SVHS duo pushes each other toward success
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers WILL TO WIN- Simi Valley wrestling coach Guy Greene said seniors Mikey Murphy, left, and Matt Bruno are the hardest working young men he's seen in 29 years at the high school.

Some wrestlers say a typical practice session is so grueling that it's actually more difficult than Hell Week in football. For Simi Valley High senior grapplers Mikey Murphy and Matt Bruno, that's still not enough.

Thanks to a strong work ethic, the two wrestlers have dominated their weight classes in the Marmonte League and both will be heading to the CIF Individual Finals next weekend.

"I have coached at Simi for 29 years and I've never, ever seen two people with a better work ethic than Matt and Mikey," head coach Guy Greene said. "They're hard workers . . . They always want to wrestle extra hours and not leave anything to chance in their matches."

The extra work has paid off, with Bruno posting a record this season of 26-1, while Murphy has a 42-7 record. The 42 wins put Murphy's career total at Simi at 111, second all-time in school history. The record is 135.

Both wrestlers were named league MVPs for their respective divisions- Murphy in the 135pound weight class and Bruno in the 160-pound division. Although they both have seen enormous success, the two wrestlers admit they wouldn't have had as many victories without each other's help.

"Matt is really good at pushing me," Murphy said. "He's the one person on the team I struggle with because he's a little bigger than me. He helps prepare me for the tougher matches in league."

According to Bruno and Murphy, the coaches- Greene, Craig Troxler and Murphy's father, Mike- have been a great asset.

Both Murphy and Bruno stopped playing other sports to wrestle full time for SVHS. Murphy gave up football after his sophomore year, while Bruno ended his baseball career following his freshman season.

"If I'm not one of the best at doing something, then it's not for me," Murphy said. "I would rather be a great wrestler than just an average football player."

Bruno's switch from the baseball diamond to the wrestling mat was a little tougher, as he had no previous wrestling experience before his sophomore year.

"I just kind of got burned out playing baseball," Bruno said. "I still wanted to compete in a sport, but I didn't know which one to compete in. A friend of mine a grade lower said I should try wrestling.

"At first I felt totally lost. I didn't know how to score or do any moves. That's when I knew I would have to put in a lot of extra work."

Soon after their sophomore years, Bruno and Murphy started the intense workouts, going for at least two hours of extra practice at least two days a week.

"I started late so I had to catch up with my learning of the sport," Bruno said. "Some people would get burned out easily with our workouts, but I just like learning. I figured if I kept working, then I would get better than a lot of wrestlers who were slacking off and not practicing as much."

Greene said he hardly ever sees wrestlers become as good as Bruno and Murphy have become in such a short period of time.

"Most wrestlers in the area, like (Kevin) Dunn over at Royal, have wrestled since they were around 8," Greene said. "These two didn't pick up the sport until later in life and have become good so fast because of their demanding work ethic. They like to challenge themselves.

"Sometimes in a work ethic, you will have wrestlers find a challenging part of their learning and they will run away from it and hope it never comes up in a match. Not them though. They don't leave anything to chance," Greene said.

Coach Murphy said they are two of the humblest people you'll ever meet and are not ones to start a fight off the mat.

"There was one time over the summer where these other kids wanted to start a fight with them," the older Murphy said.

"Matt and Mike could have easily won, but it took a lot to hold it in and let it go. They're both very humble and, win, lose or draw, always keep the same face. They don't get too excited if they win because they know that no matter what, somewhere there is someone working just as hard as they are."