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Gators Wrestlers To Honor Goodpaster With Tournament

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By EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - It never fails to inspire when hearing of a coach who has made an impact on the athletes he or she has coached. That influence can seep deep into one's personal or professional endeavors.

Ed Goodpaster is one of those who had an influence. The former Land O' Lakes wrestling coach has been honored by two of his former pupils, current Land O' Lakes coach Brent Coleman and Land O' Lakes assistant Jason Carpenter.

The two will conduct the inaugural Edward Goodpaster Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Land O' Lakes.

"We both wrestled for Ed Goodpaster, and we both felt he made a huge impact on kids in Florida, especially me and Carpenter," Coleman said. "He retired a few years ago from Land O' Lakes, and we felt we'd do a little something for him, seeing how much he did for us, and name a tournament after him."

Goodpaster, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio and began wrestling at 12 following a challenge with former professional wrestler Ruffy Silverstein, will attend the 21-team tournament Saturday and will be honored with a plaque and by several former wrestlers just before the finals begin.

Goodpaster, who retired in 2001, was the Manatee wrestling coach during the 1972-73 season when the Jim Graves-coached Brandon Eagles lost their last dual meet. He was also the coach of the 1973-74 Manatee squad that tied Brandon. Brandon's national record winning streak now stands at 451.

RANK 'EM: Gulf High is the lone ranked Pasco County team in the scoutfloridapreps.com state wrestling rankings. The Bucs are No. 11 in the Class 1A team rankings. Hudson also received votes, but wasn't ranked. In 2A, River Ridge received votes, but fell shy of being ranked.

Hudson heavyweight Travis Tindell remains the top pick in 1A and is also the state's top heavyweight in the All-State listing.

HEAVY WEIGHT: When the season began, River Ridge heavyweight Anthony Colello weighed in at 312 pounds. Nice for a football lineman, but not so good for a wrestler needing to make weight at 285 pounds.

Since the season began, the weight hasn't been an issue. He has weighed in at every tournament below the limit.

"It definitely makes a difference. I plan on actually going lighter," Colello said. "I'm trying to get down to about 250.

"I came in at 312, and now every weigh-in I'm under 280 at least."

He went 7-0 at the Gulf Holiday Invitational last weekend, including a first-round pin of Manatee's 2006-07 state runner-up Richard Cunningham, was 4-2 at the Hernando Kiwanis tournament and finished fourth in the East Lake Invitational.

When the school year began, Russ Schenk, in the first year of his second stint at River Ridge, met Colello during the USA Wrestling season. At that time, Colello weighed more than 300 pounds.

"Finally, I had a heart-to-heart with him, and I said you need to be getting down," Schenk recalled. "By Monday, if I don't see a 1-pound improvement, then you're not showing me you want to be out here.

"He came in and he slowly started to get his weight down. He dedicated himself to his running, and he's made weight every time at 285, which is huge for a guy who was 310. He's dedicated himself, and he's starting to win."

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Pasco will head to Birmingham, Ala., for the second consecutive season to participate in the Heart of Dixie Classic hosted by Vestavia Hills High.

Vestavia Hills' coach, Steve Gaydosh, was an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee when Pasco coach Mark DeAugustino wrestled there.

EDWARD GOODPASTER INVITATIONAL

WHERE: Land O' Lakes High, 20325 Gator Lane, Land O' Lakes

WHEN: Friday-Saturday

SCHEDULE: Friday - weigh-ins 2:15 p.m.; wrestling 3:30 p.m.; Saturday - weigh-ins 8:30 a.m.; wrestling 10 a.m.

ADMISSION: Friday $4; Saturday $4 per session or $6 all day

TEAMS: Berkeley Prep, Brooksville Central, Inverness Citrus, Dunedin, Dunnellon, Gainesville Eastside, Brooksville Hernando, Land O' Lakes, Englewood Lemon Bay, Leto, Palm Coast Matanzas, Miami Springs, Mitchell, Brooksville Nature Coast, Pasco, Plantation, River Ridge, Groveland South Lake, Wesley Chapel, Winter Park, Wiregrass Ranch

Coaches wanting to add their team's information to the weekly Wrestling Notebook can submit their entries to Eddie Daniels by calling (813) 948-4214 or e-mailing edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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