Jan. 10.1989 The News Argus PAGET
Sports
WSSU's first All-American freshman
Willie Mouzon says
to put God First
By William Carter
Willie Mouzon, a sophomore at Winston-
Salem State University, was bom in Fayetteville
to Willie and Betty Mouzon. Little did his par
ents know that they had given birth to what was
to become an All-American wrestler.
As a youngster, Willie was always very
active in sports. He attended Fayetteville Seven
ty-First High School, where he was on the foot
ball, track and wrestling teams. Willie helped
the football team win the NCHSAA Metro-4A
Championship. He played outside linebacker and
was considered by the opposing team to be a
major nuisance because of his great performance
and ability.
The 5-7 stocky All-American gives his
mother credit for his getting involved in
wrestling.
"It was because of my size while young that
my mother didn't allow me to play football and
suggested that I try wrestling," said Mouzon. As
a result of his mother's advice, Willie went from a
mere participant in his sophomore year to a 23-5
respected junior wrestler.
In his senior year he achieved what every
high school wrestler dreams of - a perfect unde
feated season of 30-0. Better yet, he won the
NCHSAA Metro-4A State Championship in the
148-pound weight class.
Willie's secret to success is his awesome
ability to use the high crotch series of wrestling
moves, which he has mastered.
"Once I get your legs, get ready to go air
borne, or get ready to be taken down," said the
All-American.
Mouzon's lower body is tremendously pow
erful. Because he has massive tree-trunk legs and
a 500-pound squat, it is easy to see why few can
say that they have taken him down.
Willie was scouted by many different
wreslUng coaches after winning the state champi
onship title. He chose WSSU because some of
his old school friends were doing very well with
the wrestling program here and received lots of
news attention, he said. He was impressed by the
Ram's wrestling coach, Mel Fair, who wanted
^WUie badly but was more interested in Willie's
academic future first.
"Every other coach talked about how I could
m
Wlllle Mouzon's mother suggested he try wrestling.
help the program and how the program could help
me. However. Coach Fair cared more about me
graduating in four years and geUing my degree,"
said Mouzon, a physical education major.
"Wrestling for college and wrestling for
high school is like seeing day and night change.
In high school, you might wrestle a fish or learn
one particular move to use on a guy to put them
away early, but in college, when you see a person
step on the mat, he knows how to wrestle.
Strength is not the major factor in college as it
was more or less in high school."
"Sometimes in high school, you really didn't
have to know how to wrestle if you were very
strong and could win a match, but you try being
Mr. Muscle with no technique in college, and you
will see yourself on film getting hit with a lateral
or landing on your neck and back at the same
lime for five points so fast, you won't believe iL"
Willie's over-all record his freshman year in
college was 16-8. Seven of the eight losses were
only by one point, and the other, by two.
Willie admits that he was very nervous as he
took the mat for the first lime ever in the Division
n National Finals in Omaha, Neb., which was the
biggest tournament that he had ever participated in.
Getting there was the reward for winning the ClAA
Championship in the 158-pound weight class.
After losing his first match of the tourna
ment, Willie said, "I asked myself several ques
tions, like what was I doing here, what was this
freshman doing competing against national cham
pions and other top wrestlers in the country?"
After regaining his composure and confi
dence, he said to himself, "111 give it all 1 got, no
matter what it takes."
Willie then went on to win three straight
matches, soundly defeating the No. 6, 8 and 4
nationally ranked competitors, before bowing
down gracefully to the No. 2 seed wrestler in the
last 30 seconds of the quaiter-fmals match.
To give you an idea of how hard the compe
tition was, there were well over 300 competitors,
and Willie fmished the tournament ranking No. 8
in the nation, giving him All-American honors.
Willie will also go down in history as Win
ston-Salem State University's very first student lo
receive All-American honors as a freshman.
Now considered a major threat in college
wrestling, the heal is on Willie.
If at any time he is defeated by anyone less
than a nationally ranked competitor, then it will
be considered a major upset in wrestling.
"I want to place in the top three in my
upcoming year and by my junior year I want lo
win the Division II Nationals. I also want to be
the first four-time All-American at WSSU," said
Mouzon.
