Fat Chat: A Metamorphosis Begins

For the major part of the past four winters, Springstead High's first seven weight divisions have been an extreme gauntlet for opposing teams to navigate through.
By comparison, its grapplers across the final seven weight classes, from 145 pounds through 285, as a whole have not sent opposing teams quivering in their boots.
But based on Saturday's balanced performance in Marion County, maybe times are a changing.

Fatties rule

For an Eagle mat squad that finished 33-10 overall in Marion County's third annual Ocala-Forest Invitational, Springstead's "heavyweights" posted an impressive 19-3 won-lost slate featuring 14 pins. All seven grapplers placed among the top five of their weight divisions while 6-of-7 medaled.
Their overall performance did not go unnoticed.
"With no disrespect to any of our past heavy guys, since I've been here, we've been a lightweight-dominated team," described Springstead High's fifth-year Head Coach Eric Swensen. "It was nice to have our heavier guys be just as successful tonight."
The Eagles' least successful "heavyweight" wrestler was 145-pound sophomore Shawn Landgraff.
Landgraff happened to draw perhaps Palatka High's finest wrestler, Phillip Bryant, to open the tourney. Landgraff gave up a critical two-point reversal in the waning seconds to trail 10-9 before getting pinned with one second left.
Bryant eventually advanced to the finals, where he dropped a bitter 6-5 decision to West Port's David Detwiler.
So how did Landgraff fare following such a tough opening round loss? He rebounded to flatten the next three opponents he faced to finish 3-1 overall and place fifth.
Junior Thomas Ellerbee at 152 and senior Charles Oquendo at 285 each finished 2-1 to place third.
What was impressive was how Springstead seniors Thad Klenovich (160 pounds), Jessey Lorentsen (171), Scott Wern (189) and junior Kenny Cox (215) posted a collective 12-0 slate featuring eight pins to garner four gold medals.

The gold standard

Lorentsen, who transferred to SHS after two fine seasons at 3A New Port Richey-Mitchell, never went six minutes with an opponent Saturday.
Besides etching two pins, Lorentsen mangled two others via technical falls, 16-0 and 17-2, to finish 4-0 for the tourney and improve to a county-best 5-0.
How did the 2008 3A state qualifier feel like he performed?
"This was just my first tournament," shared the 17-year-old Lorentsen. "I just came out from football so I'm not at my best conditioning-wise. In a week or so, I expect to be ready to go six minutes hard."
How about the team?
"We have a lot of good young talent," said Lorentsen, who finished 35-7 last winter for the Mustangs. "We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores and a couple juniors, but they've all got a wrestling background. We got eight in the finals tonight, that's great. But only three of us are seniors. Overall it's a young team that did pretty good."
Wern wasn't as active as Lorentsen, as he received two byes en route to finishing 2-0.
"It went pretty good today," shrugged the 16-year-old Wern. "But with the byes, it kinda dragged on. I thought my competition wasn't up to my level."
Why the team's success?
"I tribute our success to our coaches," said Wern, who qualified for the 2A state meet for the first time last winter. "They're the ones that take the ordinary guys like me and transform them into state qualifiers. As a whole, we put in a lot of time on the mats. A lot of the other kids in school don't have the kind of dedication we have, otherwise, they'd be wrestlers, too.
"Everyone worked hard today," added Wern. "When 13 guys place, usually you consider that a success."
"This was our first tournament," noted the 16-year-old Cox. "But all of us have been working hard in the offseason getting ready for this. We have to be relentless in our approach.
"Our opponents are not going to stop (training) for us," added Cox. "So that's why it's a year-round sport. If you want to win badly enough, you won't stop."
What's the key behind this new squad?
"I think a lot of people are underestimating us because we're so young," indicated Cox.
And today?
"In my first two matches I went out there wanting to dominate and I did," he said. "In my last match (a 12-0 major decision) I just couldn't pin the kid. But a win, is a win. I'll take it."
What's next?
"There will be a lot of good teams next week at Durant," replied Cox. "We've worked our butts off to get this far. We're not stopping."
Especially the fatties.

By the Numbers: Eric Swensen's Team Titles

- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

Tournament Titles: (14)

2004-05: (1)
Class 2A, District 9 Tournament @ CEN

2005-06: (4)
Gulf Duals Tournament @ New Port Richey
County Championship Tournament @ SPG
The Villages Tournament
Class 2A, District 5 Tournament @ SPG

2006-07: (5)
25th Brooksville-Kiwanis Invitational @ Hernando
Gulf Duals Tournament @ New Port Richey
17th Springstead Invitational
Hernando County Athletic Conference Duals Tournament @ SPG
Class 2A, District 5 Tournament @ Dunedin

2007-08: (3)
26th Brooksville-Kiwanis Invitational @ Hernando
18th Springstead Invitational
Class 2A, District 5 Tournament @ Ridgewood