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Hernando Today
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Area Teams Fan Out
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Published: January 22, 2009
With three of the county's mat programs taking next week off to prepare for the rigors of the state series, this weekend serves as the final major road test for all four Hernando County teams.
Here's a peek.
Main event at Brandon
Certainly the main course on this week's menu is the 25th annual Tony Ippolito Wrestling Tournament at the Eagles' Nest gymnasium in Brandon.
The two-day event is expected to draw a massive 32-team field featuring: host and defending champion Brandon, Bradenton-Manatee, Spring Hill-Springstead, St. Cloud, Tampa-Alonso, Bloomingdale, Sarasota, Tampa Prep, Tampa Jesuit, Venice, Gainesville, Tallahassee-Lincoln, Tampa-Chamberlain, Bradenton-Bayshore, Naples-Barron Collier, Tampa-Robinson, Brooksville-Central, Plant City, Seffner-Armwood, Ruskin-East Bay, Tampa-Middleton, Tampa-Wharton, Tampa-Gaither, Tampa-Plant, Tampa-Hillsborough, Tampa-King, Cape Coral, Sarasota-Riverview and Sarasota Booker.
Brandon, which enters with 11 returning state qualifiers, may surpass the mind-boggling 351.5 points it scored in this meet last winter.
Action begins at 5 p.m. Friday and runs until 9:30 p.m. Saturday's action resumes at 10 a.m. and will run all day. The tourney finals are set for 7 p.m.
The top four teams will receive trophies. The top five finalists in each weight receive medals.
Other awards are for Most Pins, Most Outstanding (Finals) Match and one Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Also, for the first time, track wrestling.com will carry the tourney results online.
Health is a major concern for each coach, especially so close to the state series.
"You want to stay injury-free," declared legendary Brandon Head Coach Russ Cozart, who has guided the program to eight consecutive state championships. "The weather had been great until a few days ago. We've got to keep the kids healthy to maintain their physical edge on the mats."
What's Cozart's main goal?
"Sure, we definitely want to win the tournament," remarked Cozart. "This gives us a chance to look at many of the same teams we will be meeting in (Class) 2A during the state series including Springstead, Manatee and Gainesville. We're gonna butt heads with these kids over the next few weeks. This weekend serves as a preview of the state battles ahead."
SHS: Seeking second
Springsead enters the Hillsborough County meet fresh off its fifth tournament victory of the season last weekend at the 23rd annual Flagler Rotary Club Invitational in Bunnell.
The Eagles captured 47-of-64 bouts (73 percent) and had 10-of-13 grapplers place fifth or better.
Leading the way for SHS were the gold medal performances by sophomore Richie Bliss at 103, freshman Cody Ross at 119 and sophomore Nick Soto at 125.
Soto and senior Scott Wern are the two lone placers from last winter's Ippolito Tourney. Soto placed sixth and Wern was fifth.
Last winter, Thad Klenovich was injured at the time and did not compete.
Three others, Shawn Landgraff, Thomas Ellerbee and Kenny Cox, posted a combined 7-6 mark at Ippolito last winter.
"Everybody is fighting for second (place) this weekend," explained Springstead High's fifth-year Head Coach Eric Swensen. "Our goal is to get second. And along the way, we could upset some Brandon kids. Why not? We've wrestled some of them during the summer and won matches."
Springstead will be without sophomore Devean Huff. Huff, who went 2-2 at Flagler was injured and is being held out to recuperate. Expect senior Anthony Urso to take his place at 130.
"For us to have any chance at second," explained Swensen, "we need to get a similar effort like we had at Flagler, especially from our returnees. We brought back 13 last Saturday. That's our goal again this weekend."
SHS senior Jessey Lorentsen, who placed fourth at Flagler at 171 pounds, leads the Eagles going into Brandon at 30-4 overall. He is followed closely by Bliss at 29-2, Ross at 29-5 and Klenovich at 28-4.
Banged-Up Bears at Brandon
Central High, which finished 15th at Ippolito last winter, limps into the meet this time.
Last winter, CHS had two placers at Brandon featuring Danny May at 189 and Nathan Brazeau at 215. Brazeau graduated and May has been injured since football season and has not been 100 percent.
Last weekend, the 2008 state qualifier went 0-2 before being pulled from the lineup at the Dunedin Duals, where CHS went 1-4 overall.
As of press time, it appears neither May (back), junior Vince Ramirez (shoulder), nor senior Shaun Cadoret (neck) will be available to compete.
"It's very frustrating right now," shared CHS Head Coach Roy Reyes. "Our schedule is far from easy. But it's hard to compete when your best guys can't go. Right now, we're day-to-day with all three of them and if I feel they can't go, they won't. We absolutely need them ready to go in two weeks.
"Right now, I'm speechless with the injuries," he added. "This weekend will allow some of the younger guys a chance to perform. This field is very tough.
"Brandon is a national caliber team. Few teams in the state are like them except maybe South Dade," commented Reyes. "Having a program like Brandon in Florida makes everyone push themselves to get better."
