According to area coaches there is no doubt who the top two teams are heading into this weekend's 8th annual Covanta Energy-sponsored 20-team Gulf High School Duals Tournament in New Port Richey.
The tourney has returned to Gulf High's Joe Bever Memorial Gymnasium after competing the past couple years at the larger (but much more expensive) City of New Port Richey's Recreation Center.
The field will be divided into four pools featuring: Belleview, Citra-North Marion, Clearwater, Tampa-Leto, Tampa Prep, Inverness-Citrus, Lecanto, Brooksville-Hernando, Brooksville-Nature Coast, Spring Hill-Springstead, Dade City-Pasco, New Port Richey-River Ridge, Land O'Lakes, Wesley Chapel-Wiregrass, Land O'Lakes-Sunlake, NPR-Ridgewood, Hudson, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and host NPR-Gulf.
Last winter's champions, Bradenton-Manatee, who downed Springstead, 39-28, decided not to return.
Interestingly, before Manatee's win, Springstead won this event the two previous seasons.
The Eagles, however, are no shoo-in for the team title with three-time Class 1A, Region II champion Citrus in the house.
Or are they?
Last winter in West Pasco County, the Eagles doused the Golden Hurricanes, 51-11.
Forecast
According to tourney director and Gulf High's veteran mat Head Coach Travis Dewalt, the finals will pit the Eagles and Hurricanes.
"I looking forward to see those two wrestle in the finals," said Dewalt, a former Florida State Champion from Gulf. "Those two teams are really a cut above everyone else."
The tourney's top four seeded teams include Springstead, Citrus, Gulf and Belleview.
So where do the host Buccaneers fit in?
"Our goal is to win our pool," pointed out Dewalt. "And get into the (final) dance."
NCT: Finally a full boat
Nature Coast, which is 2-3 in dual matches, is expected to finally have a full line-up beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday. All teams can weigh-in as many as 18 grapplers.
NCT is feeling particularly giddy after its seventh-place tie last weekend at the 27th annual Brooksville-Kiwanis Invitational at Hernando High.
Though only one Shark placed - senior David Simonson at 119 (third) - it was NCT's best-ever finish in that prestigious meet.
"We met out our goal of finishing in the Top 10," explained NCT's fifth-year Head Coach Mike Lastra, who is 18-59 lifetime in duals. "We're healthy and the kids are hungry. We're excited about what we did in Kiwanis, but I'm not satisfied. I don't want the kids satisfied either. We don't want placing seventh in a tournament as our high water mark for the season. Each week, we'll continue to raise the bar."
What about the field?
"Springstead and Citrus are the two clear favorites," Lastra indicated. "But everyone else is kinda in the same boat. Personally, I like our chances of an upset. Our goal this weekend is to come out with a winning record and come out in full strength. In our last dual meet (at Central), two ties killed us. Those (ties) literally took us from second to finishing fourth."
Line-up-wise, Lastra indicated that senior Matt Lambert, a two-time regional qualifier, will be back in the fold. The NCT roster should also be bolstered with the addition of junior varsity standouts Jeff Gilbert at 215 pounds and Steve Richardson at 125.
Heading into Gulf, four-year starter Simonson paces the team again in wins (9) and pins (6).
Leopards: Filling holes
The burning question for Hernando High is can the Leopards arrive at Gulf with a full line-up?
Especially with HHS expected to send its much younger and less seasoned wrestlers to a JV Tourney at Central.
"We'll have a full line-up depending on our JV kids at 119, 125 and probably 189," shared HHS veteran assistant coach Bill Combs Sr.
The Leopards went 4-1 last winter and just missed the bringing home a trophy (restricted to only the pool winners) thanks to a 43-36 loss to River Ridge.
Last winter, HHS captured 48-of-60 bouts.
Three Leopard starters return to New Port Richey including Daniel Pritz, Max Morrill and James Davidson. Oddly enough, this trio all reached states for the first time last winter and each finished 4-1 at the Gulf Duals.
Davidson leads the Purple and Gold in wins (12) and pins (9) followed by senior George Smith at 11-3 with eight pins.
Eagles: No letup
Despite the loss of seven starters during the 2008 commencement exercises plus two seniors (Dustin Soto, Charles Oquendo) to injuries this season, F.W. Springstead continues to impress.
