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Grajales, Cozart win state's top honors

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 30, 2009

Brandon High's Eric Grajales and Eagles coach Russ Cozart have earned the state's top wrestling honors.

Grajales on Monday was named the recipient of the 17th annual Mr. Florida award, while Cozart earned the state's top coaching award, which are presented by the Florida Dairy Farmers.

It is the second consecutive year Grajales was named the recipient of the Mr. Florida award and the fifth consecutive year the honor has gone to a Brandon wrestler. Grajales, a recent Brandon graduate who will continue his wrestling career at the University of Michigan, finished his senior season 67-0 and won the Class 2A 135-pound state championship. For his prep career at Brandon, Grajales finished 219-0 and as a four-time state champ.

Cozart earned the state's top coaching honor after leading the Eagles to their ninth consecutive state title (the program's 20th overall title), one that came in record-setting fashion. Cozart coached a state-record seven individual champs and all 12 wrestlers he took to the state championships in Lakeland placed in the top five, helping the Eagles set a state record with 270 points.

COACH ARRESTED: Spoto baseball coach Larry Benton was arrested Saturday on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting another to commit prostitution, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report.

Benton, 50, was arrested at 6500 N. Nebraska Ave. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail at 2:39 a.m. on Saturday and released later that morning after posting $250 bond.

Benton has been Spoto's baseball coach since the program started in 2007. A 1977 King High grad, he also has had coaching stints at Tampa Bay Tech and Leto.

BASEBALL: Several local players who were selected in the 2009 MLB first-year player draft recently signed.

Three players - former Middleton and Hillsborough Community College first baseman Jamie Mallard, former King and University of Florida pitcher Stephen Locke, and former University of Tampa first baseman Jose Jimenez - signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

Mallard, an 18th-round pick, and Jimenez, a 47th-round pick, were assigned to the Angels' rookie-league affiliate in the Arizona League. Locke, a 22nd-round pick, was assigned to L.A.'s rookie-league affiliate in the Pioneer League.

Meanwhile, former University of Tampa pitchers Alex Koronis and Danny Keefe signed professional contracts with the Rays and Chicago Cubs, respectively.

Koronis, an 11th-round pick, has been assigned to Tampa Bay's rookie-league affiliate in the Appalachian League, while Keefe, a 14th-round pick, has been assigned to Chicago's Class A short-season affiliate in the Northwest League.

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