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Sharks tread through uncharted water

WRESTLING

Hernando Today photo by TONY CASTRO

Nature Coast Head Coach Mike Lastra leads his team into the “O-town Showdown” at Orlando-Lake Highland Prep this weekend.

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: November 25, 2009

Through five winter seasons Nature Coast Technical Head Coach Mike Lastra has stayed on a particular course.
Lastra understood the pitfalls associated with wrestling teams competing during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.
Typically, it a difficult time for most prep sports due to kids' commitments with their family, travel plans, etc.
And what about trying to make weight after gorging on grandma's second helping of pumpkin pie? That's not a bad idea. Except if you have to make weight the next day.
That's why Lastra had never scheduled any holiday tournaments for the Sharks.
That streak ends this weekend.
Lastra believes he has the tools in place for a run at New Port Richey-Gulf in the Class 1A, District 8 Tournament scheduled on Feb. 6 at Hernando High's Michael A. Imhoff Gymnasium.
To that end, Lastra not only scheduled the Brooksville squad in a weekend tournament, but in one of the largest "events" in the state.

O-town Showdown

The Sharks are one of 23 teams expected to compete in what tournament director Cherry Loska calls the "O-town Showdown" at Orlando-Lake Highland Prep.
The tourney has an odd slant. Besides a junior tournament and jayvee tourney, there will be a varsity tourney taking place outdoors across 16 mats at Lake Highland Prep's football stadium.
It's an ambitious ordeal given the fickle nature of Florida's weather.
The field consists of: Brooksville-Nature Coast Technical, Orlando-Boone, Celebration, Orlando-Cypress Creek, Jacksonville-Episcopal, Orlando-Freedom, Naples-Gulf Coast, Port St. John-Space Coast, Tampa-Steinbrenner, Tampa Prep, Winter Park-Lake Howell, Longwood-Lyman, St. Petersburg-Northside Christian, Orlando-Olympia, Seminole-Osceola, Oviedo, Palm Harbor-University, Naples-Palmetto Ridge, Kissimmee-Poinciana, Winter Springs, Winter Garden-West Orange, Kissimmee-Liberty and host Orlando-Lake Highland Prep. Lake City-Columbia was a last-minute scratch.
The defending tourney champ is Space Coast, though this format was not utilized last winter.
This year's format is expected to feature six teams divided into four pools.
Each school is guaranteed five matches on Friday. The top two teams from each pool advance to Saturday's championship bracket. Those eight teams will wrestle 3-4 times to determine a winner. The finals are scheduled to begin Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The top three teams earn trophies. Two Outstanding Wrestler Awards will also be presented (lightweights, heavyweights).
The other 16 teams, who do not reach the championship bracket, will also compete on Saturday, but in a consolation bracket where they will wrestle 3-4 more matches.
In all, teams will receive 8-10 matches across two solid days of competition (weather permitting).
According to the self-proclaimed "wrestling mom" Loska, "we normally get gorgeous weather this time of year and hopefully, that will help promote the sport."
Why this format?
"We got a lot feedback before we decided to do this last summer," admitted Loska. "It's more of an event than a tournament having it outdoors and under the lights."

What Lastra's thinking

Coach Lastra, who enters his sixth season following up last year's school-best 21-14 dual meet record, understands the drawbacks of competing the day after Thanksgiving.
"I'm not worried with the older boys, they'll make weight," Lastra remarked. "What I am concerned with is will they all show up after being out of town."
NCT is expected to take 35 grapplers to the Orange County event, with 17 expected to compete in the junior varsity tourney and 18 expected to compete in the varsity event.
What's the primary goal?
"I want to see the kids apply what we've been working on and of course to come out healthy," pointed out Lastra.
And the field?
"There will be some stud teams with Palmetto-Ridge, Oviedo, Olympia, Winter Springs there," remarked Lastra, who is 37-70 lifetime at NCT. "It's a good way for our guys to get 7-10 matches under their belts. We'll see how it goes. It's the first time we've ever competed in a Thanksgiving tournament."
Lineup wise, NCT returns two state qualifiers in Scott Cronin and Tyler Forand. Lastra is also expecting a huge turnaround for sophomores Carter Bolesta and Mitch Lambert. Bolesta was only 7-14 last winter while Lambert finished 22-27.
Both, however, never missed a day of offseason training. And each grappler logged in over 70 matches during the summer.
"If I had to pick our most improved guys right now, it's hands down Carter and Mitch," Lastra said. "Both of those guys are ready to turn their records around."
Less than a week away from the Sharks' last football game, look for newcomers Justin Murray, Luke McCarty and Brenton Nuby to crack the starting lineup this weekend.

AT A GLANCE
WHO - O-town Showdown Invitational Wrestling Tournament.
WHAT - Twenty-three teams in a dual-meet format including: Brooksville-Nature Coast Technical, Orlando-Boone, Celebration, Orlando-Cypress Creek, Jacksonville-Episcopal, Orlando-Freedom, Naples-Gulf Coast, Port St. John-Space Coast, Tampa-Steinbrenner, Tampa Prep, Winter Park-Lake Howell, Longwood-Lyman, St. Petersburg-Northside Christian, Orlando-Olympia, Seminole-Osceola, Oviedo, Palm Harbor-University, Naples-Palmetto Ridge, Kissimmee-Poinciana, Winter Springs, Winter Garden-West Orange, Kissimmee-Liberty and host Orlando-Lake Highland Prep. Lake City-Columbia was a last-minute scratch.
WHERE - Orlando-Lake Highland Prep's football stadium (outdoor meet across 16 mats).
WHEN - Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28. Finals are set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
AT STAKE - Top three teams earn trophies. Two Outstanding Wrestler Awards will be presented (lightweights, heavyweights). The tourney's defending champion is Space Coast.

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

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