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Ascending the Ladder

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Springstead High’s Kenny Cox dominated Crystal River’s Robert Brass, 13-5, to earn a gold medal at 215 pounds during the Kiwanis Invitational Wrestling Tournament finals Saturday night in Brooksville.

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: December 15, 2008

F.W. Springstead junior Kenny Cox does not come across as an imposing 215-pound wrestler.
Cox, 16, will never be thought of in the same vane as a gifted physical specimen, like Hernando High's Taylor Rotunda of a year ago.
Cox's triceps and biceps aren't in the same league. Cox comes across as an average young man. He's not built like a gladiator. Yet, does that matter?
You see, the second-year Eagle grappler is beginning to emerge for fifth-year Head Coach Eric Swensen.
On Saturday night, 13 Eagles enabled SHS to hoist the Kiwanis Invitational Wrestling Tournament championship trophy as nine placed.
Three Eagles were adorned with gold medals late Saturday night at the Michael A. Imhoff Gymnasium.
Yet only one - Cox - was singled out by his coach. He finished 4-0 overall with three pins.
"Individually, I was only satisfied with one guy, Kenny Cox," matter-of-factly stated Swensen. "He's our tourney MVP (Most Valuable Player). He scored points and dominated a match like you're supposed to. I'm not taking away anything from (other gold medalists) Cody (Ross) or Richie (Bliss), but Kenny dominated. The other two know they can wrestle a little better."

Cox 101

Cox, who was seeded first, opened the two-day meet by registering the first of three pins over Gulf's Chris Palasky in 86 seconds.
Next, Cox folded Mitchell's Ryan Brosnan in 3:56 before mangling Sunlake's Chris Wittington in 5:28.
In the finals, Cox faced unseeded Robert Brass from Crystal River.
Cox wasted little time erecting an early 4-1 first-period lead. He extended the cushion to 9-3 after four minutes before settling on a 13-5 major decision.
The win over Brass improved Cox's won-lost record to 10-2 overall, featuring seven pins.
More importantly, it marked the second time in three weeks Cox garnered gold. His first gold medal arrived at the Ocala-Forest Invitational.
All this for a grappler who did not finish the 2007-08 campaign. Despite piling up a rookie 20-16 slate, Cox collected a staph infection late in the season and was forced out of the state series.
Hungry would be an understatement for Cox coming into this winter.
But while eight of his teammates lost in Saturday's finals, Cox continued to press on.
"The guys didn't wrestle as well as they could have," described Cox. "They just didn't pull it out like we have in the past."
Why the success?
"I know I didn't want to get embarrassed out there," Cox recalled. "The kid (Brass) had one move - a head and arm - so I stayed away from it and did my thing."
Is Cox satisfied at capturing 10-of-12 matches so far this winter?
"I think we work the hardest of anybody in the state," Cox said. "I believe in our coaches and what they say. Brandon has the (state) titles, but in my heart we work the hardest. The big thing for me is to listen to my coaches."

By the Numbers: Kenny Cox
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

YR W L PINS
2007-08 20 16 10
2008-09 10 2 7
TOTALS 30 18 17

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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