WUlic advises every athlete in school lo pui
God first, school work second, then whatever your
sport is last. "If you do it like that, then you will
always win lop honors."
With his priorities together, hard work in
practice, help from the other guys and under the
leadership of Coach Fair (who is a graduate of
N.C. A&T, a three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic
Conference champion, captain of ihe wrestling
squad for four years straight, two-time All-Amer-
ican and a former 1976 Olympic competitor),
Willie's goals and other dreams just might come
true.
1988-89 RAMS BASKETBALL
SITE
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Norfolk
TBA
Springtleld, MA
Athletic Director: C. E. Gaines Tel.: 750-2582
Head Coach: C. E. Gaines Asst. Coach: Tim Grant
DATE
OPPONENT
Nov.
25
Thanksgiving Classic
26
Thanksgiving Classic
30
St. Paul's
Dec.
6
N.C. A&T
10
Norfolk
15
Virginia Union
Jan.
7
Elizabeth City
10
St. Augustine's
14
UDC
16
Fayetteville
19
St. Augustine's
21
N. C. Central
24
Livingstone
2b
Virginia State
28
J. C. Smith
?9
Fayetteville
UDC
Feb.
2
4
Hampton
H
Paine
8
N. C. A&T
11
J. C. Smith
13
Livingstone
15
Shaw
17
N C. Central
2?-?5
ClAA Tournament
Mar.
17-18
NCAA
23-25
NCAA
DATE
Nov.
Dec.
Jan
1988-89 “LADY RAMS" BASKETBALL
OPPONENT
18 Bennett College
25 Bowie State
30 St Paul's
3 N.C A&T
5 Bennett College
6 Shaw
10 Norfolk
15 Virginia Union
7 Elizabeth City State
10 St Augustine's
14 UDC
16 Fayetteville State
19 St. Augustine's
21 NCCU
24 Livingstone
26 Virginia State
28 J. C. Smith
29 Fayetteville State
Feb 1 U 0 C
4 Hampton
6 Paine
8 N C. AST
11 J.C. Smith
13 Livingstone
15 Shaw
17 NCCU
22-25 ClAA Tournament
Head Coach: Stenson Conley
Manager: John Haynes
SITE
TIME
A
7:00
H
5:00
A
6:00
A
5:30
H
7:00
H
6:00
H
6:00
H
6:00
A
6:00
H
6:00
A
6:00
H
6:00
A
6:00
A
6:00
A
6:00
H
6:00
A
6:00
A
5:00
H
6:00
A
6:00
A
6:00
H
6:00
H
6:00
H
6:00
A
6:00
H
6:00
Norfolk TBA
DATE
Nov. 4-5
Nov. 4-5
Nov. 11-12
Nov. 19
Dec. 3
Dec. 6
Dec. 8
Dec. 10
Jan. 10
Jan. 12
Jan. 13
Jan. 14
Jan. 17
Jan. 24
Jan 27-28
Jan. 31
Feb. 1
Feb. 4
Feb. 7
Feb. 9
Feb. 18
Mar. 5-6
WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY
1988-89 WRESTLING SCHEDULE
OPPONENT SITE
WSSU Classic
TBA Eastern National
Pembroke Classic
Livingstone Classic
ClAA Duals
UNC-Chapel Hill
Appalachian
N.C. State
Appalachian
Carson Newman
Litjerty
Citadel
(Tri) Wilkes CommJ
Elizabeth City
Campbell
Mid-South (Carson Newman)
Livingstone
Davidson
Gardner Webb
Pembroke Slate
Carson Newn^an
ClAA
TBA
HOME
Norfolk, Va.
Pembroke, N.C.
Salist>ury. N.C.
TBA
HOME
Boone, N.C.
Raleigh, N.C.
HOME
HOME
Lynchburg, Va.
Charleston, B.C.
HOME
HOME
Jefferson City, Terwi.
Salisbury, N.C.
HOME
Boiling Springs, N.C.
Pembfoke, N.C.
Jefferson City, Tenn.
Salisbury, N.C.
NCAA Diviston II
Natk>nals