Even without Oquendo (bone chips in his ankle), fifth-year SHS Head Coach Eric Swensen hopes to simply plod ahead by promoting four JV grapplers for this weekend's tourney at Gulf.
According to Swensen, who is 59-11 lifetime in duals including a 22-2 mark during Gulf Duals, he expects to deepen the Eagle line-up with freshmen Hkeem Hart at 189, Brennen Butler at 140, sophomore Alfred Silviera at 119 and senior Anthony Urso at 125.
Is Springstead disappointed that Manatee decided not to return to Gulf?
"No not really," said Swensen. "They're coming to our place for our duals tournament in January."
And the forecast at Gulf?
"We know Citrus will be tough," Swensen said. "But we don't go into any tournament expecting to get second. We've won this two of the past three years. We know we won't have Oquendo, so we'll adjust. Personally, I expect to win the tournament."
What about the team's mental state following Kiwanis Inv. finals' meltdown?
"We have to be mentally tougher (in the finals)," suggested Swensen. "Our guys simply were not ready fort the finals. It's nothing terrible. We still won and we ended up with more points than anyone has ever had there. There's nothing bad with pushing eight guys into the finals.
"Overall, we just have higher goals than most people, so we demand more."
SHS is expected to return six starters from last year's tourney including Richie Bliss, Shawn Landgraff, Thomas Ellerbee, Thad Klenovich, Scott Wern and Ken Cox.
That group posted a collective 34-11 won-lost mark. Klenovich led the Spring Hill contingency with a perfect 7-0 slate.
Last winter, SHS won 75-of-91 bouts (82 percent) to finish runner-up.
Heading into the Gulf Duals, senior Jessey Lorentsen paces the Eagles in wins (13) and pins (10) followed by Bliss, who is 12-1 overall with nine pins.
AT A GLANCE
WHO: Twenty teams will be divided into four pools featuring: Belleview, Citra-North Marion, Clearwater, Tampa-Leto, Tampa Prep, Inverness-Citrus, Lecanto, Brooksville-Hernando, Brooksville-Nature Coast, Spring Hill-Springstead, Dade City-Pasco, New Port Richey-River Ridge, Land O'Lakes, Wesley Chapel-Wiregrass, Land O'Lakes-Sunlake, NPR-Ridgewood, Hudson, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and host NPR-Gulf.
WHAT: Gulf High Duals Tournament sponsored by Covanta Energy.
WHERE: Gulf High's gymnasium.
WHEN: Wrestling begins at 5 p.m. Friday. Resumes Saturday at 10 a.m.
AT STAKE: Team trophies for the four pool winners.
Springstead Individual Results at 2007 Gulf Duals
WGT Name W L Pins
103 Richie Bliss 2 0 1
103 Dustin Soto 5 0 4
112 Dustin Soto 1 1 1
112 Schuyler Swanton 4 0 2
112 Richie Bliss 1 0 0
119 Skylar Huff 6 1 2
125 C. J. Cook 6 0 1
125 Steven Bliss 1 0 1
130 Steven Bliss 6 0 2
130 C. J. Cook 1 0 0
135 Shawn Landgraff 6 1 3
140 Sean Hughes 4 3 4
145 Tommy Ellerbee 4 3 2
152 Thad Klenovich 6 0 1
160 Thad Klenovich 1 0 0
171 Scott Wern 5 2 2
189 Cesar Acosta 7 0 3
215 Kenny Cox 5 2 2
285 Carlos Ramirez 4 3 3
TOTALS 75 16 34
Hernando Individual Results at 2007 Gulf Duals
WGT Name W L Pins
103 Spencer Weston 1 1 1
112 Spencer Weston 2 1 1
119 Christian Sanchez 2 3 1
125 Daniel Pritz 4 1 2
130 Chris Bishop 4 0 3
135 Chris Bishop 1 0 1
140 Max Morrill 4 1 4
145 Jesse Graham 5 0 2
152 Tim Ball 5 0 3
160 Dillion Lamorte 4 1 3
171 James Davidson 4 1 2
189 Nick Pauliot 3 2 2
215 Fernando Gomez 1 1 1
215 Taylor Rotunda 3 0 1
HWT Fernando Gomez 3 0 1
HWT Taylor Rotunda 2 0 1
TOTALS 48 12 29
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Results Loading...