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Despite Youth, Gulf Expects To Contend Once Again

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By EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 15, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - A once-over of the Buccaneers' opening roster and the first thought likely is, "Oh boy."

The squad lost state champion Mike Calafiore, state placer Tim Longnecker and regional qualifiers in Daniel Mayhill, John Palasky, Brandon Muetzel and Devin Purviance.

And the roster is filled with seven sophomores and three freshmen.

Just remember, the team is not just dealing with a bunch of sophomores. It is also dealing with Coach Travis DeWalt.

"I have expectations for them; I don't think I'm going to let their age level become a crutch," DeWalt said of his young wrestlers. "They've been with us in the club wrestling, my assistant coach Jason D'Agata runs the club. They're not your average sophomores. They're tough kids.

"It's like your other schools where they go, 'Man, we got sophomores.' I'm pretty pumped."

Acting as the glue to keep the bunch together will be seniors Jordan Holding, Martin Levinson and Josh Przsybsz.

Holding, whom DeWalt categorizes as his fiercest competitor, was a regional qualifier as were Levinson and Przsybsz.

"I expect more than last year," said Przsybsz, a first-team All Sunshine Athletic Conference wrestler. "We did lose a couple people, but we also got a couple freshmen who are wrestling as good as a senior would."

All Gulf did last season was snatch its fifth SAC title in seven years by a 77-point margin. The Bucs then went on to claim the Class 1A-District 6 title and finish 12th in the state.

"I expect us to keep growing as the season goes. I think toward the end we're going to be real tough - a lot tougher than people think we're going to be."

In addition to the postseason experience by the seniors, sophomore Jarod Carpenter gained valuable experience as a freshman and has dedicated himself to the sport despite nearly walking away last season.

"I took my lumps last year and I don't want to do it again," said Carpenter, who took first place at Wesley Chapel's Fraternal Order of Eagles Wildcat Duals Invitational and finished third in the SAC tournament last season. "All of the sophomores who are on varsity right now have trained all summer. They went to the summer camps. We're going to have to pull out some wins whenever the state series comes around in order to advance through as a team."

As DeWalt talked to his wrestlers Tuesday evening, he paced near the wall that honors state tournament placers. With the backdrop of 11 former Buccaneer wrestlers behind him - including his own name from his 1990 state title - DeWalt admitted he's greedy. He likes to win and he wants everyone in the room to catch that infectious attitude.

"Our expectations are to continuously win. I don't care what changes in the lineup," said DeWalt, who will take 19 of his wrestlers to the Wheaton Warren College Invitational in Chicago. "The philosophy and the technique don't change. Expecting anything less would be bad on us that's not the way we train the kids."

Still think those youngsters are pushovers?

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