For the defending Class 2A state champion Springstead Eagles there was no reminder Saturday evening of what transpired two weeks earlier during the Ippolito Tourney finals at Brandon.
On Jan. 21 in Hillsborough County, the Spring Hill mat men drew an uncharacteristic bagel – losing six finals bouts – during the 27th annual Tony Ippolito Memorial Wrestling Tournament.
At the tail end of a frustrating evening, SHS’ coaches were called for a third misconduct penalty – meaning an automatic ejection from the premises by Eagle Head Coach Eric Swensen.
The Eagles paid an undisclosed fine for the violation and Swensen completed a six-hour online course on sportsmanship and sat out the team’s final two dual-meet matches prior to attending Saturday’s seven-team Class 2A, District 7 Tournament at Hernando High.
With the sanctions behind them, the Mariner Boulevard mat men literally stepped on the gas pedal at the Michael A. Imhoff Gymnasium.
The Eagles captured their eighth straight district championship – and Hernando County record 26th overall – by solving the Inverness-Citrus by 73 points, 294-221. The 294 points sets a county record at districts, eclipsing the 263.5 points achieved in 2009.
In the process, Spring Hill grapplers posted wins in 32-of-37 bouts (86 percent) compared to Citrus’ 27-of-40 (68 percent) effort.
SHS walked away with a tourney-high 14 mat men (only the top four placers in each of the 14 weight classes) advancing to next week’s “Region of Doom” or the Class 2A, Region II Tournament, beginning Friday at noon at St. Cloud High School.
Citrus advanced 13 grapplers to next week’s event at Osceola County, followed by third-place Nature Coast Technical (12), Brooksville-Hernando (5), Brooksville-Central (5), Lecanto (4) and Land O’ Lakes (3).
The tourney win was Coach Swensen’s fifth this season and 39th since taking over eight years ago.
Springstead Assistant Coach Sal Basile, a two-time state qualifier for the Eagles, admired his team’s resiliency after fizzling out late at Ippolito.
“Ippolito was a reality check for us,” described Basile. “I’m one of those guys that believe you get a lot more out of a loss than from a win. We went from having our best-ever Friday at Brandon to our worst Saturday night. We went in here looking to stick to the game plan.
“We looked pretty good today,” explained Basile, a two-time Eagle district champion. “I don’t get too excited on reaching small goals. Our sights are on bigger goals. I thought we could have wrestled a little bit tougher in the third period of some of our matches, so there’s still room for improvement.”
On the overall picture, the Eagles performed to what coaching staff believed they could reach.
“We did what needed to be done,” Basile said. “We expected to be dominant. We’re on a mission. Our job is to continue on this path.”
As far as the Eagles’ biggest positives, Basile noted, “It’s pretty impressive to see our four freshmen not only all make the district finals – but see all of them win. I thought (John) Dreggors proved why he’s probably the best heavyweight in the country. He has so much potential. When he sets his mind there’s no telling how good he can be.”
Eagles rule
Springstead, which led from the opening whistle, garnered 10-of-12 first-place blue ribbons.
It marked the second straight year SHS finished with 10 district champions. Across 32 district tourneys, the Eagles have produced a county-record 164 champs.
This year’s Eagle district champions include: freshmen Matt Landgraff at 106 pounds, Michael McDonald at 113, Josh Herrera at 132 and Conor Ross at 170; sophomore Jordan Rivera at 126; junior Joe Russo at 138; and seniors Sean Redman at 145, Cody Ross at 152, Thomas Gupton at 195 and John Dreggors at 285.
Junior Stephen Pavao at 120 and senior Ernesto Padilla at 182 settled on second-place red ribbons while senior Willie Smith placed third at 220 and senior Jake Smith placed fourth at 160.
Ross, Dreggors: Four-time champs
The prep window for stout mat men Cody Ross and Dreggors continues to dwindle. The two made the most of their fourth district tournament with their respective fourth first-place blue ribbons.
Ross (36-2 in 2011-12) finished 3-0 with two pins to enter regionals with a county-best 178-13 lifetime mark. Ross, who finished 12-0 with eight pins in four district tournaments, folded his first two opponents in 33 seconds and 2:50. Ross needs two more pins to climb into second place all-time in pins.
In the finals, Ross topped Citrus sophomore Colton Jackson, 7-2. In their previous clash at the St. Cloud Invitational, Ross won, 13-7.
“I’m not feeling having wrestled in my last district tourney,” acknowledged the defending two-time state champion. “It hasn’t settled in yet.
