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Hynes, Kunkle Forget About The Past

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 15, 2008

LAKELAND - Outside the Zephyrhills wrestling room Wednesday, Coach Troy Hochstetler grabbed a list of last season's state wrestling placers, put a flame to it and burned it in front of his two wrestlers - Nick Hynes and Robbie Kunkle.

"I burned it in front of them, I threw it down and I said that's what placing last year means, that's what being a runner-up last year means. That was last year, guys," Hochstetler told the two as they prepared for Thursday's opening round of the 2008 FHSAA State Wrestling Finals. "It means as much as that ash on the ground. This year is this year. Go out and win."

Hynes knocked off Miami Doral's Isiah Verona, 6-1, and Kunkle stunned Billy Brooks of Starke Bradford.

WILLIS ROLLING: Robinson senior 119-pounder Matt Willis continued his strong postseason run Thursday, winning his opening match of the state tournament against Crystal River's Brandon Jones. It was the latest accomplishment for Willis, who didn't begin wrestling until his sophomore year in high school.

A few weeks ago at the Hillsborough County Championships, Willis became Robinson's first individual county champion under Coach Tommy Montero. Then, at last week's Class 1A-Region 3 tournament, Willis notched career win No. 100 in the third-place match against Jesuit's Marko Crespo.

TRY THAT AGAIN: Last season, Gulf 130-pounder Jordan Holding and Coach Travis DeWalt labeled the state tournament "The Big Meltdown."

Holding did not advance out of the regional tournament last year. Thursday, he made up for it by pinning Key West's Dylan Barber 1 minute, 35 seconds into the first round.

"I just wanted to get it done quickly. I didn't want to mess around," said Holding (39-2). "I have a couple of tough matches today, so I'm just working hard, and hopefully I'll be in the finals Saturday."

BEGINNER'S LUCK?: For some wrestlers, it's typical to take a while to reach the state finals. Don't lump Sunlake's Jarrett Baker (30-9) into that group. The 189-pound junior is in his first year wrestling.

He finished second in the Sunshine Athletic Conference and in the Class 1A-District 6 tournament. He is eyeing a first-place spot in the state tournament. Although he's at Lakeland to win, that wasn't his initial attraction to the sport.

"One of my football coaches said it would help me to be a better middle linebacker," Baker said.

ROUGH DAY: Things didn't go well for two of Hillsborough County's top programs, Durant and Alonso. The Cougars and Ravens, who qualified four and three wrestlers, respectively, for the state tournament each had one advance to today's quarterfinals.

Making it for Durant was senior 125-pounder Christian Reed, who benefited from a late stalling and locking hands call to squeak past Lauderdale Lakes Anderson's Durvan Thompson, 6-5. Alonso junior 189-pounder Kendall Ivy's win wasn't as dramatic; he scored a 9-3 decision against Miami Columbus' Michael Abadin.

Durant's Yamil Crespo (145) and Alonso's Tony Milanes (103) stayed alive in the tournament by winning their first matches in the wrestlebacks.

Eddie Daniels, Adam Adkins

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