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Gotcha!
Ben Mezer strains for a pin
against Tran
Vowe during a recent
wrestling practice.
Grimsley wrestlers grapple
with training, opposition
By Mark Robinson
Reporter
When you think of the word
wrestling, images of Dusty
Rhodes, D-D-T, “The Nature
Boy”(Rick Flair), and flying el
bows come to mind. However,
the wrestling team at Grimsley
differs greatly from wrestling
you might have seen on T. V.
This year’s team has many re
turning members. They are
Michael Harlow, Aaron Clark,
Ben Mezer, Zan Ferris,
Demetrius Gilchrist, Fred
Blakney, and Joe Guzzio. Last
year the team had a record of 5
wins and only 1 loss in the con
ference, and an overall record of
10 wins and 5 losses. Last year
Guzzio won the state champion
ship in his weight class, 1191bs.
The wrestlers are separated by
weight classes that range from
103 lbs. to over 220 lbs. One of
the hardest parts about wrestling
is making the weight cut. One
of tire ways the team does this is
by running in thick clothes,
which causes greater weight loss.
Also, members of the team have
to change their eating habits dur
ing wrestling season.
“During wrestling season, ba
sically tlie only thing I eat is air.”
Joe Guzzio said.
Tire average practice begins di
rectly after school and ends around
6:30 P.M. During practice the
team starts out by running several
miles and nimiing stairs, doing
pull-ups and sit-ups, drills, and
they conclude practice witli actu
ally wrestling against each other,
“A typical practice is hard,
vigorous, and mentally
challenging,”said Fred Blakney,
a sophomore.
Before a match members of
the wresting team do various
things to get ready. “I warm-up
and think about beating the op
ponent,” said Guzzio.
Wrestling matches pit indi
viduals against other individuals,
but wrestling is still a team sport.
Unlike the wrestling you may
have seen on television, there is
no tag team wrestling and Royal
Rumbles in high school wres
tling. However, the goal in both
forms of wrestling is to pin
theopponent. There are many
different reasons why the wres
tlers wrestle. Some wrestle to
stay in shape while others wrestle
for tlie love of the sport.
"Tlie best part about wrestling
is setting goals, sticking to tliem,
and winning matches,” said
Blakney.
Disc golf:
sport of the future
or waste of time?
By Simon Newman
Staff Writer
A major question that has
pondered the brains of even the
greatest minds that Grimsley has
to offer is: What in the world is
disc golf,?
Maj'be this article can help
them to figure it out. This sport
shows the adapting and rapidly
changing ways of the modem so
ciety by it altering a sport which
has been termed passive into an
aggressive event. The sport was
first created at the University of
California at Berkeley, tlie home
of the first disc-golf course.
The sport is played exactly
like the game of golf with just a
few modifications. Disc golf
courses are shorter than normal
golf courses. The distance for a
hole is usually no greater than
600 feet. Its players play 18
holes. Just as in golf. Disc golf
courses usually have par 3 on all
of their holes.One of the more
notable changes is the use of
poles that are 5 feet high instead
of a small hole. On top of the
poles are baskets with a 3-foot
radius. Above those are loose
chains used as force absorbers.
When the disc hits them, they fall
into the basket. Some courses
even have tone sounders on the
poles (so that telling when the
player gets the disc into the bas
ket is easy).
Another different feature that
this “new-age” golf has from
normal golf is the use of discs
instead of clubs. The discs are
smaller and heavier than normal
frisbees. Thus, they do not fly
as far as a golf ball can be hit.
Instead, the discs rely on
straightness and stability. There
are a variety of discs, just like
there are many kinds of golf
clubs. There are putters, drivers,
mid
rangers, and long-rangers. The
putter is thicker and stronger than
the others for accuracy while tire
driver is tliimier and stiffer so that
it can fly ftuther. There are many
types of shots and hooks. Mark
Gordon, a sophomore compare
disc golf to regular golf witli “It’s
about the same but ingolf you
have to leam how to swing a club
but in frisbee golf you have to
leam to throw a frisbee really
well”.
The only negative aspect of
disc golf is that it comes with a
lofty price tag. Discs cost be
tween $6-$8, depending on the
store where they are purchased.
Unlike regular golf, there are
public disc golf courses which
allow people to play the sport for
free.
The courses are very similar
to normal golf courses (except
disc-golf courses apply more ob
stacles to increase the difficulty
of the sport). Some obstacles
used are dense woods and thick
bmsh. Even on the cut out fair
way some lundrances can be
found.
