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Why Rockkheem sheds green label

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By MARTY MILLER, Hernando Today correspondent

Published: December 5, 2007

Normally in a prep wrestling tournament, the people who make the tournament finals in any given weight class are the guys who basically have made wrestling a priority. They generally have wrestled for five or six years, practiced all the time and go to wrestling camps during the dog days of summer. In fact, they usually live and breath the sport.

But this past Saturday at the War Eagle Classic Wrestling Tournament held at Poinciana High School in Kissimmee, Rockkheem Greene of Nature Coast Technical showed that experience isn't the most important thing.

Greene, a junior who played this past season on the NCT football team, unbelievably made the finals at 189 pounds of the 16-team War Eagle Classic Wrestling Tournament.

Although Greene eventually was pinned by Joseph Abenchuchan of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in 51 seconds - just making the finals was an accomplishment.

"We call him 'Rockkheem the Dream'," said NCT Head Coach Mike Lastra. "He's only been wrestling since last Monday and the only move he knows right now is a half-nelson."

Greene played football last year for NCT and was a substitute on the defensive line for the Sharks, who finished the year at 8-3 and made the state playoffs.

"I don't know why I didn't do this before," Greene said Saturday after his final match. "The football coaches talked me into it and besides, this will help me for next season because the coaches said I could start on the D-line next year."

For being his first tournament, Greene got off to a great start early Saturday. In his first match ever against Luis Lino of Poinciana, the first-year grappler pinned his opponent at 4:09. He then moved onto the quarterfinals where he pinned Justin Hall of Harmony at 3:45.

Then in the semifinals, Greene improved his career record to 3-0, when he pinned Brad Rozier of Bayshore in 55 ticks. However, the winning streak came to an end in the finals.

Greene was pinned by Abenchuchan, who is blind, in the first minute of their match.

Greene started off fine in the finals but his lack of experience showed early on. Abenchuchan got Greene down on the mat twice and he made the mistake of trying to reach back to grab his opponent.

His coaches tried to teach the junior on the fly, but the match ended shortly after that with a pin.

"He knows a half-nelson and that's it," said Lastra. "He doesn't even know how to shoot yet. He's gotten by with mostly strength so far and I don't think he'll do as well in a big tournament like next week's (Brooksville) Kiwanis Tournament. He's a hard worker and I think by the end of the year, he'll be a good wrestler."

For Greene, wrestling was just something he was talked into doing.

"The football coaches have tried to talk me into doing this for a couple of years and I thought I would come out and give it a try," recalled Greene.

Greene also thinks of someday wrestling in college.

"I would like to be an auto mechanic, which is just something I've picked up in school," Greene said. "But I've thought maybe of playing football and wrestling in college."

With little or no experience, Greene has been getting by with his strength so far.

"It's that and the little amount of stuff I've learned so far," Greene added. "Today, I just got by because of my strength but my goal is to someday make the state finals."

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