“All I want to do is continue winning,” said the 17-year-old Ross. “Being a district champion at our school means a lot. You’re always looking at our board in practice – it’s nice to be up there. To be a four-timer like my friend C.J. (Cook) means a lot.”
Ross explained what it was like to bounce back after losing in the fourth overtime at Ippolito.
“Ippolito taught everyone that you have to be ready to wrestle every match, or else,” said Ross. “It doesn’t matter if I was sick or not. You have to be ready to work through whatever you’re dealing with every time you step on the mats.”
Dreggors also went 3-0, highlighted by three pins.
Dreggors won his first district title at Citrus before winning his last three for the Eagles.
On Saturday, Dreggors improved to 21-0 by notching his 17th, 18th and 19th pins of the season.
He stuck Central’s Isaul Ceballos (0:28) and Citrus’ Derrick Bostick (0:20) to reach the finals.
He faced NCT senior and 2010 state qualifier Greg Jarque in the finals. Dreggors pinned Jarque for the second time this winter in 4:34.
On his fourth blue ribbon, Dreggors didn’t place emphasis on any district title over another.
“They all mean the same,” noted the 17-year-old Dreggors. “A district title is just a steppingstone toward states.”
On his finals match against Jarque, Dreggors said, “He’s not a bad wrestler. He’s a big guy. I thought he did all right. I should have pushed the pace earlier in the match.
“I know I can win this,” said Dreggors, a three-time state qualifier who finished as a state runner-up last winter. “I’m not worried about states. I’ll wait till it happens.”
What did he think about the team’s performance?
“Our team really bounced back after Ippolito,” Dreggors said. “I mean 12 guys in the finals and 10 champs? That’s pretty good.”
On next week’s 2A-II Meet, “I don’t know who all will be there,” he said. “I know I’ve got to wrestle somebody; everybody there will be tough.”
Rivera, Redman, Gupton: Repeat champs
Three other Eagles were repeat district champions from 2011: Rivera, Redman and Gupton.
Rivera (28-5), who was ill and missed Ippolito, went 3-0 with two pins at HHS.
The 2011 state placer mangled his first two opponents in 35 and 50 seconds to reach the finals against No. 2 seed Cameron Tull from NCT.
Despite solving Tull, 9-3, Rivera appeared upset with himself after the match.
“I thought I did well today,” described the 16-year-old Rivera. “I just wanted to perform better in the finals.”
On his current conditioning, “I feel fine. My goal is win regions and then states,” explained Rivera. “My coach thinks I’m the best guy in this weight class. I feel I can’t let him down and do my part.
“Winning any matches from here on out will be hard,” added Rivera. “It has to get better and better at any cost.”
For his efforts, Redman went 3-0 with two pins to capture first place for the fourth time in seven individually bracketed tournaments this winter.
Redman (35-4) folded his first two foes in 29 and 96 seconds.
In the finals he tangled with NCT senior Carter Bolesta for a third time this season. Redman posted an 8-0 win to solve Bolesta for the third time.
Like Rivera, Redman was upset he could not produce a pin in the finals.
“I wanted a pin; I’m mad at myself for that,” described the 17-year-old Redman. “I felt coming in I had something to prove. I should have made the finals and won it at Ippolito.
“My next goal is to win regionals,” Redman said. “This was just a steppingstone to states. I think losing at Ippolito helped me focus better. Ippolito taught me you can’t take anybody for granted. I’d rather have lost there than in the state series.”
Gupton captured first place for the fifth time in seven IBTs.
The two-and-half-year starter downed Land O’ Lakes’ Nick Stowers in the semis, 3-1, before pinning Citrus senior Kody Wood in the finals in 2:47.
On winning his second district title, “I think winning last year was tougher,” said the 17-year-old Gupton. “My last guy was technically the best guy I saw.”
Like many of the Eagles, losing in four overtimes at Ippolito actually helped Gump.
“Yeah, losing at Ippolito helped me,” noted Gupton (33-2), a 2011 state qualifier. “My next goal is to win regionals and head to states.”
Five first-time Eagle champs
Unlike any of the other 13 district champions, Landgraff captured his first-ever blue ribbon without breaking a sweat.
Top-seeded junior Sean Nguyen lost via injury default to Landgraff. Nguyen had tweaked his knee in practice and was held out as a precautionary measure.
“He could have wrestled,” explained NCT Head Coach Mike Lastra. “We purposely held him out to make sure he’s 100 percent going into regionals.”
Landgraff toppled Citrus junior Chris Mosher, 8-3, before accepting his forfeit finals nod.
“I kind of felt left out tonight,” shrugged the 14-year-old Landgraff, who’ll enter regionals at 28-8. “I thought the other kids got to win for a reason. I was ready for him; I’m ready for every match.
