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Brandon Faces Tougher Road

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By ADAM ADKINS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 13, 2008

BRANDON - For the past seven years, the Class 2A state wrestling tournament has seemed to be a formality. When the three-day event concluded, everyone knew Brandon wrestlers would be hoisting the state championship trophy.

But that certainly is not the case this year.

When the Eagles storm The Lakeland Center on Thursday searching to extend their state record for consecutive team championships to eight, they will be met with some fierce competition, notably from two teams - Naples Palmetto Ridge and Bradenton Manatee - that last wrestled on the same mat as the Eagles the night The Streak came to an end.

"It's not a done deal. It's definitely up for grabs," Brandon wrestling coach Russ Cozart said. "It's exciting again. There's a lot of competition for the title. The last seven years we've just kind of blown everybody away. With the addition of Palmetto Ridge, and Manatee has a good team, it's making things very interesting. It's anybody's ballgame."

If the Eagles are going to win another title this year, they are going to need someone - possibly even two someones - in their lineup besides state title favorites Eric Grajales or Joey Cozart to grab an individual gold medal.

"Somebody's going to have to come out on top," said Russ Cozart, whose team has 12 wrestlers headed to the state tournament, one more than both Palmetto Ridge and Manatee. "You're just not going to win this state tournament with a couple of champs."

That's not saying another victory is far-fetched for the Eagles. In fact, just about everybody else in their lineup is in the conversation when discussing individual state title possibilities.

Several came close at last year's tournament. Junior Kevin Timothy (135) was an individual runner-up in 2007, while junior Zaq Berridge (160) and senior Phil Uno (215) each placed fourth. And a slew of other wrestlers, such as freshman Wally Figaro (145), sophomore Terry Dawson (112), juniors Nick Hutchinson (125) and Sean Padgett (103), and senior Aaron Fullenwider (285), have shown this season they are capable of performing at a high level.

Now, it's just a matter of them turning the corner as so many Brandon wrestlers have done before them, the one that leads to the top of the podium.

"We definitely feel the pressure a little bit," Berridge said. "We just have to step up to it."

And they're ready for the opportunity to do so.

"I'm ready to go out and prove ourselves again," Uno said. "I've been ready since we lost at the Graves Challenge the Streak Dual Meet and everybody lost all their belief in us. I think if we go win state it will shut everybody up."

Added Hutchinson: "Everybody keeps telling us that we're probably going to lose state this year. It makes me mad sometimes, but I just look at it that we've beaten all these teams before and we can do it again. We might not have the strongest team, but we've got enough heart in us, we still go out there and work hard, and we can take the title again."

If the Eagles can win the state title, it will speak volumes for the 2008 squad, a team that suffered through the heartache in January of becoming the first Brandon team in nearly 34 years to lose a dual match. That loss ended the program's national-record winning and unbeaten streaks at 459 and 468 matches, respectively. But there's a much stronger message that can be delivered, and that's what this group is focusing on.

If the Eagles bring home the state title, they believe it will reinforce to the masses that Brandon is still that state's premier wrestling program.

"I think if we win this state title it will show everybody that we're still the top dogs in the state of Florida," Padgett said.

AT A GLANCE

STATE WRESTLING

WHEN: Thursday-Saturday

WHERE: The Lakeland Center

ADMISSION/PARKING: $8 per session/$5 per day

EVENT SCHEDULE: Thursday - Weigh-ins, 10 a.m.; First-round competition, Noon; Wrestlebacks (first round), 5 p.m. Friday - Weigh-ins, 8 a.m.; Second-round competition, 10 a.m.; Wrestlebacks (second round), 2 p.m.; Semifinals, 7 p.m.

Saturday - Weigh-ins, 8 a.m.; Wrestlebacks (third round), 10 a.m.; Wrestlebacks (fourth round), Noon; Fifth- and sixth-place finals, 4 p.m.; Third- and fourth-place finals, 4 p.m.; Introduction of finalists, 6:15 p.m.; Championship finals, 6:30 p.m.

Reporter Adam Adkins can be reached at (813) 657-4533 or aadkins@tampatrib.com.

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