As seen in Daily Press - january 15, 2017
HAMPTON – He is known simply and respectfully as “Coach Shu.” For 44 years, Apprentice wrestling coach Bruce Shumaker has made an indelible mark on local wrestling, first as a head coach at Denbigh in 1973-74, and later through a career path which wound through stops at Natural Bridge, Mathews and Lafayette high schools, with a year squeezed in at VMI, before settling in Newport News with his current position in 2007.
On Friday night, Shumaker, who will be retiring after this season, made his last coaching trip to the Virginia Duals. His Builder team had a rocky start in the American College Division, losing to favored Kutztown State 39-6 in their opening match. They battled hard against Liberty University, a Division I team, in the first consolation match before dropping a 24-18 decision.
But the Builders gave their coach a proper Duals sendoff, defeating Central Florida 39-13 in the 7th place match.
For most of the Central Florida match, Shumaker was in typical form. Seated in the fifth chair, Coach “Shu,” an unmistakable presence, with his bald head and bushy white handlebar moustache, stared downward toward his roster notes, which were balanced on a left leg that crossed over his right. With the team score tied at nine, and Bryson Woody deadlocked in his 157-lb. bout, he remained relatively motionless and suspended in deep thought, even as Woody, and then Chad Simmons (165) and Patrick Foxworth (174) won their bouts to open up a comfortable lead.
As a pair of Knight forfeits sealed the match for Apprentice, Shumaker finally broke his pose, rolling the roster into his hand which was quickly buried under a crossed arm. As the match ended, Shumaker reminded his wrestlers to “shake their hands,” and then went back to the corner of the mat to continue a conversation that had started before the final bout.
Former wrestler?
“No, that was Frank Lapoli (former Bethel coach). He was at Bethel when I was coaching at Denbigh. Back in the 70’s, Peninsula wrestling was something else. We had Bethel (1977, AAA), Tabb (1977, AA), Poquoson (1979-81, AA), and Menchville (1976, AAA), winning state championships.”
Lapoli was followed by a trio of grown men who wanted a picture with Shumaker. One of the men was Williamsburg attorney Tom Turbeville.
Former wrestler?
“No. I wrestled for Bethel when he was coaching at Denbigh.” Turbeville (Class of 1978) went on to describe the summer sessions which were overseen by Shumaker in the late 70’s. “He’s a great man and a great coach who has given a lot to wrestling and to a lot of young men,” a group that included Turbeville’s son at Lafayette.
Shumaker smiled while recalling the summer sessions.
“We had an open wrestling room at Denbigh during the summer. It was an All-Star group of guys – whoever showed up. They came from Menchville, Tabb, Ferguson. We’d instruct a little bit, but it was round-robin. We had a great time.”
It’s the family aspect of wrestling that Shumaker continued to reference while talking about his Duals coaching career.
“All of these people are connected. Nobody’s doing this for the big crowd. You have to be selfish to be a wrestler. That’s why people come back here. It’s where all the wrestlers go.”
As far as his own top Duals memories, the first involved his team, but took place before they had set foot on a Coliseum mat. “I have so much respect for this place. I remember the first year I brought Mathews. We had been invited (in the past), but I just wasn’t sure that we were good enough to be here.” Only Shumaker’s last four Mathews teams (of nine) competed at the Duals.
He was happy the first year that his team did compete. “I got to watch Iowa and Penn State wrestle against each other on Friday night. And then on Saturday, they had to wrestle again in a third-place match. That’s a wrestler’s dream.”
The second memory involved his current team. “My first year here (2008), we tied Millersville, which was a Division I school at the time. But we had more pins, which was the criteria (for tie-breakers), so we won.”
The season is not over for Shumaker. He is “really optimistic” about his current squad. “We have never had so much depth (27 wrestlers), or this much skill.” Upcoming events include the USCAA National Wrestling Invitational at Penn State. Shumaker hopes to recapture some past success at the USCAA tournament.
“We won it the first five years, but haven’t won since.” His final match will take place on March 9-11 at the NCWA (National Collegiate Wrestling Association) Nationals.
Shumaker promises to return to the Coliseum next year, even if it’s as a spectator.
“It’s where you want to be if you’re in wrestling – first class.”
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