TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Brandon Streak Begins Again At 1

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 20, 2008

BRANDON - The Streak is none.

Wednesday afternoon in the Brandon High School gym, Eagles wrestling coach and icon Russ Cozart kept blowing his whistle.

Each time he did, two more of his wrestlers hopped on the mat, locked arms, then legs and started grinding, sweating and caring.

That's how tradition has always started around here.

The Eagles participate in their first dual meet of the season tonight, in their own gym, against Riverview. They should win.

"That would make one," three-time state champ Eric Grajales said.

"It would be a good start," said two-time state champ Joe Cozart, the coach's son.

Brandon wrestling history starts over tonight.

Never far from them, never to be forgotten, is "The Streak" - Brandon's extraordinary 34-year, 459-dual-meet win streak, a national record for any sport.

It ended early in January in this same Brandon gym against the wrestlers from South Dade. The joint filled with tears that night.

Now they start over.

Actually, they started over a while back. After The Streak fell, Brandon won its eighth straight state title. Grajales and Cozart won titles, as did Kevin Timothy, whose loss to South Dade made it official that The Streak was done. Fairy tale enough.

But tonight is different.

Tonight is the first dual meet since South Dade.

It starts all over.

Cozart's kids became something of celebrities, even in defeat. ESPN released "The Streak," a wonderful two-hour documentary that detailed last season's journey.

It was produced by Kelly Ripa and her husband, actor and Brandon High graduate Mark Consuelos. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Russ Cozart and his wife attended. They arrived in a limo. There was a red carpet. He received a standing ovation when it was over. The audience waited for Cozart and his wife to exit first.

"High school wrestling," Cozart said with a smile.

His wrestlers loved most of what they saw in the film.

"It showed that dedication, that we work as hard as anybody at anything," Grajales said.

Still ...

"It was hard to watch it end all over again," Joe Cozart said.

The film captured the essence of Brandon wrestling. It captured something else: The Streak was the enemy, too. It bore down on them. The Streak took on a life all its own, and a death all its own.

"We didn't really talk about The Streak much until ESPN came in," Grajales said. "We always knew it was there and knew we were part of it. We just never wanted to be part of the end of it."

"This is something they can take on," Russ Cozart said. "It's great motivation."

He pointed at a December dual meet at South Dade.

"This is a special group," Russ Cozart said. "These guys have been through an amazing experience, and they've learned from it. We all have."

First comes Riverview.

That would make one.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT