Science Hill High School

Brian Pardue

Brian Pardue 1989

Brian Pardue could pin you quick or take you deep.

Pardue won a state wrestling title for the Hilltoppers his senior year and helped Bob Dempsey's baseball team to a 31-7 record.

One of Pardue's favorite baseball memories was catching Chris Berg's perfect game during the 'Toppers' 1-0 defeat of Sullivan Central in a district semifinal. Pardue also scored the run.

"Most catchers don't even get an opportunity to catch a perfect game,"

Pardue said. "Chris was dealing. He threw 56 pitches."

Pardue hit an extra-inning home run off of Morristown East's Richie Conway to aid a victory in the opening round of the regional. Conway had led Morristown to a Little League World Series.

"He was a good player," Pardue said, "a fiery, emotional guy who'd pump his fist after strikeouts."

Pardue doesn't recall if he pumped his fist after hitting the home run.

"All I remember is being absolutely mobbed when my feet hit home plate," he said. Pardue was quick to credit Barry Tolley and John Felty for his wrestling success. Felty succeeded Tolley at the beginning of Pardue's junior season.

"Coach Felty was a football coach who probably didn't know a thing about wrestling," Pardue said. "But he's the type of man who puts blinders on and tackles whatever's in front of him 100 percent. He learned everything he could about wrestling and he made you work hard and challenged you.

"My senior year, we had three guys go to the state, which was probably (unprecedented for Science Hill). Tim Delaney made the finals and Garst Reece, I think, made the semis. Tim had a back injury and lost to a guy from Bradley Central (Chris Scroggins) by two or three points who he'd beaten earlier in the season."

Pardue watched every ounce of his weight, all the way down to the chewing gum and spitting routine, and gave up a lot of luxuries to wrestle at the level he did.

"You're watching your diet and working all the time," he said. "And you're really giving up a lot of your nights in high school just because you are so tired. But it is something when you are on that mat at the state tournament and they raise your arm. It's the culmination of so much sacrifice and all of the effort."

Pardue was an Academic All-American in baseball at Radford in '94. He was the Ivy League Freshman of the Year and All-Ivy League in wrestling at Columbia in 1990.