Should Ramirez be available, he leads the Bears with a 24-4 overall slate followed by Cadoret at 21-9.
Leopards at Titan Duals
Like Central and Springstead, Hernando's final regular-season tourney begins Friday in the two-day, 20-team, fifth annual Titan Duals at Naples-Golden Gate High.
The expected field includes: defending champion Naples-Palmetto Ridge, host Naples-Golden Gate, LaBelle, Naples, Fort Lauderdale-Archbishop McCarthy, Lehigh, Port Charlotte, Clewiston, Fort Myers-Estero, South Ft. Myers, Key West, Cypress Lake, Englewood-Lemon Bay, North Ft. Myers, Brooksville-Hernando, Mariner, Ida Baker, Immokalee, Sarasota-North Port, and Miami-Belen Jesuit.
Friday's action begins at 5:30 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m. The tourney picks back up on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Palmetto Ridge, which finished second to Brandon in the 2A State Finals last winter, had 13 wrestlers in the finals of last weekend's Collier County Championships.
North Port and South Fort Myers are also expected to be in the title chase.
The Leopards went 2-4 in this event last winter. Overall, HHS went 38-31.
The Purple and Gold return four members of last year's team from Golden Gate including: Daniel Pritz, Max Morrill, Kenny Day and James Davidson. Davidson went 5-1 in 2008 while Pritz and Morrill each posted 4-2 slates.
HHS is coming off a second-place finish in last weekend's Sunlake Duals.
"We're doing better," said HHS' assistant coach Bill Combs Sr. "Our goal this weekend is to go 2-0 on Friday. The key is whether we have a full lineup. (Shane) Malvesti says he can go. Well see. If he starts to reinjure it (elbow), then we'll shut him down immediately. The time we need everybody healthy is in two weeks. In two weeks, everything matters."
What's the Leopards' individual goal?
"Our best kids, the Pritz brothers, Max (Morrill), James (Davidson), George (Smith) and (Shane) Malvesti need to face good, tough competition," replied Coach Combs. "At this stage of the game, you want your best kids having good matches."
Davidson enters as the county leader at 30-3 overall. He's also one pin behind Lorentsen, 23-22.
Smith stands second on the squad at 27-6 overall.
Davidson and Smith were one of five Leopards to go 5-0 at Sunlake last weekend.
NCT at Hurricane Duals
The Sharks enter Saturday's fifth annual Hurricane Duals Tournament at Palm Harbor University following a 5-5 weekend at the Poinciana Duals.
The Pinellas County meet is expected to include a 10-team field: Pool 'A' - Palm Harbor University, Crawfordville-Wakulla, New Port Richey-Mitchell, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton-Southeast; Pool 'B' - Brooksville-Nature Coast Technical, Clearwater-Countryside, Dunedin, NPR-River Ridge and Tampa-Berkeley Prep.
Wakulla and Dunedin are the two top seeds.
First-year PHU Head Coach Brad Sakevich believes Dunedin is the team to beat Saturday.
"The favorite is Dunedin," said Sakevich. "They beat us and Countryside and also won the Pinellas County Championship. They're pretty tough."
NCT skipper Mike Lastra hopes his squad is challenged.
"I'm hoping our kids wrestle well," he said. "We need some tough matches before the (state) series begins."
What's the key?
"If we have a full lineup, I think we can hang with anybody," added Lastra, who did not have 2008 state qualifier David Simonson available last weekend (high ankle sprain) and lost Matt Lambert (rash) midway through the tournament. "We'll have Lambert and Simonson back. With David back in practice everyone's spirits have gone up. He's our vocal leader. Lambert's more of a quiet guy."
Thanks to an unheard of 10-0 run last weekend in Kissimmee, senior Shayne Gracteroly at 171 leads the Sharks in wins (28) and pins (18).
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: 25th annual Tony Ippolito Wrestling Tournament.
WHO: An expected 32-team prep field will include: defending champion and host Brandon, Bradenton-Manatee, Spring Hill-Springstead, St. Cloud, Tampa-Alonso, Bloomingdale, Sarasota, Tampa Prep, Tampa Jesuit, Venice, Gainesville, Tallahassee-Lincoln, Tampa-Chamberlain, Bradenton-Bayshore, Naples-Barron Collier, Tampa-Robinson, Brooksville-Central (CEN), Plant City, Seffner-Armwood, Ruskin-East Bay, Tampa-Middleton, Tampa-Wharton, Tampa-Gaither, Tampa-Plant, Tampa-Hillsborough, Tampa-King, Cape Coral, Sarasota Riverview and Sarasota Booker.
WHERE: Brandon Highs Eagles' Nest gymnasium.
WHEN: Tournament begins at 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday. Finals are set for 7 p.m. AT STAKE: Top four teams receive trophies; top five wrestlers in each weight class will receive a medal. Other awards are for Most Pins, Most Outstanding (Finals) Match and one Outstanding Wrestler Award.
WHAT: 5th annual Titan Duals Wrestling Tournament.