“Ippolito made me realize I have to work harder at getting better.”
McDonald went 3-0 highlighted by one pin and two technical falls.
McDonald (32-8) throttled Central junior Josh Marquez in the finals via a 17-2 technical fall.
“I thought I did pretty well,” admitted the 15-year-old McDonald. “Winning districts isn’t my biggest goal. I want to make the state finals; this just helps me get there.”
McDonald identified his strengths this year.
“I’ve gotten so much better on my feet,” he said. “Since my eighth-grade year I can pretty much take anybody down. And I’ve only been ridden out once all season.”
For Herrera (23-2), he pinned his first two foes in 92 and 76 seconds before mangling NCT sophomore Luis Espinosa in the finals via a 13-0 major decision.
Like so many of the Eagles, Herrera was upset that he could not pin Espinosa.
“I wanted to pin the kid,” recalled the 15-year-old Herrera. “I thought I had a shot. I feel like I still need to open up my offense. I’m working harder to accomplish more shots.”
Russo had more difficulty in his semifinal than the finals.
In the semis, Russo (29-8) blanked Central senior Josh Cleveland, 6-0. In the finals, he trampled Citrus freshman Perry Reneer via a 17-2 major decision.
“It feels good to win. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted,” said the 17-year-old Russo. “It’s nice to be a part of history and all the names on the board in our wrestling room. To me, this (winning) means a lot.
“Right now, I’m looking forward to a rematch next with Finneran and I want to help our team in any way to win a state championship.”
For the sixth time in seven IBTs, Conor Ross placed. Oddly enough, for the second time at Hernando, Ross returned home a champion.
After pinning Lecanto’s Nick Nightengale in the semis in 2:04, Ross solved Carlos Carrasquillo of NCT, 6-5.
“Winning districts feels pretty good,” said the 14-year-old Ross. “We’ve met twice but I’ll probably see him again next week. What’s helped is attacking more and opening up more.”
Gaudin: Paces Leopards
Hernando enjoyed a decent day by posting 10 wins in 29 bouts.
Five Leopards advanced to St. Cloud including: sophomore Jesse Gaudin at 220 (first), senior Jared Young (third) at 152, freshman Bailey Mosher (fourth) at 106, sophomore Ricky Swain (fourth) at 138 and sophomore Brennan Ertl (fourth) at 145.
Though Young qualified for regionals for a fourth straight season, Gaudin stole the spotlight by capturing his weight class.
Gaudin, who came in riding a 13-match winning streak, went 2-0 spotlighted by a 6-2 win over Citrus senior Zach Collins.
“It feels good to win,” said the 16-year-old Gaudin. “As the season has progressed, we’ve worked harder and harder in practice. This means a lot. It says that all of the hard work I’ve put in since last year’s offseason is paying off.”
On Gaudin’s goal for next week, “I have to play it smart, continue to work hard and I can’t get beat.”
2A-7 Wrestling Tournament Results:
PL SCHOOL PTS.
1. Spring Hill-Springstead (SPG) 294.0
2. Inverness-Citrus (CIT) 221.0
3. Brooksville-Nature Coast Technical (NCT) 186.0
4. Brooksville-Hernando (HER) 80.0
5. Brooksville-Central (CEN) 72.0
6. Lecanto (LEC) 46.0
7. Land O' Lakes (LOL) 44.5
Class 2A, Region II Qualifiers NO.
1. Spring Hill-Springstead (SPG) 14
2. Inverness-Citrus (CIT) 13
3. Brooksville-Nature Coast Technical (NCT) 12
4. Brooksville-Hernando (HER) 5
5. Brooksville-Central (CEN) 5
6. Lecanto (LEC) 4
7. Land O' Lakes (LOL) 3
Championship Round
106 – Matt Landgraff (SPG) won by injury default Sean Nguyen (NCT).
113 – Michael McDonald (SPG) tech. fall Josh Marquez (CEN), 17-2.
120 – Austin Kelly (CIT) dec. Stephen Pavao (SPG), 9-4.
126 – Jordan Rivera (SPG) dec. Cameron Tull (NCT), 9-3.
132 – Josh Herrera (SPG) major dec. Luis Espinosa (NCT), 13-3.
138 – Joe Russo (SPG) major dec. Perry Reneer (CIT), 17-3.
145 – Sean Redman (SPG) major dec. Carter Bolesta (NCT), 8-0.
152 – Cody Ross (SPG) dec. Colton Jackson (CIT), 7-2.