Disc golf has become the es
teemed pastime of many people
on over 600 disc golf courses in
the U.S.. Disc golf tournaments
provide competition for singles
or doubles. A professional tour
for disc golfer is composed of
members of the P.D.G.A., an or
ganization very comparable to
the P. G. A.. The top player on the
tour is Stan Kaminsky. There is
even a senior’s tour of the disc
Whirlie athletes try to
take out the trash
By Sarah Atkinson
Reporter
“It’s not a sport if you don’t talk
trash,” said Darius Armstrong, a
junior. Most students follow this
philosophy, but some do not direct
their insults toward the opposing
team.
Brad Jones, a freshman, says he
talks trash to his own team on the
basketball court, “ft helps our team
realize our mistakes,” said Jones.
Even though he enjoys provok
ing other players during a soccer
game, Danny Benjamin said, “I do
it more in practice than in games. ”
However, the majority of stu
dent-athletes take more pleasure
out of “cracking” on their oppo
nents than their teammates.
Sharrie Martin, a sophomore,
tells the players on the opposite
side of the volleyball net that they
have “spaghetti arms.” Martin
said, “I talk trash to try to pump
myself up.”
Joe O’Neil, a freshman baseball
player, said, “I try to get on the
other team’s nerves and psych
them out. I’m the catcher so I have
to know how to do these things.
It’s an unwritten rule.”
For those of you who may be
wondering exactly what “trash
talk” is, here are a few favorite
lines muttered on the court:
“GET UP!”
“Go to the wizards and get
some skills!”
“Get on the bus, because I’m
taking you to school!
These poetic lines may soimd
like the perfect way to get your
opponents frustrated, but tl\ere are
consequences to talking trash in
any game.
“Some guys will start to hack
at your legs because diey get mad,”
said Benjamin.
You also have to watch out for
those lines which are not quite as
clean as those mentioned above.
Referees do not tolerate dirty
words.
Anna Straughan, a sophomore
soccer player, got a yellow card (a
warning) for using profanity. Jen
nifer Robinson, a freshman, was
less fortunate.
“I got kicked out of a basket
ball game for cussing,” said
Robinson.
O’Neil made it clear that he is
confident with his ability to talk,
saying, “When you’re good, you
don’t get caught.”
Another person you may find
getting on your case for a dirty
mouth is your coach.
Men’s basketball coach Bill
Walton tells his players, “Let yom
play speak for itself.” He said that
if the team suffered a technical foul
because of words exchanged, he
would suspend the player in
volved. “If he can’t comply with
the rules, he is off the team,” said
Coach Walton.
Collegiate basketball referee
and assistant principal Bill Whites
has had first-hand experience with
some of the best trash talkers in the
business. There is no question in
Mr. Whites’ mind as to when to
blow his whistle. “Zero tolerance,”
said Mr. Whites. “If a player says
the magic words, he gets the ‘T’
(technical foul).” It was only three
years ago that the NCAA rules
commissioner took out all judge
ment by the referees where trash
talk was concerned. Players today
are very aware of tliis regulation.
“After tlie tliird year of being strict,
there are not a lot of problems,”
said Mr. Whites.
Jirule Allali, a junior, repre
sents those who see trash talking
as a waste of energy. “If you talk
trash and you lose, you’re going
to feel stupid,” said Aliali.
The general consensus among
Grimsley student-aUiletes seems to
be, “talk trash and don’t get
caught.” Referees have their ears
open wide for every comment
made, especially in high school
sports. So if you are one of those
athletes who insists on harassing
the otlier players, you better do so
very, very quietly.
golf circuit. The nearest disc golf
course to Grimsley is in
Burlington. It is a public course
and does not require a fee.Disc
golf can also give its players
good exercise. Gordon says
“You get more exercise playing
disc golf because you walk the
course instead of using carts.
Disc golf is no joke. It is an
interesting and fun way of getting
exercise while having a good time.
Like golf, it relies a lot on skill.
Gordon also feels “ft takes a lot of
skill so it boosts your ego by let
ting you know that its you that is
really good”. Disc golf is forthose
people who enjoy either playing
golf or throw a frisbee and are
looking for a change in the game.
Basketball Update
The Grimsley men's basketball team opened the
regular season with adefeat at the hands of Greens
boro Day School. However, the Whirlies have re
bounded with victories over Reidsville and Southeast
Guilford and are currently 2-2. Leading the Whirlies
are Lamount Michael {15 points per game), Chad
Wright (n ppg), and Walker Holt (10 ppg). Grimsley
will host Northeast Guilford on December 12, visit
High Point Andrews on December 15, and will par
ticipate in the Little Four Tournament at the Greens
boro Coliseum December 26-28.
-Antonio Graham