By BRADLEY A. HUEBNER
Special Correspondent

Seven years ago Hurricane Hugo hung out Tim Wash and the rest of the James Island High faculty. The soaking began Wash’s journey to Lugoff-Elgin High, which hit spin cycle in a packed gym Wednesday.

WRESTLING

L-E rallied from nine points down to dethrone three-time, defending dual-meet state champion Battery Creek.

Wash’s Demons face Seneca High in the Class AAA state championship 4 p.m. today at Seneca. It’s ironic that L-E’s fortune was precipitated by foul weather.

Six jobs were eliminated after the hurricane blew through James Island, where Wash was in his second season as coach.

Wrestling playoffs
Today’s state championship matches
CLASS AAAA
• Rock Hill at Dutch Fork, 3 p.m.
CLASS AAA
• Lugoff-Elgin at Seneca, 4 p.m.

Wash’s teaching duties were transferred to the middle school.

“I felt,” Wash said, “like it was a sign for me to look somewhere else.” Through an ex-girlfriend and her family, Wash learned of the L-E opening. Her town-sheriff father facilitated his arrival.

Since Hugo, the Demons have ravaged opponents 102 times in 127 matches. This team (26-1) set a school record for wins and eliminated Battery Creek, 30-28 Wednesday night.

Wash called it the greatest victory in school history.

For Wash to win his first state title, the Demons will have to beat Seneca again. The Demons won the Jan. 4 meeting at the Fort Mill Duals 43-17.

“They’re a lot better now,” said Wash, 34. “They’ve got a reputation for a lot of strong kids with a lot of heart. The football program was in the state final.”

Wash wants no part of second place.

Two years ago the Demons lost to Battery Creek in the final, and finished second on points in the individual format behind Belton Honea Path in 1992.

Reminding this team of the ’95 loss are four senior starters – Jeremiah Hightower at 171 pounds, state runner-up Maurice Murphy at 189, state champion and freshman Ben Connell at 215, and heavyweight state runner-up Daniel Norris – who combined for 140 wins, and just 20 losses.

Murphy will be healthy today. Last Saturday, battling a stomach virus, he finished second behind a wrestler he had beaten by technical fall.

“It’s my senior year and that ruined my weekend by coming up second,” said Murphy, state champion as a junior. “It feels good that I have another shot at a [team] state championship.”

“I’m trying to get (our wrestlers) to win so they can get that feeling,” said Wash, who won a state title in 1980 at Fort Johnson High. “If you haven’t been there, you don’t know, but they’re starting to feel it a little.”

The Demons are plenty hungry.

Norris, Terrence Frechette (130), Jeff Pearson (140), and Murphy missed state titles by one win. Bert Feltner (135) and Connell won their finals matches, or at least Feltner did. Connell was to face Seneca’s Chad Hughes, but Hughes was ejected for an argument.

Connell had beaten Hughes earlier this season, 7-2. Seneca won a second state title when Jason Jones (160) scored an angry 51-second pin. That anger may spill into Saturday.

L- E hopes the experience of ’95 will help. Former All-American Jacob Reynolds, 42-0 in ’95, attended Thursday’s practice. He, too, knows disappointment, having missed most of last season with various injuries and ailments.

The Demons can exorcise the past – including last Saturday – with a win. Seneca can erase their forgetful Saturday at the individual duals with a win this Saturday.

Only one team will know the feeling of finishing first. And only one coach will be able to pass that on to his wrestlers.