the leaders of a Pirates team that will parade 17 grapplers to the mats in search of its second straight title. "I got a little nibble of success up there last year and now I'm hungry for a state championship," Murphy says. "I want to be on the top step of that podium Saturday night." Phoenix High wrestling coach Harry Mondale says Murphy is one of the hardest workers he's coached at the school since he took over the program 33 years ago. "Brian might not have as much athletic ability as some of the kids I've coached, but no one has ever worked harder or wrestled with a bigger heart," Mondale says. "Everytime he comes into the wrestling room he gets a little better. He's always trying something new and he's one of those kids who goes 100 percent every second he's out there." Thomas and Hendricks are first and fifth, respectively, in the Class 4A rankings at 189 and 171 pounds while Helfrich is ranked No. 1 at 171 pounds in the 3A ranks. "My individual goal is to wrestle Helfrich in the finals (of the 3A tournament) and win," Murphy says. Although Murphy doesn't have a signature move and isn't as tough on his feet as some wrestlers, he wears opponents out with his never-ending hustle and smothers them when he's in the up position. "You can take him down and score on him, but that's like pulling a tiger's tail," Mondale says. "All that does is make Brian more tenacious, and by the third round he's coming at you harder than he was in the first." Such relentlessness causes some foes to crawl off the mat in search of a breather, but Murphy will do everything in his power to pull them back. "I don't like to take breaks," he says. "I like going for six continuous minutes and may the best man win." Murphy's high school career nearly ended after his freshman year when it was discovered that he had genetically-induced hypertension. His blood pressure was measured at 150 over 110 just prior to his sophomore season, numbers that could bring on a stroke or heart attack. Medication lowered his pressure to normal levels, but he became immune to it this year and had to change prescriptions. Murphy goes in for a checkup every six weeks. "It's one of those things I'll have to keep an eye on my whole life," he says. "A lot of people in my family have it and there have been strokes in my family history. "But it's never affected how I wrestle." The condition did keep Murphy out of football for the opening week of the season. He returned for the team's second game, only to break his left arm three minutes into the contest, sidelining the offensive tackle and defensive end for the rest of the season. Such setbacks don't keep Murphy down for long, however. He was back on his feet in no time and taking aim at a state wrestling championship. Due to a blood clot in his left leg , Mondale missed the Skyline Conference district tournament last weekend and won't be accompanying the Pirates to the state tournament. But the veteran coach found his way to practice this week for a 15-minute pep talk. Although Phoenix is taking an unprecedented 17 competitors to state, the Pirates stubbed their collective toe during the semifinal round at district when eight of their wrestlers lost. "I just told them that the little dance was over and now that they're headed to the big dance they're going to have to fight, scratch, claw and spit for everything," Mondale says. "I also told them if they didn't have their heads in the right place then they were going to get embarrassed. We're the defending champions and the last thing we want to do is embarrass our school." The Pirates' top guns include their six district champions - Murphy, Anthony Broskey (103), Chris Vote (130), George Pearce (140), Ryan Staten (145), Nick Acord (160). Paul Stierle (160) and Greg Brown (189), who was second in the tourney a year ago, are also expected to battle for individual titles. Phoenix has claimed seven state championships under Mondale, not to mention seven runner-up finishes. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.