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Gulf's Jackson Proves He Belongs

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 25, 2009

LAKELAND - In a hallway inside The Lakeland Center, five wrestlers occupied the "chute" area.

Two of the wrestlers were done for the night.

One wrestler stood in front of two others, who seemed fixated on his every word. As he spoke, the medal around his neck fluttered.

A fifth wrestler, Gulf's Ladarious Jackson, sat on the padded floor as Buccaneers coach Travis DeWalt, suit and all, sat in front of him.

Assistants Joe Brandau and Mike Rousch flanked Jackson.

The level of disappointment was evident on Jackson's face, but he did something not many expected this season, reaching the final of the Class 1A 152-pound class. His second-place finish was the highest of the 16 Pasco County wrestlers who qualified for the FHSAA Wrestling Finals.

"This weekend was kind of tough, because I had to face a kid who took first at 160 last season and was a defending state champion," Jackson said.

It took overtime to do it, but Jackson walked away from that semifinal match with a 3-2 decision, defeating Dudley Welch of Miami Monsignor Pace. Welch entered the match 41-0.

"It was really weird because I was never used to this kind of an environment," Jackson said. "I mean, all these people screaming and going nuts. It's a different ball game. ... I was excited, but every time I went on the mat, I was real nervous. I saw all the guys wrestling and beating each other up. I said, 'How am I going to do? I'm only a sophomore. I don't know if I can pull this off.'"

After calming himself, Jackson performed like he belonged, securing his runner-up finish.

"The first year you make it to the state tournament, you're in the finals, that's pretty special," DeWalt said. "Knocking off a state champ on the way in triple overtime, that's character. Not a lot of 10th-graders can do that."

Mitchell's Vasili Kostakis became the first Mustang wrestler to place in the state tournament with his fifth-place finish. Shortly after coming off the mat after his 7-4 decision victory against Palm Harbor University's Jack Stewart, Kostakis leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Definitely tough," said Kostakis, who won his first two matches. "This is my first time as a state qualifier, and I've never been to this place. The first thing I thought when I walked into this place was, 'Wow. This is big.' I saw a lot of people and was kind of nervous. Once I won my first match, I was like, you know what, it's just like any other tournament."

Sunlake joined the mix of teams with state placers. Both Jarrett Baker (189) and Deven Johnson (160) finished fourth.

For Baker, the tournament was a battle of will. When he stepped out of bed Friday morning for Day 1 of competition, he was congested, had a fever and was nauseous.

"One of my coaches always uses a Marines term, 'pain is weakness leaving the body,'" Baker said following his final match of the tournament. "If you're sick or have any type of injury, try and suck it up and get through it."

As if the ailment wasn't enough, there were two undefeated wrestlers and three others with three or fewer losses in his bracket.

"I knew it was going to be a tough bracket," Baker said. "I just went out there and gave it my best."

He and Johnson become the first state placers in Sunlake's three-year history. That means a Wall of Fame inside the wrestling room is a must.

Laughing, Sunlake coach Matt McDermott said: "I just have to learn how to paint."

RESULTS

CLASS 3A: Vasili Kostakis, Mitchell (140), Sr., 5th place

CLASS 1A: R.J. O'Connor, Gulf (112), So., 6th; Anthony Ayers, Gulf (119), So., 5th; Ladarious Jackson, Gulf (152), So., 2nd; Deven Johnson, Sunlake (160), Sr., 4th; Jarrett Baker, Sunlake (189), Sr., 4th

TEAM FINISH: Class 3A - Mitchell, 45th (tie), 9 points; Class 2A - River Ridge, 49th (tie), 4 points; Land O' Lakes, 66th (tie), 1 point; Class 1A - Gulf, 12th, 41 points; Sunlake, 18th, 32.5; Wiregrass, 54th (tie), 4; Zephyrhills, 58th (tie), 3; Pasco, 65th (tie), 2

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214.

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