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Stroud Grapples With Emotions

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By EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2008

LAKELAND - Standing near the retaining wall inside The Lakeland Center, Pasco High's Eric Stroud and Ray Perez hugged.

Moments later, the tears came. First from Perez, then from Stroud. It was an embrace filled with joy and a tinge of sadness.

The emotional display came on the heels of Stroud standing in the center of the purple, Class 1A wrestling mat with his arm raised as the 2008 215-pound champion during the FHSAA Wrestling State Finals. With an exuberant shout, Stroud aimed his right index finger toward Section 208, where a crowd of Pasco supporters sat.

The previous match - on the same mat - featured Perez for the Class 1A 189-pound title. The senior lost a close bout to Key West's Ralph Major, 7-4. That was the hardest part of the tournament for Stroud.

"Watching Ray's match," he said, holding back tears. "It ripped my heart out because I know how hard I worked and I honestly think he works harder than I do."

Because of that, Stroud's opponent, Harmony's Mike Amadeo, had to pay.

The pair wrestled to a scoreless first period, but in the second period, from the down position, Stroud hit a switch to his right, allowing him to escape for the first point of the match at the 1:58 mark.
Stroud nearly earned his first takedown on a single to Amadeo's right leg. While attempting to drag Amadeo toward the center of the mat from behind, Amadeo flipped forward out of bounds.

Moments later, Stroud tugged at Amadeo's ankle, tripping him and then covering, earning two takedown points and a 3-0 advantage with 43 seconds left in the second period.

At the start of the third period, Amadeo chose the down position, which was his demise. Stroud tried to tilt Amadeo to expose his back to the mat several times for back points, but it didn't work. An opening came when Stroud was able to bar Amadeo's left arm to his back, then circle around his head, placing the Harmony senior on his back. Three seconds later, 4:37 into the match, it was over. Stroud became Pasco's sixth state champion and the first Pirate to do so since Tanner Orr's 2003 title.

"It's life changing," Stroud said. "It's what I worked for."

Pasco coach Mark DeAugustino didn't have it any easier. After watching Perez lose his bid at a title and consoling the anguished senior, DeAugustino had to regain his composure and turn his attention to Stroud in the ensuing bout.

"Not that short of a period, but when Brad Alford lost in the finals in 2001," DeAugustino said, "Ty Reedy came up and I was like, 'OK, lets get it on. We have to focus at what's at hand, that one's over.' "

The fact Perez returned to the edge of the barrier to watch Stroud's match and then shared the emotional embrace with his teammate was a proud moment for DeAugustino.

"It's the world. That's what it's all about," he said. "Nobody knows what it's like unless you do it and that's the honest to God's truth. You don't know the emotion. You can talk about other games or other sports, but there's nothing in the world like it.

"... It's so emotional, it's just unbelievable and to be able to keep all that in check and wrestle like Stroud did, that's what it's all about."

STATE PLACERS

Class 1A

Eric Stroud (215), Pasco, first
Ray Perez (189), Pasco, second

Vidal Jimenez (103), Pasco, sixth

Tony Germano (160), Hudson, second

Travis Tindell (285), Hudson, third

Devin Brown (171), Hudson, fourth

Nick Hynes (112), Zephyrhills, sixth

Class 2A

Dean Stupar (112), Ridgewood, third

Tyler Fleming (119), River Ridge, fourth

Anthony Biondo (112), River Ridge, sixth

Coming Tuesday, The Pasco Tribune will recap the FHSAA State Wrestling Finals. Keyword: Prep Sports, for a link to a photo gallery from the state wrestling tournament. Coming Tuesday, The Pasco Tribune will recap the FHSAA State Wrestling Finals. Keyword:

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