160 – Nick McLean (CIT) major dec. Mitch Lambert (NCT), 11-0.
170 – Conor Ross (SPG) dec. Carlos Carrasquillo (NCT), 6-5.
182 – Taylor Jackson (CIT) major dec. Ernesto Padilla (SPG), 15-3.
195 – Thomas Gupton (SPG) pin Kody Wood (CIT), 2:47.
220 – Jesse Gaudin (HER) dec. Zack Collins (CIT), 6-2.
285 – John Dreggors (SPG) pin Greg Jarque (NCT), 4:34.
Consolation Round
106 – Chris Mosher (CIT) major dec. Bailey Mosher (HER), 19-6.
113 – Michael Allan (CIT) dec. Michael Milillo (LOL), 7-2.
120 – Shane Reeger (NCT) dec. Jon Fillinger (LEC), 6-1.
126 – Joel Pelton (LEC) pin Dalton Tinsley (CIT), 0:49.
130 – Jacob Nolen (CIT) dec. Jesus Nieves (CIT), 3-0.
138 – Josh Cleveland (CEN) pin Ricky Swain (HER), 2:39.
145 – Luke Walton (CEN) dec. Brennan Ertl (HER), 7-2.
152 – Jared Young (HER) pin Brandon Vovan (NCT), 4:44.
160 – Bobby Austin (LOL) dec. Jake Smith (SPG), 3-2.
170 – Brandon Stromer (HUD) pin Joe Venero (CIT), 1:51.
182 – Dylan Savoury (NCT) won by default over Puerto Rico Nieves (CEN).
195 – Peter Holloman (NCT) dec. Nick Stowers (LOL), 8-2.
220 – Willie Smith (SPG) won by default over Tyquan Tyler (NCT).
285 – Derrick Bostick (CIT) pin Christian Barber (LEC), 2:14.
Springstead Individual Results:
WGT NAME W L PINS PL
106 Landgraff, Matt 2 0 0 1st
113 McDonald, Michael 3 0 1 1st
120 Pavao, Stephen 1 1 1 2nd
126 Rivera, Jordan 3 0 2 1st
132 Herrera, Josh 3 0 2 1st
138 Russo, Joe 2 0 0 1st
145 Redman, Sean 3 0 2 1st
152 Ross, Cody 3 0 2 1st
160 Smith, Jake 1 2 1 4th
170 Ross, Conor 2 0 1 1st
182 Padilla, Ernesto 2 1 1 2nd
195 Gupton, Thomas 2 0 1 1st
220 Smith, Willie 2 1 1 3rd
285 Dreggors, John 3 0 3 1st
TOTALS 32 5 18 –
NCT Individual Results:
WGT W L PINS PL
106 Nguyen, Sean 1 1 1 2nd
113 Coddington, Gage 1 2 1 -
120 Reeger, Shane 2 1 1 3rd
126 Tull, Cameron 1 1 1 2nd
132 Espinosa, Luis 2 1 0 2nd
145 Bolesta, Carter 1 1 0 2nd
152 Vovan, Brandon 1 2 1 4th
160 Lambert, Mitch 2 1 0 2nd
170 Carrasquillo, Carlos 1 1 0 2nd
182 Savoury, Dylan 2 1 0 3rd
195 Holloman, Peter 2 1 1 3rd
220 Tyler, Tyquan 1 2 0 4th
285 Jarque, Greg 1 1 1 2nd
TOTALS 18 17 7 –
Hernando Individual Results
WGT NAME W L PINS PL
106 Mosher, Bailey 2 2 2 4th
113 Thornton, Sean 0 2 0 -
126 Brace, Holden 0 2 0 -
138 Swain, Ricky 2 2 1 4th
145 Ertl, Brennan 2 2 2 4th
152 Young, Jared 2 1 2 3rd
160 Miller, Tical 0 2 0 -
182 Sullivan, Zach 0 2 0 -
195 Day, Blaine 0 2 0 -
220 Gaudin, Jesse 2 0 0 1st
285 Neff, Austin 0 2 0 -
TOTALS 10 19 7 -
Central Individual Results:
WGT NAME W L PINS PL
106 Mestres, Austin 0 2 0 -
113 Marquez, Josh 1 1 0 2nd
132 Nieves, Jesus 1 2 0 4th
138 Cleveland, Josh 3 1 2 3rd
145 Walton, Luke 3 1 1 3rd
160 DeFranco, Anthony 0 2 0 -
170 Brown, Brandon 1 2 1 -
182 Nieves, Puerto Rico 2 2 1 4th
285 Ceballos, Isaul 0 2 0 -
TOTALS 11 15 5 -
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