Walter Fairley Jr. has been an assistant principal at La Jolla High, a wrestling coach there, and a zillion other things in his long, distinguished career serving in the interscholastic sports world.
He was back in his element at Lincoln High Thurs., Dec. 11, as the Viking wrestlers opened their 2025-2026 Eastern League dual meet season with the Hornets.
"I've had a few people pass," he shared as we walked from inside the school gates, to the main gym, then, finding it empty, going around the corner to the old gym where the mats were already set up. One is someone who died, and Walter had the job of informing a colleague who didn't yet know. It weighed a little on him.
Pete Salmu, the referee for the night's dual meet, asked for a photo of him with Fairley, inducted in the California Wrestling Hall of Fame for his wrestling, coaching, and service to the sport locally and in the region, to be emailed to him. "I'm the first Chaldean wrestling ref," Salmu said with a big smile as he talked and joked with Fairley, who is several inches shorter.
Walter was back at his roots, where he went (to Lincoln) to get coaching while he wrestled for the San Diego High Cavemen (in those days; now the Cavers). "I weighed 112 pounds as a freshman, and kept that weight all four years of high school," he said.
"On February 10, 1975, I had my first position teaching and coaching here. Greg Davis, a wrestler on my team, went to the state meet that first year. Coach Binky was my coach during my prep days at SDHS."
No comments:
Post a Comment