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Brandon Wrestling: Timeline

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2008

1969 — Brandon's program begins with a 45-13 loss to Robinson.

Feb. 20, 1973 — Bradenton Manatee defeats Brandon 28-19 in the final dual meet of the 1972-73 season, the last time the Eagles lost a dual meet.

Nov. 29, 1973 — Brandon defeats Chamberlain 40-12 in the first match of the 1973-74 season, the start of a national record unbeaten streak, which ended at 468 after this year's Graves Duals final.

Jan. 26, 1974 — Brandon and Bradenton Manatee tie 24-24 in the ninth match of the season, the last time the Eagles did not win a match before Saturday. Therein lies the nine-match difference between the unbeaten and undefeated streaks, both national marks.

Jan. 28, 1974 — Brandon defeats Robinson 32-17, the first victory of the national-record winning streak which ended at 459.

Feb. 7, 1980 — Brandon's last dual under Jim Graves, a 59-6 win against King. The Streak stood at 75 consecutive wins and 84 matches without a defeat. Graves resigned at the end of the season. He left with a career record of 97-11-1 and led the program to its first state title in 1977.

Dec. 1, 1980 — Brandon defeats Chamberlain 47-17 in the first match under new Eagles coach Russ Cozart, who took over the program following two seasons at Chamberlain.

Nov. 30, 1982 — Brandon gets consecutive win No.100 with a 29-27 win against Chamberlain.

Feb. 6, 1988 — Brandon notches win No.176 with a 76-6 win against Hillsborough, breaking the national wrestling program mark for consecutive wins held by Bismarck, N.D.

Jan. 27, 1990 — Brandon gets consecutive win No.200 with a 70-6 win against Hillsborough. One day later — exactly 16 years after the winning streak began — Tony Ippolito, a beloved former Eagles standout and the program's and Hillsborough County's first state champion, dies from a rare form of cancer. He was 33.

Jan. 18, 1997 — Brandon defeats Chamberlain for consecutive win No.293, breaking the national mark for consecutive victories by a high school team in any sport. The old record was held by the Amherst (N.Y) Sweet Home High volleyball team, which won 292 consecutive matches from 1978-87.

Dec. 16, 1997 — Brandon gets consecutive win No.300 with a 70-3 rout of Plant.

Jan. 8, 2005 — Brandon gets consecutive win No.400 with a 53-12 win against Chamberlain in Graves Duals semifinals.

Jan. 5, 2008 — Brandon loses to Homestead South Dade in the final of the Graves Duals 32-28, ending the Streak. The Eagles' national record winning and unbeaten streaks end at 459 and 468, respectively.

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