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Brandon Wrestling: Great Escapes

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2008

Many tried to beat Brandon, but until Saturday night, none successfully, since Bradenton Manatee beat Brandon in the final match of the 1972-73 season. Manatee would tie Brandon the next year; therein lies the nine dual-match difference between the winning streak and the unbeaten streak. The close calls during the years kept the Eagles in check. The closest of the close:

Nov. 26, 1979: Brandon 32, Leto 24. The first match of Jim Graves' final season as Brandon's coach. The key match was Marty Shirley's pin of Dennis Reynolds at 167 pounds. Reynolds went on to finish fourth in the state. Shirley fell out of the starting lineup by season's end. After this win, the unbeaten streak stood at 73 and the winning streak at 64.

Jan. 10, 1980: Brandon 28, East Bay 27. With three bouts remaining, East Bay led 21-17, but wins by Tony Gustafson at 188 and Dave Walker at 220 saved the match, which was marred by a fight involving a former Brandon wrestler and East Bay fans. Graves went into the stands to help break it up.

Dec. 1, 1981: Brandon 32, Chamberlain 25. Russ Cozart was in his second year at Brandon, coaching against his old school in the season opener. "It wasn't really close, but it got close toward the end," Cozart said. "It was an unexpected scare. Ed Goodpaster was also in his second year, having replaced me at Chamberlain, and he was building a nice squad."

Nov. 30, 1982: Brandon 29, Chamberlain 27. This was another season opener, and Chamberlain had 12 seniors. Todd Gustafson and Eric Grant defeated Chiefs they had lost to previously, and Andre Green's pin at 189 gave Brandon an insurmountable 29-12 lead. The original final score was 29-24, changed after Brandon forfeited a bout for using an ineligible wrestler. It was Brandon's 100th consecutive win.

Feb. 4, 1984: Brandon 35, Miami Southridge 24. Arguably the biggest challenge to the streaks since they began, Southridge came into the Eagles' Nest as defending state champion and led Brandon 24-23 with two matches left. Jim Husk watched in dismay as his last wrestlers were disqualified for stalling. The streaks were at 131 (unbeaten) and 122 (winning).

Dec. 10, 1988: Brandon 31, Chamberlain 28. The first of two clutch performances by Brandon heavyweight Steve Smith, whose pin capped a comeback from a 28-19 deficit. The streaks were at 189 and 180.

Jan. 10, 1989: Brandon 35, Bloomingdale 23. This match's original final score was 32-26 — this alteration resulted from a Bloomingdale forfeit — and Smith again was the hero. With the match tied at 26, he saved the streaks at 193 and 184 by pinning Charles Perez in 5:37. Elation was tempered by an injury suffered by Brandon's Jason Davis, whose leg was broken against Bloomingdale's Kevin Williams.

Nov. 26, 1996: Brandon 43, East Bay 27. This was the closest Brandon had come to falling since the 1990s began. East Bay, coached by Tom Lota, got four consecutive wins beginning at 130 pounds to tie the match at 21. However, the Eagles, strong in the heavier weights that season, dominated the last half of the match, getting the clinching win from 189-pounder Josh Lambrecht.

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