Suhr, St. George go at it again
By Leo Roth, Democrat and Chronicle

(February 24, 1984) -Spencerport wrestler John Suhr knows Brockport's Phil St. George is waiting. St. George knows Suhr is out there.

"I really want to beat him," St. George says, "for all the times he's beaten me."

If this were All-Star wrestling, the kind you see on television, Suhr and St. George would be trading insults in front of the camera. Thankfully this is the world of high school wrestling, where respect for opponent goes far as skill and muscle.

It's the setting for tomorrow's Section 5 Super Sectional state qualifier at Brockport State College.

Suhr and St. George, roommates at last year's Empire State Games, should meet in the semifinals of the 145-pound weight class. Over the last two seasons, they've waged one of the area's best personal rivalries, with Suhr, a senior, holding a 3-1 edge over St. George, a junior.

"Every time we wrestle, we each know it's going to be close," Suhr says. "Every time, its a battle.

AND EVERY TIME the stakes have been high.

Last year, Suhr beat St. George 4-3 in the finals of the 145 pound Class A sectional tournament, then beat him 4-0 in overtime in the state qualifier.

This year, St. George bear Suhr 2-0 in Brockport's 38-12 win over Spencerport, the dual meet that is annually for County West championship.

Last week, however, Suhr once again edged St. George (6-5) for the Class A sectional crown.

Now it's time for Round 5.

It's a clash of guys who don't lose to often (Suhr, 24-2, St.George, 31-4-1). That they are from rival schools only adds to the flame. And tomorrow, only the winner advances to next weekend's state meet in Syracuse.

"Right now is when it really counts," St. George says. "He beat me last week. I have to come back and prove myself."

Suhr, whose only loss in a 30-1 season a year ago was in the state finals, is ready. He has watched a tape of his loss to St. George countless times. He's trained hard for the "young buck."

"The way he wrestles it's tough to score points on him," says Suhr who added that losing to St. George has made him more mentally tough. "I have to go out and be super aggressive and get a lead right away... If I let up a second, I'll get caught."

Suhr-St. George is a matchup of conflicting styles.

"I don't see their styles as similar," Brockport Coach Jeff Brown says. "They're both extremely competitive and both have their sights on the state tournament. So when they wrestle, they go the full six minutes. They don't take each other lightly."

St. George worries Spencerprot Coach Bill Jacoutot

"St. George's style offsets John's," he says. "Whatever he does, he does well against John. And he always seems to get up for John."

As a senior, yet alone a returning state runner-up, the pressure to win is on Suhr. He says he can't wrestle to "loose" like last year.

"Last year I had more freedom," days Suhr whose other loss this year was to Pennsylvania state champ Tom Allen of Erie Tech. "I wasn't expected to do great. I could just go out and wrestle with the pressure."