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For Fauquier's Hunsberger, departure of archrival Martino is huge relief
An era ended with the conclusion of the Group AAA 112-pound state final Saturday.
And neither party involved was too broken up about it.
Battlefield senior Beau Martino and Fauquier junior Ryan Hunsberger wrestled for the last time in their high school careers in that final, with Martino winning 1-0. The victory gave Martino his second-consecutive state title and Hunsberger his second-consecutive runner-up finish. It also improved Martino’s career record against Hunsberger to an impressive 7-2 over three seasons. It didn’t leave Martino yearning for a 10th bout, though.
“It gets, almost, kind of boring because the matches are just so close and neither of us is able to score a lot of points,” Martino said. “We know the exact way the other person’s going to wrestle.”
And that’s the opinion of the wrestler who won more than 75 percent of their showdowns, so one can imagine how Hunsberger feels.
“Wrestling each other nine or 10 times does get a little old,” Hunsberger said.
Martino will move on to wrestle for Brown University next season while Hunsberger and the Fauquier Falcons will drop down to the AA level.
Saturday’s 112 final at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake unfolded like a typical Martino-Hunsberger match. Martino took the lead by earning an escape midway through the second period and then locked in a half nelson to ride out Hunsberger in the third period.
“All that pressure on you, it’s hard to stand up, switch or do anything,” Hunsberger said.
In the Northwest Region final two weeks ago, Martino made a big move in overtime to win 5-1, but a tug-of-war over escape points often ends a Hunsberger-Martino match, as it did at state...
See the Friday print edition of the Fauquier Weekend for the complete story.
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