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Look out below!

By MARTY MILLER, Hernando Today correspondent

Published: December 20, 2007

SPRING HILL - In the 131-year history of major league baseball, there have been just 17 perfect games. The last time it happened was in 2004 when southpaw Randy Johnson threw a 2-0 perfect game against the Atlanta Braves.

Then last Wednesday night the Springstead Eagles mat team did something like that as they throttled visiting Land O' Lakes in a dual meet, 84-0.

The win improved the Eagles record to 2-0 on the year and set a school and Hernando County record for the largest margin of victory.

The previous record came three years ago when Springstead beat Nature Coast Technical 81 to minus-2.

Along with getting six wins because of forfeits, the Eagles also got eight pins in the remaining matches for the perfect score.

"It's nice when a team wrestles right," said fourth-year Springstead Head Coach Eric Swensen. "Overall, it's satisfying watching your team wrestle so well."

It mattered little that Eagle state champion Schuyler Swanton sat this one out with a clavicle injury.

The Eagle veterans C. J. Cook, Steven Bliss, Thad Klenovich and Carlos Ramirez all earned pins against the Gators, but Springstead also had some of its young grapplers perform well.

At 135 pounds, Sean Landgraff pinned the Gators Brendan O'Grady in 39 seconds while Tommy Ellerbee (145 pounds), Richie Bliss (112), and Ken Cox at 215 all earned pins.

The four of them began the season on the junior varsity and all won at the Combs JV Tournament earlier in the year.

But according to Swensen, those youngsters have a benefit his older wrestlers didn't have when they were younger.

"When guys like Skylar Huff, Cook, Bliss and Swanton were freshmen, we were a new team," recalled Swensen. "The coach was leaving, I was coming in and they didn't have anyone to tell them, 'Look, this is how it's done.'

"Now at least for one year, all of our young guys have someone to show them how it's done."

The best example of that came in the 112-pound bout between Richie Bliss, brother of 130-pound wrestler Steven Bliss, and Land O' Lakes' Justin McKay.

Bliss, who won the 103-pound weight class at the Combs JV tournament this year, pinned McKay at 2:57 and had at least six teammates yelling instructions to him the whole time. "They wanted him to pin, yes they did," said Swensen with a smile.
SPRINGSTEAD 84, LAND O' LAKES 0

103 - Dustin Soto (SPG) won by forfeit.

112 - Richie Bliss (SPG) pin Justin McKay, 2:57.

119 - Skylar Huff (SPG) won by forfeit.

125 - C. J. Cook (SPG) pin Brendan Stack, 1:14.

130 - Steve Bliss (SPG) pin Brian Scalise, 3:20.

135 - Sean Landgraff (SPG) pin Brendan O'Grady, 0:39.

140 - Sean Hughes (SPG) won by forfeit.

145 - Tommy Ellerbee (SPG) pin Chris Trenchik, 1:45.

152 - Chris Francher (SPG) won by forfeit.

160 - Thad Klenovich (SPG) pin T. J. Chamberlain, 0:51.

171 - Scott Wern (SPG) won by forfeit.

189 - Cesar Acosta (SPG) won by forfeit.