WHO: Expected 20-team field includes: defending champion Palmetto Ridge, host Naples-Golden Gate, LaBelle, Naples, Fort Lauderdale-Archbishop McCarthy, Lehigh, Port Charlotte, Clewiston, Fort Myers-Estero, South Ft. Myers, Key West, Cypress Lake, Englewood-Lemon Bay, North Ft. Myers, Brooksville-Hernando, Mariner, Ida Baker, Immokalee, Sarasota-North Port, and Miami-Belen Jesuit.
WHERE: Golden Gate High gymnasium.
WHEN: Wrestling begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and runs through 10 p.m. Saturday action begins at 9 a.m.
AT STAKE: Top two teams receive trophies. There are no individual awards.
WHAT: 5th annual Hurricane Duals Wrestling Tournament.
WHO: Expected 10-team prep field includes: Pool 'A' - Palm Harbor University, Crawfordville-Wakulla, New Port Richey-Mitchell, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton-Southeast; Pool 'B' - Brooksville-Nature Coast Technical, Clearwater-Countryside, Dunedin, NPR-River Ridge and Tampa-Berkeley Prep.
WHERE: Palm Harbor University gymnasium (4 mats).
WHEN: Pool wrestling begins at 10 a.m. After five rounds, the teams will cross bracket against other pool for final match.
AT STAKE: Top three teams receive trophies, Outstanding Wrestler Awards given to top lower weight, and heavyweight grapplers (decided by the officials and not the coaches).
01-19-08: Springstead's 2008 Brandon Ippolito Tourney Results
WGT NAME W L P PL
103 Dustin Soto 4 1 2 2nd
112 Schuyler Swanton 5 0 3 1st
119 Skylar Huff 3 2 0 4th
125 C. J. Cook 4 1 1 2nd
130 Nick Soto 4 3 0 6th
135 Shawn Landgraff 3 2 3 -
140 Sean Hughes 1 2 1 -
145 Tommy Ellerbee 1 2 0 -
171 Scott Wern 3 2 0 5th
189 Cesar Acosta 5 2 2 5th
215 Ken Cox 3 2 1 -
285 Carlos Ramirez 5 1 3 3rd
TOTALS 41 20 16
01-19-08: Central's 2008 Brandon Ippolito Tourney Results
WGT NAME W L P PL
112 David Supple 1 2 1 -
119 Wayne Snell 2 2 0 -
125 Ken Supple 0 2 0 -
130 Vince Ramirez 1 2 0 -
135 Robbie Sieber 1 2 1 -
145 Shaun Cadoret 2 2 0 -
152 Tom Adams 0 2 0 -
160 Mike Miller 1 2 1 -
189 Danny May 5 2 3 4th
215 Nathan Brazeau 5 2 4 5th
TOTALS 18 20 10
Final standings from 24th annual Ippolito wrestling tournament
Team scores
1. Brandon (BRN) 351.5; 2. Manatee (MAN) 230.0; 3. (SPG) Springstead 182.5; 4. St. Cloud (STC) 181.5; 5. (ALO) Alonso 128.5; 6. (BLO) Bloomingdale 124.0; 7. (SAR) Sarasota 101.5; 8. Tampa Prep (TP) 101.5; 9. (TJ) Tampa Jesuit 89.0; 10. Venice (VEN) 80.5; 11. (CHA) Chamberlain 78.5; 12. Bayshore (BAY) 69.0; 13. Barron Collier (BC) 70.5; 14. Robinson (ROB) 66.5; 15. Central (CEN) 63.0; 16. Pasco (PAS) 61.5; 17. Plant City (PC) 57.0; 18. Armwood (ARM) 56.5; 19. East Bay (EB) 56.0; 20. Middleton (MID) 49.0; 21. Wharton (WHA) 36.5; 22. Gaither (GAI) 36.0; 23. Plant (PLN) 32.0; 24. Ridgewood (RID) 32.0; 25. Hillsborough (HIL) 28.0; 26. King (KIN) 27.0; 27. Cape Coral (CC) 23.0; 28. Sarasota Riverivew (SR) 20.0; 29. Sarasota Booker (SB) 15.0; 30. Wesley Chapel (WC) 12.0.
01-19: Hernando @ Golden Gate Duals Tourney
Hernando at Titan Duals Tourney Results
WGT Name W L Pins
112 Weston, Spencer 1 5 0
125 Pritz, Daniel 4 2 0
130 Bishop, Chris 3 3 2
135 Morrill, Max 4 2 3
140 Graham, Jesse 5 1 1
145 Day, Kenny 1 5 0
152 Ball, Tim 2 1 1
160 LaMorte, Dillon 2 4 1
171 Davidson, James 5 1 1
189 Pauliot, Nick 5 0 1
189 Gomez, Fernando 1 0 0
215 Gomez, Fernando 3 2 1
215 Pauliot, Nick 1 0 1
285 Hostetter, Casey 1 5 1
TOTALS 38 31 13
Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.
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