LJ wrestling: Terry McPherson Award

Long-time wrestling coach Walter Fairley Jr. (right)

with the 2023 recipient of the Terry McPherson

inspirational award, All-Eastern League and senior

Charlie Long (left).

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Charlie Long, the Vikings' 152-pounder, never makes things about himself. He is a humble, self-effacing young man who reacted to a news feature centered on him late in the 2022-2023 season as "amazing", something he could hardly imagine for himself. That, alone, is a rare reaction this sportswriter has almost never seen.

Well, standing next to him in front of the crowd at La Jolla's annual team banquet during the presentation of the Terry McPherson Award, in honor of the deceased prep who wrestled years ago, was one of the most self-effacing people around, Walter Fairley Jr., a former high school wrestler as a San Diego Caver who competed for Lincoln High, then a coach, and finally an administrator at LJHS (and many other schools, which he is adding to as we speak).

Fairley is a San Diego Sports Legend, in the local sports Hall of Fame, due to his accomplishments at all three levels. But he would never tell you that.

"I started the Terry McPherson Award" shortly after the young man passed away, said Fairley at the banquet. Fairley arrived at La Jolla High in 1996, and the award followed soon thereafter. He was delighted and honored to present Long, named to the All-Eastern League first team with four teammates with a 20-7 won-lost record in matches--many above weight, as Coach Kellen Delaney and his brain trust moved Charlie and others around to other weight divisions in a strategy to earn the Vikings more team points in league dual meets.

Long, whose brother Jack was also named All-Eastern League at 170 pounds, tied for most team pins, with 14. His season was cut short when he contracted skin lesions before the qualifying CIF meet, knocking him out of the competition. He was utterly disappointed to attend only as an observer following his stellar senior year.

The first recipient of the McPherson award was Juan Sanchez, a league champ from LJHS who still attends meets and helps coach on occasion.